valhalla360
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Re: Batteries
Most retail lithium 12v batteries are going to be capped around 100-200amps (continous vs peak load) before he BMS cuts power. If this is for the starting batteries, that's not viable as a big diesel engine can ask for 800-1000amps or more. If it's for the house batteries, lithium is great but the charging gets more complicated. Lithium and lead-acid want different charging voltage and amperage. So if you want the alternator to charge the house bank, you need a separate charging circuit that is able to take the power off the alternator (or thru the starting batteries), adjusts the voltage and feed it to the lithium. If you put in a good size solar array, it is possible to simply disconnect the house bank from the alternator side of the 12v system (or if you never boondock, but if you are always on shore power, you don't gain much of anything going to lithium).10Views1like1CommentRe: Just looking for info.
The exact amperage it will pop at is controlled by multiple variables. Yes, a worn breaker will reduce the amperage it pops at but so will temperature and more common is voltage. If you go from 120v to 110v, both in spec, your amperage goes up, so in a marginal situation may work...and then it doesn't. Also a surge can do it...when motors start, they take a lot of amps for a second.13Views0likes0CommentsRe: Just looking for info.
Assuming you are on shore power (plugged in at a campground), it should be fine but you will have to manage your power. When you want to microwave something, you turn off the aircon for a few minutes and you will have to run the water heater on propane. A good item to have is a "kill o watt" plug in meter (or similar). This will allow you to confirm the actual wattage of devices. A gaming PC may have modifications so better to get actual data while running a processor heavy game. Also, a good idea to leave it plugged in to watch the voltage. Many campgrounds suffer low voltage on peak summer weekends when everyone is running their aircon.89Views1like0CommentsRe: Just looking for info.
Problem is in the SE, it's hot and humid in the summer and RVs have negligible insulation. The aircon is going to be running 24/7 and will need around 1500w when running. A generator is possible but running one 24/7 is a hassle and not so cheap. You are probably looking at $25-40 a day just in fuel. Once or twice a week, you need to do an oil change and within a year, it's likely worn out. Solar is technically possible but highly impractical for your situation. The aircon alone will likely use somewhere around 36,000watt-hours each day. A solar panel will generate around 4 times it's rated watts in watt-hours each day, so you need around 9,000w of solar panels (figure around 600sft of area - Your trailer roof is only around 240sft). Then you need a battery bank big enough to run from late afternoon until mid morning (figure around 20 - 12v 100amp-hr lithium batteries at $150-200each...double that if you go lead-acid). On top of that you need a large inverter to convert the DC power to AC. Even if you can figure out how to power it, east of the Mississippi, places to stay long term for free are much harder to find unless you know someone with property that will let you stay for free. Staying at walmart or cracker barrel is usually only good for a single night and then they expect you to move on. That brings you back around to organized campgrounds with shore power. What electronics do you have? A 30amp outlet can peak at around 3600w but shouldn't be kept over around 2800w for long duration loads (it's actually only rated at 80% for longer duration). The reason they warn about aircon and microwave is 1500w(aircon), 900w(microwave), 600w(battery charger), and 500w (misc) puts you right around the limit and breakers can start popping. If they don't pop, you risk burning up connections. - In practice, it's not hard to shut the aircon down for a few minutes while you make some popcorn. - If by electronics, you mean a TV, a couple laptops and a not over the top stereo, it's unlikely to be a problem. There should be a UL label that indicates the wattage. Go thru and look at what you are operating to get an idea if it's too much. - You will likely want to run the hot water heater on propane. Electric draws around 1200w.4Views0likes4CommentsRe: It's 2025 and I need Dually Tires!
I don't have a dually but I've found off brand tires last just as long, so I generally pick the cheapest tire that meets the size and load ratings. I typically get about 50k miles out of a set. If the current tires are still good and you are worried about cash flow in the future, I would just set the money aside now, so when the need comes up, you have the money. Same financial impact but you get the full use out of the current set of tires.58Views0likes1CommentRe: DIY LiFePO4 build
I take the $100 back...they sort of exist but when I went to pull the trigger, they wanted $30 shipping per battery...still pretty cheap but doesn't take Canadian pricing into account. But I'm not looking for a 900amp-hr bank, so space savings may be a much bigger deal for you. My only major 12v draw is the fridge and I'm borderline getting by with a single 100amp-hr lead acid, so a couple of 100amp-hr lithium is almost overkill for my needs.7Views0likes2Comments
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