How Large is your Battery Bank?

[TucsonAZ]

Originally Posted by Marine359

IMHO, you only need a battery bank to support the number of days you normally boondock. Our normal boondocking is for 3 days, so we have no plans to upgrade our 170ah LiFEPo4. However, we will be adding 360w of additional solar, because our compressor fridge is the cause of the 3 day limit without using generator. With more solar, we’ll only be limited by the size of our black tank. Gray water can be hauled away in tote, and fresh water replenished with Reliant jugs.

Boondocking for 30-60 days is super common for me but yeah, I guess you're right, no need for more if you have access to shore power often.

[SJ-Chris]

200AH of lead acid batteries in 2 of my RVs (...with 500w overkill worth of solar because it was crazy cheap and I installed it myself). 210AH of LA 6V GC batteries in 1 RV (...with 300w of solar). Aili battery monitor installed in each (inexpensive and easy).



When boondocking, fridge runs off propane. I don't conserve power. I run the furnace at night when cold, TV/DVD, charge computer/phones/etc, as many lights as I want, water pump, vent fans, etc. When boondocking for 3-4 days I don't think I have ever seen my batteries below 60% charged. But, I have never boondocked where there wasn't at least some sunlight during the day or through the forest trees.


To run the AC and microwave, I need the generator or shore power.


If I ever was boondocking, and there was no sun, I could always use the generator or alternator to charge the batteries if needed. Hasn't been an issue so far. I'm a casual camper and not living in my RV full time.



Happy Camping!
Chris

[Itinerant1]

As a fulltimer and boondocker our last hookup to a power pole was Nov 3, 2021 for a night when traveling south with no boondocking spot near our stop for the night.

With 1,200w solar and 500ah lfp batteries with a generator for a hold over charge. We don't scimp/ ration power, 175-250ah is the daily consumption. One day is the same as the next. The holding tanks are the limiting factor plus the allowed days in the NF or blm locations before moving for a new view. 1,017 continuous days was our longest stretch of boondocking travel.

[ltcharles]

12v 800ah lithium battery bank mostly went overkill for my normal needs. However my gal hated turning on the generator to run AC or Microwave at night.

Which works for us as the AC will only kick once in a while on a hot summer day set at 78F

[computerguy]

I installed my 600ah lithium back in 2017. 960 watts of solar.
For me it works great. I boondock when I want for as long as want (water and tanks aside). Genset runs if I need the ac. I am full time.
Works great for my lifestyle.
Still going extremely stron and at last test I still get over 600ah out of the bank. Can you really ask for more???

[darrellr]

Originally Posted by computerguy

I installed my 600ah lithium back in 2017. 960 watts of solar.
For me it works great. I boondock when I want for as long as want (water and tanks aside). Genset runs if I need the ac. I am full time.
Works great for my lifestyle.
Still going extremely stron and at last test I still get over 600ah out of the bank. Can you really ask for more???

Have you figured out how much of the 600ah you can put back in via 960w of panels on your system during a 24hr period?

[computerguy]

The most I've done per the log files is 418.8 Ah or 5630 Wh
attached is a little log of my Morningstar controller log
Here's the thread of my install too if interested
https://www.irv2.com/forums/f107/16-...de-323250.html

[ltcharles]

Originally Posted by computerguy

The most I've done per the log files is 418.8 Ah or 5630 Wh
attached is a little log of my Morningstar controller log
Here's the thread of my install too if interested
https://www.irv2.com/forums/f107/16-...de-323250.html

Those are some nice stats. Cant wait to install my final panel and be at 800watts. That would meet my demands and needs to offset my consumption at night and help charge while on the road.

currently I am 900ah now. no more room to go bigger :(

[glennwest]

I have 437ah at 48v lithium. Solar is 4500 watt. We have mini split acs so we able to run them 24/7

[paul65k]

Originally Posted by paul65k

I have 13.3 Kwh of storage which equals 525Ah @24V. We charge with 1600W of Solar and 30A of charging while driving from our DC-DC intelligent charger.

We are wired to run every single thing in the coach including both Rooftop AC units, which we can with dual 3000W inverters. The greatest thing though about our system is the ability to charge the battery bank at up to 140Ah (280 Ah@12V) which get the batteries charged up FAST with either the generator or shore power.

I am planning to upgrade the solar to ~3500W which should give us between 120-150A at solar noon and I can run BOTH AC units with about 130A total.... we typically only run one unit so that means we can run an AC unit and still put 50-70A (100 - 140A@12V) into the battery bank WHILE RUNNING AN AC UNIT.

1600W is good but we still manage a bit..... @3400W I'm thinking it will truly be like being plugged in in the middle of nowhere on a sunny day

Soooooooo.... What a difference a year makes

We are now sitting with 3900W of solar on a tilting rack as you can see in the new Avatar. We still have the 13,300W of LiFePO4 storage but getting ready to upgrade to 31,200W or ~2,450 Ah @12V

We'll be replacing our 10 LiFePO4 batteries with (6) 5.2Kw Tesla Modules and a proprietary BMS...... pretty sure we'll repurpose the 10 Lion Energy Batteries in another application...... but you never know

Remember you can never be too thin, too rich, or have too much Solar/Battery Storage

[Bobby F]

So, opening a mobile welding shop?

[R Cabesa]

To the OP. 600 AmpH of Battleborn at 12 volt. 2000W Zantrax inverter.



I stuck with 12 volt because I started with 300 AmpHr and had no intention of trying to run AC.



Down the road a couple of years and eliminating the propane stove for induction, eliminating the convection oven for a tiny 600W micro, and adding 12Volt AC, I stuck with 12 volt because I was there. Doubled the battery to the 600Ahr.



Everything works great. Batteries give me 8-10 hours of AC which is more than enough. We are in the dry Southwest and don't stay anywhere where AC would be needed much past sunset



We change our environment by moving


We do have a gennie and roof air if we get trapped but have agreeded that if we do not use it for two yeatrs, we will remove it and add more solar

[ArtJoyce]

We have about 6kw. We run our camper on 12v

[Sinyyl]

I wonder how you guys fit in that of a big system in to your rvs. For me, my 15kwh battery and 3800w solar barely fits in my 39ft diesel motorhome.