16 replies to this topic

[McLofgren]

Just purchased a tacoma with a 2014 FWC Fleet Front-Dinette Slide in model camper. I won't be taking delivery of the truck until next month though. I will be upgrading the whole solar system to use lithium batteries. I know the current batteries are two Exide 12v 75ah batteries.

 

Current purchase plan is as such:

 

2 battleborn 100 ah LiFePO batteries

1 Victron MPPT 100 | 30 solar charge controller

1 Victron BMV-712 battery monitor

1 Victron Orion-Tr Smart 12 |12-30A DC-DC charger

Either 4 or 6 awg wire to replace factory wiring.

 

I have looked all over this forum and google to try and find exact dimensions of that box but I haven't come across anything yet. My question to anybody who has this model of camper is will 2 battleborn batteries fit in the battery storage compartment. The current batteries are around 10 inches wide but the battelborn batteries are 12.75 inches. The batteries currently sit side by side (so around 20 inches in length). Does that box have enough width to handle roughly 26 inches? Thank you for your time. I would like to get this stuff ordered so I can start the upgrade process as soon as I get the camper.

 

 

[longhorn1]

Some people have turned them on their side and placed a separator between them.

[PaulT]

I have a 2014 front dinette Hawk. The Battleborn 100 aH batteries are group 27 in size. They are longer than the two Group 24 AGM batteries that came with my Hawk. My solution was to buy 2 Battleborn 100 aH GC2 batteries.  They fit fine once I removed the 1/2" square wooden trim piece in the bottom of the cabinet at the front of the tray.  I also had to loosen the near, side trim 1/2" square wooden trim so that the batteries would easily drop into the spot. I probably could have pushed harder to seat the batteries but loosening them, seating the batteries and retightening the screws worked fine. It was an interference fit without loosening the trim piece.  

 

There was some wiring and a bolt in the rear of the compartment near the top that made removing the forward trim piece useful. Since you have not taken delivery of the camper. It may be useful to have photos taken of the interior and current wiring to know what you are dealing with.

 

Order a IQ4-LIFEPO for the IOTA charger to replace the lead acid IQ4 that came standard with the 2014. I left mine installed and installed the IQ4-LIFEPO next to it.

 

Good luck with your new camper.

 

Paul

 

 

[McLofgren]

Thanks Longhorn for the idea. I'll have to have the current owner try and get dimensions of the box to see if that is possible. 

 

@PaulIT, the GC2 batteries are a great idea. I didn't realize there was enough height in that box to accommodate that. Did your Iota that came with your 2014 Hawk have the Iq4 that was replaceable? I have been looking into that but can't find a definitive answer if the iq4 in my fleet is internal or not. Hopefully not, that will save some $. 

[PaulT]

I took delivery of my 2014 Hawk in July of 2014 so I suspect our camper electrical systems are similar.

Have someone look near the Iota for a module with a flashing green LED and a phone cable attached that is plugged into the Iota.. The module is the IQ4. Mine is mounted on the ceiling of the battery box near the Iota.

 

If the module is there, replacing it with the IQ4-LIFEPO takes one screw and plugging in the cable. The module is about $20.

 

Paul

 

 

 

[McLofgren]

Thanks @PaulIT. I will have them check it out. Was considering for a bit the victron multiplus II to replace the iota but I don't think I could get it to fit in there. Do you run an inverter at all in your Hawk?

[veryactivelife]

My 2015 camper has the internal IQ4

[PaulT]

I have a 150 watt inverter that I use to charge my Nikon camera batteries. The charger that I bought that runs off DC directly did not proven reliable so I tossed it. Haven't taken time to run down a replacement DC charger.

 

I intentionally seek out electronics that can run from 12v DC for charging their batteries.  It is wasteful of solar power to convert 12v DC to 120v AC and then use an AC charger to charge device batteries.  

 

Paul

[Vic Harder]

Thanks @PaulIT. I will have them check it out. Was considering for a bit the victron multiplus II to replace the iota but I don't think I could get it to fit in there. Do you run an inverter at all in your Hawk?

FYI, I run a 3000w AIMS Power pure sine wave inverter in mine for my mobile office and Induction cooktop.

[McLofgren]

FYI, I run a 3000w AIMS Power pure sine wave inverter in mine for my mobile office and Induction cooktop.

Did you hook the inverter up to the 110v outlet built into the cabinets or do you plug your devices directly into the inverter?