The basic systems and capabilities of most low to mid range price point RV’s is outlined in the Know your Rig section. If all you intend to do with your RV is tow it to a camping spot and park for the weekend, the factory systems may fit your needs. If you intend to dry camp exclusively or frequently spend the night traveling these systems may not be capable of providing you with an enjoyable experience.
There is a certain level of fatigue that comes with traveling by RV and this could be a turn off for you. We wanted to bring the comforts of home with us on the road which also included reliable and on demand power.
I’ve outlined in this section the route we took when upgrading our travel trailer’s electrical system. Like most people we are on a budget and while we invested more than some would be comfortable with, this route was was a realistic and inexpensive way for us to achieve our goals.
You can follow our story in the about us section but just to provide context to the segment I’ll give a high level overview.
We purchased out first travel trailer in 2019, this was entry level 26′ and we soon discovered we loved to travel and enjoy the outdoors with all the comforts of home. My first major upgrade was batteries, I received a set of used AGM batteries totaling 400 amp hours for next to free. These had about a year of use but still held decent charge. Our trailer was a bunk model with an empty cavity hidden under a panel, this is where I stored the batteries.
After researching inverters I settled on the Victron Multiplus 12/2000 which I found used on Ebay for $750. I purchased a BMV-712 new for around $200 to monitor the batteries state of charge as the panel provided in the camper is virtually useless. We traveled and camped with this arrangement for a season and really enjoyed it. Along with a Harbor Freight 2000w generator we were able to boon dock in rest stops while running our air conditioning. All around this was a comfortable way to travel.
In 2020 we purchased our current camper as the entry level we soon discovered was too small for our family. I moved all the components into the new camper and this what you will see demonstrated in this blog. The next phase to our electrical system modifications was to design a solar system that would fit our power needs.
I found (2) 395 watt residential grade solar panels locally off Facebook Marketplace for $400 and installed them on the roof of the camper along with a Victron Energy 50a MPPT solar charge controller. This has served our needs very well, our refrigerator is a 12v compressor style which draws 10a max. We leave it running constantly and with the solar never worry about draining the batteries when traveling and away from power.
Over the past 6 months I’ve watched my free to me batteries slowly decline in performance to the point they no longer will hold through the night. With 400 amps of capacity I likely have a single battery creating the issue but through my professional experience with these smaller 12v AGM batteries you will always be chasing one failed battery after another. While AGM technology is certainly less expensive than lithium the life expectancy is much less. Over time you will spend a great deal more on AGM than lithium.
I’ve been watching and researching Lithium technology and decided to take the plunge. I purchased (2) 100a capacity Battleborn Batteries and so far couldn’t be happier with their performance.
Prior to the lithium batteries my overall cost for this system is only around $1500 in major components and this was cost that I spread over three years. I’ve spent a great deal more than that when you factor in cable all the necessary disconnects, buss bars, lugs, tools, and so on required to complete an installation.
My background is in industrial equipment maintenance, focused primarily on electric powered equipment. I know and understand all the concepts but spent countless hours researching through other blog posts. Many of these installations were much more complex than mine or the type of system the typical DIY may undergo.
My suggestion is start in the direction I did and go where your finances allow you. Start with an improvement that will provide you value and grow with it!
Your camper probably came with a 50 to 60 amp hour battery. This is not enough to sustain much use without an outside power source. Calculate the battery bank size requirements needed to sustain the electrical use of the camper.
2: Inverter
Most RV systems operate off 12v DC power from the battery. 110v appliances require a shore power hook up or inverter powered from the battery. Inverters take your 12v DC input and manipulate it to put out 110v AC current that can power a coffee pot or other such device.
3: Solar
Solar cells are used to convert the sun’s solar radiation into usable energy. Solar’s only purpose is to charge your batteries. It doesn’t directly power appliances although when in operation it will give this appearance. The size of your system will be largely determined by the amount of space you have for panels as well as the overall size of the battery bank it is charging.
4: Lithium
There are many reasons for upgrading to Lithium. Lithium’s energy density is far greater than traditional lead acid batteries. This means you can double the energy capacity for the same weight as lead acid. Charge efficiency and voltage sag are also areas to consider when looking into lithium technology. For many this is an upgrade after the system is constructed but if you plan it has cost benefits in the long run.
Disclaimer – Please be aware that you must take ownership of your own personal abilities and the decisions you make when designing and building a system like these. RV’s conform to a regulatory standard and any modification you make is your responsibility. Learn and enjoy but don’t just follow someone else’s direction blindly. I have a working knowledge and professional experience but I am not an engineer nor am I an expert. I’m providing this as an example of my system, not what you should do.