Ultimate RV Off-Grid Solar System Build - 2760 Watts of Solar ☀️ 11Kwh Battery, on a 32' Fifth wheel

[@GetawayCouple]

Oh my goodness, you guys! The video quality and explanation of your system were so beautifully done! Talk about setting the bar high!

[@MortonsontheMove]

Thank you so much, guys!

[@donnakano282]

It is so refreshing to watch a video about solar where the presenter actually understands what he’s talking about. I usually just shake my head and complain to my wife about the tens of thousands of people who are learning incorrect information. Thanks for putting this on, although my wife now wants a 2KW solar setup instead of the 600W one I was planning on.

[@MortonsontheMove]

Thank you!

[@phil2537]

@@MortonsontheMove, I've been thinking the same thing as Mr. Nakano. I have a system on my house and would like something like this for my future 5th wheel. Do you consult or offer a system? If not, maybe you should.

[@UniqueAdventurez]

This system is totally next level. Hopefully flexible panels are starting to get to the point where they are more dependable long term. Keep up the awesome work !

[@BTBRVReviews]

Great job guys! Outstanding production quality.

[@PentaxLife]

Very well done we have been using our 2880 watts for three years and love it!!

[@citizencane3492]

Your video style is just awesome. The technical descriptions are on point for the intended audience. The content is at the top. Your pace is engaging. The editing is supreme. Very good ,you two. From one EE to another, you triggered a peeve. By very definition, there are NO levels of “uniqueness.”. Nothing can be “very unique”. Nothing can be “really unique”. Something is unique .... or it is not. Period. Uniqueness is an absolute. By definition. Like taxes and to a lesser extent, death. Don’t really want to be criticizing, but haven’t been able to find a private way to discuss it. Again, thank you for producing fabulous content.

[@galenlong3745]

WHOA, What ??????????? 2700 watts on the roof and 11 kw of battery. Mind Blown.............. I cant wait to see more.

[@Jim.Hummel]

It's only been a couple of months but it's so great to have you and Cait back on the screen. What an incredible system you have built...I can't wait to delve into the blog post about this. And as Peter & John noted, I too, have loved the high-quality video production quality! You guys ROCK!

[@HumbleRoad]

EXCELLENT WORK!

[@RVgeeks]

This is an incredible system, and an excellent explanation, but the production quality of the video is so stunning, we were distracted watching it all and had to watch a second time to get any worthwhile information out of it! LOL You two are absolutely amazing and have stepped up the game by leaps & bounds! 🙌👏

[@MortonsontheMove]

Thanks, guys! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@laurawgarts]

100% in agreement! They do a fabulous job presenting just about anything to an audience! Just love them so much!

[@donjohnston3776]

Very similar to the great videos you guys do. The type of education you and the Morton's provide is needed regarding public health during the pandemic.

[@englishmeg]

@@laurawgarts See

[@MortonsontheMove]

Thanks for Joining us today! When you finish with this check out what we added to the system to optimize it! - kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3SmqZ2KlLh4Z5o Many of you have asked why we switched away from the Tesla Module setup and the Primary reason is that we had 5 Battle Born batteries from the Go north Build to use and they are a much easier install. We kept all the equipment from the Tesla build however and have plans for a future project with it. If you are looking for more details on the install specifics that will be coming in the next video, then we will get into the details of what else we are doing with this system.

[@MortonsontheMove]

@21trips Thanks, I think we fixed it.

[@Aaron-P]

You've *obviously* learned some camera movement & cinematography tricks! 😱 Excellent video, both informatively & visually. 😎👍

[@Ebacherville]

Cant wait to see how well those panels hold up long term. , Your shooting, editing, and story telling skills have improved greatly.. that opening sequence was top notch. Well done.

[@Technodude255]

100% professional content!

[@ecuadorhusker2449]

Super video. We plan on moving back to the states in four to five years, grabbing a Class A and doing the same thing you just did. I will be following closely cuz I'm super interested in using this system on a small cabin also. keep up the awesome videos

[@brianmombourquette2673]

Completely professional video. Congratulations on stepping up your game over the last two years!!

[@Davidipac]

I have watched you guys grow in confidence and professional presentations. You look so good too.

[@laurawgarts]

Wow, I did not know they were coming out with the flat adhesive solar panels!! So excited to hear this as we start our full time living in our motor home in 9 more days and will be looking into adding solar eventually - this will be the perfect option! Love how you have been so creative on how you added the extra Battle Born batteries! Kudos and safe travels ya'll! xo

[@MortonsontheMove]

Thanks, Yes the stick down nature of these is very neat. They are expensive, but their design lends them to be used in very neat ways!

[@indysaab]

I absolutely love your new system. Seems like such a simpler and proper setup as compared to what you had before. I’m not trashing your previous setup at all. Solar has come a long way since your original system. My wife and I have a custom box truck/semi truck, set up like an RV inside. We have a small set of solar panels that essentially trickle charge the batteries. We may have to look into this system here since it can run the AC and other components inside. That would be perfect for us, especially since we have plenty of space atop our box for panels. We could finally use our 8k Onan as a backup and run mostly off solar. An Onan is expensive to run and maintain. This just sounds so much better. Thank you for sharing this video. I look forward to hearing how this system works long term, and I’ll be looking more into this brand.

[@J.P.W.]

Yeah!!! You're back! Great video, harking back to your earlier days. Thank you for such being so entertainingly informative.

[@mollymartian9969]

great video. impressive setup! i am going to share this every time someone suggests that they can just slap a solar panel on their roof and run an air conditioner. my van has 420 watts of flexible panels in a DC only system with a single 100 ah battery in a system i designed myself. i ended up needing the help of electrical engineers to calculate the fuse sizes and wire gauges. it runs like a champ for my simple needs: lights, fans, and a small fridge.

[@MortonsontheMove]

Thank you! :)

[@jodymooney255]

Best video and what an introduction! You nailed it Tom! The best products and will be interesting to see how the solar panels produce by Battle Born batteries. Thank you!

[@lvtaylortaylor9904]

Awesome info research and video quality Thanks for sharing

[@janisblack2183]

Big Thank-you to the Morton’s!💕 Loved this video; well demonstrated (great team work) and orated. Even though you are an electrical Engineer, you managed to put into laymen’s terms very well. As a result I could get a much better grasp on solar energy systems for my RV. Well done!👏

[@curtiswaagner]

WOW awesome solar system.. Always love you guys build. We need to see Cait a little more ;-) Good to see you guys are staying safe.. Love the "Rad" we have 2 Minis. Keep the videos coming

[@janicevoss864]

Hi guys!! Glad to see what you have been up to. OMG - that’s a monster system! Next you are going to figure out how to capture water 🤣😂. Just kidding, loved the video. Professional level all the way. Hope you have a great visit with Rae & Jason. Stay safe & hope to see you on the road. ~Janice~ 😊💕🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@MortonsontheMove]

Thank Janice! Ya never know what might be next ;)

[@nightfall22]

Wow, absolutely stunned at this setup. Damn 😳

[@richt.4900]

Yet another really well thought out video in every aspect, it’s so professional by you guys and sets such a benchmark for other you tubers that has sadly been missing by most since Nicky & Jason Wynn set sail. The amount of time and effort that you put in to this channel is staggering and so impressive. Unfortunately, I’m not educated enough in the field of this particular subject but, always wonder why the space above the slide outs is never utilised by anyone. I presumed it was probably due to excessive weight and high cost of the solar panels etc... Maybe now is the time to consider whenever a slide out is extended, that it also pulls a solar panel from it’s storage position above the other fixed solar panel’s on the roof. Which will mean that when the slide outs are extended the a solar panel is also extended at the same time. I suppose the downside is that the slide out/s have to be extended to make the ones that are partially covered ones beneath them able to be used and, in turn generate maximum efficiency etc... Again thanks guys from this side of the pond here in rainy Brexitland, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿.

[@RVingwithHenri]

Hello from Canada! You folks have (many times) found a way to my heart. Since you have done this, on the net there are a couple of smallish 400W (or less) 'personal' air conditioners. I don't mean the garbage that just humidifies the air for $60, but small ones with compressors etc which run up to $1000. What would you think about using something like that on a big system like you have to help out over night? You have 2700 W => ~200A of 12V current at max sun. A typical 13.5 kBTU AC will draw about 130A. So, theoretically you could run your roof AC during the day and not lose ground. At night, if hot and humid, you after the sun goes down could use a smaller one like describe above to at least keep the bedroom decent until morning and more sun. Does this make any sense? Also, since you have your panels surface mounted you cannot tilt them. Is the penalty for that significant if you stay in the continental US? Travel safe, Henri

[@fafnorcal]

As expected from the Mortons, well thought out project with superb video production values. Thanks!

[@RunawayWithTheClarks]

Great video guys, you are rocking the solar now. Can't wait to see your data!

[@petenelson8136]

Very cool system, and I'm really interested in learning how it all works out. Looking on going full time shortly and love the idea of going 100% off grid and still having all the comforts of home.

[@active4delta]

Nice setup! You are the first people I see use a Quattro instead of the Multiplus; very cool!!

[@OurNomadicStory]

You guys did a fantastic job with the video. Since you know me I have so many questions. I will limit them here to two questions..(I have reached out to Battle Born on other questions.) 1) what is your experience with the thermal impacts of direct attaching the panels to your RV? Does it impact performance of the solar panels? Does it add any noticeable heat to your RV? 2) Did you go with the GC2 format because of the first 5 batteries from your Go North Adventure were GC2? If you did not have batteries, would you have selected the GC2 format? If yes, why? 3) Are there any concerns on performance of the panels flar on the roof when the sun is lower on the horizon? Do you mitigate it by have more capacity that will meet your needs when performing at a lower performance because of the sun on the horizon? We are excited to here your thoughts and your upcoming videos and posts on your website.

[@maria-theresakemp5783]

I enjoyed this tremendously. Great work!

[@lrobie123]

FYI: your new Victron setup with your Battleborn batteries and flexible solar panels gives me an idea to build a 20kwh off grid setup for my house.

[@keithSimsDolphin69]

Loved your video! Wish i had the skillset to be able to install a system like that to my motorhome. Learned a lot and it really has helped in our desire to get solar on our RV.

[@josephnevin]

A cyber truck could use all that extra power to good use. Now that would be the ultimate solar set-up.

[@yves8639]

Guys, simply amazing content and delivery! I am truly impressed!

[@MortonsontheMove]

So glad you enjoyed it!

[@JHA6100]

Hey Tom & Kant, long time since we’ve seen you & now we know what has been capturing your time & attention. Amazing work & presentation; I absolutely love it. Please come & install something similar for us! 😀

[@MortonsontheMove]

Lol, Thanks guys !

[@opaandomascampingadventures]

Great system. We used flat panels on our last rig. Only downfall was winter. Just not enough solar to support our needs. Ended up adding 200 more watts of tilted panels to compensate. I noted in your video you had a few portable panels by the road. We are currently installing another solar arrangement on our 3rd rig. (Getting expensive-lol) and have most of the components on order or installed. However still debating the solar panels. Leaning towards ones that tilt.

[@zapperone7]

Such a great video! I'm amazed you managed to squeeze that much solar on the RV. I love the intro to the video as well. All around really well done. We decided to go solar earlier this year, and similar to you I've been intently monitoring the output and tracking the data. I'm going to check out your website next. Hope you guys are doing well! - The Gerkes

[@MortonsontheMove]

Hey Jon, Good to hear from you! How much solar did you install ? Hope you are well!

[@jairogonzalez9479]

Congratulations and thank you for such a great video. Viva la Solar!!!!!!

[@geebonzo]

These guys are really slick marketers, I will give them that. I mean, are these Merlin panels?. They use the same grid graphic to explain the durability. BB can brand these as their own, and put people in a bundle with their batteries, but the Merlin panels are available from Northern Arizona Wind and Solar, if you don't want the bundle. Merlin was a US startup and now it is part of a Phillipine conglomerate. Oh, well. Is that a little sad? Ray at Love Your RV had another LFP option the other day on his website.Less money. I don't understand how you picked the wattage and watt hours. Campervan Kevin did a nice series on using a split heat pump in an RV. He suggested a wattage number that was well below the standard roof air systems. I might start there. In other words, the best tech for an RV, heating and cooling, is the split heat pump. And cooling is a huge number of watt hours. I would size an RV system in a different way, and buy different components. I did question the Tesla system versus LFP. I hate to see solar and lithium turned into a pissing contest. Yikes.

[@ohiobenz]

I've been looking at the Tesla option for my application... size, weight, cost. The key is the right BMS, which is out there now.

[@gerrydanca7342]

Congratulations great video. Only a little jealous. Even if we covered all exterior surfaces of the van including the windshield I don't think we could fix that many panels. My mother always told me thankful for what you have.

[@MortonsontheMove]

:) Very true, Also every setup has limitations.

[@gerrydanca7342]

@@MortonsontheMove We are in the U.P in Houghton heading to Copper harbor tomorrow. We are still looking for recommendations of places to see.

[@BarryDuttonSellsHomes]

I'm watching now -- but that title -- my mind cannot even wrap around those numbers LOL. I know you are smart, you will show us the way!

[@BuffaloRangers]

Can’t wait for the next one, we are pondering the same thing about excess solar

[@paulavery366]

I found these guidelines for supporting heavy components on vehicles (like batteries and large inverters): Design loads for equipment support hardware: On-Road: 3.7g Vertical 2g Lat + 1 G Long 2g Lat + 2 G brake on 20% grade Off-Road: 5g Vertical 2g Lat + 1 G Long 2g Lat + 2 G brake on 20% grade Factor Of Safety - no less than 3:1

[@allanwarmflash3462]

very cool love the idea of solar we are now living in the rv more then in our house full timing starts in our 36 foot grand design on aug 31 cant wait so far so great safe travels

[@AA-ve4vn]

Fantastic video Tom & Caitlin! How do the BattleBorn panels deal with heat? I understand that is the main disadvantage to flexible panels.

[@MortonsontheMove]

That is correct and we will discuss that in our next video.

[@richardvandenarend4468]

@@MortonsontheMove was there a video put out discussing the heat topic of these flexible panels? If so I am missing it. Also, how do these panels do with the energy consumption versus the rigid panels?

[@joshuabrackeen]

Great video and great explanation, looking forward to seeing the long term reliability of the flexible panels.

[@lrobie123]

recently I was asking everyone in the Facebook Truck Camper group which I am a member of how they would install the flexible solar panels on the top of the camper. Many had installed the Flexible solar panels reusing their old solar panel frame mounts in order to leave an air gap between the camper surface and the flexible solar panel in order to not heat up the solar panel from the heat transferred from the camper roof material that the flexible solar panel would be absorbing if directly attached to the roof like you had done. The additional absorbed heat would presumably lessen the performance of the flexible solar panel. Typically, solar panels produce less energy as their temperature of the panel rises

[@bruceforster3709]

I have a 98 Ford Ranger 4 X 4 I'm fitting out. I have a 100 Watt Foldup kit that works very well for us.

[@Trh_Kamp]

Wow, amazing video as always..top notch!

[@MortonsontheMove]

Thanks Tim!

[@stevespawn1]

You may put in a 120vac mini split . I put one in my toy hauler and it has a very low draw --800-1100 watts. 12,000 but. Ac and heat--pretty cool.

[@MortonsontheMove]

That is so cool! We have been thinking about it!

[@IreneIronTravels]

WOWZZA!😳 Great job with the video and the install! Extremely impressed........ and jelly of the 2760. Think we could fit half of that on our van??😜

[@donjohnston3776]

The evolution from screws/holes/brackets to giant stickers is really something else. Similar to giant decal coverings used on aircraft/land vehicles and boats. What kind of tape did you apply around the perimeter of the solar panels?

[@briandavis9975]

Good to see you guy's it's been awhile loved the video you really stepped it up love the topic too hope to be building something similar as well. I have heard a lot of negative talk about the flexible solar panels in the past you know "they break down, much lower wattage models, and just don't last that long on average only a couple years. Anyway I now have a new outlook on them if the Morton's on the move is investing in them tells me a lot and you have done your homework on them so that's encouraging and I'm really glad to see that some engineering changes are on the move, no pun intended. Thanks and I'm looking forward to your next video.

[@MortonsontheMove]

Yup, before these panels we would not have done flexible solar either. I love their design but they do still have the Heat issues... Be sure to check out the next video where we discuss some of these things!

[@briandavis9975]

@@MortonsontheMove looking forward to it, thanks.

[@solosailorsv8065]

Subbed...so you cat get a RIVIAN to pull the rig, that recharges your Life...if you change locations infrequently ... i went all-solar in 1998..wasn't cheap then, yet very liberating !

[@scarx4181]

How about an update video on the condition of those "ultimate" flex panels?

[@DennisWintjes2]

Thx! Like 1.6K+

[@cryptokingz8297]

So when your AC out comes to the transfer switch you jump it. Then run it to the RV ac box. Do you have to setup anything in the multiplus for AC out to be 240v or is it just 120v AC out?

[@lashturner]

I just want to know what is the cost?

[@virginiaoverlander4720]

Love to know more about the panels. Cant seam to find them on the BB site. Just how new are they?

[@AbreedApart123]

Just bought our first camper. Will forward all wife's complaints over money I spend on solar to you 😂😂

[@mgrinshpon]

Are you worried about the uneven wire lengths on the parallel banks causing batteries closer to the sinks to wear out faster?

[@shawnrobison4507]

Do the flexible panels from renogy use the same grid tech to keep producing even if cracked?

[@krisbeaver2901]

Can you give us some information regarding heat dissipation of the panels? Heat damage seems to be a problem with flexible panels. Great video! Waiting fir your next one!

[@sofiaperalta9091]

Can you put them on the tops of the slideouts ?

[@george1984]

👍How it running after 3 years? Is the panel debonded? Power generation efficiency? Thanks

[@susanshaver912]

I would think that the front of the RV would get a lot of dirt, and even worse pebbles etc shot up from your rear wheels which would damage the panels. How about keeping them to set out farther away when you are in the shade?

[@tim2truk162]

be interesting to see if you can maintain power on a sunny day with A/C on. I'm sure you'll be trying it.

[@YourFavoriteMartian42]

I love the setup! I just purchased an Alpha Wolf 26RL-L and pick it up in two weeks. I want to order all the components from your build. Will Battle Born help to let me know how much solar I can fit on the roof based on the specs or is that something I need to measure myself. Also, is there a way to just order the flexible panels themselves as your link just brings me to package’s and I already have 800 ah worth of lithium batteries. Loving your channel!

[@susanshaver912]

Would you please provide an update on how the install performed? And the ones on the front of the RV? It is now 14 months later in December of 2021.

[@MortonsontheMove]

The system has worked wonderfully for us since we installed it! We are really happy with the overall performance of the solar panels and the batteries. The power has been very reliable and has given us so much more freedom, especially since we love to boondock.

[@harley9218]

Well done. What was the cost?

[@wsgriffi]

Great Video! We would love to add some solar to our 40' Monaco some day but not this much for sure.

[@jeffcallahan8918]

Well done!

[@danadelorm3626]

Have loved y’all’s videos for a long time. Having gone the Tesla route any suggestions. I will never be able to to afford battle born lithium with the capacity I’m looking to have. So the model s battery is what I have to go with. .charge controller recommendation?

[@vijayabalaji4499]

Nice and informative

[@Davidipac]

Could this system be adapted to a manufactured home. Us there a ball park cost?

[@davidmcconnell8690]

Excellent. :-)))) :-)))))

[@zteknon]

Id love to get those solar panels but I cant seem to find them anywhere on the website.

[@teamnash55]

Here's a link www.merlinsolar.com/fx-series/. I have not contacted the company to see whether you can purchase or the cost. What I have heard is the cost is 2x standard solar panels.

[@jmackenzie2131]

Lithium.. cold.. heat.. 😬 please explain how you managed this

[@karlabonil5958]

I saw in ur previous video that you would have liked to experiment with a powerwall tesla battery combo, why did you step away from the tesla batteries?

[@th0r615]

Because they were given these batteries

[@Gunzfcc]

Tesla also will only allow them to be installed by their technicians and they won't install in a motorhome. I found this out by attempting it myself hahahaha

[@joshsuperduty1270]

Hey Tom n Caitlin would you buy a Diesel Ford Super Duty truck ? Or buy you truck when you go up north

[@donrimel7500]

The system looks awesome. I cannot wait to see it down the road. Did you directly attach the solar panels to your RV or did you put them on something that provides some air flow or insulates them from the roof of your RV to reduce thermal transfer?

[@MortonsontheMove]

Check out the next video in the series, we did a bit of both and will be publishing the results soon.

[@OurNomadicStory]

@@MortonsontheMove I cannot wait to see the video and hear the results.

[@timaz1066]

Why would you give up all of the AH's of the tesla batteries?

[@rickycoon4857]

Nice system and presentation all be it completely impractical unless your sponsored by Battleborn. For that cost you can purchase a new generator and darn near a lifetime supply of propane / gasoline to fuel said generator. I understand that's not in the best interest of the planet given the current climate of carbon emissions and such but reality seldom take those tings into consideration. These mega systems are not going anywhere until the come waaaaaay down in cost. But it does provide good content for KZbin.👍

[@PeeWeeHenson]

NICE WORK.. DO YOU STILL CARRY A GENERATOR?

[@bobwallis1757]

INCREDIBLE!

[@brianrothenberger817]

How much did it cost for the full solar installation

[@texasproud3332]

Wow not sure I would put them in the line of sight and the bugs are going to love them

[@bigdanc.8429]

Oh WOW. I was so excited about the prospects of you adding a couple more TESLA battery modules to your existing system as that is what I would love to do having a bank of 5-6 TESLA battery modules for pretty much unlimited power. What were your reasons or concerns for not adding to that system? Was it safety of battery management and fire risk?

[@MortonsontheMove]

That was part of it. I (tom ) felt comfortable with the system but Cait not knowing it was not as comfortable with it. Secondly we had the Battle Born batteries from our previous build to work with and the install is much easier.

[@DesertAdventuresinArizona]

Looking forward to seeing how battle borne panels work out. I’ve seen others fail due to sun damage.

[@Broncos2476]

It's been two years. I would love an update on the systems performance.

[@cryptokingz8297]

They don't use this RV anymore

[@Horhay5050]

I see a lot of people using 4/0 wires for RV setups. 4/0 wire is good for 300 amps of current. It seems to be overkill, or am i missing something? The solar panels at 2760 Watts at 52V is 53 amps of current.

[@WomanUnfiltered]

I'll be converting a bus later this year and plan to make it a fully off grid build. I love the idea of the flat stick on solar panels. I've been working on my budget for my build and it seems the cost of solar bounces all over. I'm curious, what did your solar build cost in total as I will be looking at somewhere around the same wattage?

[@MortonsontheMove]

That sounds awesome! Good luck with your bus conversion! We discuss the cost of our solar system in this blog post: www.mortonsonthemove.com/ultimate-off-grid-rv-solar-power-system-build/#h-cost-of-the-system

[@krisbeaver2901]

I'm totally getting impatient waiting for your next video to come out.. so figured I'd better ask some questions! My future plan for the RV solar/wind set up is to run my AC's (2) with soft starts and run the 12V side of my RV (fridge and 12v outlets) off the batteries. The question I have is.. if I want to run it this way, do you still need such a large inverter? And is this as simple as running the batteries to the 12V side of the power panel with an off shoot to the breaker for the AC's? Am I making more of a mess than I would need to just run everything and be energy conscious? Thanks.. and keep up the great video's.. you got me hooked with Go North.. now I'm onto solar for the trip in a few years.. lol

[@courtfetter]

Did you consider going 48v?

[@johndiezel5781]

Nice install!!! I will be looking forward to see your power output during the few weeks when the days are shortest this coming winter. It will also be interesting to know how well the panels hold up over time. Since your an engineer, maybe you can build some kind of protector shield that you can snap on during travel days, to help keep the bugs off and keep the panel from hazing, caused by abrasive road debris, like is often seen on plastic headlights of modern day vehicles. Will you be selling the old panels that you removed? If yes, how much do you want for them?