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Topic: New battery pack and solar panel installation details-Long (Read 19 times) previous topic - next topic
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New battery pack and solar panel installation details-Long
Yahoo Message Number: 66438
I finally found the time to complete the dozens of small details in the installation of four T-105s batteries and the addition of two 80-watt solar panel.  The roof is now loaded, with little space left when the kayaks are on board. The LD now has a battery capacity of 450 amp/hours and 245 watts of solar panels.

This project started several Months ago while shopping for a good price on solar panels. With the world-wide shortage of panels, prices have been very high.  One day I ran across an  for a local solar installer who had cosmetically damaged panels. Examine the panels showed only slight scratches on the aluminum frames. I bought two 80-watt panels, in their original box, for the cost of one new one.
He also had a pallet of new T-105s, so I picked up four of them.
 When I got home, the real work began. I spent many, many hours under the LD determining the location and design of the new battery tray.
It was a tight fit.
Two pieces of 1 ½"X 1 ½"X.120 wall thickness square steel tubing were mounted across the chassis frame members to support the tray. The tray is hung on four pieces of 5/8" diameter all-thread.
No new holes were drilled in the frame. There are plenty of extra holes provided by Ford.
The battery tray is constructed from 2"X 2"X 1'8" steel angle.
In constructing the battery tray and surrounding are, I took special care to create a non-conductive space where electrical shorting is not a possibility. Everything is lined in sheet plastic or plywood. .

When wiring the new battery tray, 1/0 gauge welding cable was used.
Since the tray can be dropped for maintenance, welding cables was used because of its flexibility. All the wire and lugs are covered in plastic split loom or plastic covers, once again to eliminate any possibility of shorts.  A Pro-Fil battery water system was used to eliminated have to drop the battery for watering. It works very nicely. The filler hose is located inside the Factory propane tank compartment.
The old battery compartment was rebuilt to house the new marine battery switch, a 250 amp battery fuse and the stock 100 amp circuit breaker. The existing shunt for the Link 10 was retained.
A new jumper from the battery switch to the engine battery allows connecting of the coach battery to the engine in case of a dead starting battery or to allow charging of the engine battery during storage.
After the wiring was completed, a removable plywood wall was added, dividing the space.
In the remaining area, a 3gallon removable propane canister is now stored, clamped into position to prevent motion. It is easily removable for use with a BBQ, camp stove, etc. It can also be used to supply propane to the coach with an `Extend-a-stay'.  Since this compartment originally house the batteries, its door is ventilated, a requirement for propane storage.
 The two new 80-watt solar panels are located at the front of the roof, forward of the escape hatch.
I'm concerned about hitting a tree branch and damaging the panels. I used  2"X 2"x 1/8" aluminum angle to construct of tray for the front of the panels to sit it, The angle is glued into position with polyurethane construction adhesive and  is  screwed down, providing a very solid frame. The new panels are screwed into the new frames and can be removed if necessary.
I found that the roof seams, at the front of the roof, had water filled bubbles in the sealant. I popped and dried the bubbles and then cover all of the effected seams with Eternabond tape.
Using a combination of 8 and 10 gauge wires, the new panels were joined to the Factory panel wiring.
I cut into the existing wires and waterproof conduct to make the connection, using the same type of conduct and fittings to ensure water tight connections.

New battery tray installation http://tinyurl.com/jx95y

New Solar panel installation http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/lw5315us/album?.dir=10dc

Larry
2001 MB
* Not to be confused with Larry W (3000 of my posts are actually from expert Larry W due to Yahoo transition mis-step)
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] New battery pack and solar panel ins
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66441
Quote
I finally found the time to complete the dozens of small details in the installation of four T-105s batteries and the addition of two 80-watt solar panel.  The roof is now loaded, with little space left when the kayaks are on board. The LD now has a battery capacity of 450 amp/hours and 245 watts of solar panels.
...snip...
 Very nice job Larry.  Clearly a major amount of work.  And I thought installing some new reading lights was going to be a big project.
Your kayak hoist came in handy.  how much do the panels weigh?

Where did you get that nifty cable terminal crimping tool?

How does the new weight distribution affect our handling?
 Thanks for posting all the details on your installation.  Super job!

Dave

2000 RB Albuquerque
Dave

2017 TK
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] New battery pack and solar panel ins
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66442
"how much do the panels weigh? Where did you get that nifty cable terminal crimping tool? How does the new weight distribution affect our handling?"

Dave

Thanks for the comments.
The panels weight about 20 lbs each.
The crimping tool is available at West Marine.
http://tinyurl.com/hclbd>
 The handling feels the same as before. The 23.5' FL has excess cargo capacity with the E-450 chassis.
The new battery is opposite the water tank, which is always full.
I'm planning on having it weighed
2001 MB
* Not to be confused with Larry W (3000 of my posts are actually from expert Larry W due to Yahoo transition mis-step)
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] New battery pack and solar panel ins
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66473
On May 7, 2006, at 12:56, Larry wrote:

Quote
I finally found the time to complete the dozens of small details in the installation of four T-105s batteries and the addition of two 80-watt solar panel.  The roof is now loaded, with little space left when the kayaks are on board. The LD now has a battery capacity of 450 amp/hours and 245 watts of solar panels.....
Larry-
 Not directly related to your power system upgrade, but how/where did you run the coax to the extra antennas on top?  How easy or hard in general is it to do that kind of thing. If I do the LD thing (don't have one yet) I need to have at least one vhf and uhf stick on top, and perhaps another (all for various ham radio purposes).

-Dave
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] New battery pack and solar panel ins
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66493
"how/where did you run the coax to the extra antennas on top?  How easy or hard in general is it to do that kind of thing. If I do the LD thing (don't have one yet) I need to have at least one vhf and uhf stick on top, and perhaps another (all for various ham radio purposes)."

Dave

You have several choices of how to run the antenna cable into the interior. Take you choice.
 Refrigerator vent - Run the wires down the vent. Drill a hole into a cabinet and pull wire.
 Deck fitting- These are what I used for the antenna cables 2-meter and CB http://tinyurl.com/pvt6v http://tinyurl.com/m5d2g

Cable Clam- Used this for the back-up camera cable. Would work for antenna cable.
http://tinyurl.com/n6n6w http://tinyurl.com/mjwhx

RV Plumbing Vents http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-vents/rv-plumbing-vents.htm Position the vent over a cabinet interior where you want to run the wires. Glue and screw vent to the roof. Remove top cap, Fill with expanding foam and let cure, Drill through foam and roof with drill sized for antenna cables, Install cables, Seal with polyurethane, Reinstall top cap.

Larry
2001 MB
* Not to be confused with Larry W (3000 of my posts are actually from expert Larry W due to Yahoo transition mis-step)
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] New battery pack and solar panel ins
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66496
Thanks for that info Larry, but the tinyurl links did not work.  How 'bout ones just a little bit longer?  :)

-Dave
Re: New battery pack and solar panel installation det
Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66502
"Thanks for that info Larry, but the tinyurl links did not work.  How 'bout ones just a little bit longer?  J"

Dave
 I tried the links and they work fine in Firefox but do not work in IE.
I've added the original links to the posting below.
They should work now. Are you using IE?

Larry

"how/where did you run the coax to the extra antennas on top?  How easy or hard in general is it to do that kind of thing. If I do the LD thing (don't have one yet) I need to have at least one vhf and uhf stick on top, and perhaps another (all for various ham radio purposes)."

Dave

You have several choices of how to run the antenna cable into the interior. Take you choice.
 Refrigerator vent - Run the wires down the vent. Drill a hole into a cabinet and pull wire.
 Deck fitting- These are what I used for the antenna cables 2-meter and CB http://tinyurl.com/pvt6v

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?resultCt=1&jspStoreDir=wm51&catalogId=10001&productId=3570&keyword=117283&y=14&x=19&storeId=10001&ddkey=SiteSearch

http://tinyurl.com/m5d2g
 http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/lw5315us/detail?.dir=128b&.dnm=98ef.jpg&.src=ph

Cable Clam- Used this for the back-up camera cable. Would work for antenna cable.
http://tinyurl.com/n6n6w
 http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?resultCt=1&jspStoreDir=wm51&catalogId=10001&productId=46511&keyword=540732&y=12&x=28&storeId=10001&ddkey=SiteSearch

http://tinyurl.com/mjwhx
 http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/lw5315us/detail?.dir=e115&.dnm=2e0a.jpg&.src=ph

RV Plumbing Vents http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-vents/rv-plumbing-vents.htm

Position the vent over a cabinet interior where you want to run the wires. Glue and screw vent to the roof. Remove top cap, Fill with expanding foam and let cure, Drill through foam and roof with drill sized for antenna cables, Install cables, Seal with polyurethane, Reinstall top cap.

Larry
2001 MB
* Not to be confused with Larry W (3000 of my posts are actually from expert Larry W due to Yahoo transition mis-step)
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Re: New battery pack and solar panel
Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66503
On May 8, 2006, at 23:39, Larry wrote:

Quote
Dave
 I tried the links and they work fine in Firefox but do not work in IE.
I've added the original links to the posting below.
They should work now. Are you using IE?
Nope. Running firefox here too, on Mac OS 10.4.6.  Thanks for the full links, the tinyurl links still just go to the "Error: Unable to find site's URL to redirect to." page at tinyurl.com. THanks for the tips!

-Dave K9DC
Tinyurl links
Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66510
"Nope. Running firefox here too, on Mac OS 10.4.6...the tinyurl links still just go to the "Error: Unable to find site's URL to redirect to." page at tinyurl.com."
 Dave, they work fine in Safari 2.0.3 under MacOS 10.4.5. I've never seen a TinyURL link fail in Safari, and I use them quite a lot.

Andy Baird

City of Rocks State Park, NM
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Larry: New battery pack and solar panel installation details-Long
Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66817
Larry wrote:

"The old battery compartment was rebuilt to house the new marine battery switch, a 250 amp battery fuse and the stock 100 amp circuit breaker."

Larry,
 I was sorta under the impression that the 100 amp circuit breaker was the DC breaker in line to protect the DC fuse panel. Is this correct? If so, what is the reason for a 250 amp DC battery fuse and what did it replace if anything?

Thanks for the input.

Jay
As much as we enjoy our adventures the dogs enjoy it more. That's why the name on Horatio's dedication plaque reads "For the Boys" past and present: Rommel, Patton, Teddy, Tudor and Arthur.
Re: Larry: New battery pack and solar panel installation details-Lo
Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66819
"I was sorta under the impression that the 100 amp circuit breaker was the DC breaker in line to protect the DC fuse panel. Is this correct? If so, what is the reason for a 250 amp DC battery fuse and what did it replace if anything?"

Jay
 The 250 amp fuse is for protection against a catastrophic event such as something shorting out in the electrical box. Such a fuse is routinely used in marine and industrial applications It should be located as close to the battery as possible. The battery positive cable goes directly to the fuse and then to the battery switch and onward to the 100 amp breaker.  Nothing was replaced.

I just hope the 250 amp fuse is adequate for jumping the starter motor, in case of a dead starting battery.
In such a situation, I plan on letting the coach battery `charge' the dead starter battery for several minutes before attempting to start the engine.

In the 35 years I have been directly and indirectly employed in the mechanical maintenance field, I have seen just about everything that can go wrong, go wrong.
It has made me very conservative when constructing things.

Larry

Wondering why so few post messages in the middle of the night.
2001 MB
* Not to be confused with Larry W (3000 of my posts are actually from expert Larry W due to Yahoo transition mis-step)
Re: Larry: New battery pack and solar panel installation details-Lo
Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66835
Thanks Larry,

It sounds like you have added a catastrophe fuse similar to the big 300 amp T-Fuse used on big inverter/chargers like a Prosine 2.0.
Thanks to you and bumper passing-on your expertise/experience, one of these days I am going to feel confident enough to either install a big inverter/charger and bigger battery bank myself or to make sure that the installer I hire to do the work really knows what he is doing.

Thanks again,

Jay

Larry wrote: "Wondering why so few post messages in the middle of the night."

Actually, I'd prefer not to but I travel by air for a living. Time zone changes, new hotel rooms, busted routines and BIG rv electrical questions sometimes lead to sleepless nights :-)
As much as we enjoy our adventures the dogs enjoy it more. That's why the name on Horatio's dedication plaque reads "For the Boys" past and present: Rommel, Patton, Teddy, Tudor and Arthur.
Re: Larry: New battery pack and solar panel installation details-Lo
Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66842
"one of these days I am going to feel confident enough to either install a big inverter/charger and bigger battery bank myself or to make sure that the installer I hire to do the work really knows what he is doing."
 I can vouch for Mike Sylvester and Ron Walter. Both have done extensive electrical work on Gertie. Both are meticulous craftsmen. And both know exactly what they're doing. :-)

Andy Baird
Tijeras, NM
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: New battery pack and solar panel installation det
Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66501
Thanks for that info Larry, but the tinyurl links did not work.  How 'bout ones just a little bit longer?  :)


 Dave, you might want to try them again...all 4 of them worked for me.

Linda Hylton


Well, I just tried with Firefox and IE 7.0 browsers and just got:

Please check that the URL entered is correct. >>

Will:-(
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Re: New battery pack and solar panel
Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66516
On May 9, 2006, at 7:42,

Quote
Hi Dave, In order to get the tinyurl links to work, add www after http:// (for example: http://www.tinyurl.com/pvt6v.
Yes, I tried that, but last night nothing worked on those links. No matter what browser I used, firefox, Safari, IE, didn't matter.  Even went to my Powerbook, same result.  Now this morning, they ALL work just fine.  Wierd.  Doesn't matter though, I DID see the pix. Thanks!

-Dave