Chad Heiser
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Posts posted by Chad Heiser
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Congratulations. The Victron equipment really does offer features that no one else in the market does.
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Thank you for the kind words. I appreciate it.
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Once we get home from our current outing in a couple weeks and I have access to a computer again, I will post some pictures and document the new build like I have done in the past. This system is the largest system I have built to date for anyone and while it is more power than most people need, I am very happy with it.
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4 hours ago, RV_ said:
Wow running A/C on RV solar and battery storage? Back when we were full time for seven years 1997-2003 there weren't even smart phones or Internet access, except for the Echostar and Hughesnet VSat systems that cost in the $5k range If I remember correctly. RV solar and batteries were just starting to become doable then too. Does it put out enough to charge an EV that is towed/trailered. If I ever get back on the road full-time I would love to be able to do that. I was amazed at your first install post with pics too.
If I am maxing out all the panels (which is rare with flat mounted panels), I can produce up to 225 amps of DC power. Realistically I can expect 170 to 180 amps of DC power in good conditions. That is a lot of power production every hour.
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20 hours ago, Larry Burkett said:
Yes Chad you need to update your signature. I saw a shot of it on Suite Travels blog last night and as they would say in the hill country, it sure is a purty rig.😁
Thank you.
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I put my new system through its first test boondocking. As many know I had an incident with my last rig and it ended up getting totaled (I guess I need to update my signature here). I brought my new rig home and had four days to transfer over the system from my old rig and update it for the new rig before I had to leave for the West Coast HDT Rally. After the rally, we headed out to a boondocking spot we like nearby. I ran one of my AC’s for seven or so hours with no deficit to the battery bank. I had enough production to still charge batteries and run additional appliances. I knew it was a big enough system to not worry (in theory), but it is always nice to see it function in the real world.
The system consists of:
Dual Victron 12 volt, 5K Quattro inverter chargers (from the old rig)
Four Battle Born 8D lithium batteries (1080 amp hrs) (from the old rig)
Six REC 365 watt panels (new)
12 Newpowa compact 100 watt panels (new)
One Victron MPPT 150/85 (new)
Two Victron MPPT 150/70’s (new)
And various other Victron components (from the old rig)It’s all installed on a DRV Fullhouse MX450 toy hauler.
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It is probably possible to build such a rig, but it cannot be registered as an RV in CA. It will not meet the requirements. You will also have to keep the GVWR under 26000 lbs to keep from having to pay full commercial DMV fees like an OTR truck. It will still have to be commercial plates and pay commercial fees, but like a big pickup in CA if you keep it under 26000 lbs GVWR.
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We’ll be there Tuesday. Looking forward to some good ridding.
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Congratulations, nice looking truck.
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8 hours ago, lappir said:
Have a great time. Hope it's cooler where you are than it is where I am.
Rod
I was actually jacket weather today. It is supposed to warm up later in the week. We had a nice meet and great tonight. A few of us stayed out until about midnight when we finally called it a night. So far so good and looking forward to more fun.
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Well the rally starts today with our meet and great this evening. I think I have everything ready 😉. It has been a crazy few weeks leading up to the rally to say the least. I am looking forward to hanging out with everyone and having some fun.
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We got on the road to head to the rally today (Saturday). We will arrive in Caldwell on a Sunday. It was a very long four days to get the new toy hauler ready to hit the road. I don’t think I stopped working on it until close to midnight (and sometimes later) every night after getting home with it Monday night. It is ready and my solar system is installed though. I still have a few small things to do to it when we get home from this month long trip, but we can boondock with no issues on this trip😎. See you all at the rally.
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I’ve put two 12+ hour days into the new rig so far. I’ve got the batteries and inverters in and running. The solar controllers are mounted, but not connected yet. Tomorrow I need to run all the control cables up to the Cerbo and then start on solar. I have a few non system related things I still need to do as well. It is going to be a couple more long days before we hit the road on Saturday.
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On 6/6/2022 at 11:11 AM, Zulu said:
Ah, a CA DMV, my 2nd favorite place.
It was a couple hour ordeal. It took an hour just to get through the line wrapping around the building to get in the front doors. The trailer is registered and I have a plate for it now though.
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12 minutes ago, Sculptor said:
What’s the latest?
I’m on my way home from Rolling Retreats with the new rig. I am currently in Bakersfield, CA standing in line at the DMV to get it registered (it was a convenient location on the way home). I will be home this evening and work will start in earnest first thing tomorrow on the new system to (hopefully) get everything done before the WCR.
I will make another trip back to Rolling Retreats later this year to get some more stuff done that they didn’t have the time or parts to complete while I was there.
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There is nothing wrong with a 24 volt system and in some circumstances they do offer advantages. It just requires additional equipment to get back to 12 volt for all the OEM systems.
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You will have several 12 volt draws that do not run through the 12 volt power panel. These are typically jacks, slides and every once in a while some other random piece of equipment or lighting. The converter should be right after your 24 volt batteries and connect all of your OEM 12 volt battery connections after it (usually with a set of bus bars).
The Victron 24 to 12 volt converters are pretty good. I would recommend the 70 amp version to be on the safe side. I know of some larger rigs that require two 70 amp converters in parallel to run the large draw items.
Out of curiosity, what made you go with a 24 volt system?
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6 hours ago, Larry Burkett said:
Chad, when are you picking up the new trailer?
Hopefully next week. They are working on it now and I am finishing a customer rig. Once I finish up my work I will hit the road back to Oklahoma. I’m putting a lot of miles on the HDT this year.
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Looking forward to it.
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I really enjoyed my (first) time at the ECR this year. I completely understand what goes into putting on a successful rally and the amount of time it takes. I hope someone is willing to take on the responsibility. I’d like to attend again.
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On 5/19/2022 at 4:46 AM, Kirk W said:
Is it safe to assume that you will move the solar system from your current RV to the new one? And to think that I no longer want to trade because of the work involved in moving to the new one!
Yes, the system will get moved to the new rig. I plan to add a little more solar since I will have a little more roof space, but otherwise it will be the same.
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I’ve got a guest at my place who is using a new Starlink set up. It is working great and is providing much faster speeds than what we get at the house. It is really making me consider adding it to my other internet options.
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On 5/8/2022 at 10:40 PM, Chad Heiser said:
I got the RV bug from my parents when I was a kid. We just did weekend a few week long trips a year, but it was great. The first RV I bought for myself as an adult was an Article Fox truck camper. It was an 8’ camper, but had a slide and was actually quite roomy. I kept that for several years, it eventually outgrew it after I got married. I traded that camper and a ski boat in on my first 5er, a 35’ Montana Big Sky. It was a great trailer and we had it for 7 years. It got me hooked on 5th wheels and the comfort and homey feel they provide. We traded that rig in unexpectedly on our way home from a cross country trip when we stopped at a Montana dealer in Reno, NV just to look. We fell in love with another Montana Big Sky that was a couple feet longer and had the perfect floor plan and amenities for us. We kept that rig for another seven year stint. We sold it after I was finally able to convince my DW to factory order a 42’ DRV Mobile Suite. We have loved that trailer for the last 5 years and made many great memories in it.
It’s not officially ours yet, but we have a deposit on a new trailer and should be picking it up in a couple of weeks. It is another DRV, but is a toy hauler this time. We are looking forward to making new memories in our new rig.
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19 hours ago, SuiteSuccess said:
Uh oh. I see a throw down coming, lol.
The question is, how much time am I going to actually have to get everything ready before the WCR? A lot of things have to fall into place, but I am hoping for the best.
small inverter for fridge and tv.
in Technical Tips and Tricks
Posted
It will be dependent on the distance between the inverter and the batteries. 1200 watts at 48 volts is 25 amps max. 12 gauge would be a bit small. 10 gauge should be fine if the distance is short. A voltage drop calculator will tell you for sure. I personally like to oversize my wire runs to inverters, so I may go up to 8 (or 6) gauge. I keep 6 awg on hand so I would probably use that even though it would be overkill for the load.