New Lithium Solar Setup

[MULCHY08]

So I recently posted about a my AGM battery solar setup ideas and have decided after lots of research, suggestions received to go lithium instead.

Attached is my new design The plan is to reroute the 4 existing wires (2 from trailer, 2 from wench assembly) back into the camper and connect to the lithium batteries which I will locate under the dinette seat. Of course I'll have to connect/add about 5' feet to each wire to have enough length to run back up into the dinette. Without a wiring diagram this seems easiest.

Looking for feedback specifically on whether or not my wiring connections are ok, if I should add anymore fuses between connections and suggestions are of course welcome!

thanks in advance

Diagram:



https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qsO...ew?usp=sharing

Camper: 2022 Rockwood Freedom 1940 LTD

[MULCHY08]

Additionally would a positive and negative bus bar be useful here at all?

[Aussieguy]

My 2 cents
I would investigate NOT using valuable inside storage for this... Storage is a premium item in smaller campers


Batteries on tongue will use 90% of existing wiring.


Invest in a stronger dual battery box.
IF you will be doing some camping in FREEZING weather .. add some battery heaters

Large terminal box from home depot can be utilized to house the extra wiring , bus bars ,etc

YES..... You should use bus bars not have so many connections to the battery posts.

Shunt ...
The middle positive wire ... appears in your drawing as a large cable. it should be just a small power connection to the shunts electronics .. gauge of wire to be determined by it's length. Should also be a inline fuse on the POSITIVE wire for the shunt at the battery end


FUSES / 12v Breakers....
put all fuses and breakers ON THE POSITIVE WIRES / CABLES not on the negative
when using a bus bar ... Install a breaker that can be re-set between battery and bus.


The circuit running to your power panel needs a breaker.

Inverter ... make sure you calculate the cable sizes correctly
from bus TO INVERTER AND BACK is the total length ... you may need heavier gauge and it would be good insurance to go bigger... also may need a breaker at bus bar to inverter

You need a battery isolation switch PLUS a solar panel Isolation switch Or make sure that you can easily disconnect the panels

[tomkatb]

Wires to the battery from the inverter need large 200? amp fuse. Got to carry over 2000 watts. P=I*V.

Wire size should be big. Like 2/0 as well.

A 200 amp lithium battery is a small size. Usually cheaper than two 100’s. Watch max output on batteries.

[PhilFromMaine]

Originally Posted by MULCHY08

So I recently posted about a my AGM battery solar setup ideas and have decided after lots of research, suggestions received to go lithium instead.

Attached is my new design The plan is to reroute the 4 existing wires (2 from trailer, 2 from wench assembly) back into the camper and connect to the lithium batteries which I will locate under the dinette seat. Of course I'll have to connect/add about 5' feet to each wire to have enough length to run back up into the dinette. Without a wiring diagram this seems easiest.

Looking for feedback specifically on whether or not my wiring connections are ok, if I should add anymore fuses between connections and suggestions are of course welcome!

thanks in advance

Diagram:



https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qsO...ew?usp=sharing

Camper: 2022 Rockwood Freedom 1940 LTD

I didn't do a full review of your setup. Two quick questions pertaining to fusing and wiring: firstly, 4wg may be too small for your connection to your inverter. Be sure to thoroughly heat test it. I have never seen anything smaller than 2 awg. Secondly, did you do the calculations to determine if you need panel fuses at your panels in case one of your panels shorts out?
https://www.explorist.life/how-to-fu...y-not-need-to/

[MULCHY08]

Thanks again for the feedback. I will double check. I spoke with an expert Solar rv installer and he said he wasn’t worried about a fuse there as the current flowing into the battery would be minimal but I guess it can’t hurt to fuse as much as possible

[MULCHY08]

Great feedback Thank you!

I’m actually trying to reduce tongue weight so this setup is more ideal for me due to an after market hitch. Lighter battery weight and not so concerned with storage as it’s just me and plenty of space

From what I’ve read if the batteries are inside they will be cozier and warm as the inside heat will be running but good idea!

I will look into bus bars thanks!
Do you have a particular type, style, size you would recommend?

The red shunt wire is small, no inline fuse provided for that but thanks for the suggestion.

I will research breakers as well thanks. I’m trying NOT to make it overly complicated haha

I’m thinking I may have the Wench circuit breaker circuit mixed up with the trailer wire and that is the one with the 40am fuse on it already. I will test that out

Inverter has built in fuse and lots of protection to shutoff due to overcharge and low batteries, it has very thick wire dual 4AWG. Everything will be located in that seat compartment

Link for inverters specs

https://a.co/d/4tOAjKL

Is a battery isolation switch the same as a battery switch that can shut the battery on or off?

Panels are easily disconnected with entry plate on roof

[Aussieguy]

Fuses and breakers are designed to protect the wires from getting too hot melting and or starting fires

All individual circuits from battery /bus to a device
should be fused
Note fuse panel is a device…. That distributes power
the supply wires to the panel must be fused/breaker

The fuses in the power panel protect the wires from the panel to those devices

Some devices have internal fuses that protect the device only

The easiest thing to do is look at a wire and ask yourself where is this wire’s protection



Direct current is hard on wires as the electrons have to travel the length of the wire from battery to the device then back to the battery

[JimM2109S]

I moved the batteries off the tongue when I installed the two 100Ah lithium batteries in my pass thru. Much for the same reasons - reduce weight on the tongue, better security and temperature environment. I tied the modified wiring within the pass thru back to the original battery connection points on the tongue.

I'll agree with others - 4awg is too small for the ~170+ amp load the 2kw inverter can draw at maximum load from your batteries. I'm using 2awg for the factory 1kw inverter with 1' runs for both positive and negative leads. You'll need to bump your's up to 2/0, even with the short runs. Remember to figure round trip wire length when running calculations for any DC circuit, however in a camper if using the frame for a direct ground you can fairly well get by with a one way distance.

I'll also mention that the factory a/c wiring in the camper most likely will not support a 16-17a circuit load if you intend to use a heavy load draw at the existing receptacles. Rockwood used 14awg for all the a/c circuits in my unit.

[simiHal]

Unless you’re currently overloaded on your hitch weight I wouldn’t worry about removing weight. I’d rearrange weight for towing purposes. If you move the batteries inside then you can add something like an aluminum storage bin on the tongue in the old battery space.
As far as a busbar, I strongly suggest it. Makes it easier to isolate and fuse different components. I made one from the “EXPLORIST life” YouTube channel and love it. There are prefabbed options also available.
https://youtu.be/qrZ-cr5qEwU

[MULCHY08]

Hi Jim thanks for the feedback and glad to hear I’m not the only one with the same idea.

Have you seen the wires in the inverter? They are FAT, they’re actually two sets of dual wires connected to one lug and I believe it’s to carry the heavy load. I didn’t add them, they came with the Renogy inverter so I would assume they are spec’s too carry and appropriate load. Or am I missing something. I am also adding to bus bars to this project as well.

Check them out:

Renogy 2000W Pure Sine Wave Inverter 12V DC to 120V AC Converter for Home, RV, Truck, Off-Grid Solar Power Inverter 12V to 110V with Built-in 5V/2.1A USB Port, AC Hardwire Port, Remote Controller

https://a.co/d/gpsy3Lg

[MULCHY08]

Thanks and yes the tongue weight is an issue due to an after market and already low self installed hitch so this will help out a bit �� I’ve just added two bus bars to my shopping cart per everyone’s recommendation. Seems like the way to go! Thanks for the feedback

[JimM2109S]

Originally Posted by MULCHY08

Hi Jim thanks for the feedback and glad to hear I’m not the only one with the same idea.

Have you seen the wires in the inverter? They are FAT, they’re actually two sets of dual wires connected to one lug and I believe it’s to carry the heavy load. I didn’t add them, they came with the Renogy inverter so I would assume they are spec’s too carry and appropriate load. Or am I missing something. I am also adding to bus bars to this project as well.

Check them out:

Renogy 2000W Pure Sine Wave Inverter 12V DC to 120V AC Converter for Home, RV, Truck, Off-Grid Solar Power Inverter 12V to 110V with Built-in 5V/2.1A USB Port, AC Hardwire Port, Remote Controller

https://a.co/d/gpsy3Lg

The information on Amazon is ambiguous - are each of the power cables comprised of two 4awg conductors, or are the two conductors the equivalent of a single 4awg conductor?

Either way, I am not a fan of using two lesser conductors in parallel to achieve the current carrying capacity of a correctly sized single conductor. Should one of the two parallel conductors fail, either by cut or how they are connected at the ends, the remaining conductor will not be able to carry the potential load. That situation could easily lead to the remaining conductor experiencing excessive heat with a possible fire.

[Aussieguy]

you can buy 2 gauge buy the foot
go to a good auto parts store or west marine ...



west marine has good crimp tools they will make your cables to length.







you can also search amazon for battery cable
I bought some from them at a good price by the foot
welding cable can be used and is a bit cheaper

[MULCHY08]

I trust your advice and many are saying the same. I just bought 2AWG cables, a 200amp ANL fuse and 5/16 terminal rings with heat shrink to properly rig the inverter so I should be all set! Thanks!

[MULCHY08]

Thanks for the tips! Just got everything off Amazon so I believe I’m set now ��

[MULCHY08]

Thanks everyone for the awesome feedback. I think this revised version incoporates alot of the suggestions received.

UPDATES

4 AWG to connect batteries in parallel
2 AWG added for inverter with 200 Amp ANL fuse > Bus Bars
Solar Panels now fused 40 Amps > 30 Amp Charge Controller
Charge Controller Fused 40 Amps
Inverter now fused 200 Amps
2 Bus Bars Added to clean up wiring

I think the only questions I have left (providing this latest and greatest revision is clean).....

Can I run the trailer and roof wench +'s to the Bus bar or no?
*Note Trailer positive has a 40am short stop circuit breaker on it per Rockwood

Same with the Trailer - and Wench -, can those go to the Negative Bus Bar?

Thanks again!

NEW WIRING DIAGRAM HERE:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GCY...ew?usp=sharing

[Aussieguy]

trailer and roof wench <---- HUH no idea what this is

There is often many items directly wired to a bus bar
such as a Power Tongue Jack it is operated from outside so no need to run wires inside to the power panel.

So the correct wiring order for an outside device would be
Positive bus ---> Fuse ---> switch ------> power Jack
Using the correct sized wire for the circuit

Fuses are normally inline on the positive ... good labeling would be a benefit

[MULCHY08]

Thank for the response!

The popup is equipped with a roof wench assembly that has two wires and was initially connected to the battery located in the trailer frame by the tongue. BUT since I’m doing an indoor battery Mount I have no choice but to reroute the four wires that were outside (two for trailer power and ground) (two for wench) back up into the trailer dinette area. I hope that makes more sense.

Basically I’m trying to keep things simple as far as those go and just reconnect them as they were. The questions is can they go to the bus bars, or do they have to be connected directly to the battery bank like they were originally?

[MULCHY08]

The roof wench assembly lowers and raises the popup roof