Hey everyone. Just equipped my Chevy Colorado with a 2015 FWC Fleet. I’m not an electrical pro, but I’m also not a rookie having built a camper van from scratch in the past. I have a system designed but thought I’d bounce it off you guys before I purchased the gear. Chime in if you have any thoughts!
I calculated my daily amp hour requirements and built a little cushion into the numbers. Looks like at the most I’ll require 110 ah.
In my hunt for batteries, I decided to shell out the cash and do it right. I’m planning on buying two Lifeline 6 volt, 220 ah AGM deep cycles and wiring them in series of course. Not only are these great batteries with a 5 year warranty, but it’s the most amp hours I can get when I consider the battery size vs fitting two of them in the actual FWC battery compartment. Also, the compartment doesn’t have ventilation and I don’t want to add it, so I opted out of flooded cells.
I’m mostly off grid camping and would like to go indefinitely. The plan is to buy two flexible 120 watt panels (so cheap these days!) and mount them in parallel to the roof with a good controller (12v/20-25ah). I was looking at this controller: http://shop.pkys.com/Victron-Energy-MPPT-10030-Solar-Charge-Controller_p_3666.html and these panels: https://www.solarblvd.com/products/solar-cynergy-flexible-bendable-120-watt-12-volt-solar-panel/
I like the Victron controller because I can get this dongle for it http://shop.pkys.com/Victron-VEDirect-Bluetooth-Smart-dongle_p_3796.html and get excellent monitoring and control info directly on my smartphone.
I had 230 ah capacity and 200 watts solar on my old rig and could go indefinitely off grid without driving. I think with 220 ah capacity and 240 watts solar I should be fine?? The batteries are better and the solar is more efficient in this setup too. I’m counting on the solar to do most of the heavy lifting! The Chevy Colorado has a Regulated Voltage Control (RVC) system that cuts the voltage way down from the alternator when in Fuel Economy Mode (and I like the fuel economy mode – avg 15mpg on a shakedown run to WY over the weekend). Between that and the 10awg wire FWC ran, I’m not counting on getting much recharge from driving – especially with the fridge running.
The FWC comes with a Sure Power isolator. I don’t know a ton about it, but I’m guessing it simply senses 13.8/14+ volts and opens the circuit? I wonder if that’s bi directional and the solar on the house batteries will open the circuit and send power to the engine battery. Not sure if there’s any issue there I need to be concerned with? In my old rig I had a voltage sensitive relay and configured it to only charge from engine to house unless I manually overrode to go the other direction.
Feel free to critique. This is my dream camper/truck setup so I don’t want to cut any corners or mess anything up. My last rig was purpose built to be disposable and only go one way and it most likely is still sitting in Argentina somewhere!
Cheers,
Eric
I calculated my daily amp hour requirements and built a little cushion into the numbers. Looks like at the most I’ll require 110 ah.
In my hunt for batteries, I decided to shell out the cash and do it right. I’m planning on buying two Lifeline 6 volt, 220 ah AGM deep cycles and wiring them in series of course. Not only are these great batteries with a 5 year warranty, but it’s the most amp hours I can get when I consider the battery size vs fitting two of them in the actual FWC battery compartment. Also, the compartment doesn’t have ventilation and I don’t want to add it, so I opted out of flooded cells.
I’m mostly off grid camping and would like to go indefinitely. The plan is to buy two flexible 120 watt panels (so cheap these days!) and mount them in parallel to the roof with a good controller (12v/20-25ah). I was looking at this controller: http://shop.pkys.com/Victron-Energy-MPPT-10030-Solar-Charge-Controller_p_3666.html and these panels: https://www.solarblvd.com/products/solar-cynergy-flexible-bendable-120-watt-12-volt-solar-panel/
I like the Victron controller because I can get this dongle for it http://shop.pkys.com/Victron-VEDirect-Bluetooth-Smart-dongle_p_3796.html and get excellent monitoring and control info directly on my smartphone.
I had 230 ah capacity and 200 watts solar on my old rig and could go indefinitely off grid without driving. I think with 220 ah capacity and 240 watts solar I should be fine?? The batteries are better and the solar is more efficient in this setup too. I’m counting on the solar to do most of the heavy lifting! The Chevy Colorado has a Regulated Voltage Control (RVC) system that cuts the voltage way down from the alternator when in Fuel Economy Mode (and I like the fuel economy mode – avg 15mpg on a shakedown run to WY over the weekend). Between that and the 10awg wire FWC ran, I’m not counting on getting much recharge from driving – especially with the fridge running.
The FWC comes with a Sure Power isolator. I don’t know a ton about it, but I’m guessing it simply senses 13.8/14+ volts and opens the circuit? I wonder if that’s bi directional and the solar on the house batteries will open the circuit and send power to the engine battery. Not sure if there’s any issue there I need to be concerned with? In my old rig I had a voltage sensitive relay and configured it to only charge from engine to house unless I manually overrode to go the other direction.
Feel free to critique. This is my dream camper/truck setup so I don’t want to cut any corners or mess anything up. My last rig was purpose built to be disposable and only go one way and it most likely is still sitting in Argentina somewhere!
Cheers,
Eric