Solar Panel, Inverter and Battery to Battery Charger - Deal or no Deal?

[RS_rob]

My partner has it sorted, the day before we go away she pays to have her hair done & if it's longer than 3 days we have to stop for either EHU or the site must have nice toilets with electric sockets.

 

[eddie]

The average van does what the average person wants to do, adequately. However, when you want to do things or use things that many wouldn't dream of using you need to change, adapt or upgrade the equipment installed by the manufacturer.

We "don't" need solar panels, but many people use them, I have three 130w solar panels, each controlled with a Victron MPPT regulator, but then I have over 800 Ah leisure battery bank.

I need such a size as I use the inverter charger that the OP mentioned. I prefer it as I like the "power assist" function. As a inverter charger, it is a 2000 watt pure sine wave inverter, (will peak at 3000 watts)

The power assist function will make up for any shortfall on electric hook up. If my wife decides to turn on her hair dryer, whilst the inverter is running the TV's and the Sky+ box and there is only 6amps on the hook up, the 100amp multi stage charger stops being a 100 amp multi stage charger, and immediately inverts the "shortfall"

As soon as the hair dryer is turned off, the unit flips back to being a 100 amp multi stage charger and replaces the power that it has used from the batteries. This eliminates running around looking for a trip switch to reset the system, normally in the rain and mud lol

I can also use it as a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) This means that if I leave my Sky+ on record whilst I am out and someone comes along with a dodgy set up, plugs into a bollard and trips the bollard, my system will immediately switch to invert mode, and the Sky+ box carries on as normal. If the electricity supply is re-instated the inverter will switch back to stand by and start charging.

It is a great piece of kit, fully programmable from the LCD remote panel, and can even cope with frequency differentials, so on an RV will work with 60 cycles from the generator.

Yes you can buy cheap stuff, yes some can install all these things them selves, yes you don't need hairdryers, heated towel rails and coffee machines! I think that we all understand that. But, my wife doesn't want to use a dry flannel to dry her hair, I dislike damp towels normally fabricate an additional heater outlet or tube heater to ensure their nice and dry. I dislike adverts on TV, and at home I record most things and skip through the adverts, why should I want to do anything different in my motorhome, when I don't have to? and I like coffee the way that "I" like it. Not everyone is comfortable taking their new motorhomes to pieces, or have the ability to make bespoke battery leads 8m long Not everyone wants to buy cheap stuff of eBay and be "on their own" We as a Company wont supply or install things that we haven't tested or had tested ourselves, and I wouldn't dream of putting unbranded Asian imported stuff onto my motorhome. I didn't buy the cheapest van on the market, so I am certainly not going to fill it with equipment, that is the cheapest on the market not the best.

 

[funflair]

Martin

What inverter do you have ?

Hi orridge

Sorry this is a late reply I must have been dozing.

It's a Merlin M power 2000 watt pure sine with the wired remote start panel, as close to the batteries as I could get it and big cables.

Martin

 

[funflair]

The average van does what the average person wants to do, adequately. However, when you want to do things or use things that many wouldn't dream of using you need to change, adapt or upgrade the equipment installed by the manufacturer.

We "don't" need solar panels, but many people use them, I have three 130w solar panels, each controlled with a Victron MPPT regulator, but then I have over 800 Ah leisure battery bank.

I need such a size as I use the inverter charger that the OP mentioned. I prefer it as I like the "power assist" function. As a inverter charger, it is a 2000 watt pure sine wave inverter, (will peak at 3000 watts)

The power assist function will make up for any shortfall on electric hook up. If my wife decides to turn on her hair dryer, whilst the inverter is running the TV's and the Sky+ box and there is only 6amps on the hook up, the 100amp multi stage charger stops being a 100 amp multi stage charger, and immediately inverts the "shortfall"

As soon as the hair dryer is turned off, the unit flips back to being a 100 amp multi stage charger and replaces the power that it has used from the batteries. This eliminates running around looking for a trip switch to reset the system, normally in the rain and mud lol

I can also use it as a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) This means that if I leave my Sky+ on record whilst I am out and someone comes along with a dodgy set up, plugs into a bollard and trips the bollard, my system will immediately switch to invert mode, and the Sky+ box carries on as normal. If the electricity supply is re-instated the inverter will switch back to stand by and start charging.

It is a great piece of kit, fully programmable from the LCD remote panel, and can even cope with frequency differentials, so on an RV will work with 60 cycles from the generator.

Yes you can buy cheap stuff, yes some can install all these things them selves, yes you don't need hairdryers, heated towel rails and coffee machines! I think that we all understand that. But, my wife doesn't want to use a dry flannel to dry her hair, I dislike damp towels normally fabricate an additional heater outlet or tube heater to ensure their nice and dry. I dislike adverts on TV, and at home I record most things and skip through the adverts, why should I want to do anything different in my motorhome, when I don't have to? and I like coffee the way that "I" like it. Not everyone is comfortable taking their new motorhomes to pieces, or have the ability to make bespoke battery leads 8m long Not everyone wants to buy cheap stuff of eBay and be "on their own" We as a Company wont supply or install things that we haven't tested or had tested ourselves, and I wouldn't dream of putting unbranded Asian imported stuff onto my motorhome. I didn't buy the cheapest van on the market, so I am certainly not going to fill it with equipment, that is the cheapest on the market not the best.

Eddie

I can't argue with your reasoning at all, and on another van I would go for the same combi inverter/charger, must be a clever bit of kit to back up the EHU as I guess it must match the phasing of the EHU.

Martin

 

[mitzimad]

everyone views their van differently personally i want it to be a different experience to being at home which is why we have no tv and limit computer use to a minimum with good batteries and solar were self sufficent but we accept the limits of this system and alter our ways a little this to us is the diffence that using the van gives us
others want the home from home experience and if willing to pay the premium its their personal choice from what ive read on here and other forums van bitz have a good reputation for reliability and back up so if you have the money go for what you want

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[eddie]

I've always said that Motorhoming is like religion! What I believe doesn't make me right, or wrong, and, I may change my mind in the future about what we want from our motorhome.

As some one told me recently, it doesn't matter how much or little you pay for your motorhome, you'll all cr4pping in a wardrobe in a field

It did make me smile! It does just show though peoples misconceptions of motorhoming as a pastime as he went on to tell me that "he would have thought that I could afford a "proper" holiday"

If only he knew

 

[JJ]

As above... there is no right or wrong way...

But...

An electrically heated towel rail in a motorhome?

There are some things I will never understand.

Off grid motorhoming AND a heated towel rail...


JJ

 

[eddie]

If you have the Alde wet heating system, you get a choice of heated towel rails! So it's not that strange

Within reason, if you can afford it, you can have what you like quiet rightly too

 

[g8ysn]

i have 3/ 120 amp batteries powered by [here goes] 100/@70 solar panel,s through a quasie 1000w inverter + panel [am not up on this] to charge ann,s [wife] breathing machine,mobility scooter,plus normal m/h / thing,s kettle toaster
both 7oo/8oo/ all sorted less vat apprx £700

 

[g8ysn]

i also have a halford in line battarry charger which keeps vehicle battery fully charged,[if u tell me i need it i,ll buy it]

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[haganap]

i would say go for what you can afford.

Me personally to fulfill my wonderful wife's haridressing needs and rarely being on hook up the following works for us.
3x 110 amp batteries (quality semi traction)
1 x 100 w solar panel
Sterling b2b charger (fitted properly with correct relays)
Sterling 1600 pure sine wave inverter fitted properly

we are away every weekend, we are away in -20 temps in the alps, we are away for 5 day rallies and it works for us.
You on the other hand need to know what your needs are and if your wife needs straighteners as well as a hair dryer like mine. Although I do keep getting a que of ladies at the door with their straighteners when we are away. so all's not lost on the cost.

 

[Techno]

OK
I have 300 watt solar feeding 500ah battery bank via mppt regulator.
This battery bank only feeds the 2000/4000 pure sine UPS
Surplus solar charge is sent to the habitation 2x115ah Elecsols (Vanbitz) via CBE CSB2 relay (me)
The habitation batteries are also supported by a 50 amp BtoB (Vanbitz)
The habitation batteries then have a battery master (Vanbitz) to support the starter battery
My Habitation and Solar battery bank can be interchanged or combined by my battery selector switch (me)
I have so many options the lights will never go out!
I can also run the AES fridge on 12 volts on good summer days with ease.

 

[CazPaul]

OK
I have 300 watt solar feeding 500ah battery bank via mppt regulator.
This battery bank only feeds the 2000/4000 pure sine UPS
Surplus solar charge is sent to the habitation 2x115ah Elecsols (Vanbitz) via CBE CSB2 relay (me)
The habitation batteries are also supported by a 50 amp BtoB (Vanbitz)
The habitation batteries then have a battery master (Vanbitz) to support the starter battery
My Habitation and Solar battery bank can be interchanged or combined by my battery selector switch (me)
I have so many options the lights will never go out!
I can also run the AES fridge on 12 volts on good summer days with ease.

How does the 500AH battery bank charge back up in winter if you don't have EHU?
Driving won't do it as the B2B doesn't feed them.

Paul.

 

[Techno]

It has never got close to being discharged so far but yes the B2B will charge or try to charge all 6 batteries if I combine the two banks with the selector switch.
With the recently installed UPS I could hook up now in an emergency to charge up all the batteries as the habitation still has its original CBE charger while the UPS has its own 15 amp 3 stage charger.

 

[Kool Kroozer]

Wow Techno, if ever there becomes a Zombie Apocalypse i am heading up north to you

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[mitzimad]

It has never got close to being discharged so far but yes the B2B will charge or try to charge all 6 batteries if I combine the two banks with the selector switch.
With the recently installed UPS I could hook up now in an emergency to charge up all the batteries as the habitation still has its original CBE charger while the UPS has its own 15 amp 3 stage charger.

ive seen power stations with less wiring

 

[Techno]

Front end
Broken Link Removed
Bum end

ruff

 

[eddie]

Y

i have 3/ 120 amp batteries powered by [here goes] 100/@70 solar panel,s through a quasie 1000w inverter + panel [am not up on this] to charge ann,s [wife] breathing machine,mobility scooter,plus normal m/h / thing,s kettle toaster
both 7oo/8oo/ all sorted less vat apprx £700

Your brave using a quasi dine wave for medical equipment, I really wouldn't recommend it, please be careful.

Do you have your inverter wired so all of your sockets are available when using the inverter? And don't forget to make sure that you have a RCD on the output of the inverter.

The cost of installation and specification can vary significantly between equipment and products, with everyone thinking, erroneously, that they al have the same equipment, installed in the same way, doing the same job.

 

[Techno]

Ideal ready made RCD solution
Broken Link Removed

 

[eddie]

Sterling build them into their inverters now as well

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[g8ysn]

my system was installed by a reputable dealer, at my home, i also have an mppt thing and on off switch when on ehu also a battery display,as u probably now as with most things u leave it to the professional and hope they now what u want and supply same,to date all seem,s 2 b ok

 

[eddie]

my system was installed by a reputable dealer, at my home, i also have an mppt thing and on off switch when on ehu also a battery display,as u probably now as with most things u leave it to the professional and hope they now what u want and supply same,to date all seem,s 2 b ok

I didn't say that the dealer wasn't reputable! Or mobile, but you really need to have a RCD fitted on the output of the inverter, else you have no protection against electrocution when using the inverter in the even of a fault

Good practice suggests that pure sine wave is installed when planning to use life saving medical equipment, let alone a coffee maker or electric tooth brush (neither of which will work on a modified/quasi sine wave

I'm not having a pop, just concern that your safe and your wife's medical equipment is working safely and correctly Us Funsters have got to look after each other, otherwise Jim gets mad

 

[g8ysn]

hi eddy have in line fusses,will call and c u if u r at lincoln if i/we need it it will be done thanks for your input and concern,