Surveyor 240BHLE change to lithium batteries

[Mikestaten]

I just bought a Surveyor 240BHLE with 400w solar and the WFCO WF 8955 AD controller. I was looking to add lithium batteries to get about 400ah and a 2-3000 watt inverter. Does anyone have any recommendations on setups? Is there a company that sells the equipment and will assist in the design?

Thanks, Mike

[Aussieguy]

If you plan to use a lot of inverter power you should look at a lot more panels 400w won't replace the power you can burn up during the night

best you work out
1) 12v power usage each night including what the Inverter will use
2) How many days you intend to be without a hookup
3) how OFTEN will you camp without hookup

DO NOT EXPECT to run the a/c from Inverter for very long unless you do some serious upgrades that will cost a lot.
15K BTU going to use up a 400ah battery in about 2-3 hours

If you want any heavy use of the 3000w inverter

map out your roof for maximum panel placement ...
even if you have to MOVE the existing factory installed

Maximize your panels for size without MIXING different sizes in the same string (unless you are a solar expert)

Maximize MPPT controllers for the sting(s) of panels.



Remember... panels laying flat loose some efficiency...

On average solar has only 5 hours or so, to replace what you take out of the battery
If you use 1200w a day ( equivalent of a 100ah battery) you will need around 300-350w of solar for each 100ah of battery use ON Clear sunny days

if it rains for a couple of days all bets are OFF
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Before heading off down a rabbit hole
do some camping borrow or rent a generator
see if you can get by without using power hungry devices (a/c)
then size and create a system that will work for YOU

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I don't have an Inverter... I go to campgrounds if I want run a/c
medium sized solar system 740w + 50amp controller gives me enough 12v power to camp 99% indefinitely

TV computers etc can be run from a small cheap 12v-19v boost converter
(I use Ipad for TV)
Coffee from a stove top percolator

While camping I don't miss the 120v stuff, except maybe the microwave (sometimes)
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Full time living would get max panels and a Inverter but would swap out the rooftop air conditioner with a more efficient mini split or (a/c with inverter control... Dometic Cube or a Truma)