Hmmm we might have over compensated but we're taking 600w of solar with us.. but then the coffee machine IS coming!!!! roflololololol hahahahahahahahaha.......

Don't forget solar is only as good as the capacity of your batteries. They don't run things. ( do they?) They recharge batteries as battery power is used. My understanding (misunderstanding?) is its no good having heaps of power generated by solar if the batteries you have cannot store it?

Make mine a cuppachino thanks. My gosh, it will pay for itself in no time.

The myths on solar and batteries can be very confusing. Depends on what you want and what you are prepared to buy and setup.

I am sitting here with Aircon going and running PC and modem etc and I might have a coffee soon from my aldi coffee machine ALL running off batteries.

My setup is not usual but I only have a 7 mtr bus but at the moment I am putting in 21 AH @24v and using 14A @24v so in fact I am still storing power as I sit here nice and cool.

When your batteries are full or in the high regions you may as well use some power because you can store more. Why have batteries full at noon and then wait till the next day for charging and not use what you have. Use the power you have if you know you can regenerate by night fall or catch up the next day.

Regards
Brian

yeah I agree with having the batterys to store the power... hubby's made sure we have that also... he decided to over compensate with power because I am on a machine at night..... plus he do love his coffee machine :P

I can run my whole bus off batteries and solar. I can't run all night but I can run during the day whilst I have sun and need the cool, and I can run for a few hours before going to bed so I have a nice cool bus to go to sleep.

There is technology about that allow you to do lots of things that people say can't be done but when we tried to introduce the technology on other forums we got told in no uncertain terms we could not do it so we now don't cause arguments on forum so not prepared to go into details.

I live in my bus and I have a setup that allows me to have some comfort.

I am no expert just a user but I can give you my user description of what I can do and what I understand.

Just a brief summary. I have 180AH @24v allowing me to use approx 150AH @ 24v and the batteries and the frame weigh under 60Kgs complete. I am 24v as the bus is 24v so for the 12v people just double so 180AH becomes 360AH OK

I can run all appliances from the batteries including HW, Aircon Coffee peculator etc. My fridge is 240v 212ltr costing $420 (quoted a new one last week) compared to same at 12v of $2500+

My batteries are equivalent to 600AH+ of AGM I have less weight and less size as my batteries would fit where your 2 X 100 AGMs fit and I can charge faster and drain at any load I want.

Don't let anyone tell you what you CAN do. It is a matter of changing the mind set that has been the normal for years and be prepared to go outside the square.

Sorry not prepared to say anymore as it will start an argument as some of the people involve on the other forums frequent here so best to just let you know it can be done.

The main thing is you have to look at what you NEED to do and then what you want to do, the two things can be quiet different.

IF medical needs then these needs become your wants, if you have a desire to live a good life on the road and use high loads then you have to make the allowances to get that power.

If you are happy with a solar garden light and a small gas stove then good for you.

I live full time in my bus and I love the bush and carry a fire pot for cooking which I use as much as possible and I have the solar lights around my bus at night.

I also like to be able to carry the food required for longer stays and this required either a large fridge or a small fridge and engel. Both use the same amount of power and the 240v fridge was in the bus so I set my hardware to give me the power to live as I like. I say I have a mobile Home where others have a mobile refuge. They have to make lots of compromises.

You need battery USABLE power to give you the time to stay where you want for the time you want. Different batteries give different % of usable power. some give 20% while others give 80%. all batteries can be over drained but there is a cost in the shortening of the battery life.

You also need the ability to recharge these batteries so you need the solar panel motor alternator or generator to keep these batteries charged. Again there are batteries and then batteries concerning charging. Most need the Bulk then the Absorb and then Float. Each stage is at a reduced rate so the batteries do not boil. This means that you get to approx 75%-80% full then the charge rate is reduced quite a bit and then at a later time it is reduced again. so a 20A charge may be putting in as low as 2a at the end. Other batteries can take all you can give them till they are theoretically full. You guess which battery charges quicker. IF I need 100AH and I replace at 20AH I am full or 98% in 5 hours where and AGM may take several days to get to full charge IF you don't use them. My solar has given me over 24AH in full sun and my battery charger can deliver up to 50AH so I can charge quickly if I need to.

I don't expect many to accept the technology I have but it is there, but it is best to calculate your expected usage and then perhaps double it and then get the batteries you want to give that power daily and then calculate a charging regime that can recharge twice that in a day at minimum in day with full sun. With solar I calculate at 5 hours full sun in summer and 3 in winter.

Hope this don't scare anyone but just do your thing and enjoy life as we are all different and have different needs so be respectful of others decisions.

Regards
Brian

Hi Brian,

Thanks for taking the time to partly explain what you are doing.

I also live FULL Time in my van & 90% (checked against my diary) has been NON-POWERED camping. I don't feel I really go without but I NEVER run the aircon from my 12v system & wouldnt consider attemtping to do so. I'm not really a fan of air con in any such instance but each to their own.

I don't read other forums and am not interested in the nonsense that goes on in some (most) of them.

Obviously you are talking about Lithium batteries because there is no other battery around that I would consider even remotely capable of getting as low as 20% (as a state of charge). There are some exciting developments progressing with this stuff, that is for sure (& I don't consider myself an expert, but rather as a keen old dog learning to do new tricks).

Anyway, good for you, but as for running air con, every battery bank has its limits and I am guessing that from the limited information you have supplied that your ability to run the air con is somewhat very limited & most certainly something that I would not consider or advise for people to do with their run of the mill solar systems.

I only run AIRCON during the day if stuck inside working as for camping I get outside in the morning and return when going to bed.

Not sure what you call limited use or aircon as I have run for several hours on end, and when in full sun I can use as long as I want, depending on the reserves I require to over night. I decided on my system so in full sun I can run the aircon and still put some in the batteries so in fact if it was really hot I can just run the aircon to use up some power and in fact have done this. Ran all afternoon one day just to test the theory. One hour before sundown my batteries were still 95% so to me an acceptable senerio.

Aircon was on low but the bus was still cool and that's is all I require, don't need to put a jumper on but I can tell you the few people who walked in side didn't want to leave.

Yes I have got lithium and it gives me the ability to do the things I want. Doesn't mean I sit inside under the aircon all day.

I can cool the bus down before retiring and that's where it will be used most.

I chose my system as I live full time and there is times where I need some things plus my space was limited and the weight was a consideration so with my lithiums I have three times the power with less weight than if I used the old style batteries.

I have 150AH @24v usable that I can charge quickly as it has no restriction on absorb and float stages etc so I can charge with full solar or charger capacity till about 98% SOC. My batteries including the carry case weigh less than 60 Kgs and are less size than 2 x 100 AH AGM's so it was a case of getting a better system for less weight and area.

Another consideration was that my bus was full 240v when I bought it so I was able to retain all 240v equipment and in fact the total refit ended up cheaper than if I had used AGM's and changed to 12v appliances so a case of better system for less money. Also I was not restricted to RV branded equipment so some things that are needed for maintenance of old style batteries are not needed for lithiums but then that's another story that I am not going to start.

There are always different things and ways in this world and sometimes some people try and it works and sometimes it dont.

This is one experiment I am glad I followed as I would not go back but then I don't expect others to follow. Mainly because of the miss information that has been pushed by a few on other forums.

Regards
Brian

Hi Brian,

I am aware of a fellow who is currently testing Lithiums and is presently playing with different types of chargers and solar regulators. Based on what he has been saying I would imagine my next set of batteries will most likely be Lithiums (if I live that long). Based on the weight savings alone is enuf to excite me.

I am not sure what sort of ampherage an average rooftop van aircon system would pull at the settings you describe once its up and running but I have no doubt that if you have adequate panels and in good solar conditions that what you describing could happen. Perhaps my math needs some tune up but I was just guestimating some basic figures in my head for a stinking hot night & the aircon working overtime. I will stand correctecd tho.

Thanks for sharing your story, we live in very interesting times in-deed. I would imagine in a few years time, advanced manufacturers of Australian vans will be pursuing this stuff vigerously.

regards jack

Hi Jack.
There is a small group of us that have accepted the technology and we are developing many things that would also benefit the average full time or avid traveler but at the moment we are keeping everything close to our chest and we have a private forum to discuss our research as there is a lot of opposition from suppliers and resident experts who either cant understand or don't want to understand the new technology or are just protecting their market share and little technical patch.

We don't have to use the special equipment such as chargers that are required with the current Wet batteries in normal use and we are able to use the power of the batteries and the solar to greatly enhance the travelling experience. Many experts are actually using false information and some even are quoting different batteries, eg LIPO's used in models

We have been told on several of the main forums to go away and come back in 5 years when we have tested our theory's. That's the mentality of some of the so called experts.

With the old wet cells I would not recommend the use of an aircon unless you have a ton or more of batteries. Wet cells use more power for a set task as they loose effectiveness as you draw higher current and also you have the scenario that the harder you draw the lower the voltage and therefore the higher the drain for the same result. Bit technical and I don't want to get to far in or we will attract the experts that do lurk on here.

I think it will be many years before any manufacturer of vans or even equipment such as chargers etc will offer options for Lithiums just because it is new a little bit different and they would need to retrain and also change their designs as imagine a supplier trying to convince someone that a battery you can fit in your hand that will out preform something that weights over 30Kgs. Plus they would have to , or be able to change their equipment as the charge regime is a bit different and normal RV gear is not suited at the moment even though we have found ways around many of the faults etc. We have been able to change the settings and have ways around the faults of some of the expensive RV equipment, but then why pay 100%'s more $ for something you don't need. In fact a full or new setup of a full timers vehicle would be cheaper than using the normal accepted methods of AGM and 12v etc.

The adoption of Lithiums will be a bit like the LED lights that have been around for many years and have been advocated by a few for many years, but have only recently been accepted by the masses and still very hard to get installed in a new van. The first people to advocate them were ridiculed by the so called experts of the day and now LED's are becoming accepted by most serious travelers.

We live in hope that someone may see the light but we will carry on and enjoy our RV life with the comfort that we can use our RV to enjoy our travels that little bit more.

Regards
Brian

Thankyou for your time Brian. This subject interests me.

regards jack