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336muffin · 01-03-2013, 09:00 AM

We're on our second set and don't regret the decision. My battery maintenance is an occasional dust removal. We boondock as often as we can and they perform great.

wa8yxm · 01-03-2013, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed-Sommers

For your purpose, AGM's would be best because they have a higher tolerance to high amp charging, a plus in an all electric rig.

This is one of those things I keep hearing about AGM's

According to Xantrex the maximum charging rate for 2 pair of Golf Car (Wet cell) batteries in parallel is around 140 amps.

The max that inverter can put out in charger mode is 100 amps.

So you though, technically, you are correct.. it is meaningless.

MarkofSJC · 01-03-2013, 03:31 PM

[QUOTE=However, an all electric rig with an MSW inverter? Reduced proficiency, and higher heat production from that, just about necessitates a true sine wave IMHO! Especially when cost is no factor.

Ed[/QUOTE]

x2! Really rough on A/C's, TV's and larger electrical motors.

Mark

wa8yxm · 01-03-2013, 06:51 PM

I do agree with the negative comments on MSW inverters,, I have a Prosine in my house. The televisions, and all the related electronics, audio systems and such think they are on very very clean shore power.. My ham radio does not even know it's there. Everything conneted to it runs... Normally.

Years ago I saw a "power line conditioner" system, couple of thousand bucks back then. Consisted of a 12 volt converter, battery and inverter. (True sine wave).

I've heard ham rigs being operated near a MSW inverter (Turned on only when it was needed) and .. NASTY. NOTE the ham rigs were running on batteries, The inverter on different batteries, but the noise was terrible.

And with my prosine, the ham rig (on the same batteries) does not even know it's there.

joes2901 · 01-04-2013, 06:33 PM

Yes any position is OK but I would avoid upside down. The batteries are 7" x 11" and 16" tall, my space over the frame rails was a little over 25" wide and 11" high by the width of the RV. Amortizing the cost over 10 or 12 years of life (the 7 year old AGMs in my trade in had not shown any deterioration) made the up front cost easier to accept. In a case like mine the AGMs were the only sensable way with the space and weight to get the 800 AH battery bank I wanted. I also used 1" x 2" spacers so that air circulation for cooling would be good. I had 3" above the batteries for the cables and air flow. The AGMs do not emit any gas unless the charging voltage is too high, so the electronics were installed below on the passenger side along with an exhaust fan for the compartment. This arrangement also permitted short battery cables for the whole 12 system.

I am attaching a few pictures in case they make visualizing easier.

Davdeb1 · 01-04-2013, 08:14 PM

Wow! What is all that stuff? I was thinking 4 batteries, and a Magnum 2000 w inverter would be all I need. Oh yeah I forgot inside some kind of battery meter to tell the battery condition.

I've already got a 7500w Onan that should be able to charge the batteries in less than 3 hours a day. I'm going to try out going without solar for a couple of years. If I have to run the genny too much then I might consider it.

That sure is a nice set-up you have there. Did you do that yourself of have it put in?

Groovy · 01-05-2013, 06:24 AM

Davdeb1 - if you are going to be without hookups for more than a few days at a time, you will be happiest with a good solar setup. No maintenance, no noise, no daily cost, no hassle. It's not hard to put together a system. We've got lots of info on our website and there's lots on this forum and on the web in general.

Also, a quality solar store will make sure you get everything you need... we knew absolutely nothing when we put in our first system and Northern Arizona Wind & Sun spec'd the whole system (for free - took 5 minutes) from panels to cables to connectors, etc... they did the same on each system after that even though our systems got more and more complex.

Also, we've never found we needed a battery monitor. We've lived on solar full-time for over 5 years on three different moveable homes and have found that the readout on a good solar charge controller and a $100 clamp-on volt meter will give you all the info you need about voltage/current in every part of your system.