Community Forums

Cam Jack · 06-02-2023, 08:14 AM

I took a closer look at your picture of the Cat. I think I see some sort of shielding running down the exhaust. I'll have to climb under mine and see if I have the same. I'm take a trip next week and will look then.

macnut · 06-02-2023, 02:33 PM

Can Jack, yes, I moved the temp sensor on the shelf sitting right next to the battery.

Please let me know if you come up with a good aluminum shield for the catalytic converter. That would be a nice add.

I’ll also let you know if the blanket makes a difference.

Al

macnut · 06-02-2023, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cam Jack

I took a closer look at your picture of the Cat. I think I see some sort of shielding running down the exhaust. I'll have to climb under mine and see if I have the same. I'm take a trip next week and will look then.

Yes, it runs the length of the exhaust. If the 22K chassis doesn’t have that I imagine that could make a big difference.

It’s to that shield that I’m going to apply the blanket, but just over the catalytic converter.

Take care and happy travels!

Cam Jack · 06-12-2023, 10:29 AM

I have the factory heat shielding. It also runs down the length of the exhaust. Very narrow and really is not wide enough.

On two hour drive up the coast to Jalama Beach, I recorded 107 degrees on that empty shelf. The outside temp was high 50's to low 60's. I will add more heat shielding before my drive out to Oshkosh in July. That will be a good test of the added insulation before i relocate the batteries.

Bad things happen when the BMS shuts down the batteries.

macnut · 06-12-2023, 10:32 AM

Agree! You want to avoid that. Good luck with your test!

stevenapril · 06-14-2023, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macnut

We added solar and lithium batteries in April. AM Solar in Springfield OR did the installation and I’m really happy with the result.
Al

https://mobilemosers.com/2023/05/27/...-installation/

Looks like they did a great job. Can you pls share what this cost?

macnut · 06-14-2023, 11:36 PM

It’s best to call them (or another reputable installer) and discuss your situation, since each install is custom to each person’s wants/needs and the physical layout of the RV. If you don’t want to call, they give prices for hardware and a guesstimate for installation on their website.

Cam Jack · 07-19-2023, 09:03 AM

On my drive to Wisconsin, didn't encounter any outside air temperatures above 90 degrees. lots of 6-7 thousand foot passes. Maybe I'll fun into hotter temps on the way back in August.

The highest temperature recorded was 137 degrees. I have three sensors on the shelf. Obviously if the outside temps were in the 100's the shelf temperature would be higher. I have a sheet of AL insulation that I'm installing today.

As of today, I've decided not to install the LI batteries on the shelf. The chances of it overheating is just to great for me to feel comfortable. Imagine stuck in traffic on a 100 degree day with no airflow.

I'll update the temps on the way home with the shielding.

macnut · 07-19-2023, 03:28 PM

Just finished 4,000 mile trip and temps never got near that on my shelf. The battery itself never got over 104 degrees (and it can take as high a 140 before not allowing a discharge).

However, for this trip I added some insulation to the outside bottom and side of the compartment. I think it may have reduced the temp some. Because of that, in going to add a second layer. I’m also going to add some insulation above the catalytic converter.

The heat seems to increase by 2-5 degrees and hour of driving. I is usually drive 5-6 hours in a day. On this trip, several days were close to 100. I rarely drive in weather hotter than that! I also drove several mountain passes as high as 7-000 to 8,000 feet. It seemed to increase higher during these mountain passes, instead of 2-3 degrees per hour, it would go up 4-5 degrees in an hour.

With the added insulation, I should see further improvements.

Both the battery manufacturer and the installer, AM solar, have no concerns about it being in that space. I shared all the data I have and both said the battery is made to tolerate that well.

So, I’m going to keep my batteries where they are.

I totally understand your decision not to, however, as your bay seems to get quite a bit hotter than mine.

All the best!
Al