Solar/LFP Roadtrek 190

[Reed Cundiff]

Posted the below on another site

Son Cary finished fabricating the solar/LFP array on our 2002 Roadtrek 190. There are two panels: 315 W and 100 W. Since they have different voltages, he had to utilize two chargers. The cabling is run though the a/c housing and down the corner of the left rear door. The battery suite is two x 180 amp (12 V nominal) Manzanita Micro (each is 4 x CALB LFP cells). The batteries are under the bed. Each battery has an internal blower to keep the batteries cool. Son Cary then installed a high efficiency blower that exhausts air to the outside. This will cool the batteries, inverter (2.5 kW PSWI) and other electronics. It will remove four volumes of air from the "electronics compartment". We knew that the installation of the batteries, inverter etc pretty much used up the rear storage so we purchased a StowAway box that we installed on the rear of the vehicle.

He designed the system so that we can run off shore power if required. Shore power could be used in two ways. One charges batteries and the AC (120 V) runs off the batteries (this is technique to be used in Mexico and other places where line voltage may vary dramatically and destroy electronics. The other technique disconnects from battery suite and runs through the original wiring of the Roadtrek

Son trialed the system and it works well. He ran the a/c on battery alone for over an hour.

He had one of his technicians install plumbing for an Olympic Wave 3 on the clothing closet. An Olympic Wave 3 should be sufficient to heat the vehicle for any conditions we plan to face. The forced air heater should be able to take up the slack beyond that.

Currently spending three days in Fort Collins and then head towards Labrador/Newfoundland and then take in the changing of the color on the East Coast when the Maples turn red.
Reed and Elaine

[jelag]

Reed... I went to a couple of web sits and looked at this heater... did you mount the 3K, 6K or 8k BTU rated heater.... and I didn't see the safety standards... or set backs... that is the dimension from the sides and top and bottom from combustible surfaces... I understand its a wall mount but the clearance information is important to me based on the location I wish to put it....

Thanks

[Reed Cundiff]

Jelag

We found the 8 K Olympian to be sufficient to keep the main cabin of a 34' 5th wheel in the 60s at temperatures down to teens. Since we now have a 19' Roadtrek for traveling to places where a 34' 5th wheel might have problems going, we have had a 3 K Olympian installed.

We have it mounted flush to a door panel with about 2' of clearance above and below. The wood panel that the 8 K Olympian is mounted has never been warm to the touch, we felt this was sufficient. The hosing to the Olympian has a shut off valve where it was tapped into the propane line to the forced air heater. We have also installed two propane detectors to be on the safe side.

Reed and Elaine