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Jps190

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Posts posted by Jps190

  1. 12 hours ago, jd1923 said:

    Nice! Please explain why the solar charge is reading at 52V? Are the panels 12V or greater, wired in series? 

    MAX is correct.  The panels are wired in series which allows the voltage to get higher earlier in the morning. (Charges sooner)  Only downside to this is if one panel gets shaded then they all take a hit but this is such a small area I don't think it will be a factor.  I am actually running 390AH of Lithionics.  The 13.6 volts was the current battery voltage. (They weren't fully charged)

     

    John

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  2. 1 hour ago, mossemi said:

    Since that price is for the bare tool only, I doubt it's a bunch cheaper.  Since I'm not an old Milwaukee guy, just a Milwaukee guy and do not own an DeWalt tools, I did buy a Viair several years back.  And the only time I needed it was to help a neighboring camper air up his bicycle tires.

    Mossey

     image.png.f7827f979001de2dec85d9dcec8d1944.pngimage.png.6a782ae507a3f4453c50e11f2b1923ae.png

    Yeah...My Viair has been used maybe twice since I bought it.  One time "might" have been to blow up an inflatable water toy.  This is what keeps holding me back from installing onboard air.  The big use for onboard air would be to install a train horn for left lane drivers. 🤣

     

    John

    • Haha 3
  3. On 2/14/2024 at 9:06 AM, Wandering Sagebrush said:

    Is there a way you could put this in a pdf or other format?  I can’t view the file on my iPad..

    BTW, thanks for putting it together for the rest of us.  It’s much appreciated!

    It will open in the Numbers app.

    • Thanks 1
  4. Hey all,  I have site E32 on 5/15-5/19 for the rally.  Unfortunately this old Deadhead is gonna have to skip this year in favor of a couple Dead and Company shows in Vegas. Not sure if I can transfer this site or if someone wants to coordinate when I call and cancel it so you can call right after and get it.  Let me know if anyone is interested.

    John

    • Like 3
  5. 1 hour ago, Rivernerd said:

    Lithionics, the manufacturer of the LiFePO4 batteries in our Elite II instructs to remove them from the trailer for winter storage if power is not available to keep the batteries charged in cold temps.

    The data below is directly from the Lithionics data Sheet.  These are industry standard temps for storing Lifepo4.  If you use your trailer/batteries at least every 3 months then they will be fine unless they will experience extreme low temperatures.  Saying that you need to remove them from your trailer is simply incorrect. The only time you would need to remove them would be storing for periods greater than 3 months at which point it would just be easier and more beneficial to just give them a full cycle.

    John

     

     

    Storage

    Storage Temperature &

    Humidity Range

    < 1 Month -4~95°F (-20~35°C), 45~75%RH

    < 3 Months 14~86°F (-10~30°C), 45~75%RH

    Recommended

    storage

    59~95°F (15~35°C)45%RH~75RH

    Long Term Storage If the battery needs to be stored for > 3 months the voltage should be 13.2V

    (50%SoC) and stored at the recommended storage specifications shown

    above. Additionally, the battery needs at least one charge & discharge cycle

    every six months.

    Self-discharge rate Residual capacity ≤3% per month; ≤15% per year

    Reversible capacity ≤1.5%per month; ≤8% per year

    • Thanks 1
  6. 1 hour ago, Rivernerd said:

    If you must store the trailer in a cold environment without access to power, then you should remove the battery from the battery box and store it in a temperature-controlled environment (like your home).

    Not necessarily.  LifePO4 Cells can withstand sub freezing temps for up to 3 months with no issues.  If it was gonna be -20F then sure I would bring them in but 20F there would be no issue leaving them in the trailer.  I put a call into Epoch to get clarification on this heater issue. I'll post what I find out.

     

    John

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  7. On 1/26/2024 at 10:35 PM, Danno and Donna said:

    UPDATE: So ... I pulled the trigger today - ordered (2) Epoch 12v 300Ah batteries ... scheduled to ship on 2/15 ... all in, including PA state sales tax and shipping came to $2206 ... confirmed my current PD PD4045 Power Control Center is Li capable (will need to flip the switch), my BlueSky solar with IPN remote will work fine as it can be reconfigured for the Li (confirmed all the necessary settings) ... still need to determine the best way to disable the Tow Vehicle charging - hoping there's a fuse somewhere that'll take care of it.  Rivernerd mentioned a 3 KW inverter/charger - that would be nice but the trailer already has a Cotek 2000 watt inverter that I think will be sufficient (no need to spend the additional $)

    I'll return here in late Feb to provide and update on progress and outcomes ... thanks, everyone, for your thoughts, insights, and advice.  Talk soon ...

    I ran across one concern about the 300ah Epochs.  One of the reviews on their website suggests that there is no way to turn off the heating function of this battery.  If you store the trailer outside in a cold environment then the heaters will come on to warm the battery and unless you have power available they will eventually hit low voltage cutoff and shut down.  Seems odd that there is no way to disable the heating function.  The 460ah battery has a power switch to shut the battery down.

     

    John

    • Wow 1
  8. 16 hours ago, jd1923 said:

    Excellent work John! Would you happen to have a picture of your work before the mattress was added? Rails off, showing your platform and how the nightstand was either cropped or removed. That would be a great addition to your post. Thanks

    Unfortunately I don’t.  The rails came off pretty easy, just drilled out the rivets.  The nightstand is held down with four angle brackets and some caulk.  Easy mod overall.

     

    john

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  9. 38 minutes ago, ScubaRx said:

     The job is not technical or particularly difficult, but it is time consuming to do it correctly and there's not a lot of folks I'd trust to do this job like I would want it done.

    That's my problem with all projects. 😆

    • Like 2
  10. 3 hours ago, Steve Morris said:

    Looks like a landing pad! 😀

    Are your three panels the NPA200S-24I, like the ones supplied by Oliver?

    I went with the 12 volt version.  They were about $40 cheaper per panel and I have them in series so it wouldn't make much difference.

     

    John 

    • Like 4
  11.   I replaced the original zamp panels installed by Oliver.  I used 1/8 inch thick aluminum angle.  I used 1 1/2 inch for the cross bars that I mounted to the existing Oliver installed brackets.  I framed the panels with 1 1/4 inch angle down both sides.  This frame was then bolted to the 2 cross bars.  I’ll grab a few more pics tomorrow.

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  12. 39 minutes ago, SeaDawg said:

    I moved this from another thread. Let me know if the title is OK with you. 

    Curious, are you installing Epoch in your new 600 watt solar install?

    No,  

      I got the Lithionics 390ah setup when I bought my Oliver.  I had ordered it when they were doing the lifeblue batteries but they switched before my final selections so the gave me that price for the Lithionics which was I think around $600 cheaper.  The Lithionics are great batteries but if I had wet dells or AGM I would definitely be installing the big Epoch.  Epoch also has some 300ah batteries coming out that are sized so you could put 2 in the battery tray.  👍🏻

     

    John

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  13. Ever since getting my Oliver I have loved modifying different aspects of it.  I have done a bunch of stuff to the electrical system such as going mostly Victron for all components except for the inverter.  Here is my latest mod which consisted of building an aluminum rack and adding 3 200 watt Newpowa solar panels for a total of 600 watts onboard.  They will feed into a Victron 100/50 SCC.  Just got the panels installed today and will be working on the connections tomorrow. I also need to fabricate a bracket for the front panel for a little more security but overall it is very solid. 😛

    IMG_6271.thumb.jpeg.01698a4f2addfda59a6141badbbf7a45.jpegIMG_6272.thumb.jpeg.565c6a64bc2061cc39c633c969eee986.jpegIMG_6273.thumb.jpeg.a037e72aa14fbd8ff884f83cdb3593c5.jpeg

    • Like 12
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  14. On 12/31/2023 at 5:03 PM, SeaDawg said:

    Thank you for this, and maybe we should move to a new thread? Would that be ok with you? @Jps190

    Will Prowse was very impressed with the epoch battery. We will have to replace our boat batteries this year, and Epoch is now a serious consideration.  Ip67 rated. They also have a lifepo4 starter battery. (Most boats with lithium house bank retain a lead acid starter battery, for cranking amps.)

    Btw, how long have you had Epoch in the golf cart?

    For those interested,  here's a link to Will's review of the Epoch 460.

     

    Sure!!  I have had the golf cart batteries for around 9 months and they have performed flawlessly.  
     

    John

    • Thanks 1
  15.    If anyone is considering switching to lithium I highly recommend checking out Epoch batteries.  I have 48 volt ones installed in my golf cart but  they also make 12 volt batteries for Rv applications.  Will prowse just did a review on their 460ah battery on his YouTube channel. It would fit perfectly in the battery tray.  They also have a holiday sale right now so you can get the above battery for about $1700 which is a steal for that amount of power.  Epoch has other sizes as well.  The lithionics are nice batteries but there are much cheaper options with the same quality.  FYI…

    John

     

    https://www.epochbatteries.com

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  16.      As many have said the real cost is going to be the labor from Oliver to do the different changes.  I have the 390 AH lithium package simply because they were switching from the lifeblue to lithionics and I got the Lithionics at the old price. ($500 cheaper).  The Lithionics are excellent batteries but there are many cheaper options that would work just as well.  If considering changing the batteries I would also look at updating the wiring and adding a solar controller or sizing a new one one large enough for an external panel setup.  Olivers factory wiring job under the streetside bed leaves much to be desired.  Regarding the Truma upgrade I would consider looking at the Houghton that many of us have installed.  It is just as quiet as the Truma but also includes a heat pump function (saves propane) that will keep you warm down to about 30 degrees.  I was the one that got the quote for $5200 to change out the refrigerator.  Way to expensive for me to consider so I will do it myself when the time comes.  As always, upgrades depend on your ability, your checkbook or both!! 😂

    John 

    IMG_1419.thumb.JPG.6d1e164685fc2925ab57853e8ddf6edb.JPG

     

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