Community Forums

Danattherock · 03-03-2020, 06:43 PM

It has been suggested to me here and I was pretty set on buying the victron battery management device.

Our first travel trailer was delivered to the house today and it has some information on the solar system monitor. 12.9 v, a display showing its charging, 5 Ah (not sure, guess the charging rate), and 0.4 A, the draw at the time I'm assuming. Says 10 A charge, so maybe the cloud and rain explained the 5 Ah today.

Anyway, curious if I would benefit from a victron battery monitor system, or if the display that came with our system will be adequate. I have two deep cycle interstate batteries up front, a single 150 watt solar panel on the roof, and a 1000 watt inverter.

R.Wold · 03-03-2020, 06:52 PM

For a system like this I would go with the Trimetric monitor. Ive used them in the past and been very satisfied. You’ll need a shunt and cable too - about $200 for everything and perfectly sufficient.

I have all Victron components, but I have a more complex system. For yours, the Trimetric is perfect and a less $$. Talk to Randy at Best Converter and he’ll take good care of you.

Trimetric 2030RV Battery System Monitor

For Victron stuff I use Inverter Supply - also very good customer service

https://www.invertersupply.com/index...gory%5B%5D=573

beach house · 03-04-2020, 10:45 PM

X2 on the Trimetric! The Trimetric is accurate, easy to use, provide a bundle of information and made USA by Bogart Engineering. Also, if you choose to use Bogart's charge controller, the two communicate with each other, allowing to fine tune the charge controller for optimal charging. I have been using Bogart's Trimetric and two SC2030 charge controllers, for 4 years, and the system has been flawless and performs really well.

astrocamper · 05-08-2020, 06:39 PM

I prefer using the Victron BMV-712 and the Smartsolar MPPT controllers. The bluetooth app is very useful for seeing realtime and historical data.

R.Wold · 05-08-2020, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astrocamper

I prefer using the Victron BMV-712 and the Smartsolar MPPT controllers. The bluetooth app is very useful for seeing realtime and historical data.

Agree entirely. Mine is a 700 but if I buy another (for leaf lithium’s in my Polaris EV?) I’ll buy he 712

Old Scout · 05-08-2020, 07:03 PM

I am beginning to think that solar power is the new "Jeep syndrome" --once you get started buying stuff, you can't quit! ….and just as expensive too--maybe more! Unless you are totally off the grid, how much do you really need to know about your solar panels and batteries?

R.Wold · 05-08-2020, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Scout

I am beginning to think that solar power is the new "Jeep syndrome" --once you get started buying stuff, you can't quit! ….and just as expensive too--maybe more! Unless you are totally off the grid, how much do you really need to know about your solar panels and batteries?

Well I have an answer for that: a lot because I wanted to be able to run my air conditioner off solar and batteries for at least 8 hours. And unless I wanted to pay some shyster $25k for a substandard system comprised of the cheapest Chinese components, I had to learn and do it myself.

As it is I have a little over $6K in it - a lot for solar, but you couldn’t get a better system from an installer at any price because they don’t offer them. So yeah, it’s a new hobby, avocation, obsession, money-pit, gadget-happy retail-therapy pursuit, but the other aspect of it is that it’s fun and provides quiet power (I’m also anti-generator) and comfort.

Is it economical? Hell no! The rig came with a genny for that. But it’s it pleasing? Well for me and anyone camped within a 1/4 mile of me, yes. And as a result of setting the bar at AC, I can run anything and everything else, including the fridge in elec to save LPG, without even thinking about it. I even run the water heater on elec when boon docking!

And now I’m adding about another $1500 to run the AC for up to 16 hours after an episode in Memphis where I would have otherwise run the AC all night. As it was, had I had that much battery power then, I also would have had an interesting and possible tragic confrontation with a pair of 2am thieves that I ran off because it was too hot to sleep, but that’s another story.

Cheers!

Dick

astrocamper · 05-09-2020, 12:49 PM

We have camped off grid 90% of the time. Even run the air conditioner on solar. We use all the 120 volt we need when we want.

Solar panels are lot cheaper than the first ones I bought for my old trailer in 2008. I paid $400 for 80 watt panels and put 3 on the trailer. My last pair of 300 mono crystalline Grape Solar panels were on sale for <$600 for the pair.

DavidEM · 05-09-2020, 02:28 PM

Your solar monitor if it is what I am thinking it is, just shows amps in at any one time. It does not show amps or amp hours used. Some RVs come with so called monitors but they just display voltage, a very imperfect indication of battery state of charge.

I have used three types of true battery monitors based on a shunt that measures true amps being input or output by the batteries as well as cummulative amp hours. All are available on Amazon:

Drok: Cheap, simple and crude, $20

Renogy: Fairly sophisticated, good value at $100

Victron: Very nice but not anything better than Renogy, but first class stuff, $200

David