Limitations of all electric fridge and solar panels

[al1florida]

Originally Posted by Vnorvi

I have an honest question here, so don’t jump on me. We had an older class a that we just sold. No fancy batteries or solar. If we were unconnected, we just ran the generator for a while each day. We needed to anyway for the espresso machine and microwave. It wasn't a big deal.

We have a View on order. I know these new refrigerators draw more power, and we will need to run the generator for a while each day. But is it for a long time or something? Maybe the batteries won’t even last overnight? I’m not fully understanding the basic issue . It doesn’t seem like a big deal.

Got me worried here.

Some people have found that with the compressor fridge the batteries are well below 50% discharged overnight. That over stresses the battery and shortens their life.

Just running your generator for a couple of hours will not fully charge your battery when 50% discharged. Not a big problem if you are back on shore power the next day or the day after, but 4-7 days will be a problem.

I suggest you do a search on this forum for "compressor" and another search for "generator" and one for "refrigerator". There is quite a few topics or threads for dealing with the compressor fridge while dry camping.

Additionally if you want more info about your specific situation, open an new thread and describe your dry camping/boondocking style in some detail and ask how to deal with the compressor fridge.

I also suggest you read the below links that has very good info on RV 12V systems, battery charging/discharging, how much 12V power various devices use.
The 12volt Side of Life (Part 1)
The 12volt Side of Life Part 2

[creativepart]

Al's post is well stated. The issue in a nut shell is how many days in a row you can camp without shore power or running the generator 3 or more hours a day.

Some folks purchased their RV with the desire to boondock for 4 to 7 days in a row and they either did not get a generator or don't wish to run the generator.

Older style gas absorption fridges were capable of doing this without any modifications. No extra battery power and no solar power and minimal generator run time needed. So, the loss of that as an option is the "big deal."

For many that usually camp with shore power it's not a deal at all and the better operating and larger compressor fridge is a terrific choice. As you say, no big deal.

As a side note, I know of at least two members here that discovered that their dry camping wishes were being dashed by the 12v fridge. They both upgraded their batteries and solar setup and now celebrate their better fridge operation.

It all depends on what you see as a problem and what you expect from your RV when you purchase it.

[rprochnow]

Our 2021 View 24D has 480W of solar panels, two 125Ah Lithionics lithium batteries plus the factory 2000W inverter and compressor refrigerator.

While we plan to primarily stay where we can get shore power, we did the solar/battery upgrades, just in case we did try to boondock for a few days.

And... We're so glad that we did those upgrades.

On a trip to Phoenix a few weeks ago, our auto transfer switch started failing - in the middle of the night when connected to the RV park power, the ATS relay would start clicking connecting/disconnecting the shore power. We had to disconnect from the shore power to stop the relay cycling - and protect the inverter from constantly changing on/off shore power.

In December - in Phoenix - it's almost impossible to find anyone to work on an RV. We ended up ordering a replacement ATS from Amazon overnight and had to boondock for 3 nights over the weekend - relying primarily on our solar panels, lithium batteries, and a propane for overnight cabin heat.

We used about 40% of the lithium batteries overnight - even with clear skies, the 480W solar panels were unable to fully recharge the batteries during the day, so we ended up running the generator about 1-2 hours each day to get back to a full charge before night.

We put the refrigerator in "night mode" overnight, which should reduce the power consumption some.

The Lithionics batteries will store a little more than 3KWh of power. Due to the angle of the sun (panels laying flat, sun lower on the horizon during winter), we probably wouldn't get a full 480W of power from our panels. Assuming an average of 4 hours of 50% power - that would provide around 1KWh of energy - some would recharge the lithium batteries - and some would go to the coach (refrigerator, lights, ...). And we needed to run the generator to make up for the rest.

The compressor refrigerator does use more power - and without the increased solar and lithium batteries, it would have been more difficult for us to boondock.

But based on our experience over a weekend, we're now more confident we can go "off grid", as long as we can run the generator an hour or two each day...

[DavidM]

Let's put some numbers to the example given above so you will understand the issues:

He has 480 W of panels, 250 Ah of batteries, at least 90% of which is usable and a compressor fridge. A rough guess is that he consumes 100 Ahs of DC daily. Without the solar and lithium upgrades he probably would have 150 Ahs in two Group 27 batteries, 75 of which is usable.

So in 24 hours he would have run his 150 Ah battery down to 50 Ahs remaining which is too low for best life. He could run the generator. With a typical 50A converter he could add about 75 Ahs with two hours of running time. Any more charging would be slow as he last 20% in a lead acid battery takes a long time.

With the lithium batteries he is good for at least two full days without recharging. The 480 watts of solar panels probably gives 150 Ahs of recharging on a sunny day and he is only using 100 Ahs. So he can go indefinitely with two sunny days and one cloudy day. That should be quite doable in Phoenix, even in the winter.

But even in a cloudy environment if he upgraded his converter to a PD 9180AL, a lithium specific type, he would only have to run his generator a bit over an hour to put in 100 Ahs and keep up with his daily usage. Lithiums charge much faster even for the last 20% so he can charge at the full 90A rate of his converter (well almost, the last 10% slows down quite a bit). Or he could run for two plus hours every other day and keep up.

Solar and lithium batteries make dry camping possible with a compressor fridge with no generator running in a sunny climate or less generator runtime if the converter is upgraded.

David

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by DavidM

Let's put some numbers to the example given above so you will understand the issues:

He has 480 W of panels, 250 Ah of batteries, at least 90% of which is usable and a compressor fridge. A rough guess is that he consumes 100 Ahs of DC daily. Without the solar and lithium upgrades he probably would have 150 Ahs in two Group 27 batteries, 75 of which is usable.

So in 24 hours he would have run his 150 Ah battery down to 50 Ahs remaining which is too low for best life. He could run the generator. With a typical 50A converter he could add about 75 Ahs with two hours of running time. Any more charging would be slow as he last 20% in a lead acid battery takes a long time.

With the lithium batteries he is good for at least two full days without recharging. The 480 watts of solar panels probably gives 150 Ahs of recharging on a sunny day and he is only using 100 Ahs. So he can go indefinitely with two sunny days and one cloudy day. That should be quite doable in Phoenix, even in the winter.

But even in a cloudy environment if he upgraded his converter to a PD 9180AL, a lithium specific type, he would only have to run his generator a bit over an hour to put in 100 Ahs and keep up with his daily usage. Lithiums charge much faster even for the last 20% so he can charge at the full 90A rate of his converter (well almost, the last 10% slows down quite a bit). Or he could run for two plus hours every other day and keep up.

Solar and lithium batteries make dry camping possible with a compressor fridge with no generator running in a sunny climate or less generator runtime if the converter is upgraded.

David

We have 400 watts of solar and 2 100 AH batteries, but your estimate is pretty much what we see when dry camping, although we tend to use a bit more than you specified because my wife now uses her electric tea kettle and toaster, and we watch a DVD on TV before we go to sleep. In the Summer our batteries are down to perhaps 60-65% in the morning, in the Winter they are down to perhaps 70-75%.

In the Winter we need to run the generator perhaps 60-90 minutes before it fully recharges our batteries. In the summer we don't need to run it at all because the sun, being higher in the sky, completely recharges our system, usually by 2 pm. Unless, of course, we are in a lot of shade.

All of my prior estimates of solar in the Summer and Winter were based on 300 watts of solar and since we now have 400 watts these figures will surely change, but I won't know for certain how much until this summer when I will not have to guess as to how much more solar we get from the 4th solar panel.

[Old Navy]

Originally Posted by DavidM

So in 24 hours he would have run his 150 Ah battery down to 50 Ahs remaining which is too low for best life.

I would add that under charging probably kills just as many or more Deep Cycle Lead Acid batteries as over discharging. So, unless you can plug in or run your generator for a full day at least once a week, the problem worsens. This also reduces effective capacity. After Day 1, Lead Acid batteries will likely never get above 90% until you plug in for a day. Your "usable" capacity drops by 20%.

I have FLA GC2 batteries, and my intent is to run them down as far as I need to. Even with 70% or 80% discharges, I should still get 500+ cycles, which is several years. Admittedly, 6V GC2s are a completely different animal than a Group 27, and they are built for abuse. Eventually, I will replace the GC2s with lithium. Maybe in a year or two, maybe next month.

[imnprsd]

Sorry I'm late to the party! ...Never have I seen so many "regulars" dulling it out over one subject?

...Nay, I bring up the subject of upgrading to porcelain residential toilet! ...Which I will not, because that subject cuts against the grain on so many levels. (I know I have attempted this before, and I still think it's a good idea.)

Let me first recognize the wise. And you know who you are, because you said the following:

* Those who did their due diligence do not blame others...

* I think it is unfortunate that people get misled by Winnebago and its dealers...

* My instincts and a basic knowledge of physics were telling me to call “bullpucky” on his claims, so we walked...

* You can't know what you don't know until you know it...

* Watch these video: The 12volt Side of Life (Part 1 & 2)...

* Under charging probably kills just as many or more Deep Cycle Lead Acid batteries as over discharging...


I say it's like shooting fish in a barrel, because if you want options and value then the right choice you should have made in the beginning, based on features, comfort, and price... is to buy a well made 2004-2009 DP or 36' Gas coach with 4-GC2-Golf cart batteries and a 50A generator... if they make one???

Then you can go about customizing your power grid if you need more amp-hours of battery storage and green energy!

I have a residential refrigerator that consumes ~100AH/day; and for the last 5 years I have only boondocked for more than 3 days at a time on only a handful of occasions. So I have not needed more battery storage (420AH) or solar power (400W).

I would also like to point out: It doesn't matter how big your RV is or isn't... we all all use about the same energy; which means if have a residential refrigerator (100W); and we all use the same amount of lights and other miscellaneous 12V energy (100W); then you/we need a minimum of 420AH of FLA battery storage and at least 400W of solar or you will be spending $500-$600 in new batteries every season and spending $$$ to run your generator.... and repair it some day.

Note: I am not a frugal power user, I admit. So if you want to say you use less power/day... I believe you! So just adjust these number by...what... 20% or 30%. Fine. That still means you will be running your generator for 2 hours/day instead of 3. So this subject of saving energy is a factor, but a baby subject to debate, because the power hog is that residential refrigerator... I'm never going to live without!

There are downsides. For example, right now, I only get 2 years of house battery life, because I'm always over charging my batteries off my alternator, cuz I'm always driving from one place to another. (I drive 7,500 to 10,000 miles in 5 months. ...And FYI, hobby is seeking out famous jazz clubs and I like to visit art museums. ...But now due to Covid, I'm changing my RV habits.)

So, in 2021 I plan to boondock more often and for longer period of time in BLM locations. Therefore, I'm looking into the options to upgrade my power grid so I don't have to run my generator 3-4 hours per day, which costs about 3 gallons of diesel fuel/day or $9/day in today market.

To be more specific, I plan to boondock for 60 days in 2021, which will cost me about $540 for diesel fuel to run my generator and that ain't no hay! ...And then I may boondock in 2022 again for 60 days. ...And possibly the next year for 60 days. (TBD)

So my ROI and $1,700 budget to upgrade my power grid is based on building a separate 200AH, LiFeO4 system that pays for itself over 3 years.

I also plan to build a separate-dedicated LiFe04 system to just power my refrigerator and maybe my TV and PC.

This will effectively divide my power consumption in half and increase my current "useful AH" of battery storage by 150-200%.

This means my stock power grid (420AH-FLA & 2000W inverter) will just power my lights.

Why would I go this route? ...Answer: It's far cheaper and just as effective as upgrading the system I have. (And no one I know, or have read about on any forum is making this point. So I hope you are paying attention?)

To continue: In my basement I plan to install the 200AH of LiFe04, with a Victron Charger (Bluetooth enabled for monitoring), and a 1200 PSW-Inverter, with 200W more solar power on the roof, and a VSR... so I can charge my LIFeO4 batteries off my engine batteries... And I think I can build this separate power grid for less than $1,700. (TBD)

This will give me about 200AH of useful FLA battery storage (50% of my 420AH); plus an additional 150-190AH of LiFeO4 battery storage -- and that's the AH Boost I am need to do some real boondocking! (With 600W of solar on the roof.)

So there you have it! My power grid upgrade has just been outlined for your consideration, which means if you own a 38-42' RV, with 4-GC2-Golf Cart batteries now, and you have room for 600W on your roof, and you want to do a lot more boondocking in the future... now you know know you don't have to throw away your old power grid in favor of new LiFeO4 batteries.

...And frankly I doubt 200AH of LiFeO4 (everyone else is talking about) is enough power if you have a residential refrigerator and you plan on boondocking for more than 3-days!

=== WHAT ABOUT MORE AIR CONDITIONING WHEN YOU HAVE SHORE POWER? ===
My approach is this: I have a large slide room for my kitchen and living room couch. And there is room next to my couch to put a floor AC. So I plan to install a floor AC with a 5" hole (exhaust port) cut through the floor or out the kitchen cabinet backside and side wall... so that when I am in Arizona, Mexico, Nevada, and Texas in the hot summer months (100F+) I can connect a separate power cord to the 20A or 30A shore power plug... to supplement my basement AC cooling inside my RV. ...But maybe this is a topic for another day.

What I am suggesting is that fish fall into two categories: Fresh water and salt water. ...I'm a salt water fish! ...Nuf said.

[DavidM]

Originally Posted by Old Navy

I would add that under charging probably kills just as many or more Deep Cycle Lead Acid batteries as over discharging. So, unless you can plug in or run your generator for a full day at least once a week, the problem worsens. This also reduces effective capacity. After Day 1, Lead Acid batteries will likely never get above 90% until you plug in for a day. Your "usable" capacity drops by 20%.

I have FLA GC2 batteries, and my intent is to run them down as far as I need to. Even with 70% or 80% discharges, I should still get 500+ cycles, which is several years. Admittedly, 6V GC2s are a completely different animal than a Group 27, and they are built for abuse. Eventually, I will replace the GC2s with lithium. Maybe in a year or two, maybe next month.

Very well said.

I would only add that solar panels are a great way of topping off lead acid batteries. They provide a low charge rate over a number of hours which is exactly what the battery needs to top it off.

Use your generator to charge the batteries up fast to 80% in the morning and then let your solar panels work to top them off during the day.

David

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by imnprsd

To continue: In my basement I plan to install the 200AH of LiFe04, with a Victron Charger (Bluetooth enabled for monitoring), and a 1200 PSW-Inverter, with 200W more solar power on the roof, and a VSR... so I can charge my LIFeO4 batteries off my engine batteries... And I think I can build this separate power grid for less than $1,700. (TBD)

Interesting idea.

What is a VSR? I don't think I have heard that term before.

I am curious about what specific equipment you can buy that will give you all of that for $1700. When I checked a 1200 watt PSW inverter was $300 or more, solar panels were $100 each, the Victron DC-DC charger was about $300, the Lithium batteries were perhaps $800-$900 each and then there is the cost of the VSR, whatever that is. And, of course, the cost of the wiring.

I know prices are coming down, especially for the Lithium batteries, so I am curious and would like to know because I would also eventually like to do some additional changes to the system in our Fuse - upgrade the inverter, replace the flexible solar panels with rigid panels, perhaps upgrade to 500 watts of solar and maybe even add one more Lithium battery for 300 AH as that would make it easier to camp in the shade rather than in direct sunlight.

[al1florida]

Here is a lithium battery 200AH for sale for $1029. https://www.sokbattery.com/12v-200ah...tery-pack.html
They also have 100AH for $575.

Here is a review of the battery from Will Prowse:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxMI...ature=youtu.be

These are about the lowest price I have seen.

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by al1florida

Here is a lithium battery 200AH for sale for $1029. https://www.sokbattery.com/12v-200ah...tery-pack.html
They also have 100AH for $575.

Here is a review of the battery from Will Prowse:

These are about the lowest price I have seen.

That will teach me about spending $1800 for 2 Battle Born batteries!

I would be interested in hearing about how this battery works out from anyone who buys it and installs it in their RV.

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by AJMike

That will teach me about spending $1800 for 2 Battle Born batteries!

Don't sweat it. I think you'll be happiest with the BB batteries down the road. I love the cheaper prices but I would not buy these new inexpensive LiPo batteries.

Now, when the BBs come down to $650... well, then you can commiserate about your purchase. But that will be a while.

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by creativepart

Now, when the BBs come down to $650... well, then you can commiserate about your purchase. But that will be a while.

Ha! If the BB price drops to $650 I will consider adding a 3rd battery to our RV.

[Pianotuna]

Originally Posted by imnprsd

Sorry I'm late to the party! ...Never have I seen so many "regulars" dulling it out over one subject?

...Nay, I bring up the subject of upgrading to porcelain residential toilet! ...Which I will not, because that subject cuts against the grain on so many levels. (I know I have attempted this before, and I still think it's a good idea.)

Let me first recognize the wise. And you know who you are, because you said the following:

* Those who did their due diligence do not blame others...

* I think it is unfortunate that people get misled by Winnebago and its dealers...

* My instincts and a basic knowledge of physics were telling me to call “bullpucky” on his claims, so we walked...

* You can't know what you don't know until you know it...

* Watch these video: The 12volt Side of Life (Part 1 & 2)...

* Under charging probably kills just as many or more Deep Cycle Lead Acid batteries as over discharging...


I say it's like shooting fish in a barrel, because if you want options and value then the right choice you should have made in the beginning, based on features, comfort, and price... is to buy a well made 2004-2009 DP or 36' Gas coach with 4-GC2-Golf cart batteries and a 50A generator... if they make one???

Then you can go about customizing your power grid if you need more amp-hours of battery storage and green energy!

I have a residential refrigerator that consumes ~100AH/day; and for the last 5 years I have only boondocked for more than 3 days at a time on only a handful of occasions. So I have not needed more battery storage (420AH) or solar power (400W).

I would also like to point out: It doesn't matter how big your RV is or isn't... we all all use about the same energy; which means if have a residential refrigerator (100W); and we all use the same amount of lights and other miscellaneous 12V energy (100W); then you/we need a minimum of 420AH of FLA battery storage and at least 400W of solar or you will be spending $500-$600 in new batteries every season and spending $$$ to run your generator.... and repair it some day.

Note: I am not a frugal power user, I admit. So if you want to say you use less power/day... I believe you! So just adjust these number by...what... 20% or 30%. Fine. That still means you will be running your generator for 2 hours/day instead of 3. So this subject of saving energy is a factor, but a baby subject to debate, because the power hog is that residential refrigerator... I'm never going to live without!

There are downsides. For example, right now, I only get 2 years of house battery life, because I'm always over charging my batteries off my alternator, cuz I'm always driving from one place to another. (I drive 7,500 to 10,000 miles in 5 months. ...And FYI, hobby is seeking out famous jazz clubs and I like to visit art museums. ...But now due to Covid, I'm changing my RV habits.)

So, in 2021 I plan to boondock more often and for longer period of time in BLM locations. Therefore, I'm looking into the options to upgrade my power grid so I don't have to run my generator 3-4 hours per day, which costs about 3 gallons of diesel fuel/day or $9/day in today market.

To be more specific, I plan to boondock for 60 days in 2021, which will cost me about $540 for diesel fuel to run my generator and that ain't no hay! ...And then I may boondock in 2022 again for 60 days. ...And possibly the next year for 60 days. (TBD)

So my ROI and $1,700 budget to upgrade my power grid is based on building a separate 200AH, LiFeO4 system that pays for itself over 3 years.

I also plan to build a separate-dedicated LiFe04 system to just power my refrigerator and maybe my TV and PC.

This will effectively divide my power consumption in half and increase my current "useful AH" of battery storage by 150-200%.

This means my stock power grid (420AH-FLA & 2000W inverter) will just power my lights.

Why would I go this route? ...Answer: It's far cheaper and just as effective as upgrading the system I have. (And no one I know, or have read about on any forum is making this point. So I hope you are paying attention?)

To continue: In my basement I plan to install the 200AH of LiFe04, with a Victron Charger (Bluetooth enabled for monitoring), and a 1200 PSW-Inverter, with 200W more solar power on the roof, and a VSR... so I can charge my LIFeO4 batteries off my engine batteries... And I think I can build this separate power grid for less than $1,700. (TBD)

This will give me about 200AH of useful FLA battery storage (50% of my 420AH); plus an additional 150-190AH of LiFeO4 battery storage -- and that's the AH Boost I am need to do some real boondocking! (With 600W of solar on the roof.)

So there you have it! My power grid upgrade has just been outlined for your consideration, which means if you own a 38-42' RV, with 4-GC2-Golf Cart batteries now, and you have room for 600W on your roof, and you want to do a lot more boondocking in the future... now you know know you don't have to throw away your old power grid in favor of new LiFeO4 batteries.

...And frankly I doubt 200AH of LiFeO4 (everyone else is talking about) is enough power if you have a residential refrigerator and you plan on boondocking for more than 3-days!

=== WHAT ABOUT MORE AIR CONDITIONING WHEN YOU HAVE SHORE POWER? ===
My approach is this: I have a large slide room for my kitchen and living room couch. And there is room next to my couch to put a floor AC. So I plan to install a floor AC with a 5" hole (exhaust port) cut through the floor or out the kitchen cabinet backside and side wall... so that when I am in Arizona, Mexico, Nevada, and Texas in the hot summer months (100F+) I can connect a separate power cord to the 20A or 30A shore power plug... to supplement my basement AC cooling inside my RV. ...But maybe this is a topic for another day.

What I am suggesting is that fish fall into two categories: Fresh water and salt water. ...I'm a salt water fish! ...Nuf said.

I recommend looking at SiO2 chemistry for the battery bank. Most of the attributes of Li with 50% or less of the cost.

[imnprsd]

How about that people? Is “Pianotuna” right? Is SiO2 better than LiFeO4 on all fronts?

Good show!

I never heard of SiO2 until now. …But with LiFeO4 prices dropping, we will have to see if SiO2 prices drop as well?

Here’s some more details on how I have budgeted $1,700 to upgrade my existing 2004 Vintage power grid (that is still keeping up with most Jones's, based on what I have read) that right now consist of a 2000W-Dimensions Quasi-sine Inverter, 4-GC2-420AH-FLA, 400W Solar with Tracer 40A MPPT Controller, and I use a KeyLine VSR so my alternator can charge my house batteries.

...but going to PSW would be nice. ...and having 150-180AH more usable battery storage would be nice.

...after all, I got the money and more importantly I got he roof space.

...but is still has to make sense for me to pull the trigger and I'm on the fence.

I do thing LiFeO4 is not going to be much cheaper for may years to come, so there is no reason to hold out on this $1,700 upgrade when everyone else was paying $3,500-$5,000 just last year!!!

HERE'S MY IDEA

I figure the cheapest (and maybe the best) way to add more battery storage to my coach, without throwing what I have now away is to do the following:

BUILD A SEPARATE 200AH-LiFeO4 POWER GRID that consist of:

* 200AH-LiFeO4
* 200W more solar on my roof (giving me a total of 600W)
* Victron solar controller with Bluetooth
* 30 Amp Circuit Breaker with Manual Reset
* 1250W PSW-Low Frequency inverter
* Misc. Hardware
=====
$1,700 TOTAL BUDGET

Here's what my bill of materials looks like so far. Note: I made a few slight changes, because I would really like to go with a low frequency inverter, even though these things cost more than high frequency inverters.

Plus, I plan to leave the PSW inverter on for very long periods of time and I don't trust high frequency inverters that much.

And by going with an RV Inverter/Chargers... I will also get an internal transfer switch built-in that is very useful and saves money too, because you don't need to buy or wire an external transfer switch for automatic shore power/generator power switching.

I'm also banking that I can use the Victron (with Bluetooth) Solar Controller to monitor the SOC of the LiFeO4 battery bank so I don't have to install or pay for a separate display just to monitor the inverter, but I will probably add a remote On-Off Switch down the road for convenience, safety, and trouble-shooting. (TBD)

Plus, I will add wall outlet in the living room for PSW power to my computer and TV; and I will put another wall socked in my bedroom for CPAP, because all these devices would much prefer PSW over MWS. Note: My Dimensions Quasi-sine 120V seems to be doing just fine with my residential refrigerator, but not all refrigerator brands do. So if you are thinking about adding a residential refrigerator to your RV, I recommend you install PSW inverter if you do not have one of these older Dimensions Quasi-sine Inverters and consider building a separate power grid like this one described above. [/B]

Bill Of Materials & Costs

* 200AH of LiFe04 With Charger: $800, Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Lifepo4-Lithi...969455&sr=8-22

* 2x Renogy 100 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Solar Panel(200W) $202+ $20 Hardware.

https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Monocr...s%2C302&sr=8-3

* 30 Amp Circuit Breaker with Manual Reset, $20

https://www.amazon.com/Circuit-Break...971471&sr=8-10

* Victron Energy SmartSolar MPPT 100V 20 amp 12-24-Volt Solar Charge Controller (Bluetooth), $157

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075NPQHQK...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

* AIMS Power PICOGLF12W12V120AL, 1250W-PSW, Inverter Charger with Transfer Switch (Low Frequency Inverter is important to me.) $467

https://www.amazon.com/Aims-PICOGLF1...8970516&sr=8-5

TOTAL $1,666 + $34 misc. = $1,700

Note: I may change out the inverter to a used Dimensions 1500W-PSW for the same price since these come up for sale often because RV dealer put too small of an inverter in a lot of RVs, and I happen to like the Dimensions brand better than AIMS, but any $500 PSW, low frequency inverter is a deal!

When I am done my two power grids will be:

A) 420AH-FL, 400W solar, 2000W Dimensions Quasi-sine-120V

B) 200AH-LiFeO4, 200W solar, 1250/1500W PSW-120V

And my existing VSR will enable my alternator to charge my engine battery first, and then my house batteries second. And since I typically drive 5 hour/day, I should be able to produce 200AH from my alternator and 150AH from my solar on average. (Maybe 220AH in the summer months.

Note: Right now I run my generator 2-3 hours every day when I am boon docking to keep up with my ~200AH/day of use. So I what I am still trying to decide is this: Should I spend $1,700 just so I can run my generator 2-3 hours EVERY-OTHER-DAY instead of every day. Now that's a tough one!

...And this thinking "goes out the window" if I have to run my generator anyway to run my air conditioning. So I would say you really have to be a fair weather fowl to justify this green energy stuff; or be camped were everyone there gives you "stink eye" for running your generator and you don't want to endure the pressure... which is not my problem on both fronts.

So... $1,700??? To be or not to be. That is the question!