just wondering what everyone has planned for repairs or upgrades on their truck campers over the winter.
for myself, I have to finish the new LiFePO4 build, but I keep making it more complicated by redesigning how it is going to mount. I have this space for it, which is right beside the power center so all wiring will be under 2 feet instead of the 8 feet it is now and I will get my outside storage back. there is normaly a floor in this closet, I think the picture is from when I was fixing the furnace a couple years ago.
so I am thinking of building one unit that will incoperate compression for the cells, mounting for the BMS, mounting for the inverter (or inverter charger if I decide to go that way) that could just slide into the closet and make a shelf, or two, when in place. by doing this if I have to work on anything it will be as simple as undoing a few quick conects and pulling the unit out to someplace where I can work on it in comfort instead of upside down in a closet, I am not 24 anymore 🤣
Not sure what brand of campers you guys have but why not just put (2) LifePo4 cell battery’s in the same battery storage compartment that is allready there?
I have a 2019 AF 990 and a couple of years ago replaced my original lead/acid group 29 battery’s with some 280ahr LifePo4 cells giving me 560ahrs total. I was able to fit in a 200a BMS as well as (2) 150a rated terminal blocks for all my branch wiring.
I was also able to install a 1/4” foam box completely around the battery’s as well as having a top cover to provide thermal protection from the elements.
I even placed a temp sensor inside the battery’s compartment as well to a display that I can monitor the actual temp inside and last but not least cut in a small vent cover to allow heat and a small circ fan to circulate ambient warmer cabin air into the battery’s as well box if needed.
Never have needed it and have camped in snow conditions a few times.
thats one option if you have a newer camper, for me it isn't an option at all.
if you see the smaller door on the back by the jack head that is the factory battery compartment. it is big enough to hold a package of the leveling lego's so 12x12 and about 14" tall so it won't even hold a real battery and that is just a thing fiberglass door skin. I could insulate that if it was big enough, but then I would have to figure out how to insulate all around it, as it is right up to the wet bath shower wall and the bathroom isn't heated. when I first got it I put two 6V into the compartment below it.
so this worked until I built my first battery, and now that I have a new battery built i want to set it up properly inside the conditioned space then I never have to worry about it.
I am building my own out of 304AH cells, so that is equivalent to 3 of the batteries average people buy and takes up about 1/3rd the space, but I see your familiar with that using 280 cells like my old one. I only used 150amp BMS, but in reality I am building four of these 304AH batteries, one to power the camper (that gives me about 10 days capacity winter camping if the solar fails) and three of them for the 5th wheel. I am moving the battery location from the front storage of the 5th wheel to inside under the stairs where there is space and it is in the return air path to the furnace so it will keep them heated also in the winter. so I will have the ability to put all 4 on the 5th if I figure I need it for a big trip, or take one of the 3 out of the 5th and add it to the camper for over 600AH in there. I am thinking of buying a different BMS for them all, just waiting for it to be released so I can see the final specs on it.
the other reason for the location is because of where it is. it is right beside the power center and because everything is only going to be 8" tall I will lose only the bottom foot of the closet, which is just used for spare propane canisters, paper towel, and such anyways so by incorporating a shelving setup into the battery holder I will probably end up with more organized storage instead of everything just thrown in there. also I use the useless factory battery space for storing my leveling bricks and a 15 foot water hose. and by moving the battery inside I can take the platforms out of the bigger outside storage I made for the original 6V batteries and use that as storage again. Well I don't know if either spot was really made for storage but rather for maintenance access. It is not like the newer campers that have actual storage, but for its time it was a luxury model. Also, when I add an inverter the home will already be there for it and it will be about 6" from the batteries so the cables will be 1 foot long 18" at most, so I can go bigger than I need and minimize voltage drop. all in all it is a win win.
now when we upgrade the camper, if we get the one we are looking at I will do exactly what you say, well I won't buy two batteries, but I will move my battery into the factory battery location after I seal off and insulate the outer door some more and put a vent into the inside of the cabin and depending on the power usage of the camper we upgrade to, I may build a second battery to add and fill up that space.
I am fortunate in that I am a Youtuber that does videos on off-grid, power, sawmilling and camper stuff (less of the camper) so was offered goodies that I might otherwise have held off getting.
Since Marine batteries are really only 83AH and you shouldn't really use more then 25% of that for longevity, switching to LiFePo4's gave me 100% usability of my 200AH capacity (2560wh vs 550wh or so). This would allow me to do a lot more with the DC AC unit and with the addition of another 4kwh of capacity in another battery I have and the panels I should be able to run the AC quit a bit this way.
However, 10000btu's is a little low perhaps (though I think the camper came with 9000 originally (before I crushed the old AC and switched to the High Output.
I put two 100AH Vetarer batteries in the battery box (those are the heated batteries) and my first test was done with a 100AH Redodo battery and a Redodo DC to DC charger hooked up to the aux solar input. Worked like a charm (I can share that video if allowed here?).
Next, I looked at the space in front of the wheel well of the truck and realized I could place mu 310AH XZNY battery there if I placed it in a box and tied it down. I could then run the DC charger either to the camper to provide 600w of 'solar charging' off the battery, or to the truck to charge the battery 😉
I suspect what I will settle on is a small 30A MPPT controller at the solar input wired to the battery and the DC charger wired to the truck and charging the battery - this will also allow me to add 600w of solar since the Redodo has a solar input as well (it's an MPPT controller as well as a DC charger -- neat little unit).
I'm a youtuber (and long time RV net user though I was gone a couple years -- very busy on YT) and make videos about doing these things.
I added to heated LiFePo4's to mine (Vaterer 100AH batts) and a new DC Converter to handle LiFePo4's. My next project is to remove the little 50w solar panel and upgrade to a 200w flexible BougeRV panel (That I'm testing for them) and a new 40a CC to go along with it.
I've also got a 4kwh battery and Redodo 45amp DC to DC Charger (with 600w solar MPPT controller built in as well) that I'm planning on installing in the truck and feeding back to the box just in front of the wheel well. This will be a bit tricky so I'm not 100% certain I'm going to do it but if done right I'll really just need to run wires to the alternator and battery in the engine bay, install the charger under the wing of the camper and plug it into the aux solar input and then place the battery in a secure box in front of the wheel well.
This would give me the ability to charge the extra battery by switching cables and/or charge the camper batteries when needed off this 4kwh battery. It's something I've been playing with.
I've also received a new 400w foldable solar panel and have a second coming that I plan to test with a CC under the wing of the camper by the aux solar input so I can add 400-800w of solar while stationary (let's be honest, more like 300-600w since foldable panels rarely get angled right and their bends limit their ability to produce).
Lastly, I've been toying with the idea of switch to a 12v AC unit but it's a 10k BTU unit vs the 13.5k BTU's I have now and since we're in the desert I'm not sure I want to step down like that.
Nice, I don't have heated batteries, but it wouldn't be that hard to change mine, new BMS and a heating pad. I wasn't to worried as the cells I have are rated for discharge down to -35C (there is a table for the max C rate at different temps, I believe for -30C it worked out to 9 amps, so I can easily run my furnace and the hope is that will warm the batteries nicely also as the battery will be right above it. if it doesn't work quickly enough, I'll look into a heater and new BMS. I just have the one 325 watt 24V split cell panel on there, but it is enough to replinish my over night usage by noon. So unless my power usage grows thats all I will need, but I am toying with puting an inverter/charger and another panel in.
I have been looking at 12V A/C units also, but they are so expensive and still draw more power than I like. I just don't know for the kind of camping I do in the truck camper if it would be worth it. I can't remember one trip with the truck camper where I have wished I have had A/C, the 5th wheel we do have it though. I also live in a desert and yes if I camped in my driveway I would have A/C, but we just have to drive 1/2 an hour and get out of the valley into the higher elivations of the mountians and while it may be hot during the day, it cools off fast after super. some times it is 105F during the day and I am setting the furnace before I go to bed because it cools down to 41F at night.
Sounds like a good project. A new battery is on the horizon for us as well, with the current AGM nearing 9 years of service. We have solar on the toof and will likely change over to LiFePo as well, once neccessary.
But our camper lives outside. No winter projects. Instead, we get little spring projects every year: fix whatever needs attention after the winter is over.
ya, I used to have two 6V batteries in it, then changed to a 280AH LiFePO4, but I put it in the same space as it was a quick upgrade. this year I gave that battery to a friend and I am building a new 304Ah battery for it, but I want it inside the heated space as I do enjoy camoing in the winter also. So this is turning into an all in one powercenter with a built in shelf haha.
Mine lives outside also, but my normal day time temps in the winter are about freezing so its not to bad and a small space heater inside makes it nice enough to do interior projects.
