We were asked to supply a system that would invert the whole motorhome so all the equipment could be used when the customer was not plugged in the mains.
We achieved this by installing the following system:
We installed a 2Kva Vicrton Multiplus, this unit has a 2Kva inverter and an 80-amp battery charger in the same box. This unit is programmable so it can be configured for different quality grid inputs and the charger can be configured to change the charging characteristics for different battery types.
On this vehicle we installed two 100ah Transporter Energy batteries, these batteries are made in America and have a superb battery management system, Transporter Energy and the US manufacturer Dragonfly Energy are so confident of the quality of this battery they offer a 10 year warranty. You can expect to see between 5000-7000 discharges at 80% so when compared to lead batteries the durability speaks for itself.
We installed a 450w solar system on the roof using 3 x 150 panels, these were seriesed together to keep the voltage high and connected into a 100/50 Victron MPPT charge controller.
We upgraded the split charger using a 240 amp Victron Cyrix relay. By upgrading the cable size and relay size it is possible to use all the spare capacity from the alternator. It will be possible to pull up to 100 amps from the alternator which will charge the batteries very quickly when driving between sites.
The whole system was monitored by a Victron Colour control, this allows you to see your grid input, your AC demands, your DC demands, your solar yield, and the state of charge of the batteries. The Victron Colour control also allows you to adjust the grid assist feature, this feature allows your batteries to top up the power usage should you be on a low amperage supply. For example if you were in Italy on a 5 amp hook up, you would need to be very careful what you had turned on in the motorhome, as if you tried to run multiple AC appliances you would soon exceed the 5 amp supply and blow the site trip. The Victron Colour control allows you to set the maximum allowable draw from the grid supply, so if you were on a low amperage site you could set your grid input to 5 amps, if you for example turned on you aircon and exceeded the 5 amp supply the system would automatically invert the required additional power from your batteries.
