Matthew KingPrior to making the jump to living on the road full-time, I (Matt) did a ton of research. Part of the draw to this lifestyle was the ability to see the gorgeous places out in the wilderness. In order to get to see those places, you will either need to get a *generator or setup with a rv solar system. Keep Your Daydream got some help from All About RV’s and documented their install on the same exact trailer model that we have, Grand Design Reflection 312 BHTS. I decided to go with a similar setup, with some modifications.
*We did this initially prior to the solar install. Don’t wait to go see the places you want until you have the perfect setup.
RV Solar Panels
Even though it wasn’t possible for every product that we purchased for our RV solar installation, we enjoyed supporting local businesses and got some made in the USA products. When researching RV solar panels, we looked at several great options. But, we decided to go with the Zamp Solar’s 1,020 Watt Kit. Their solar panels are built in Bend, Oregon & have a 25-year warranty. The staff was extremely helpful throughout the purchasing, installing, & troubleshooting process.
Lithium Ion RV Battery
We decided not to go with the RVer’s go-to Battle Born batteries, but chose to go with Dakota Lithium’s 200Ah LiFePO4 batteries for our setup for a few reasons. Check out a brief comparison below:
| Dakota Lithium | Battle Born |
|---|---|
| Max 200Ah Single Battery | Max 100Ah Single Battery |
| 59 lbs. | 31 lbs |
| 3000-6000 life cycles | 3000-5000 life cycles |
| Built-in BMS | Built-in BMS |
| No heated option | Heated option |
| 11-year warranty | 10-year warranty |
| $1,699/battery | $999/battery |
Victron Energy System Components
We decided to go with the RV favorite here, Victron Energy, for all of our electronic components. I wanted to have a system that didn’t have isolated parts, but had components that worked together to provide optimal power and charging. It is easier knowing that, with the advantage of bluetooth, the devices are able to share data between them to provide an optimal configuration.
I did get a little bit of tunnel vision and focused on the configuration that All About RV’s did, not knowing that Victron came out with an upgraded Multiplus II version. Don’t get me wrong, the Victron Energy Multiplus 12 V | 3000 Watt | 120 AMP setup that is great! But the biggest downside is that it can only power half of the breaker box. This means that I need to adjust the multiplus when we are connected to 30 AMP or 20 AMP power to make sure that I don’t overload the pole or house we are plugged into. The upgrade Multiplus II edition allows you to supply power to both sides of the breaker box providing an easier experience without the hassle of adjusting settings. I would definitely recommend the upgraded version; even if you have to wait or spend a little extra money.
The Zamp Solar kit does come with a charge controller, but as mentioned above I wanted to have a system that worked together. We initially got the SmartSolar Charge Controller MPPT 100V / 50 AMP. After using the system however, I realized that our solar panels are able to supply more power and our batteries were able to absorb more power. After doing some calculations, I settled on the SmartSolar Charge Controller 150V / 70A Tr. The charge controller maximizes our solar supply & doesn’t put our battery over capacity when the Multiplus is also bulk charging (peace of mind).
Below is a list of some of the smaller components that we got for the solar and battery upgrade:
- Victron BMV-712 Battery Monitor
- Provides the ability to visually monitor the battery status from both my mobile device & on the device itself.
- Victron Energy Temperature Sensor for BMV-702/712
- Such peace of mind being able to see when the batteries are getting too hot (it’s happened!)
- Victron VE.Bus Smart Dongle for Multiplus / Inverter
- This allows for the multiplus to synchronize with the battery monitor and charge controller
- FBL-400 Class T 400 Amp Fuse with Block
- Protects the system from over inverting from/charging to the batteries
- 4/0 Gauge AWG Power Inverter Battery Cable Wire Kit
- Super flexible wire! Due to where I put my components, I should’ve ordered two sets because finding wire like this was a pain.
This is an overall look at the solar install that I did on the rig, if you have any questions about the configuration. Leave a comment below.
