Love your channel!!! Always something learned or idea for my conversion. When should we be concerned with alternator and lithium charging? I have 5th wheel I’ve added 260 amp hour battery. No solar yet. I’ve only seen about 6 to 7 Amps when alternating idle and connected with battery around 80%.
No harm done to your truck or battery, just super slow charging. If you want more from alternator , run dedicated wires from alternator to the 5th Wheel. Usually minimally 6awg and as much as 2 awg. I’d do a 50 amp to 150 amp thermal resetting breaker on each end at a minimum. This is a case where the Orion XS is a good option as well when you don’t have solar to make sure things get topped up and properly charged.
I think you're wrong, because more important to an RV DIY Power System is DC to DC charging. In the Military, I was a Fuel & Electrical Systems Specialist. Please let me help with a Powerful Suggestion: 1. Great Solar should be secondary. 2. Primary Power should be DC to DC charging. Many of these new lithium batteries have a BMS, rated for 200 to 300 amp hours continuous. Meaning you can charge them with a lot of power. That's extremely powerful!! 3. You should use your Diesel engine to supply power to your RV! Especially when you're on the go and the weather is bad. You could do it quite safely and efficiently. 4. MY SUGGESTION; to get a secondary Alternator installed professionally in your Vehicle or Tow Vehicle. a) Perhaps a BALMAR XT-Series 250 Amp/12 Volt Alternator. b) Set up TWO Victron Orion XS 12/12-50A DC-DC Battery Charger. That will give you 100 amp hours of power going into your batteries as you move from area to areas. Or you can just idle your Diesel Engine when you're low on power, and if the Weather is bad. The Victron System will balance out the power between DC to DC charging and the Solar charging. Nate from Explorer's Life shows people how to set up two DC to DC chargers. God Bless you 🙏
I have to agree with you 100%. I should have qualified that rant with “stock alternator” . We’ve done work with camper vans with the alternator controllers on a second alternator, they work amazing! I guess maybe my real point is “the 30-50 amp DC DC charging doesn’t do much and not worth it if you have solar as well. Your stock alternator will equal it in most situations “
I love your doggies it's almost one of my favorite parts of your videos.
Keep Bear and Zuchi engaged! Good to have company doing this sort of work!
Very interesting how each rig has its own challenges, Bear is awesome.
Bear is cool.
You need to put bear to work in the shop. Lmao😂😂😂😂
I am here for the Solar and the Dogs!
I’d come to watch videos of just bear as well as the solar installs.
Love your channel!!! Always something learned or idea for my conversion. When should we be concerned with alternator and lithium charging? I have 5th wheel I’ve added 260 amp hour battery. No solar yet. I’ve only seen about 6 to 7 Amps when alternating idle and connected with battery around 80%.
No harm done to your truck or battery, just super slow charging. If you want more from alternator , run dedicated wires from alternator to the 5th Wheel. Usually minimally 6awg and as much as 2 awg. I’d do a 50 amp to 150 amp thermal resetting breaker on each end at a minimum. This is a case where the Orion XS is a good option as well when you don’t have solar to make sure things get topped up and properly charged.
@@sotasolar thanks.
I think you're wrong, because more important to an RV DIY Power System is DC to DC charging.
In the Military, I was a Fuel & Electrical Systems Specialist.
Please let me help with a Powerful Suggestion:
1. Great Solar should be secondary.
2. Primary Power should be DC to DC charging. Many of these new lithium batteries have a BMS, rated for 200 to 300 amp hours continuous. Meaning you can charge them with a lot of power. That's extremely powerful!!
3. You should use your Diesel engine to supply power to your RV! Especially when you're on the go and the weather is bad. You could do it quite safely and efficiently.
4. MY SUGGESTION; to get a secondary Alternator installed professionally in your Vehicle or Tow Vehicle.
a) Perhaps a BALMAR XT-Series 250 Amp/12 Volt Alternator.
b) Set up TWO Victron Orion XS 12/12-50A DC-DC Battery Charger. That will give you 100 amp hours of power going into your batteries as you move from area to areas. Or you can just idle your Diesel Engine when you're low on power, and if the Weather is bad.
The Victron System will balance out the power between DC to DC charging and the Solar charging.
Nate from Explorer's Life shows people how to set up two DC to DC chargers.
God Bless you 🙏
I have to agree with you 100%. I should have qualified that rant with “stock alternator” . We’ve done work with camper vans with the alternator controllers on a second alternator, they work amazing! I guess maybe my real point is “the 30-50 amp DC DC charging doesn’t do much and not worth it if you have solar as well. Your stock alternator will equal it in most situations “
You should have more dogs in your videos.
Hi -yo!!! - Channeling your inner Ed McMahon?
You are correct sir!
Were is your shop
Sotasolar.com has all the answers, but near Elk River MN
Bear and Zuky need to stay. Off grid solar with dogs is a plus.