Ski RV's, who's sleeping in parking lots?

[Lurch]

I am not sure what my electrical plans are, the bluetti power stations just seem very convenient since my camper is pretty barebones.

Since my converter needs to be replaced I am wondering if I should just get a whole new one that supports LiFePO4. If I have an older PD4045KA converter, can I buy a newer one and just remove the converter (not the panel) and put it in the old one?

https://www.etrailer.com/RV-Converte...roductdetails=

You can just replace the convertor and leave the power center in place. https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories...8aAhd0EALw_wcB

[riff]

I’m getting dizzy reading all the electrical talk, Trackhead please put up something with moving parts that I will understand!

I’m happy with the second hand Predator 2000 generator I got for $400, despite my fears it’s easy and chill to add to the overall jangle.


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[Trackhead]

Did you buy that AC200P?

No I’m rockin’ a single two year old lead acid battery and charge it with Renogy 40a from alternator when needed. Ran my diesel heater on low for three days straight (and while driving) to keep pipes warm on our trip last weekend. No issues.

I’m over budget on my camper and sticking with what I got for now. Don’t need much of any power in the summer.

Jealous of your new rig! Someday I might get van…

[m2711c]

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...esel-troopy-8/

[beaterdit]

No I’m rockin’ a single two year old lead acid battery and charge it with Renogy 40a from alternator when needed. Ran my diesel heater on low for three days straight (and while driving) to keep pipes warm on our trip last weekend. No issues.

I’m over budget on my camper and sticking with what I got for now. Don’t need much of any power in the summer.

Jealous of your new rig! Someday I might get van…

Sweet, that's pretty impressive performance form a single 12 volt. I've been envious of your camper and now the mini camper too. If it ain't broke...

That said, I am really excited for the new Van, just no so excited to pay for it all.

[Trackhead]

Sweet, that's pretty impressive performance form a single 12 volt. I've been envious of your camper and now the mini camper too. If it ain't broke...

That said, I am really excited for the new Van, just no so excited to pay for it all.

Well that performance was by using the 40amp Renogy driving to/fro ski hill from hot springs daily.

The layout of a van is just superior. Easy to get in due to low height, driving to living space without exiting, marginally better MPG.

[SchralphMacchio]

Speaking of charging currents, I really need to rig external charging connector (like an SAE/Anderson) for my battery setup. Converter charging with factory 8AWG wiring is hella slow (and I even have an aftermarket Progressive Dynamics converter that is more eager to charge in 14.4V boost mode and can also manually override charge mode) and means excess generator runtime which means more gasoline that I need to carry per day. Hooking an external charger right off the genny will be so much faster!
I could also pull the covers off my batteries but that would mean fucking with the straps when they are caked in snow etc. My plan is to totally overhaul my battery mounting setup after I get a new WDH that increases clearance inside my tongue A frame. New battery box would then be able to handle a 200Ah AGM that I have on hand that I would deep discharge into the ground and then replace with built-in heated lithium - I have room for XLPE foam insulation boards in the enclosure that should work for both battery setups.

[SchralphMacchio]

Speaking of vans, I was looking at specs on the F150 Hybrid PowerBoost yesterday. EV tech isn’t yet where it is to make an all electric Class B RV (Winnebago just unveiled their concept prototype that has like 100mi range?), but plug in hybrid tech totally seems in a place to make an extended range gas van where you can run the DC power center and probably even a healthy sized inverter off the drive battery! I wonder if Ford has looked into this yet for the transit platform. Just seems to me if you can build a hybrid crew cab 4x4 F150 with 1800 lbs payload maybe you can make a hybrid 4x2 Transit van with minimal RV upfitting?

[toastybroski]

Yeah electrical talk gives me headaches. I think my bad converter fucked up my battery too.

I have a agm battery showing 12.8V disconnected at I think fully charged. Connecting the cables and checking overnight has it at 12.3V. Draw is only about .2 amps for the gas sniffer and stereo display which can’t be turned off without pulling the fuse.

About to take it out for the weekend and really hoping the furnace works for more than a few hours. Lights seem to be dimming and brightening randomly. Might bring a little buddy just in case. Battery is new last summer.

Installing a proper battery monitor just has me questioning everything now.

[SchralphMacchio]

That sounds like a bad battery, but it may be worth hooking up an external battery charger to see if anything can be equalized or renewed?

Cell voltage is not supposed to be a great indicator of state of charge, but the charts I find on Google show a fully charged 12V AGM should be 13.0V at rest (charger disconnected and no load for like an hour?), 12.3 with a light load does not sound healthy to me.

[altasnob]

Speaking of charging currents, I really need to rig external charging connector (like an SAE/Anderson) for my battery setup. Converter charging with factory 8AWG wiring is hella slow (and I even have an aftermarket Progressive Dynamics converter that is more eager to charge in 14.4V boost mode and can also manually override charge mode) and means excess generator runtime which means more gasoline that I need to carry per day. Hooking an external charger right off the genny will be so much faster!
I could also pull the covers off my batteries but that would mean fucking with the straps when they are caked in snow etc. My plan is to totally overhaul my battery mounting setup after I get a new WDH that increases clearance inside my tongue A frame. New battery box would then be able to handle a 200Ah AGM that I have on hand that I would deep discharge into the ground and then replace with built-in heated lithium - I have room for XLPE foam insulation boards in the enclosure that should work for both battery setups.

Just another good reason to ditch the generator and install solar and a DC to DC charger. Once it's setup, you never touch it (other than brushing snow off the solar panels). Especially if you are just weekend warrioring in mild climates like Oregon.

[altasnob]

Toasty, your battery is probably still under warranty so you may want to try to get a new one before it is too late. A battery under load will have lower voltage than one without load and rested. But 12.3V does seem low. My AGM sits at 12.7 with the only loads being the CO/LP alarm, the little led lights on the dc outlets, and the battery monitor.

[SchralphMacchio]

Just another good reason to ditch the generator and install solar and a DC to DC charger. Once it's setup, you never touch it (other than brushing snow off the solar panels). Especially if you are just weekend warrioring in mild climates like Oregon.

Even when my 170W panel doesn’t have any snow on it, parked with it facing south, the clouds give me like 0.3A of charging current. It’s the PNW. Furnace is running almost all day mid winter (intermittently of course), some kind of cabin lights run most of the day as well because sun angle is so low and clouds are so thick. Exhaust fan is running 24x7 also to dump moisture because the snow is so wet here (and 4 humans plus dog in the cabin adding vapor on top of melted snow and wet clothing) which increases duty cycle on the furnace blower despite temps near freezing during day and not terribly below it (20F +/- 5) is typical at night. And the DC to DC charger only works in transit, the battery is already full before we even head up the hill to the ski resort. At our local hill I also can’t park the truck next to our trailer on busy weekends, but I would also never use the truck alternator as a generator while stationary anyways.

Unless I size a future Lithium setup for 4 days & nights of furnace, lighting, and device recharging, generator is completely unavoidable for us.

Summertime is a different story, no clouds, no furnace draw, rare need for cabin lighting due to late sunsets, the single panel is more than enough to replenish lighting and recharging draws for phones and BT speaker. I’ll add a second panel at some point but right now it’s pretty pointless for my use case.

[DanoT]

In ski country solar panels for charging are not reliable; more of a bonus if the sun comes out. If doing more than weekend use, say parked at a ski resort parking lot for a week, a generator is the way to go, imo. Charging batteries off the truck engine when parked is really best for backup situations if the generator malfunctions.

[altasnob]

Even when my 170W panel doesn’t have any snow on it, parked with it facing south, the clouds give me like 0.3A of charging current. It’s the PNW. .

Just checked what my 175 watt panel is producing at 9 am under overcast skies here in Tacoma and it shows .7 amps at the moment.

Ya, if you are going to run your heater and overhead fan non-stop for three days, burning gas might be the only solution.

[Snow Dog]

The only way to test a lead-acid battery is with a load tester. You measure the voltage while drawing 100A. Any battery shop will test for free or you buy one for $40-60.

If you have a lithium-ion power pack keep it off the snow. The cold will reduce the capacity by a lot.

[SchralphMacchio]

Just checked what my 175 watt panel is producing at 9 am under overcast skies here in Tacoma and it shows .7 amps at the moment.

Ya, if you are going to run your heater and overhead fan non-stop for three days, burning gas might be the only solution.

Oh wait you live here, you would know!
With 2 very young kids, 2 adults, dog, and trying to keep moisture/mold away, I figure aggressive moisture control and a comfy cabin is worth extra propane and battery use! I have two hygrometer thermometers inside the cabin and I monitor cabin RH like a hawk.

[SchralphMacchio]

The only way to test a lead-acid battery is with a load tester. You measure the voltage while drawing 100A. Any battery shop will test for free or you buy one for $40-60.

Aren’t those kinds of testers only true for CCA starting batteries? Just seems like it wouldn’t be the case for a low current deep cycle battery, but I’m not sure. I’m currently running cheap golf carts, will switch to AGM next winter and hopefully Lithium the winter after that.

[toastybroski]

Ill replace the converter first and see if that fixes the numbers. Should be here in a few days. If the converter isn't going up to 14.6 to charge than it might not be a fully battery and why it is showing low. I have only seen 13.6 but I haven't drained it in a while.

[Snow Dog]

Aren’t those kinds of testers only true for CCA starting batteries? Just seems like it wouldn’t be the case for a low current deep cycle battery, but I’m not sure. I’m currently running cheap golf carts, will switch to AGM next winter and hopefully Lithium the winter after that.

They're almost the same. For example, an Interstate group 27 deep cycle battery is 600 CCA. A starter group 27 battery is 700-810 CCA (depending on price). Deep cycle batteries have 5/16" posts. Starter batteries have more thinner lead plates per cell. Deep cycle have fewer thicker lead plates that can handle deep discharges.

[Trackhead]

-8F outside 75F inside. Diesel for the win at half throttle,

Lodge on wheels with white trash lunch cheesy dog lunch.

[heckacali]

Be careful with that stove!

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto...583295683.html

[Trackhead]

?????

[jackattack]

how has that not been burning man-ed on the playa?

[hutash]

Speaking of vans, I was looking at specs on the F150 Hybrid PowerBoost yesterday. EV tech isn’t yet where it is to make an all electric Class B RV (Winnebago just unveiled their concept prototype that has like 100mi range?), but plug in hybrid tech totally seems in a place to make an extended range gas van where you can run the DC power center and probably even a healthy sized inverter off the drive battery! I wonder if Ford has looked into this yet for the transit platform. Just seems to me if you can build a hybrid crew cab 4x4 F150 with 1800 lbs payload maybe you can make a hybrid 4x2 Transit van with minimal RV upfitting?

My understanding is the a transit is going to be hybrid next year.