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gonefirefightin

gonefirefightin

free wieners
Feb 5, 2007
12,557
6,718
Surrounded by Police in a hail of gunfire
Atomic Dog said:
Man, I really want to get my van set up with solar. I've been too intimidated to jump into those waters yet, though.
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I knew nothing a week ago, after a bit of surfing I feel confident I can do this big of a job myself. For a van there are a literal ton of complete kits with instructions out there that make it so simple. I bet a van system would run 3-6k$ for a bomber system. The problem I have is my system is so big and want so many watt hours there isnt much info on them and are typically custom set ups. I plan on running more battery than solar or charging ability since I have a huge chassis and 7.5kw genset onboard to charge.

The genset only uses about .5 gallons per hour so it is a nominal cost to charge banks but the averages for 50 amp hookups has been 80-90$ a night (if you can find them during peak season) so my math would equate to 16-22k$ for site costs is a no brainer when considering a 10k$ solar system. The only thing that would limit my boondocking now would be my 105 gallon fresh water capacity.
 
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OGRipper

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,753
1,273
NORCAL is the hizzle
Can't help much except to say that if you're going to invest this much, you definitely want to the batteries to be charged by solar, AC, and DC. I've seen people build vans that omit one or the other and they always regret it.
 
gonefirefightin

gonefirefightin

free wieners
Feb 5, 2007
12,557
6,718
Surrounded by Police in a hail of gunfire
OGRipper said:
Can't help much except to say that if you're going to invest this much, you definitely want to the batteries to be charged by solar, AC, and DC. I've seen people build vans that omit one or the other and they always regret it.
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My current set up allows for all three method's as it is, I will just have to replace/upgrade the current modules and parts to handle the added power and conversion from lead acid to lithium with most of the focus mostly being the DC to DC alternator system.
 
jdcamb

jdcamb

Tool Time!
Feb 17, 2002
20,066
8,807
Nowhere Man!
Kept the Yeti cooler and the Solar Heating system. All the food and booze also. Had to trailer it out. Went well. Donated the Coleman stove and 2 bottles of propane. The bedding and sleeping bags also. Went to Ace hardware on the way home and bought another Ceramic Heater.
 
gonefirefightin

gonefirefightin

free wieners
Feb 5, 2007
12,557
6,718
Surrounded by Police in a hail of gunfire
After about 7 days of solid self learning I think I am going to opt for a DIY battery bank system for a couple reasons.

Cost- Retail versions for the same amount grade A (not grade B cells) of power would run 4-6k$ more

Replacement- Large retail batteries cant be troubleshooted per cell nor replaced by cell

Size- individual cell gather allows for better installation configurations and less bulk

Future proofing- Individual cells allows components to be upgraded with the tech as it evolves.

Wiring- individual cells can be wired series, parallel or in banks by volts or amp hours

Componentry- battery management systems and inverter tech can be customized per cell counts and amperages as well as using more individual BMS controllers that are less inexpensive, more efficient and easier to replace than a large single units.

RV use - the vibrations, temps and cycles are quite different than a static off grid system proving to add a reliability/durability factor that retail group size lithiums dont necessarily accommodate for but only in price jumps.

Balancing- with individual cells I can monitor/manage each cell individually via BMS and inverter discharge more efficiently than unbalanced bulk retail batteries.

The only drawbacks I have found thus far to using individual cells to create the power needs is the fabrication and layout time which I am fine doing myself for a cleaner and more compact system

Cell I am currently looking at to make my 48 volts system are here

www.currentconnected.com

CALB 3.2V 230Ah LiFePO4 Battery Cells - Grade A++ | Current Connected

Discover CALB 3.2V 230Ah LiFePO4 Battery Cells: advanced lithium technology, superior specifications, and optimal power delivery for your applications.
www.currentconnected.com www.currentconnected.com
 
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maxyedor

maxyedor

<b>TOOL PRO</b>
Oct 20, 2005
5,496
3,141
In the bathroom, fighting a battle
Anybody have a good recommendation on some ramps? Any of the cheap plastic ones worth a shit? Or should I just stack some lumber?

New house has square curbs and the driveway apron doesn't extend far enough over to back the trailer into it's spot without a million point turn or going up over the curb, in which case it's a perfectly straight shot.
 
gonefirefightin

gonefirefightin

free wieners
Feb 5, 2007
12,557
6,718
Surrounded by Police in a hail of gunfire
maxyedor said:
Anybody have a good recommendation on some ramps? Any of the cheap plastic ones worth a shit? Or should I just stack some lumber?

New house has square curbs and the driveway apron doesn't extend far enough over to back the trailer into it's spot without a million point turn or going up over the curb, in which case it's a perfectly straight shot.
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Lumber is your best bang for the buck, if you are pivoting a turn on said lumber dont go full length, have a split in the middle to prevent and kick up damage to the chassis or plumbing.
 
junkyard

junkyard

You might feel a little prick.
Sep 1, 2015
2,619
2,350
San Diego
maxyedor said:
Anybody have a good recommendation on some ramps? Any of the cheap plastic ones worth a shit? Or should I just stack some lumber?

New house has square curbs and the driveway apron doesn't extend far enough over to back the trailer into it's spot without a million point turn or going up over the curb, in which case it's a perfectly straight shot.
Click to expand...
a couple of sand bags might work good, or some bricks.
 
eric strt6

eric strt6

Resident Curmudgeon
Sep 8, 2001
24,677
15,666
directly above the center of the earth
maxyedor said:
Anybody have a good recommendation on some ramps? Any of the cheap plastic ones worth a shit? Or should I just stack some lumber?

New house has square curbs and the driveway apron doesn't extend far enough over to back the trailer into it's spot without a million point turn or going up over the curb, in which case it's a perfectly straight shot.
Click to expand...
I bought these 9 years ago, they still look brand new

 
stevew

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
41,322
10,242

5 year review of self built sprinter....like/not like...what he would change....
 
jimmydean

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
43,471
15,653
Portland, OR
stevew said:

5 year review of self built sprinter....like/not like...what he would change....
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I need to rerun my numbers, but I'm pretty sure I'm still under $20k all in. I am redoing the walls and doing a 1 piece floor. That is $500 I didn't plan on spending, but will be nicer when finished.
 
stevew

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
41,322
10,242
jimmydean said:
I need to rerun my numbers, but I'm pretty sure I'm still under $20k all in. I am redoing the walls and doing a 1 piece floor. That is $500 I didn't plan on spending, but will be nicer when finished.
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minus the cost of the sprinter....probably around 25k
 
maxyedor

maxyedor

<b>TOOL PRO</b>
Oct 20, 2005
5,496
3,141
In the bathroom, fighting a battle
Side yard is tight like a tiger, but my ghetto ramps worked. Tried to grab a set of the ones Eric has, but of course they were either sold out or wouldn’t arrive in time. Many, many corrections were made as I backed in, but didn’t hit anything
833962CE-2FED-4CE4-B0E7-C76DB93798D5.jpeg
 
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