Ok, the solar/lithium system is now installed, minus some tacking down, trim work, sheathing, etc. The installation has been interesting, frustrating and weirdly fun! The whole process took 5 times as long and more $$ than one would have thought.
Although the basic design was figured out long ago, the actual placement of components and wire runs was an ongoing development. The whole process was 2 steps forward, one or two steps back...LONG process for us.
Our objectives were to use the current battery box as much as possible and keep all other components in as small a footprint and as close to the battery compartment as possible.
The original battery box only holds 3 out of the 4 100Ah batteries. We decided the 4th would sit adjacent to it on the floor in front of the fridge. This necessitated a homemade box to blend it all together. Rex from Northstar was kind enough to give us some extra paneling and trim material that will be used.
The 1500W inverter was supposed to go across the "hall" and live in a cabinet on the kitchen side. That meant running the 2 2/0 cables down through the floor,underneath the camper, and back up to the battery side. Not keen on losing part of the cabinet and feeling the weight of the 2/0 cable, we decided it would be easier to keep the inverter on the battery side with all other components. This would keep the distance super short and now make the 2/0 overkill! It will be easier to run the 2 110V cables under the camper to meet the preinstalled 110V cable ends that can feed the microwave and another designated inverter receptacle.
So, after tinkering with placement of all pieces and parts and their necessary cables, we fit everything into as tight a package as possible. TIGHT! We have built the box to take up the minimum floor space so we could still walk by without losing toes, and hold all components securely and safely. Two new holes in the backside of the dinette/battery box allow cables to pass between the compartments . In addition, the various parts that need ventilation should have plenty as 2 sides of the new box will have removable vents that will also help with some access. There will be a lift-up lid on top. If we have a major problem, the box can be fairly easily disassembled and the whole front half removed to allow full access. We have added around 10-15 lbs of wood/screws/bolts/L-brackets, etc...
The original battery box holds:
3 100Ah batteries in parallel, each with strip of cell balancers connected in series, wood strips to prevent sliding, strap
The custom box holds:
1 100Ah lithium battery w/cell balancer strip (all batteries are wired in parallel with 2/0 cable and copper lugs)
1 300A battery terminal fuse
iBCS battery control system ("the brain")
2 Blue Sky SB2512iX-HV solar charge controllers
2 30A fuses (car audio AGU glass) used as switches to disconnect solar panels
2 30A Blue Sea circuit breakers
1500W High Surge GoPower pure sine inverter
1 Class T 300A fuse
various pos and neg terminal studs, lots of cables/wires
It all looks like a mess, but follows a very logical layout (only if you are familiar with the flow ;))
The iBCS has a LCD video display that allows us to view battery pack info including individual cell temp and voltage, etc. The IPN ProRemote display talks to the charge controllers (now mostly hidden) and shows us all ins and outs of solar/charging. There is also a small 3 switch plate, one that is the master iBCS/battery output disconnect, one is a momentary switch that scrolls through the iBCS video displays, the 3rd was a blank which will be used to provide a convenient (and cheap) remote inverter on/off switch (small hardwire terminal on rear of inverter).
Initially we were going to mount the displays and switches on a wall in the dinette (and even moved the nifty clock to the other side to make way) but decided we would get tired of hitting our heads on them. Instead of cutting largish holes into the paneling to be able to flush mount the displays, these 3 units now reside in a "command central" box that my husband constructed with scrap wood and the paneling from Rex. It is located on the blank wall near some other switches at the entrance. We put it low so we could still use the space above and the coat rack without interfering with the displays.
The 4 160W solar panels came prewired with #12 that terminated in MC4 connectors. To keep it simple and reduce loss, we plugged in #8 MC4 cables that join at the top inside of the fridge roof vent. These cables have EXTREMELY stiff insulation and are a pain to make sharp turns (like over the fridge vent lip). We don't completely like it and may replace them with different #8 cable in the future.
Panel 1&2 in parallel go to one controller, panels 3&4 in parallel to the second contoller. Two sets of #4 cables run down the vent (supported with clamps) and snake into the gap under the fridge and out to the front.
As the wall and base under the fridge are the outside walls of the camper, we didn't want to risk drilling to pass any cable through. That means the cabling protrudes through the front fridge trim piece and turns down into the new battery box. Not optimal. We will have to camouflage them somehow or modify in the future. All the little wires that run to the switches and displays feed out the same run under the fridge in a plastic wire loom and come through a small drilled hole into the back of the mounted display box.
The SB2512iX-HV charge controllers are supposed to take a max of #10 wire in their tiny terminals!! Try finding a 8mm spade or fork lug for a #4 cable! I managed to cleanly cram bare #8 under those tiny screws. That means I had to splice some short #8 pieces in my overall #4 runs. I don't think it will add much loss.
The GoPower inverter asks for #2 cable and a 200A Class T fuse. It wasn't easy, but we managed to cram the 2/0 cables into the terminals (stupid design if you ask me). Overkill for my short runs, I know, but we already had this fat cable on hand. We put in a 300A fuse.
We did all our own lugging with a nifty, cheap, and effective little tool from Amazon (got nearly everything through them).
Bill from TCW only mounted the 4 panels on the roof for us, EVERYTHING else was up to us. He showed us some self-fusing silicone rubber tape which we used instead of various sizes of heat shrink tubing around all connections. That tape is amazing stuff! Go buy some!
Did a quick test of systems today. Everything is talking and "working". However, according to Murphy's Law, one of the 16 circuit boards of the cell balancer strings out of whack, so will have to get replaced under warranty. Also, the iBCS programming didn't quite take correctly (only reads half of the battery voltage for each cell, which is too low and shuts down automatically). Larry from Starlight Solar in Yuma, AZ has a replacement on the way.
I'll post more pics once everything is done!
