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I was concerned about the low temperature charging when I first designed/installed my LiFePO4 battery. I added a thermal switch that would shunt the power from the solar panels into a battery heater, until the temperature was above 5C, then switch the solar panels back to the solar...

The 30a rating is based on residential AC wiring. Decent marine wire with 105C insulation is rated at 60a for most uses: https://www.bluesea.com/support/reference/535/Voltage_Drop_in_Conductor_-_Wire_Sizing_Chart

I don't think you can use the trolling motor with 4AWG wire. You would have to splice to the 10AWG wire on the plug, which would mean you really should fuse the circuit for 10AWG, as the rating is determined by the smallest wire in the circuit. If you upgrade the wire, you will also need...

I consider any portable panel a pain to deploy in comparison to the always on roof panels, it is not that the flexible panels are more of a pain.

I have the AIMS Power 120W foldable. It has worked as advertised, but I have to admit that I haven't used it all that much, so I can't speak to it's longevity. In general deployable panels are a pain, so we only use is when absolutely necessary. Here in the sunny rockies and SW, 160W on...

If your ground plane isn't great, then the 'trucker' antenna may be better as it does not require a ground plane: https://www.weboost.com/products/304415 I wasn't sure how well the camper roof was really grounded, particularly when up, so I am using the trucker antenna.

You are right about the roof providing shielding - that is how these are able to work at all. But it is a tight balance between getting enough gain and not ending up with feedback. I have had mine shutdown due to feedback (there are some red lights that light up on the box to tell you this)...

One note of caution, the inside antenna is very low gain for a reason - if it were higher gain you would get feedback from the outside amplified antenna, end up in an infinite loop and the booster will shut down. I also have the Weboost Drive and find that it works well with the phone within...

This is normal for a 3-way fridge. They are really designed to run on propane or shore power. If you want to run on batteries you need a 2-way fridge.

I have the valve to do this, but have not got around to installing it. Measure the diameter of the tubing that runs from your water tank to the drain valve, and buy and install an appropriately sized valve: https://www.mcmaster.com/flow-valves/on-off-valves/connection-style~barbed/ If you...

One of the primary points of insurance is to insure against your own negligence. Now there can be a lot of discussion about what exactly is negligent, but not by the insurance company. They will cover you if you are drunk, speeding, texting a driving etc or any number of far more egregious...

It will work just fine. Lithium really isn't that picky about charge parameters.

Great job. 280 Ah is a lot of power in a pop-up, I can't imagine running low, unless you do something crazy like add an induction cook top :rolleyes: . One thing to note is to avoid the drop in manufacturers charge recommendations (these are primarily to active their built in balancers and...

Given how much you are investing in this, could you just have someone fab you up a 15" wide aluminium box to keep the camper on the flatbed? It seems like it would not be that expensive and would be more elegant than having the camper hangin off the back.

One simple option for the fan control would be to add a bimetallic thermal switch to turn it on when the heatsink on the DC-DC gets hot: https://smile.amazon.com/uxcell-Thermostat-Normally-Temperature-Controller/dp/B07PFVJ6QK

I use Gaia extensively, both for vehicle exploring (ipad Pro) and hiking (iphone). It is a great piece of software with excellent maps. I pay for Premium membership, specifically to get access to the National Geographic Trails Illustrated maps. I have pretty much given up on using my Garmin...

Well then your 30A (output, >30A input) is likely tripping the 30A breaker, which then resets. Your 130A alternator should easily deal with a 30 - 35A load. I seriously doubt that is the issue. It seems much more likely that the fuse/wiring/splices are the issue.

Assuming 15' each way from the camper to the alternator with 10AWG wire, you will be dropping around 1V at 30A. What is the alternator output voltage at idle? It should be > 13.4V, in which case the 1V drop would be OK. Maybe there are some bad connections in the path? Or do you still have...

I didn't realize the Victron doesn't display or let you set the charge current. That is a bummer.

I am not sure you want the DC-DC TR. It is not a charger, just a constant output DC-DC converter. You will get some charge just from your alternator, so I would live with that and wait for the TR-TR Smart, which IS a charger.

What gauge wiring do you have between the DC-DC and the alternator? It sounds like your wiring is a little light and you are experiencing some voltage drop when pulling 30A. Can you set the charge current to 15A for a while and see if it works OK?

I am sure this will devolve into the usual GVWR debate. My take on this is that it is up to the user to determine the impact of their modifications. Adding a camper that will put you over GVWR is not really any different than adding larger tires that decreases braking effectiveness, a lift...

I would agree with pvstoy that the flatbed has a lower center of gravity, but on the flip side (haha) the flatbeds are heavier than the slide ins, so it may be a wash in the end.

I saw an Eagle or Fleet (I think it was an Eagle) on a silver 2nd gen Tacoma out exploring the Pawnee grasslands in NE Colorado this morning (8/27). We were the guys inflating the giant helium balloon on the side of the road.....

I can only comment on what I am familiar with, which is the ARB/OME Dakar heavy duty leaf pack. I have these and airbags with daystar cradles to carry a fleet flatbed (so heavier than what you are looking at). The springs have worked well, but I have been less happy with fancy BP-51 shocks...