Jump to content

Chevy Volt as toad and aux battery bank......


rbertalotto

Recommended Posts

How about using a Chevy Volt as a toad and tapping into the enormous lithium ion battery as part of your 12v system. Built in generator as you drive around exploring. Enough juice to run your AC. Modified so regenitive braking charges batteries as you tow.
GM should work on this. They would make a killing!

RoyB

South of Boston

2021 Dodge 2500 - 6.4L

Forest River 19RR Toy Hauler

Roofnest Falcon Rooftop Tent

www.rvbprecision.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Volt can't be towed 4 down. It Must be towed on a tow dolly. So no regenerative braking charges batteries as you tow.

 

Spark EV can go many miles more on a charge, and cheaper to buy.

 

The many plug & drive vehicles now available.

 

Why replace the RV Generator that is already built into many RV's that won't shorten a Electric cars battery life that is expensive to replace?

Full Time since Oct. 1999
99 Discovery 34Q DP | ISB
Datastorm | VMSpc | Co-Pilot Live | Pressure Pro
2014 MKS Twin Turbo V6 365 HP Toad
369070033.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Modified so regenitive braking charges batteries as you tow...........................GM should work on this. They would make a killing!

We are far too small a market to justify the sort of modifications that would be required to do that. Look how few vehicles are being built which can be towed.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tapping into the Volt's battery pack for 12VDC wouldn't be that difficult. And it has the ability to produce 160A of 12VDC from the HV traction battery. Any time you can run a small spark-ignition engine at full throttle near the torque peak, it's pretty efficient--far more so than a fixed-speed generator like what's installed in most motorhomes, especially when using an Atkinson cycle engine.

 

Through-the-road charging would only make sense if controlled by the tow vehicle, which gets complicated in a hurry. You wouldn't want to add extra drag all the time and force the motorhome to do extra work--factoring in the transmission and driveline losses, it wouldn't work out too well.

 

There are a number of active projects looking at grid-connected BEV and PHEV vehicles, but ultimately they usually don't make sense. Especially with a battery electric vehicle--who wants to worry about whether everyone else's electricity use has left them enough charge to run an errand?

45' 2004 Showhauler -- VNL300, ISX, FreedomLine -- RVnerds.com -- where I've started to write about what I'm up to

Headlight and Fog Light Upgrades http://deepspacelighting.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The volt is a hybrid so no issues running out of "juice" when you need to run an errand. It is extremely quiet when running and charging he battery in a camp ground. Not sure if it is more or less efficient than running an Onan.

Lots to think about here.

RoyB

South of Boston

2021 Dodge 2500 - 6.4L

Forest River 19RR Toy Hauler

Roofnest Falcon Rooftop Tent

www.rvbprecision.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Their this guy who has a tract of land next to my bug out location. It's a maybe a 2010/2011. I know he has modified his Volt to supplement his battery bank when there is insufficient solar. He's kind of a recluse but next time our paths cross I'll see if he can share what he has done. Last time we talked he said the one of his concerns was the petrol going bad in the tank since when he drives it's normally less than a 60 -70 mile round trip. At that time he was trying to get the Volt's petrol engine to run off either propane or natural gas. As soon as I can find a dealer that has a 2016 Volt in stock with the full back seat so it can carry 5 people I'll probably go and look at it.

2022 F-250 4X4 LB SC Godzilla V8 /2014 Northwood Nash 17K/SKP098347

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tapping into the Volt's battery pack for 12VDC wouldn't be that difficult. And it has the ability to produce 160A of 12VDC from the HV traction battery. Any time you can run a small spark-ignition engine at full throttle near the torque peak, it's pretty efficient--far more so than a fixed-speed generator like what's installed in most motorhomes, especially when using an Atkinson cycle engine.

 

Through-the-road charging would only make sense if controlled by the tow vehicle, which gets complicated in a hurry. You wouldn't want to add extra drag all the time and force the motorhome to do extra work--factoring in the transmission and driveline losses, it wouldn't work out too well.

 

There are a number of active projects looking at grid-connected BEV and PHEV vehicles, but ultimately they usually don't make sense. Especially with a battery electric vehicle--who wants to worry about whether everyone else's electricity use has left them enough charge to run an errand?

The majority of diesel pushers have a variable-speed genset, can't say about gassers.

 

2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD, ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA ." And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.  John F. Kennedy 20 Jan 1961

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The majority of diesel pushers have a variable-speed genset, can't say about gassers.

That seems to be the answer to the "quiet diesel" line. Our gas Onan back in 1998 was a constant 3600 rpm. On the other hand, all 3 versions of gasoline and the smallest (3200 watt) of the three diesels are all constant speed, based upon the Onan brochure which I just downloaded from their site tonight.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's it on page two of the Onan pdf you linked to, 1,400-2,600 rpm, depending on amperage demand. When I start my 7.5 kw Onan quiet diesel it just purrs quietly, when I start the heat pump/ AC unit the engine speed up. Flip the water heater to electric, the Onan speeds up more, turn on the microwave the Onan speeds up more.

 

2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD, ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA ." And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.  John F. Kennedy 20 Jan 1961

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...