Technical Explanations

Properly Storing Your RV

Properly Storing Your RV

RV owners often overlook proper off-season storage of batteries. When your vehicle is left in storage, it is important that the batteries aren’t drained past a certain point. If they are lead-acid batteries (including AGM), it is also important to give them a frequent full charge at certain intervals. Lead-acid batteries will discharge over time and must be maintained, even if they are not being used. The rate of self-discharge depends on the batteries’ design and the temperature. Flooded batteries have higher self-discharge rates than AGM batteries. Higher temperatures increase self-discharge, which is why batteries should be stored in a cool place. Lithium batteries have virtually no self-discharge.

Shunt wiring shouldn’t be difficult

Shunt wiring shouldn’t be difficult

Here’s an analogy that may help you understand battery monitor shunt wiring.

You have a train station. / You have a battery bank.

You have a train counter that can only count trains going on one track. / You have a shunt.

You want to count all the trains that come into the station. / You want to measure net current on the battery bank.

Multiple house battery banks: Don’t do it!

AM Solar cannot assist in the design of isolated multiple battery bank house battery systems. Multiple connected batteries are fine. A separate starter and house battery bank is fine, but multiple house battery banks are a bad idea. All house battery systems designed by AM Solar must use compatible batteries connected within a reasonable distance from each other.

Lithium battery rebulk on shore power, and

The challenges:
In order for an inverter/charger to start charging lithium batteries (initiate a bulk charge) a need for that charge has to be detected. With Magnum inverter/chargers, this happens when the battery voltage dips below a default value of 12.8V. By putting the Magnum in Silent mode, you can adjust this rebulk to voltage to 13.1V, but lithium batteries have to be deeply discharged to get down to 13.1V. This voltage can sometimes correspond to a state of charge of about 20%. Victron inverter/chargers have an automatic rebulk that happens on a timer every couple of days.

Considering dual inverters, running in split phase?

Shore Compatibility Issues - When connecting to any shore power source less than 50-amps, a dual inverter system won't be able to supply pass-through power through both inverters and some dual inverter systems won't allow power to pass-through on either inverter. Split-phase inverters are very finicky about AC input and typically reject most AC input that is not from a 50-amp shore power connection. In some dual inverter setups (Like Victron's Multiplus and Quattro), you have the option of passing through single-phase power on one inverter while the other inverter on Line 2 is only capable of inverting. This presents some issues if you want to run any loads on Line 2 because Line 2 will be limited by the inverter’s inverting capacity (rather than the pass-through limit) and it will draw down the batteries. If the Line 1 inverter isn't able to keep up with the demand via its internal charger, then you will deplete your batteries while on shore power.

Our thoughts on Tesla battery based systems for RVs

We frequently get questions regarding Tesla battery based systems and how to incorporate them into their van, skoolie or motorhome. Customers with hopes of designing the ultimate mobile power system are buying these batteries second-hand after they have been used in drag races or salvaged from wrecks. Because of the Tesla brand image, low price, and high capacity, these are seemingly attractive batteries. But, at the time of this writing, the engineers at AM Solar can’t recommend them for a number of reasons.

RV Power Plugs are NOT Dryer Plugs

Clothes Dryers (I assume it’s clothes we’re talking about and not money laundering), anyway, dryers are powered by Household Electricity. ALL houses, apartments and dwellings with electricity from the Power Company have 240 Volts at the MAIN Electric Panel (with the circuit breakers, etc). This “box” is where the 240 volts is divided into 3 circuit feeds

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Get Outside with Solar for RV

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While you may love getting outdoors, and traveling to places you’ve never been, a noisy campground can ruin it. While you love your RV, you might be looking for a way to get off the grid, and away from the crowded and noisy campground hookups. If you’ve ever thought about getting your RV equipped for solar power, there’s no time like the present.

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Join Roger as he replaces his batteries

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Roger, a full time RVer and AM Solar Partner, just proved how you can get seven years out of AGM batteries if you take good care of them with quality chargers. Last weekend he replaced his four Lifeline GPL-6CT (6V 300Ah AGM) batteries with a new batch. He has a custom battery tray made by our neighbor (Commercial Metals) for his rig, a 2005 R-Vision Trail-Lite 235S B+ (24'), that enables him to slide out the majority of his 400+lb system with a forklift. This clever design makes system maintenance much easier (assuming he has access to a forklift).

Solar Panel Bypass Diodes: What they should and shouldn't do

Bypass diodes were designed for solar panels back when most solar arrays were constructed by feeding about a dozen series connected panels onto a grid-tied inverter. The purpose of the diodes is to improve the way a series connected array performs under partial shade conditions. When one cell or row of cells is shaded, the diode across that shaded section bypasses the underperforming cells, allowing the panel to maintain the same current as the other panels in the string. By maintaining the same current, the shaded cell(s), column(s), row(s) or panel(s) to not reduce the output current of unshaded panels.