One large inverter or 2-3 small ones?
So as I get closer to adding solar (or at least a larger battery bank) to my RV, I have more questions than I started with! Big thanks to the folks who have helped me along so far. I found a great...
Forum Discussion
Hrm...so AGMs can be put inside b/c they don't gas. AGMS apparently don't heat up much when they charge (at least not as much as wet batteries). So...now I'm considering putting the batteries under the bed instead of the battery box. What do y'all think?
Here's the thing...all the wiring already runs to the rear, under the bed. There's plenty of room under there for the batteries and inverter without really giving up any more storage than is already taken. It would really simplify almost everything about the installation...to the point where I think I'd feel comfortable doing it all myself.
Upsides:
- Super-simple installation of everything with hardly any rewiring, figuring out which wires are what, etc.
- Protected from cold temps, dust, etc.
- It's much closer to where the solar lines will come down from the roof (black tank vent), and there will be room for the solar equipment. Lower voltage loss.
- When it's time to upgrade the RV after the kids leave, removing everything and restoring it like it is right now for resale will be very simple.
- I can even keep the current cheap battery in there for another ~80AH or so. It won't be hooked up to the solar, though...it'll basically be on a completely different circuit.
Downsides:
- I know they're not supposed to gas, but they're still batteries! I'd probably still put some ventilation in with a computer fan or something just in case.
- Any heat would come up into the bed. Good in winter, not good in summer. Ventilation would fix that, though.
- The weight will be just behind the rear axle. I think it's close enough to the axle that it won't cause any handling issues.
I'll anchor the box to the frame so the batteries are secure.
So what do y'all think? Worth pursuing?
Here's the thing...all the wiring already runs to the rear, under the bed. There's plenty of room under there for the batteries and inverter without really giving up any more storage than is already taken. It would really simplify almost everything about the installation...to the point where I think I'd feel comfortable doing it all myself.
Upsides:
- Super-simple installation of everything with hardly any rewiring, figuring out which wires are what, etc.
- Protected from cold temps, dust, etc.
- It's much closer to where the solar lines will come down from the roof (black tank vent), and there will be room for the solar equipment. Lower voltage loss.
- When it's time to upgrade the RV after the kids leave, removing everything and restoring it like it is right now for resale will be very simple.
- I can even keep the current cheap battery in there for another ~80AH or so. It won't be hooked up to the solar, though...it'll basically be on a completely different circuit.
Downsides:
- I know they're not supposed to gas, but they're still batteries! I'd probably still put some ventilation in with a computer fan or something just in case.
- Any heat would come up into the bed. Good in winter, not good in summer. Ventilation would fix that, though.
- The weight will be just behind the rear axle. I think it's close enough to the axle that it won't cause any handling issues.
I'll anchor the box to the frame so the batteries are secure.
So what do y'all think? Worth pursuing?
