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Sounds like you are on the right track now. One suggestion would be to subsitute the Buddy for a Wave3, which I think will be more efficient. I've used both and in retrospect I'd go with the Wave3. Either one will require venting. Also suggest you mod your Fantastic fan - it will be quieter and...

With 2 160W panels, a 100AH BB, a 100/30 mppt, and a 30amp dc-dc charger, Engel 45 fridge (consuming 0.75 amps/hr average, full time), an efficient 10-inch tablet for watching a movie, two phones that need to be topped up, a camera battery, and occasional fan use (overhead or furnace - summer or...

I agree with Vic, that you will need to increase your solar to at least 320W or more, and with JonR regarding the Victron 100/30 mppt controller. And with your estimate of daily electrical loads, it seems to me that you would be consuming upwards of 75 amp/hrs/day. It depends on how long you're...

The MT 45F is a top loader. I have seen installations where a cabinet was built to fit it, and a sliding tray was installed for easy access to the top when slid out. Engel does, however, make 12v front load fridges as well. They are also energy efficient (as low as 0.7 amps) and actually less...

Engel MT45F - Hawk shell as well. Engel has been around, forever. They set the standard for energy efficiency and durability. They've only goten better over the years. There are many newcomers and some are excellent as well, but Engel has proven itself for years and years. Rich

Hi Jon, I live on Whidbey Island, just to the west of you. Today, it is cloudy here, no sun breaks, and my two 160W panels are seeing 29v coming in now in the early afternoon. The panels are rated at 31.7v, so they are putting out in these conditions. I have a Lithium battery and it is sitting...

Sounds like that should work out well, in your armada.

Are you referring to the ACR 7611? If so, it won't be compatible with your Lithium battery. Blue Seas recommends against it. I'd probably either pull the Sterling from the Transit or leave it in and replace it with a new Sterling. Yes, the Sterling is a little cryptic to set up, sort of like...

What Paul said is true. In my experience, at least in Washington state where I take ferries all the time, the ferry attendants will typically ask if my propane is shut off at the tank and I will tell them, yes, it is. And they will give me a card to place on the dash to show it was visually...

SkyP - That extra voltage (14.7v) coming in is a nice boost, for short bursts while driving. I think that with your BB, a good 30 amp DC-to-DC with 4 AWG or possibly 6 AWG will give you a very nice, controlled charge profile for your Lithium and keep it happy. I've installed a Sterling 1230 (30...

The Fantastic fan is loud and an energy pig unless you modify it. There are discussions on how to do this. If you like, you can look at my page (see signature below) and about half way down are a couple of photos and a wiring diagram for the mod. It's a simple mod and the results will give you a...

Sure, that's a typical scenario. At least you have something to get you started. The rest will fall into place once you start to get a handle on your battery status with the battery monitor. Best, Rich

well, if you're thinking about making upgrades, right from the get-go, to what comes stock, a good place to start is with a swap out from the AGMs to a Lithium (LiFePO4) battery, and probably increasing your solar output as I mentioned earlier. You will have a more efficient and effective energy...

What type of batteries, AGM? What type of charger are they installing, Blue Seas relay? How quick of a charge do you want? If you want quick charge, from truck alternator- and you have a massive amount of alternator and battery power up front, according to what you are describing - you will...

A flatbed wrecker will lower a ramp and winch the combo up onto the flatbed where they will secure it. They will need to winch the truck clear of the jacks once you get it back home and lifted off the pickup. It's a tricky job, but a skilled wrecker can do some remarkable rigging and...

You could get a flatbed tow truck to move it a few miles for you. Or, you could attach a strong bow shackle to each of the jack brackets and then rachet it down from the shackles to a strong tie-down points near the four corners of the truck.

Hi Steve, congratulations on your new solar farm. I know you had a lot of tradeoffs to consider when configuring your solar array. Some of the issues you are describing are probably directly related to your tradeoffs. One example is the clutter of wires running on your roof. This in part is a...

Yes, I did use Ancor wire, which has a higher temp rating than some of the other marine-grade tinned wire. I also used Blue Seas circuit breakers and bus bars, etc.. Sounds like you're completely on top of all this. Good luck with the pressure of "Is it ready yet?" As soon as it is ready, the...

When I went to save the image from my VictronConnect app I hit share the file, and it sent it to the demo list in 'files settings' manager, in my app, which you can pull up without having to actually connect via bluetooth to look at your settings or data from a snapshot in time. Of course I...

I'm always tempted to rewire every wire and butt connector and ring terminal that came stock with the camper when I compare it to the wire and connectors that I buy to install or upgrade new components. You can get spoiled using real marine-grade tinned wire. It's pliable and just looks and...

My 2020 Hawk had 10 AWG for the wires you're referring to. The 10 AWG is okay for the solar to the controller (even if you use two panels in parallel), but if you're using something like a Victron 100/30 mppt controller I would use the biggest wire that those terminals can take, which if I...

+1 on that. photos show zero solar current reaching the battery because the battery is at 100% charged. This is with two 160 W panels in parallel.If I was discharged, say, 50% or so then I might see 14-15 amps of current to the battery once the mppt controller optimized the output. Rich

The roof should look like a rainbow (an upside down U), but that's a gross exaggeration. It's only a very slight arc (from front of camper to back of camper). Highly unlikely you have a reverse curve in your roof line. Just put a long straight edge up there (a 2x4x8) and it should tell you...

You might try simply putting a 2x4x10 stud up there - north-south axis -and see if both ends of 2x4 are slightly raised with the middle touching the roof. If it touches in the middle with both ends raised, then the arc is correct. Rich