Hi all,Was wanting to know what the set-up would be to run our 2011 Jayco Conquest on 240 volt instead of the 12 volt gas etc. We now have 2 120watt solar panels fitted. Thanks!
I also have a Jayco Conquest and amgoing to have a talk with the guys at RedArk next week so may be able to help you with this question sometime next week.
Hi all,Was wanting to know what the set-up would be to run our 2011 Jayco Conquest on 240 volt instead of the 12 volt gas etc. We now have 2 120watt solar panels fitted. Thanks!
Hi
Your question is a little vague
Are you asking
[1] how to set for 240v using only solar & battery power via an inverter ?
or
are you asking how to set it up for 240v mains power ????
If [a] you will still need gas for cooking , heating & possibly refrigeration
You would also need to do some caculations as to what you will wish to use & for how many hrs per day
If
That is for you to work out with a licensed electrician who is fully familar with AS/NZS 3001:2008
Hello oldtrack123, Thanks for your reply. What i was wanting to know was the set-up for 240v using only solar and battery power via an inverter.
Thanks Suenterry.
Hi
Now the replies should be on the right track
[1]first step is to understand that if you intend to use the inverter by fixed wiring to 240v outlets ,lights ,etc, it should be correctly & permanently wired via a changeover switch so you have a fully operational RCD
THAT SHALL only be done by a licensed electrician
[2]you will need to calculate your expected total daily use of energy
[a]Best way is too list ALL the devices you wish to use with their WATTAGE rating
Multiply the wattage of each by the expected hours use per day[the answer will be in Watthrs]
[c]Add all up to get total daily use.[ in WATTS hours]
[d]then add about 20% for a small margin [Watthrs]
[3] Determine how long you may wish to only rely on solar & battery power for[not use any other means of charging the house batteries]
If you come back with those figures we can proceed to the next steps
Peter
-- Edited by oldtrack123 on Monday 26th of March 2012 05:07:18 PM
Hello oldtrack123, Thanks for your reply. What i was wanting to know was the set-up for 240v using only solar and battery power via an inverter.
Thanks Suenterry.
I'm having trouble getting my head around the question and/or what you're trying to achieve. The Jayco is set up to run on 12V DC and will do so very well. Why do your need to have 240V from the battery/solar ?????? What do you need to run on 240V AC that you can't run on 12V DC? Confused, Ozjohn.
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Retired Engineer, Ex Park Owner & Caravan Consultant. Holden 2.8 Colorado - Roma Elegance 17'6" Pop Top. Location: Mornington Peninsula Vic.
When not on "ground" power (ie when plugged into power at a powered site) use gas for all your cooking, boiling water, fridge etc (I assume a 3 way fridge). Use the 12v for lights, TV etc.
Running a 3 way fridge from 12v (either directly or via an inverter) other than when travelling is a lost cause and a pointless exercise (use the gas). Forego the microwave (use the stove or barbecue), electric jug (use the stove), hair dryer (wait for sunny day), turbo oven (stove/barbecue again) etc, as these draw serious current and will soon deplete a battery/solar setup such as yours.
Using 12v for hot water system, air con, heating etc is right out of the question unless you install a very large (by caravan standards) solar/battery/inverter system that will seriously weigh down the rig and lighten your bank account significantly.
You may wish to think about a generator if doing a lot of free camping but keep in mind there are often times when using a generator is not appropriate and/or not permitted.
240V power can be useful on the road, but the amount of energy that you get from 2 x 120w solar panels is limited, so you also need to have a generator. The thing that you have to watch out for with lead-acid batteries is that if you don't keep them fully charged they deteriorate quickly. You need batteries to collect the power from the sun but you also need a generator and battery charger to make sure they are always charged.
I have 3x 120w panels and 3x 120ah AGM batteries. (AGM is Absorbed Glass Matt which is the best type of lead acid battery to use in a caravan.) I also have a 3-kva Honda generator and a battery charger. For the inverter I have a 750w pure sine wave Victron inverter. Victron is a Dutch company that builds high quality inverters and battery chargers.
This arrangement allows me to use my computer and TV during the day without the generator running if the weather is sunny. I can also use it at night for an hour or two, but then I have to run the generator so that the battery is fully charged again. So it saves quite a bit of fuel during the day. I use the computer a great deal for the website so the solar panels have been very useful.
If I am not using the TV and computer, I can get away with very little generator time.
It simply isn't viable to use 240v for heating anything with an arrangement such as this. You couldn't carry enough solar panels to supply the energy for this purpose. A 3kva generator can run the air conditioner and microwave simultaneously. Gas is cheaper for boiling water.
If your fridge runs on either 240v or 12v, you are better off running it directly off 12v, as converting from 12v to 240v incurs some losses.
-- Edited by Clyde Camel on Wednesday 4th of April 2012 12:08:57 PM
