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mjrendon

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Everything posted by mjrendon

  1. The RAM 1500 eTorque battery is only 430wH which is not much when compared to the 2400 to 4800 wH in the Oliver LE2. There is a 12V DC to DC converter in this truck since it uses this same battery for the traditional electronics. I have not found any specifics on the trucks ability to charge the batteries in the tow trailer, but it seems likely.
  2. Maybe in the trailer would be best. Should be able to pick up the charge lead (12 ga black) and ground (14ga white) from the 7 pin near the battery box. The manual states that there is a 20 amp fuse on the charge wire. So the 18 amp version of the Orion might be a better choice.
  3. Victron mentions that the combination of low internal battery resistance and low alternator RPMs as a potential issue for alternator overheating. Their Orion 12 12 30 will address the parasitic issue between the tow vehicle and the trailer. The feature is called input votlage lockout. The adjustable Vout would address the Li battery charging since it can be setup to 15V. Website PDF Video
  4. The biggest loss with PWM is related to the voltage drop from the PV (~19V) to Vbat (13-14.5V) through the charge controller. Vdrop is ~6V * ?Amps = lost power. Other losses may occur in ZAMPs controller but they are going to be small relative to this loss.
  5. Before you change your roof cap, an easy way to test the series vs parallel setup with would be to use three connectors like these To convert to series simply unplug both PV panels from the Furion roof connector and convert them to them both to MC4. Next connect the panels in series and use the third connector to convert the series chained panels from MC4 back to Furion. Plug this into the roof down link using a single port. Make sure you double check polarity before plugging into your new MMPT charge controller. Simple to test both modes...
  6. John, I had this happen to two of my valve tee handles in the last month (shower drain pan and grey tank). Did you just drill out the handle and place a nut on top of it to fix or find a 6mm handle? Mike
  7. Thanks for pointing this out. I guess I could periodically rotate them like tires... I know that Overland has a 4P system and it will be interesting to find out if the cable configuration contributed to the issues that he is having with his batteries. Soon I will be adding two more batteries in a bus bar configuration with trailer positive trailer connection attached at one end and the negative trailer connection attached at the opposite. I will post images of that setup once completed.
  8. AndrewK, Yes. These are two 12V batteries in parallel (2x capacity and 1x voltage) that are both electrically attached to the trailer. The AGMs that were replaced were two 6V batteries in series (1x capacity and 2x voltage) for 12V. Previously there were really four 6v AGMs in a 2S2P configuration, but this always tough to describe when typing. I was able configure these new batteries without making or changing cables. Mike
  9. I used a dense closed cell foam and a base of plywood with cut-outs to hold 2 battleborns in place. It didn't have any signs of movement or damage after >3000mi.
  10. Mossey, John, I was comparing some of the Victron units for my similar project and have been running in circles. I doubt that I would add more than one more PV on the roof. I really like the idea of having two MMPT charge controllers with the flexibility of the other PVs being remote. Any suggestions for which charge controllers to use SmartSolar 100/30 100/50, 150/45? What are the real life advantages of switching to series? I assume the 100 and 150 charge controllers could handling either 4 or 6 12V PVs in series assuming VOP is 21V.
  11. I can't say for sure but I did open the Truma water heater to drain it right after disconnecting the park's water service at Palo Duro (last trip) but I forgot to relieve the pressure in the system before lowering the Truma's yellow valve lever. The water had cooled down, but I got drenched as I opened that valve. I am thinking that along with the water that was stored in the Truma, the water in the pump and accumulator might have come out, causing the pump/accumulator system to lose its prime at that point. I am not sure this is possible but nothing else comes to mind. Prior to that, the most recent successful use of the water pump was to shower and wash dishes while in Bull Run Regional Park (VA) in mid-October.
  12. problem solved - I tried several things to get the pump to start pumping again such as filling the fresh water to 100, running the pump with the faucets open, opening both inlets to the pump, running the pump with city water. None of these worked. What did work was to put my hose with the regulator lowered to 20psi on the rear water inlet and then open the rear inlet valve, turn the kitchen faucet on and then turn the pump on. After I could hear what sounded like the pump starting to pull water I was able to close the rear inlet valve and the system started working as one would expect (pulling water from the fresh water tank). Not sure what caused the water pump and accumulator system to stop pumping, but I am happy to have it working again.
  13. John, Thanks for posting this. I am not a tax expert or a lawyer but it seems logical that if any additional solar panels and/or storage capacity are added that this would represent a new installation. You may want to discuss this with your tax expert. Example; If you left your tired AGMs in your trailer and added as a separate system the new LI batteries, a new controller and a single PV that this would be considered a new installation.
  14. John, I am early in the planning process but considering these three options. 1) Leave the ZAMP controller in place, but disconnected. 2) Remove the ZAMP and deal with the hole somehow - storage cubby? 3) Remove it and replace it with something like the Victron color control panel.
  15. I replaced my AGMs (4x6V) with Battleborn Li batteries. I would not go as far as to say they are a direct replacement, but it is not difficult either. The 6v AGMs are configured with two banks in parallel of two batteries each in series. The Battleborn batteries are already 12V so they can all be connected in parallel if you choose to add more than one. I purchased 4 Battleborn batteries after seeing what @Overland had done and found it pretty simple to get two installed using the existing battery cables that came with my system. Adding the additional two required reconfiguring of the cables. Hope this helps. Mike https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/4565-6v-agm-replacement-options/
  16. John, Thanks for posting this. I am also looking forward to your write-up. I found that the new PD board does an excellent job charging the Li batteries. It is quick at driving the battery voltage up to 14.5V. In comparison, the ZAMP solar charge controller in LI mode does an okay job, but it never seems to get the battery voltage quite as high as the PD shore powered system does. For this reason I am considering swapping the ZAMP PWM controller out for a Victron MMPT controller. Note that I don't believe that the Victron charge controller is a necessary upgrade for LI batteries, but I am hoping for a measured improvement in battery charging capability that better leverages the existing PVs. Mike
  17. John, It does look nice. I would be interested to hear what Jason recommends about the mounting technique if you don't mind sharing. I am considering adding another PV like this or converting to a MMPT charge controller) for a up to a 25% efficiency gain over the ZAMP PWM charge controller. The existing PVs that I am using are rated at 320W but they lose about 25% to the PWM controller (~80W loss max). The MMPT charge controllers run about $230 (30A) or $330 (50A) and supposedly provide a quicker and more consistent charging capabilities from what I have read. While the 30A controller allows for 440W (+120W available PV capacity at 12V), the 50A controller would allow for up to 700W if that is desired. I think either upgrade should have about the same impact on the total charging capability of the system since adding 100W of PV with a PWM controller is ~75W max at the batteries. Mike
  18. Great test Overland! I remember seeing an image of your inverter and I believe that it was a 3kw Victron and that you are using 1/0 wiring. Any thoughts on the stock 2kw inverter that Oliver sells running only the AC with micro air easy start and 4/0 wiring? Hoping that I can keep some of the original parts from my 2017. Any update on the potential Li battery issues?
  19. Would the bad battery affect the total boondocking time in this scenario? Assuming that it is only reduced storage capacity then the batteries should charge quicker in addition to discharging quicker? Thank you for the link to the battery solar experiment.
  20. The hybrid F150 seems like an interesting option for extended boondocking in hotter climates (note I am in TX) and have been considering a cyber truck for the same reasons. The F150 has one battery option (1.5kwh) and two inverter generator options at 2.4kw or 7.2kw. The later inverter option would provide the Oliver with the full 30 amps which would charge your Li batteries faster. The generator estimated run times on a full tank gas are 85hrs (2.4kw) and 32hrs (7.2kw). How long will the Oliver AC run assuming it has 400ah of Li batteries (estimating the AC has 50% duty cycle). I am guessing at 50% duty or a ~1kw use rate, so maybe ~ 4.5 hours from fully charged house batteries to empty. Using the 7.2kw inverter generator on the hybrid Ford, you would likely need to run it for 2 hours after every four hours off. So it would be on for 2 hours out of every 6 hours, which would be 8 hours with the engine on per day or roughly 4 days of boondocking with a single full tank of gas. I guess it could be longer if the generator's fuel usage was reduced when it was only providing service to the 30amp plug, maybe even double to 8 days?
  21. Thanks Overland, I will try that next. I will also try using the the city water connection to see if I can get water into the pump/accumulator from there. With the cold temperature exposure the last night in the canyon I was concerned about a cracked line or fitting, but I checked what I could and did not see any issues.
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