jcussen

How so Glenn, know one Foretravel guy, that has 3000+ watts on the roof and he still runs a 12 volt system. Depends on the solar controllers, believe he runs 3 Victron 150/100's.The higher the output voltage is, the greater the number of solar watts the solar charger can handle, but by using several controllers, outputting 12 volts is very possible.

Just curious on why you think a 24 volt system would be better than a 12 volt system?

Probably a good decision, when I was looking for my first bus conversion in the Pacific Northwest where there are a lot of bus conversions for sale, found a lot of guys buy an old conversion because they looked cool, or are cheap. They end up getting in over their head and end up selling it for a lot less than they paid for it. I am an marine engineer, so know a little bit about diesels and house systems, On my first conversion, still ended up putting $10000 into the coach and ended up selling it for what I paid for it. An old bus conversion will always need some repairs and parts, which are getting harder to find, which is why I finally went to a newer motorhome. See my sig.

Think you were responding to OP, not me. Agree with getting it inspected. But do not believe a normal RV inspector will have the knowledge to properly inspect a 45 year old bus conversion. I would check out the bus conversion forums and contact a member that has actual experience, and has actually owned an older bus conversion, and offer to pay him to look it over, and drive it. Older MCI's had some engine and chassis quirks, that might go unnoticed to someone not familiar with them. Also remember, every bus conversion is completely custom, usually designed and installed by original owner, but possibly modified over the years by subsequent owners, not a normal motorhome in any way.

All the panels I have installed in the last 10 years have bypass diodes built in. If you take the cover off the junction box on the back of the panel, you will see them. I am running two strings of panels in series, one at 120 volts down, and one at 60 volts. Lot easier and cheaper running 10 gauge wire than 4 gauge.My solar controllers will accept up to 150 volts and output 12 volts, so no problems. Have tried running series and parallel in the same shaded situation and have not seen much difference in output. I do use Victron inverters, battery monitor, and solar controllers. Like them because they are bluetooth on my phone, getting too old to run wires from bays to interior anymore.

Just talked to Progressive Industries tech support. Tech thinks that a 240 volt load will read equal amps on each leg, so if AC draws 20 amps at 240 volts, surge protector readout will show 10 on each leg. When Glen gets situated, he can prove this theory out.

Pretty sure it does not travel in one leg and out the other. My surge gard reads one leg to neutral. If one leg is pulling 120 volts at 10 amps, meter is reading 10 amps on that leg. If other 120 volt leg is pulling the same 10 amps, it reads 10 amps on that leg. My confusion results from how it reads a strictly 240 volt load that does not use neutral at all, know it can be done, had a Newell that read both legs, and total amp draw because it had 240 volt appliances. Guessing it could read current in strictly 220 volt loads, and splits it between the two leg readings, but just a guess, Hopefully an expert will chime in.

Over my head, but on my coach, CT's are on each leg and neutral. So will read current flow on each leg between that leg and neutral, seeing you are not using neutral at all, for 240 volts, no actual current on the neutral wire except for the 120 volt leg to neutral wire loads. Maybe John will explain how it really works.

Wonder if your unit only reads each leg to neutral. Not sure how it reads leg to leg in a 240 volt application. Might give PI a call.

Good info John, the advantage {or disadvantage] of many lithium batteries is that they will take a 1C charge when their voltage is low. So for two 100 amp lithiums, they will accept 200 amp charge. Lead Acid is completely different and charge rates are a lot lower so you must size your wire for the possible charge rate.

I guess you are suggesting putting the dc-dc charger in the trailer and letting the 10 gauge wire from the trucks alternator feed the charger. From actual experience, the dc-dc charger I mentioned will accept 35 amps and output 30. You may be comfortable with running 35 amps through 30 feet of 10 gauge, but I have seen too many overloaded burnt wires to be comfortable with that. I have cut corners in the past, and not followed the recommended dc wiring ampacity charts, and have regretted it.

If as Glen says, you only have 10 gauge, you will not be able to supply much with a dc-dc charger, considering the length of the run from the truck to the trailer. If you don't have a residential fridge or other heavy load running all the time, I would just disconnect the trailer charging line. Make sure your converter is set up for lithium charging, so when you do plug in, it does charge properly.

If set up properly, your alternator should charge your house batteries which will power your inverter and fridge will driving, When stopped and plugged in or on generator, inverter should be bypassed and fridge will run on normal ac. If not driving or plugged in or running gen, inverter will deplete your batteries, how fast depends on your battery bank size and fridge consumption

As Darryl said, you will have to raise the voltage coming from the alternator to one suitable for lithium batteries, normally a constant voltage 14+ volts depending on battery. A dc-dc charger will do that. I use this one, https://www.victronenergy.com/blog/2019/10/10/new-product-orion-tr-smart-dc-dc-charger/

Have had the Mobley plan for several years, did not think there was any cap or throttling, have used more than 200gb several times in a month with no problems.

No one ever complained, "I have too much horsepower". At 35000 lbs, you would be on the wrong side of the one hp per thousand lb rule. You will still get there, but probably not as fast as your fifth wheel, but many do get by with lower horsepower rigs..

Agree with Jim, netgear is hugh improvement, and the MIMO antenna does better at improving the signal than my weboost amplifier. I did used to put my mobley in the sleek cradle and it did help.

Have Model 3 and have thought about the wife driving it and charging at superchargers and just following me down the road in my coach, but have not done it yet.

I put 5200 watts on my house in series/parallel and use two sets of 8 gauge wire to bring it down to the solar controllers, can't even imagine the cost and weight of the wiring I would have needed if I had run them all in parallel. But to each his own.