jd1923

Asking re the experiences of others who have upgraded to the Victron 3KVA Multiplus or MPII, including @rideadeuce, @Overland and @Ty J or anybody else who has a good idea! I had the MP2 in the OFF position via the VictronConnect app (not the physical switch). If you scroll up a couple of posts, I showed a picture of the app and its "On/Off/Charger Only/Inverter only" menu options. I also had shore power disconnected to run the A/C on inverter and later to charge batteries using solar only and the MP2 was in the OFF position for over 24 hours. The physical switch on the body of the MP2 is in the ON position since I will not be moving the bed to use the physical switch. A great feature is the software switch allowing these four positions. Next day, I plugged in the shore power and since the thermostat was on and set well below the 90F cabin temp, MP2 inverter still in the OFF position via app control, I thought the air would turn on immediately, but it did not. The shore power bypass in the MP2 was not working as intended. Then using the app, I switched to "Inverter only" and the A/C turned on, then I switched back to OFF, and it turned off, still not allowing shore power to run the A/C. Next, again via the app, I switched the MP2 to the "Charger Only" position. This allowed the shore power pass-through, and the air ran as it should and of course it charged the batteries as well. What is going on here? We need to be able to run shore power passed through the MP2 when it is turned off! Ideas? I sure thought this was working properly last week and since it was installed. I have shore power wired into the MP2 directly from the PI EMS and I used the main output L1 (L2 not used) wired directly to the 30A main fuse in the 120VAC panel supplying power to ALL AC circuits. Today, I will try again to turn the inverter OFF to see if it is working properly or not. If I cannot correct this, I will contact Victron Tech Support net week. Thanks

Thanks Rich, I was getting the same 104 MAX after running the inverter over 3 hours, 94F outside with A/C thermostat set at 78F. The Blue Sky MPPT felt much hotter on a sunny day than the Victron MP2 inverter case, both under the streetside bed. 10-15 minutes with the fan on brought temp down to 95F. These temps are fine for electronics. The manual for the Victron MPPT 100/50 and 100/30 states "operating temperature -30°C to +60°C, full rated output up to 40°C." 40C = 104F for fully rated operation and MAX 60C = 140F. The fan did just what it needed, bringing temp under 100 vs. much over. Yes, fan position is hard to tell from my pictures. I call the rear basement "the trunk" since it is for rear storage. You can reach in that opening sitting outside with drill and jigsaw to cut that opening. The fan is mounted inside the basement under the streetside bed, and the fan control and grill are outside in the trunk.

46 PSI here, and God Bless @John E Davies who swore by 42#!

I concluded my battery solar-charge test. After using the A/C to run the 600AH batteries down to 27% yesterday, today by 3:20 PM they got up to 53% SOC being charged ONLY by the 340W (or 320W?) rooftop solar via the Blue Sky MPPT SC. Given this measured 26% increase in SOC, what additional would occur by adding a 400W suitcase? It's 20% more wattage, tilted to the sun. A new Victron 100/30 could be a more efficient MPPT SC than the 25A Blue Sky manufactured in 2015. I estimate a good 35%, maybe more. This could get us up to near 90%. Not too bad. Also, replacing the A/C with say the Atmos, using half the number of AHs, we might get back to 100% <OR> we could run the air twice as long. This will work for us. When camping and the weather gets hot, we'll go do something, leave in the truck for the day. Get back at say 4PM and it would be great to run the A/C for 2-3 hours. Unless it's winter we're camping at altitude, and it always cools off enough to sleep well at night with the Oliver windows open. We live at 5440 ft elevation and of course the air is dry. I can see that most points east, being humid and when close to sea-level this would not work, needing a generator or shore power. Thanks for reading.

"Spring Chicken" yeah you and me both! Stop by or let's meet up this winter! That is one cool fan install! Though not sure if I'd want to pull 100-degree air into the interior directly, which is the number I read yesterday. Check out the third post in my upgrade mod. It pushes hot air to the trunk area and should pull some cooler interior air in its place from the dinette and bath/closet areas from other installed vents. The Beech Lane is a decent product and the thermostat is working well at the 85 degree setting (90 is max). I have one behind the fridge too.

Very nice! These accessories are certainly something to consider! Thanks again, Mike. Their "HPP+ Solar Bulkhead Inlet" would be a great replacement for the OTT installed Zamp port. I could not quickly find dimensions, but it appears it would cover those messy screw holes and have enough surface to use VHB tape instead of the included screws. At 45A and 10 AWG, it's higher grade than necessary but at $45 is reasonable for the quality and the hinged cover plate makes for a clean install. I like their 30 FT extension too, maybe pricey at $60. Notice it is 12 AWG which s/b fine for a 400W suitcase where the SC is in the hull. With the addition of something like this (or a short one) you'd be all set: Amazon.com: Bateria Power 10FT 10AWG Solar Panel Cable Connector to Anderson Adapter Compatible with Anderson Generator Power Station, for Goal Zero Yeti Portable Outdoor Camping (3M Vertical) : Patio, Lawn & Garden This Amazon listing mentions Goal Zero. Also notice it can be ordered in vertical layout vs. the more common horizontal. I immediately thought the HPP is merely a vertically configured Anderson Powerpole connection. This video confirmed my assumption.

We've not had issues with our drawers. They stay shut during travel without straps or locks. I did have a Blum Locking Device crack/fail and then that particular drawer did open during travel. Given newer hulls use the same, these were correct for ours, very reasonable and I have a backup part now. Side to Side Adjustable Locking Device for 563/569 Series Blum Tandem Drawer Slide - 2 Pair (4 Pieces) with Installation Screws - Amazon.com A couple months ago, I had to remove the drawers to fix a kitchen sink leak. I noted the drawer slides only had three tiny screws each! I added 3 more to each slide and used screws a size wider with larger heads. They are not going anywhere now.

@rideadeuce Great upgrade Mike, and very helpful showing all the details! Chris wants fabric color vs. a brown leather look. We are thinking of going with these (two sets) but still waiting on our purchase. I also like the increase to a 5" cushion vs. the original 4". Not sure how the backs will fit but we could tailor them shorter if needed. Just another idea! Available in many colors with good reviews: Amazon.com: RSH DECOR: Sunbrella Deep Seating Cushion with Pillow Back | 24” x 24” Seat | Water and Fade-Resistant Performance Fabric | Outdoor Chair Cushion Set for Patio Furniture | Canvas Burgundy : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Tood & Kat, this would be a simpler solution. Prior owner had this product under our cushions and an extra roll in the cabinet! Works great, cushions do not slide at all. You want the 20" roll, not the more common 12". Kittrich is the company name and "Con-Tact" is their brand. Con-Tact Brand Grip Premium 4 ft. L x 20 in. W Gray Non-Adhesive Shelf Liner - Total Qty: 1 - Walmart.com

So Mike, you must have a 4-prong 50A to 3-prong 30A adapter? That's a good idea. I have the 30A to 15A version. Here are examples of both kinds -- Amazon.com: RVGUARD 50 Amp to 30 Amp RV Adapter Cord 12 Inch, NEMA 14-50P to NEMA TT-30R, Dogbone Electrical Converter with LED Power Indicator and Disconnect Handle, Green, ETL Listed : Automotive Amazon.com: RVGUARD 30 Amp to 110 Volt RV Adapter Cord 12 Inch, NEMA 5-15P to NEMA TT-30R Electrical Power Adapter with LED Power Indicator, Green, ETL Listed : Automotive

Thanks Rich. Does it feel heavy to setup? (30.2 LBS) I was looking at the same item. So, OTT installed the Victron 100/50 for the rooftop solar? That was overkill as the 100/30 is fine for either. Do your SCs ever feel very hot at the heat of the day? I like your dual installation. I've ordered and will install the 100/30 for the suitcase and if the Blue Sky SC needs replacing, I will add a second one. I have a lot of room now on a HDPE mounting board where OTT had installed our 2KW Xantrex inverter under the rear dinette seat. Just checked the company that @rideadeuce suggested and their Nomad 400 Powerful Portable Solar Panel | Goal Zero I do not see enough value in the extra $300. The Goal Zero is also 6.4 LBS heavier, likely from more substantial legs (one pro). One picture bothered me where the panels look warped. Also, Amazon has the Renogy used VERY GOOD for $60 less ($541) which usually means a returned item with packaging damage. For me every dollar counts!

The outlet itself must have its own rating, based on the resistance of connecting hardware, so if it's stated as 10A that is its max rating. If it truly has 10 AWG wires, that's an odd design since 14 AWG is enough for 10A. I understand the reason for your question! I just ordered this, a CNLINKO rated at 25A with specs that state it requires 12 AWG wiring: CNLINKO BD-24 Industrial Waterproof Connector IP67 Circular Connector Device-Side Fast Plugging Connector Metal Aviation Connector Anti-Interference Shell Connector M24 Flange Socket (2 Pin): Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific I believe 12 AWG is all that's needed for a 20A circuit, and 10 AWG is required for 30A. I will double-check my numbers. Sure, buy 10 AWG for a short installation since the cost diff is small. Though I have a spool of stranded 12 AWG and will use it if OK. I do not have an OTT installed Zamp port, so I am going to use the rear opening that was designed for RV-park cable TV connection. It has a 1/2" hole and this CNLINKO requires a 3/4" opening. I have a good 3/4" bit but will wait until I receive this CNLINKO device to determine its feasibility and quality. The only issue I foresee is this housing is very small. It will not cover the original 4 screw holes. In my case the outlet removed was 2x2" and this one is only 30mm approx. 1.2". A cover plate could be used or perhaps this CNLINKO outlet could be built into your Zamp housing. I will fill the old screw holes and given the less-obvious location behind the rear bumper likely call it good. Can anybody suggest a good product to fill screw holes in fiberglass? I've never been or wanted to be the body shop guy!

I don't remember any other label on ours than the serial number pictured. I have to get back up there this week, pull the A/C cover to see what model soft start we have to determine if it's reusable with an A/C upgrade. I'll look again. Thanks

Understood. Down here we need AC when the sun is hot, only late afternoons. It cools off at altitude every night, so windows are open later. It was high of 94 today and at 10PM it's 75. Nice evening now and the low will be 65 by dawn.

Yes, you have a good point. Not wanting to carry a generator though. I just need to get enough in solar upgrades with a more efficient A/C to run it 2-3 hours in the late afternoons. Looks like I should get the 400W suitcase! We do have the advantage of being mostly sunny and dry in the SW for most of our travels.

Agreed, the red is a permanent seal that I do not use. I like the blue stick since, which is like a paste that you can rub on a screw vs. the liquid that will drip. BTW, Loctite is truly designed for metal automotive bolts. I wonder if the woodworkers out there know of a good thread sealant? This is what I have on my workbench for automotive maintenance: Amazon.com: LOCTITE 248 Blue Threadlocker Glue Stick: All-Purpose, Medium-Strength, Anaerobic, No Drip, General Purpose, Works on all Metals | Blue, 9 Gram Wax Stick (PN: 37643-506166) : Automotive

Mike, I believe mine was OTT installed. I have two OTT service receipts, dated 2018 and 2020, other receipts for tires, batteries etc. and nothing showing solar. See my Blue Sky system (see pic1). One odd thing though. When I removed the Xantrex 2KW inverter (no charger on our Xantrex like some newer hulls), the yellow 4 or 6 AWG ground strap had a 2018 date on it. That's weird on a 2016 hull! Maybe the inverter was replaced. My solar panels have serial numbers starting with 'Z' (see pic2) and when I searched online the newer Zamp 170W panels came up. I'm not absolutely sure of the 170W each rating. I also remember prior owner advertising that number, but they could be 160W. Maybe, I can contact Zamp re the serial number.

Thanks @Rolind, @mountainoliver and @rideandfly. I ran a test today. Ran the old dog Dometic 13.5 Penguin II at the heat of the day on inverter only for 3:15 hours, thermostat set at 78 and the high today was 94. The 600AH new Epoch batteries got down to 27% SOC. Turned the MP2 inverter off at 3PM. It's now 5:20, using only the 340W rooftop solar and the Blue Sky SC, SOC is now 32%. Not much gain. I want to let it sit rooftop solar only until say 2PM tomorrow to see what it gets up to. We don't summer camp so normally we'd only run A/C late afternoon anyway. Also, the plan is to very soon replace the Dometic. The new Atmos runs on half the power, show upon efficient A/C upgrade I should get twice the runtime. Today the PII A/C was using between 1600-1800W for 3:15 hours. The basement area under the streetside bed is where the Blue Sky was installed and also where I installed the Victron MP2 inverter. The VE.Bus Bluetooth controller mounted close to the Blue Sky read 103 degrees. I installed a Beech Lane dual fan in there, but it was off. I turned it on, and temp dropped 8-10 degrees. The MP2 was warm/hot as I could put the palm of my hand on it fully. The Blue Sky SC was VERY hot, could not place my palm on it for long. I don't think it even has a vent. I think I should get the Victron 30A for a new suitcase and perhaps later buy another one to replace the Blue Sky when it burns up! @mountainoliver, I was looking at Anderson Powerpole connectors, had already rulled out the Zamp/SAE style. I'm going to check into CNLINKO. Good idea to shorten that distance. I'm definitely going with a MPPT SC installed interior.

Working on adding Suitcase Solar, one without built-in SC, in the range of 220W to 400W. I need to upgrade our MPPT SC to handle additional solar amperage. We have 340W rooftop Zamp panels and a Blue Sky MPPT 25A SC and this system has worked flawlessly during 14 months of our ownership. Recently upgraded to 600AH Epoch LiFePO4 and Victron 3KVA MP2 inverter. We boondock more than camp on shore power. Want to be able to run A/C on inverter occasionally during afternoon hours. The common route would be to replace the Blue Sky system with a higher amperage MPPT SC. If we add 220W in solar a 50A SC would work. If we go with the beastly 400W suitcase, it would just be over the 50A spec and would have to go to 70A. Upgrade would be a Victron product. Here's where I would like opinions. I can scrap the Blue Sky but had another thought. What if I left the OEM install as-is, been working fine for 8 years, and just added another MPPT SC for the suitcase. It would just be off when suitcase not attached. This would be a redundant system so if one was to fail the other independent system would not be affected.I'm not into fancy integration. No Victron Lynx or Cerbo or Victron displays in our hull. I will just use the VictronConnect app as I do for the SmartShunt BM and VE.bus connection to the MP2. I am not interested in any Wi-Fi connections for remote monitoring, Bluetooth range is fine. If I go to an independent system, all I need is 10 AWG cabling, Anderson PowerPole connectors, a fuse/breaker and smaller 30A MPPT SC would do for much less money. My understanding is two MPPT SCs can work in parallel just like the SC and DC converter on shore power can charge simultaneously. This model is $260 less than the 70A version. What do you think? Amazon.com: Victron Energy SmartSolar MPPT Solar Charge Controller (Bluetooth) - Charge Controllers for Solar Panels - 100V, 30 amp, 12/24-Volt : Patio, Lawn & Garden

No, what tire pressure are you running?

Which Renogy did you get? (Zamp does seem overpriced.) I was just looking at this one (16 LBS): 220W Lightweight Portable Solar Panel | Renogy This one is a monster at 30 LBS! Not easy to luge around. It would be great if you could split this unit into two 200s and use one or both. Carrying each half at 15 LBS. Maybe I could customize the wiring to achieve this, but perhaps overkill! 400W Lightweight Foldable Solar Panel | Renogy I've got to figure out how much solar I need for 600AH LiFePO4. I know there are many articles out there and I have to research. Any advice? I have 340W on the roof and it would be great with additional panels we could run air conditioning on a sunny afternoon off our new Victron MP2 3KVA inverter without too much loss of battery SOC.

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Forgot the picture. Notice the cracks in the screw holes. I will fill them and always use 3M 4950 VHB tape on everything possible!

Ron, how in the world do you keep this so clean? Just beautiful! Ours is 4 years older than yours, E-Z Flex OTT installed in 2018, picture from last summer when I work an overall suspension maintenance. I pressure washed everything and steel-brushed the E-Z Flex and wet bolts. My jack and jackstands also don't look pretty either, just old tools about as old as me! Love the old tools, still work great. Good enough, but yours is pretty, even the brick drive!

Thanks @FLYnGATOR for getting me thinking of this now. I've had the beds out for weeks now, doing my inverter install, so why not install the exterior solar port now and buy my solar suitcase anytime. The port and wiring are small $$$. Reading all this, you are very likely to use the alligator clips for your upcoming trip because you want to take time to think through your permanent installation. I read some old posts searching for 'Zamp' and 'SAE' and 'polarity' and found a post from @johnwen regarding replacing the (cheap quality) Zamp port with an Anderson Powerpole connector: External Zamp connector - General Discussion - Oliver Owner Forums (olivertraveltrailers.com) Note his comment on how OTT installed this NOT being wired directly to the batteries as I had suggested above. Thanks John, for these connectors look to provide a more secure connection. I found this quickly on Amazon, but it was not easy to find authentic Anderson products: Amazon.com: Powerwerx PanelPole1, Panel Mount Housing for a Single Anderson Powerpole Connector with a Weather Tight Cover : Patio, Lawn & Garden Also looked further into my idea on using the rear TV cable opening (see pic). I'm going this way for sure, no drilling into the side body. Will run 10 AWG wires under the rear trunk floor, follow the sewer pipe up to the B+ and further to the B- buses. I may have to drill the main hole a bit larger. FYI, the square cable TV terminal is 2x2" and the 4 screw holes are in a 1 3/4" diameter. This cable and the port above are likely all I will need to connect panels that do not have the built-in SC, but I'll wait on the cable until purchase of the suitcase of choice to determine the proper connector. Amazon.com: OCHIKI 20FT 10AWG Solar Panel Extension Cable Fit for Anderson Adapter, Waterproof Female and Male Solar Connector, Solar Charging Cable Wire for Portable Power Station Solar Generators : Patio, Lawn & Garden With a 20 ft 10 AWG cable you can position the suitcase easily to the curb or streetside or to the rear. Thanks again. I'll make a new post when I work my actual install.