Jump to content


Photo
- - - - -

Install on Monday! Anything I should do before camper is bolted down?


  • Please log in to reply
20 replies to this topic

#11 So Cal Adventurer

So Cal Adventurer

    Senior Member

  • Members
  • 368 posts

Posted 22 March 2018 - 02:34 PM

Hey There

 

Congrats!  I am also in San Diego (Clairemont) and picking mine up tomorrow.

 

Let me know if you ever wanna meetup for a camper oogling or a quick weekend to borrego!


  • 0

Follow My Shenanigans: instagram.com/campermccampface

 


#12 paddlesurf.net

paddlesurf.net

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 56 posts

Posted 23 March 2018 - 05:39 AM

Hey There

 

Congrats!  I am also in San Diego (Clairemont) and picking mine up tomorrow.

 

Let me know if you ever wanna meetup for a camper oogling or a quick weekend to borrego!

Awesome! Yes would like to chat with you about campers - and maybe get some advice. I'm currently trying to figure out where I'm going to mount my Victron Mppt controller (100/30 smart solar model) the solar wires terminate under the sink area and there's pretty much nowhere to mount under there that isn't under plumbing fixtures.


  • 0

#13 So Cal Adventurer

So Cal Adventurer

    Senior Member

  • Members
  • 368 posts

Posted 23 March 2018 - 11:32 AM

Awesome! Yes would like to chat with you about campers - and maybe get some advice. I'm currently trying to figure out where I'm going to mount my Victron Mppt controller (100/30 smart solar model) the solar wires terminate under the sink area and there's pretty much nowhere to mount under there that isn't under plumbing fixtures.


Sure thing... I have the Victron also! I got their controller and all the goodies sitting at home waiting to be installed when I get back.

I’ve wired up several solar systems and happy to help.

Unsure where I’m mounting it yet, I need to physically check it all out once I get home

Kevin
  • 0

Follow My Shenanigans: instagram.com/campermccampface

 


#14 ckent323

ckent323

    Senior Member

  • Members
  • 1,216 posts
  • LocationSolvang, CA

Posted 23 March 2018 - 07:38 PM

Paddlesurf,

 

Not sure what your implementation limitations are but as an idea for you, I made a plywood panel for mounting my solar controller and battery monitor shunt.  It slides between a pair of rabbeted pieces of wood screwed to the sidewall of my camper under the rollover couch where my battery bank is.  

 

It is easily removable and reconfigurable (which it turns out was a good thing).

 

Pictures here at comment #19:

 

http://www.wanderthe...keystone +solar

 

 

 

Craig


  • 0

1993 Dodge Cummins W-250 Club Cab long bed, 2007 FWC Keystone


#15 paddlesurf.net

paddlesurf.net

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 56 posts

Posted 24 March 2018 - 02:45 AM

Hey Craig,

 

I checked out your photo - that's a really sweet spot you have there- everything is super accessible.

 

On the flatbed model there's a small locker just aft of the water tank bunker - all the electronics are in there. The solar wiring terminates, however in a cabinet just below the sink where the water pump and filter are located (probably similar in most models) there's just no room inside that cabinet that isn't directly under a plumbing fixture or the water pump itself.

 

Since I don't want to move the solar wires (because they so neatly terminate right there) I'm going to use the spot where I think FWC normally installs their controller panel.

 

I'm going to mount the Victron MPPT right there but on the outside of the removable, temporary, panel.

 

I had to send back the smart solar 100/30 because it was just too big to fit there - so I'm going with a smart solar 100/20 which fits nicely (and according to my calculations should handle my 200watts roof mounted - I have a 160 watt Zamp portable that already has a pwm controller on it that I will connect directly to the battery bypassing the victron mppt). It's the best solution I could come up with that allows a solid mount and that is out of the drip zone. It will be the only blue thing in my silver spur interior.

 

I haven't committed to the new spot yet - so I'll see how things look when the new controller gets here... who knows, since it's so much smaller I may find a way to make it fit inside the cabinet up high or something.

 

I did connect the BMV 712 shunt - felt just wrong drilling into my brand new cabinets. But I do have to say, I'm having fun playing with the bluetooth connectivity feature of the BMV.

 

Quick question - why is a shunt monitoring system so much better than the readout you get on some controllers? I think I already know the answer but was wondering what your thoughts are - I told a friend about my BMV and he said, "I've already got that, it comes on my controller, I push buttons on it and I can scroll through all that info."


  • 0

#16 Vic Harder

Vic Harder

    Doctor Electric

  • Site Team
  • 4,898 posts
  • LocationCalgary, Alberta

Posted 24 March 2018 - 07:09 PM

Keep in mind that you want the wires from the controller to the batteries to be as short as possible, and for the temperature compensation to work, the controller has to be the same temp as the batteries.  I mounted mine in the battery box.

inside batt Box

 

Shunt monitoring systems are better because they measure all the current coming out of the battery, and going back in from your charger(s).  That allows them to calculate if the battery is "full"   The Victron assumes (adjustable) that you need to put 105% of what was taken back in to get back to 100%.


  • 0

#17 ckent323

ckent323

    Senior Member

  • Members
  • 1,216 posts
  • LocationSolvang, CA

Posted 24 March 2018 - 07:27 PM

Vic as usual is on top of it and is spot on.  ;-)

 

I have the Bue Solar 75/15 controller and the BVM-702 Battery Monitor.  Both have bluetooth dongles.

 

Both the Solar Controller and the battery monitor give you basic info on the battery, voltage, current, state of charge.  Both also provide history files that can be downloaded with lots of other data.  Each provides more specfic details relevant to what each unit does.

 

The battery monitor detailed data also gives you deepest discharge, average discharge, number of charge cycles, battery temperature (BVM-702 and 712 only) cumulative amp hours consumed, max voltage and a few other things.  All downloadable in a history file.

 

The BVM also has a display that I mounted in the cabinet face next to the FWC battery and water level panel (LED display), which makes monitoring battery usage while in the camper very easy at a glance. 

 

Because of the mounting locations the bluetooth dongle on the BVM-702 is a bit of a hassle.  I have three choices for locating the little box at the end of the cable.  I can mount it on the face of the cabinet making it susceptible to bumping, mount it behind the panel making access to the reset button and connection a pain or just let it hang down and sit on the side shelf that we have in our camper, which is what I have done.  The bluetooth dongle on the solar controller is not a problem because it is easily accessible under the seat and is mounted to the panel the controller is mounted to.

 

Note: When I bought these built-in bluetooth was not available, my only choice was buying and adding the bluetooth dongles.  If I were to make the purchases now I would buy a larger controller (probably the smartsolar 100/30) and the BVM-712 both with buetooth built in. 

 

Craig


Edited by ckent323, 24 March 2018 - 08:15 PM.

  • 0

1993 Dodge Cummins W-250 Club Cab long bed, 2007 FWC Keystone


#18 paddlesurf.net

paddlesurf.net

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 56 posts

Posted 25 March 2018 - 04:00 AM

Vic as usual is on top of it and is spot on.  ;-)

 

I have the Bue Solar 75/15 controller and the BVM-702 Battery Monitor.  Both have bluetooth dongles.

 

Both the Solar Controller and the battery monitor give you basic info on the battery, voltage, current, state of charge.  Both also provide history files that can be downloaded with lots of other data.  Each provides more specfic details relevant to what each unit does.

 

The battery monitor detailed data also gives you deepest discharge, average discharge, number of charge cycles, battery temperature (BVM-702 and 712 only) cumulative amp hours consumed, max voltage and a few other things.  All downloadable in a history file.

 

The BVM also has a display that I mounted in the cabinet face next to the FWC battery and water level panel (LED display), which makes monitoring battery usage while in the camper very easy at a glance. 

 

Because of the mounting locations the bluetooth dongle on the BVM-702 is a bit of a hassle.  I have three choices for locating the little box at the end of the cable.  I can mount it on the face of the cabinet making it susceptible to bumping, mount it behind the panel making access to the reset button and connection a pain or just let it hang down and sit on the side shelf that we have in our camper, which is what I have done.  The bluetooth dongle on the solar controller is not a problem because it is easily accessible under the seat and is mounted to the panel the controller is mounted to.

 

Note: When I bought these built-in bluetooth was not available, my only choice was buying and adding the bluetooth dongles.  If I were to make the purchases now I would buy a larger controller (probably the smartsolar 100/30) and the BVM-712 both with buetooth built in. 

 

Craig

Thanks guys - that explanation really helps. I've been playing with the 712 all day and I can see now how helpful it will be.

 

For example, today I hooked up a portable zamp 160 suitcase with pwm already attached to the shunt (negative) and then to the battery bank (positive) - I was able to see when I was "winning the war" and when I was slowly but surely losing it. I turned my big Isotherm fridge all the way to 7 (and of course stocked it with a 12 pack of Tecate) and with the sun out I was "winning" by 1.2 amps. Then I flipped on one of the Fantastic Fans and I was breaking even. If I turned on a few LEDs I was going into the negatives.

 

I have to point out, kind of embarrassed about this, that I wired the panel into the wrong side of the shunt at first (the non-load side) and the values were never positive. I read and carefully re-read the manual and eventually figured it out.

 

Was cool to see the positive values when the sun was shining.

 

As far as my controller's position - it's about three feet from the battery box - it would be where FWC would mount their OEM controller if I had purchased it. It's convenient because they've already run the wires - and these wires are in a spot that's not easy to fish new wires through - I'd have to take apart the water tank cabinet. In addition, I'd like to keep the battery box as open as possible so that I can eventually drop a Lithium BEAST in there.

 

Three feet - I should be alright, right?


  • 0

#19 Vic Harder

Vic Harder

    Doctor Electric

  • Site Team
  • 4,898 posts
  • LocationCalgary, Alberta

Posted 26 March 2018 - 05:52 AM

I have to point out, kind of embarrassed about this, that I wired the panel into the wrong side of the shunt at first (the non-load side) and the values were never positive. I read and carefully re-read the manual and eventually figured it out.

 

 

Three feet - I should be alright, right?

3 feet.... what guage wire?  I used 4 g and kept it to less than 2 feet.  

 

And, I did that shunt boo boo too.  Very embarassing, and smart people here quickly helped my diagnose my error.  :)  Gawd, I love this forum!


  • 0

#20 ckent323

ckent323

    Senior Member

  • Members
  • 1,216 posts
  • LocationSolvang, CA

Posted 26 March 2018 - 10:28 AM

Vic,

 

It seems to me that large gauge wire is not needed for the shunt since the current flow from solar panels and the camper loads will likely be <15 Amps.  I suspect 10 ga is probably OK but larger is better and I would use 8 ga or even 6 ga.

 

However, if the ML-ACR or equivalent set up is used so that the starting battery can be jumped from the house battery bank then larger wire is required.  For that distance and assuming a max of 200 amp during jumping between truck and battery bank , 4 ga and  perhaps even 6 ga should be fine since the time to do the jumping will be short <30 seconds.  I would counsel going with 4 ga. just to be safe in case the current is over 200 amps.   Fuses need to be selected accordingly.

 

BTW: The starter on my Cummins diesel in my Dodge pulls from 450 - 700 amps during cranking (more during cold weather).  I'm guessing that if my truck starting battery is too low I probably need several hundred amps of "boost" during a jump start (I'm assuming up to 400 amps for as much as 30 sec for my sizing calculations - driving me to 2 ga or 1 ga).  A starter for a gasoline engine draws less current than a diesel engine and the boost current is probably going to be on the order of half what a diesel needs so the wire can be smaller,

 

Craig


  • 0

1993 Dodge Cummins W-250 Club Cab long bed, 2007 FWC Keystone





0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users