Run RV AC off one battery🪫

[@TriggerTravels]

If you're going to go to the trouble of doing an expensive solar system.... Go the extra mile and put in a mini split. Cools much better and uses half the power.

[@kenashworth7672]

Wow! Loved this. I served in the Navy as an electrical engineer on a nuclear-powered surface ship. This is a top-notch, excellent presentation - and very thick with useful information. I mean a lot - I watched this, re-watching several points. This guy KNOWS his stuff cold. I bought the cheap version of these batteries, and I need about twice the number of batteries to make my van AC work. It works, but if I were to do it again, I would get 2 of this guy's batteries instead of the 4 cheaper ones I have. These batteries can be monitored by Bluetooth... I didn't know I could have had this. I've never met this gentleman before, but if I were looking for someone to consult with when planning an RV build, this is the kind of dude I would want to talk to.

[@SuperSushidog]

My question is why try to run an inefficient rooftop AC unit that has maybe an 8-10 seer efficiency on limited battery power when you can buy a mini split heat pump that is perhaps 3 times as efficient with a seer of over 30 and no start-up surge? This means that it uses 1/3 the energy of a rooftop AC to make the same amount of cooling - and it can produce efficient off-grid heat too, sparing your propane for other uses. There are 12KBtu heat pumps that average about 500 watts to run with a maximum wattage draw of only 785 watts. Your excellent Big Beard battery would run it over 6 hours, assuming a 10% inverter loss. Granted it's a 12k Btu unit not 13.5k Btu like your typical rooftop AC, but we're looking at 1.5 -2 hrs of runtime vs 6 hrs run time. That's a huge difference. What you save in batteries would more than offset the cost of the $1,700 mini-split. I plan on adding one and keeping one of my rooftop ACs (an efficient 14.5KBtu Furrion I purchased last year that has a rotary compressor like a mini split) for supplemental use during peak evening sun only. I have a 560ah LiFePo-4 12v battery bank now that I built from 8, 280ah prismatic cells charged by a 620-watt liftable array on the side of my MH, that I will retain for my 12v and under 1,000-watt 120v needs. I will be building a 48v bank using 16, 304ah prismatic cells mainly to power my AC units. I plan on racking 8, 460-watt Blue Sun bi-facial panels about 13" off my roof to charge this 48V bank. I will need to add a dedicated 2,000w, 220v inverter for the mini split and will have an all-in-one 5,000w inverter/charger/charge controller for the bulk of my 120v needs. We're old, retired folks living on social security, so need to build a budget system that still meets our FT needs of living off-grid year-round as economically, yet as comfortably as possible.

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

So you need to check with the mini-split you plan on purchasing. They are built to be stationary, will they cover the warranty should there be a problem and they find out you put it on a moving vehicle? I agree mini-splits are the way to go, but the manufactuer has to build one accoridng to all the rigors of the road.

[@SuperSushidog]

@@NationalRVTrainingAcademy Thanks for the advice. I doubt the manufacturer would warranty one in a mobile application. I think it's best to just buy a quality brand with readily available parts and hope for the best. Most warranties only last for a year or two anyway and only when installed by a licenses AC installer. Good luck getting one to install one on an RV. Even the Furrion rooftop AC I recently purchased to replace my 22yr old failed Dometic unit only has a 2 yr. warranty. I am a DIY guy so will be installing the unit myself, vacuuming and testing the lines for leaks, etc. so I'm SOL in any case, as far as a warranty is concerned. Besides it's likely the unit will fail after the warranty period anyway, as even a cheap one like a Mr. Cool Home Depot special should at least last a couple years before it croaks if it's installed correctly.

[@JohnnyLawBMC]

Dude, you do a great job explaining this. I am a marine tech and love seeing the many different ways smart techs explain tech stuff. You do a great job. Thank you for sharing this info and video. The EasyStart and Soft Start are a great product. The science has been around for decades but glad to see someone was thinking outside the box to apply them to RV and Marine compressors

[@jkk5us]

Victron specifies that inverter as 3,000 VA on the DC side but inly 2,400 Watts on the A/C side. That is due to circuit loss and phase angle loss with inductive loads.

[@JoeZyzyx]

Questions: 1) relationship of installed capacitor to the slow start. 2) Is the slow start a capacitor also? 3) why is slow start needed, if standard capacitor along is typically charged enough to start compressor? 4) Can included capacitor be removed and the slow start take it's place alone? 5) If more power is needed for start of compressor, why not just replace the standard included capacitor with a larger one? 6) Does all power to the AC unit constantly go through capacitor, or is capacitor used ONLY during compressor start up? 7) Since a compressor/thermostat may start-stop-start during AC cooling period, is there an advantage to simply keep the compressor running the entire time while AC is used? Such as over cooling RV first, then letting AC unit be off entirely till needed again? 8) What does extending the time from 5 seconds to 10 for compressor start actually accomplish? What is the purpose?

[@windrider65]

Depending on the AC unit, and how long you want to run it. P= I x E P is watts I is amps E is Voltage. Now you just need to figure out how long you want to run it, amp hours. Now you need to figure out how many amps you want to put back into your system every hour. That tells you how big of a solar system you need. Hope you have enough in your bank account to cover your cost.

[@larry785]

THE WIND BLOWS ALL NIGHT LONG

[@ronaldrcooper]

Thanks!

[@JustinPratt1]

I just threw in an ecoflow delta pro instead of all this stuff. Threw in the extra battery, wired the panels on the roof, hooked up the auto transfer switch and done. No charge controller, inverter, shunt, bunch of batteries, etc. Can run my AC for about 7-8 hours, no soft start needed or all these different things.

[@BrinkleyRVer]

Hi Justin, I went a similar route except with out the auto transfer switch. Curious how many watts of solar do you have on your roof?

[@JustinPratt1]

@@BrinkleyRVer I have 1000w (5 200w panels). It has been working out well. Just went boondocking for a week and even with afternoon clouds/showers every day, never had to do anything all week. Even ran the AC a few times.

[@BrinkleyRVer]

@@JustinPratt1 Thanks for the quick reply…. Curious to know of the 1000w the the roof, what are the net watts that come into your EcoFlow on a full sun day around noon? How do you keep your house battery charged when your not connected to shore power or the EcoFlow, e.g. in storage? Finally, do you have or use regular gas/propane generator as a backup? If so, are you happy with it and what is the model? Thanks so much!! Mike Luethge

[@yosquidd242]

This is the way. Which AC do you run?

[@brianhilligoss]

lol and you paid 400% more.

[@carl2591]

hears a question,, why not start the compressor first and then teh fan.. we used to install start delays on home system for AC in attic in summer.. that give the system time to start the freon flowing and cooling the coils in cabinet.. then when the fan starts some 3- 5 seconds later it blows out coolish air vs the heated air.. On a roof top using the same logic but starting compressor first and then fan give the inverter access to all the watts needed .. saw your bigbread 280 am lithium with charge system and WOW.. a touch overpriced it appears. charger is 200 and i put together a 280 amp system for less than 600.. including 200 amp bluetooth BMS..

[@larrycox6614]

Same excitement & questions as Travis

[@TheClowntology]

What is the btu of the ac. And would a smaller btu like 5000 btu ac. Would it Last longer on less power ?

[@CraigCamel]

Great informational video! If you cover your roof with solar what about having to seal and reseal your rubber roof? How do you inspect the roof with the panels.

[@danemmerich6775]

Heat video!! What soft start do you recommend? I did not see yours in the description. I would love to see a video with a DC split AC system and how long the batteries will last using DC usage.

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

Coming soon

[@Grevlain]

Excellent vid! Clear and informative. Is it me...or is that battery pretty small for its amp hours! I think it has same amp hours as the Battleborn Gamechanger but it looks smaller.

[@americansafarico]

Lunar panels! Great throwaway line. 😂

[@calebjared75]

I have the 12v dometic rtx roof mounted unit and I can tell you, 12v doesn’t run as cold

[@markjohnson5618]

Another excellent and informative video card. Thanks for your time and effort.

[@robbyromero1675]

It is 110% worth it todd and his team are a dictionary of information and great teachers I am in my 1st week and have learned more in 3 days than I could have imagined

[@travistucker8823]

GREAT! Enjoy.

[@ryanmenke9554]

You are bad ass! I am in the tool business, you are an awesome explainer. lol. Man they didnt have this stuff when I started selling tools in 1986. Had to run the onan, we all know, in commercial aplications. Nobody makes a generator that can handle getting jumped around inside a rough riding 60 thousand pound tool truck. I would have loved to put solar panels all over my roof and maybe even on the sides of the truck! Darn it. I have killed alot of generators in my days. Awesome job buddy.

[@bobbafett1971]

Also weight is a consideration.

[@robertl9065]

My 13,500 btu Atwood Air Command AC runs just fine on our 3000w inverter and 400 aH of Renogy batteries. I’ve gone at least 5 hours on that setup. No softstart needed. We do have 400 watts of solar and an MPPT controller.

[@Endless_Skyway_Adventures]

What you didn’t address is changing time to restore batteries the following day. Or the possibility of inclement weather for a few days. But you dips very good job with a realistic expectation. Our small rig has 600 Ah of battery and 1600 watts of panels. Our small home window AC can run 24/7 as long as the sun shines but won’t last 3 days of inclement weather. It only draws 250 watts average (450 with compressor on)

[@Alohakoa59]

You can’t run anything of of solar correct? You’re running it off your battery which is being recharged by your solar panels, so, your one battery will only discharge so quick. It seems I only need enough solar to keep the battery topped off, is this correct?

[@sciglassblower]

With some modern Roof RV Air/Heat you don't need soft start (RecPro 15k with Heat Pump by Houghton). You need enough solar to run Air and Charge. Double your day load, ex: 2500 watts continuous means 5000 watts of panels on roof. Panels will reduce output significantly in hot weather also and roof mounted get hotter reducing output. Good to have lots of battery so you can run air after 6pm. More battery means more solar panels to recharge during daytime with air running! How do I know? We live off grid in a Trailer.

[@kentsharp2371]

Love watching these videos. One thing that kinda drove me a little crazy was you would say the same things several times again and again. That being said, really found the content useful. Thanks for sharing.

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

So i don’t script what U say and being an instructor of over 20 years you learn to repeat things for those who learn by repetition. Some can hear it once and absorb it, some cant. I try to teach to a broad group.

[@johnmichaels5215]

Excellent presentation ! Im a new RV owner trying to figure out what I can and cannot run with my Solarflex 400i solar package that came with the RV . Your video helped me have an understanding of battery's, panels , capacities . Can't wait to see some of your other videos .

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@travistucker8823]

Wow! A home-study PRO course of studies...I mentioned this idea to your office staff a while back while enrolling in the Home-Study Course (which I just love). Being partially handicapped and also unable to fly to your location, this may be the best option for me. Now, do I need to find sample broken components (refrigerators, water heaters, AC units, etc) for a more realistic experience or will the course be enough to satisfy my mechanical ambitions? I am a 70 year old ex-master marine mechanic with over 30 years of wrenching experience, forced into retirement due to spinal issues and still love the learning experience. Thanks in advance for your kind reply. Kindest regards to all !

[@Worthrhetime]

Thank you

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

Many of the labs can done using your existing RV or can be done in your home.

[@travistucker8823]

@@NationalRVTrainingAcademy Great News! Thanks to the entire NRVTA staff for providing the Home-study and USB versions of this course (with labs) and the previous version as I have learned so much from your contents as well as the 'Two-minute Tech Tuesday' videos. Please keep up the fantastic work ! I will be ordering the PRO version in a few days. Kindest regards....

[@Just___me_]

You need broken rv components. Let introduce you to my motorhome.

[@steved5023]

Big numbers. I have a small jayco. I also have a 6000 window style ac in it. O pulled the 8000 btu because it was noisy and pulled a bit of power. So ,I’m in Fl 90 degrees outside. . In camper in sun easily in 90s This ac will cool ca,per down in about an hr to 80. During the day after four hrs I had it set at 74. Soo , it Ramos up slowly no big draw at start. There is a range to power draw. . After running and camper cool we usually run at 540 watt with 5,5 amp pull. With just fan amps under 1 amp I have seem watt pull as high as 700 watts and 7,5 amps. At night cools down to 70. Those roof unites must be crazy power hogs

[@roadwarrior3315]

So much info, I am totally wanting to go full solar. I bought an Rpod with 3 100watt solar panels a Xantrex hfs2055 inverter and 4 GC2 6 volt batteries wired in series and parallel for 12 volts. The system is a Zamp 30 amp controller. I am so crash coursing on solar right now.

[@starhopper457]

I love it... "lunar panels". An outstanding vid, Todd, learned quite a bit, straightforward and easy to follow! Kudos!!

[@travistucker8823]

Just subscribed to the Home-study PRO online course. WOW, amazing; 109 lessons with labs! Thanks to RVTA!

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

Welcome aboard!

[@lukewarren7857]

thanks I'm a DYI guy just got 3 400 watt one 215 watt panels I have a 5000 watt inverter also a 1000 Watt - only 23' travel trailer and they barley fit and my generator peaks at 1500 watts only 15 amp trailer wired for 30, great info worse part is paying panels ( buy used commercial from a installer if cracked purchase special sealer and treat them a typical 400 watt panel 42' X 31.5, can produce 41 volts during mild sunshine

[@johnwood551]

I’d like to know exactly what I need to set up my 30’ Forrest River with solar for two air conditioners. I don’t see the link you are talking about that we can go to to get an estimate and find a technician.

[@ernielansford8710]

Just found your channel. Please say hello to Tony for me! Happy New Year!

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

Done.

[@jmalinowski1000]

Lead acid works just fine. At 1/8 the cost and only sacrifices weight .

[@mikeyaw7531]

Good video for tech Tuesday but be honest 20 minute commercial for Big Beard Battery.

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

This comment is brought to you by bigbeardbatteries.com ;-)

[@dahof2789]

Massive credibility loss with me.

[@vadrifter3200]

Thanks for the info! Learned a lot from your videos. I’ve been looking into 12 volt A/C roof mounted A/C units for a truck/cap camper. Also looking at mini-splits for our travel trailer. I’ve been turning wrenches most of my adult life. Small wrenches, a particular segment of office equipment.

[@CleverVagabond]

I am looking to purchase a 22ft stepvan. I live in Phoenix, AZ. I am going to convert it into a stealth RV. I was a diesel tech for 14yrs, so I know that I can do the work myself with a little help from KZbin. What roof mounted a/c would you recommend? How many big bear lithium batteries? How many solar panels? What kind of inverter? What other accessories would you suggest? And how much money would i be looking at if I'm doing the work myself?

[@leslieservantofgod8601]

Thank you so much you're a godsend I have a solar power system but it's 400 w and 5000w inverter Ames and I do want to run my air conditioner off my lithium battery but I'm going to have to buy a couple of more thank you so much

[@donitaarender7839]

So will it run a mini split unit on rv?

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

A single battery was pushing 200+ amps. Find out what the amp draw on the split system is and multiply it by 10. For example. 15A = 150A. That would pass.

[@testersbc1]

I keep trying to convince myself to go to athens

[@tomryan9616]

Thanks for the great lesson. Will a soft start work with a smaller generator to run a ac unit?

[@JoeZyzyx]

I ran into that same problem after Hurricane Michael 2018 in Panama City area. First rented a 2200w generator believing it would run my small 5K BTU window unit (GE 500-600w), but it only started the fan. I returned the rental generator and got a 3300 instead, which did run the AC for the couple weeks I needed it till my power pole and hookup to the street transformer was accomplished. I also wondered if a slow or soft start device would have run it with the 2200, and also considered maybe getting instead a larger capacitor to mount on side of the AC unit.

[@tomrobertson3236]

Lead acid has high internal resistance Puekart (sp) effect says only 60 percent of amp hours is avaible With lithum all ah is available

[@EarlBalentine]

Todd, I'm thinking in most cases I would be camping in cooler climate and the chances of needing to turn on the A/C is very low. So speeding the extra money for more solar, bigger inverter and more batteries that I should be able to get by with just 180 watt solar, 2000watt inverter and one 12v 100ah lithium battery?

[@shelley131]

Love your videos, you always do a fantastic job and straight to the point. I have a couple of questions. First I'm a big man, next to me you are small. Will the roof of the Coachmen 2019 beyond support my weight to install the soft start? I weigh about 310 on my lighter days. I live in the San Antonio area , who would you recommend to install my lithium upgrade in this area. Just need to install about a 200 to 300 amp hour lithium battery to keep the fridge running overnight and my cpap machine. Thank you.

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

Two things, Todd hasn't been 310 since high school. Don't let the camera fool you, 😂 . Number two If you go to RVTAA.org/locate you can find all of the mobile certified RV techs near you with the locator map. This would be a great place to start. Good Luck!

[@shelley131]

@@NationalRVTrainingAcademyThanks for the link, what about the roof will it support me so that I can install the soft start, it is an easy thing to install but will pay if need to?

[@lotechgreg]

OK, ... I agree with all the allocades on the presentation you gave, in the comments, before me, and, I have given the video a thumbs up....... I have 2 points, ... and, let me say, my entire system minus panels/cells/BMS's... Is Victron ... The 3000 in the name/description is VA..... Volt/Amps.... People will/I have gotten the "I don't like it" flashing LED @ 2400w.... Does it "Suck it up", and, go above and beyond like a trooper .... YES..... but .... wattage wise, they only rate it at 2400 per the spec sheet... Secondly, ... and, I haven't watched your panel vid.... Yet.... But, .. IMHE.... Location/environmental variables ..... TRUMPS ALL.... as far as panel requirements go..... if anyone wants me to elaborate , .. I will..... But, ... as I said ... Good job.....

[@Mtnmauler]

Are all Class A's setup for this or is there other wiring that needs to happen to run A/C's. I have 1280 watts of solar, 6 100Ahr lithium batteries with a Magnum 3012RV inverter /charger but A/C with softstart will not come on.

[@dieseltalkwithtonysalas8725]

Ok love the training. But I’m trying to digest the 200 amp draw.. wow

[@igorving]

Do you have a video to show how to calculate what size solar controller is needed?

[@neilschubert6873]

Wow! Your video here just educated me about a very bad assumption with an AHA moment. I THOUGHT I understood what I was sizing well enough to spec what I would need to run an AC. I have been using amp numbers from my current rig while on shorepower to estimate my draw of amp hours. Stupid Novice mistake.....I wasn't considering the 10X factor!!! THANK YOU!! Almost spent $16k on a system that won't do what I expected it to do!

[@illeanavillar5890]

I don’t have n inverter and the Rig a class C only came in with one solar. And regular batteries. At this point financially we don’t have a big check book lol , do you think the best way to get to do boondock part time for fun with the family with a solar generator maybe 3K watts? Just to run one air conditioner and the small fridge ? Do you have an episode on portable solar units ? How important is for me to start getting the inverter and all that TIA

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

Generators are great if you are allowed to run them where you are at. You lose the peaceful outdoors with the noise but yes it does make for a great temporary boondocking solution

[@illeanavillar5890]

@@NationalRVTrainingAcademy if I want to financially slowly getting the rig going. Would installing an inverter 3,000 watts Victron and a soft start a good start? Without changing the AC that came with the unit ? TIA for all the info

[@ronaldbrooks1937]

How much would that whole system cost? Love your videos. Very Informative

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

Send a request over to [e-mail]

[@thinkfirst6431]

If you have the time my question would be about running 1 AC unit when running down the road. Assuming that you are pulling 100A from the battery bank and you have a larger capacity alternator powered by the primary power unit that has a capacity of 180A (rough number) do you think that the alternator could keep up with the battery discharge on 2 ea 100A hour deep cycle lead acid or AGM batteries connected in parallel? Or even if the alternator couldn't keep up with the discharge would it be worth the effort to keep the batteries as charged as possible to extend the battery capacity life. This is getting off the path a little do you have an opinion as to running a higher amperage alternator off of primary power would use less diesel than a 7500W generator to power or help power 1 roof AC? Part of the problem that I see is that there are no monitor gauges for the generator so you would not know if it was running hot or whatever problem could be developing. For reference: Primary power is a Cummins 5.9L ISB 24V Generator is a Onan 7.5HDKAJ11451g Alternator on primary power to be changed to something appropriate, if not already, size. Thanks for any time you can give.

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

So the alternator couldn’t keep up with charging a battery that is running the ac (assuming there was an inverter or a 12volt ac) The wire size on the 7pin limits drastically how much can be pulled. Next, most alternators cannot run 100% load very pong before burning up. Solar panels are a good charge source.

[@OldManandtheSuperC]

Have read that you should move to a 24v system when you go above a 2000 watt inverter. That involves switching out your charger, adding a 24v to 12v converter to run your 12v systems and a 12v to 24v converter between your alternator/generator and batteries.

[@zygmuntziokowski7877]

My Geo Pro can with solar and inverter, but it is only 1000w inverter. Can I easy swap out the 1000 inverter to 2000w or 3000w?

[@igorving]

If the a/c draws 14a, where do you get the 140a from the battery? (scratching my head,,,not a rocket surgeon, lol) Thank you. Love the video(s) though.

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

So the air conditioner pulls roughly 14 amps at 120 volts. HOWEVER, if the source of power is a 12volt battery then it’s roughly 140ps from the battery.

[@phisanders6166]

The inverter draws the 140 amps from 12v DC battery to boost that voltage up and create 120v AC needed by the air conditioner

[@janeshure]

To run ac off of solar you will need far more in solar power than 1400 watts. You need to be able to charge the batteries while running the air. Also you will not always get the full rated power out of the solar panels because it can be a cloudy or hazy day or the angle of the sun. If it is a cloudy day you can forget running the air off of solar. My rough estimation you will need at least 3500 wats of solar to be able to run the air during the day charging the batteries and at nite. I figure no less than 800 amp hour of batteries. As you can see this will get very costly in a short hurry not to mention is there enough space to mount all of the solar panels required. Hate to say it but it would be far cheaper to buy a small honda generator which is very quite to run the air. .

[@RobMan]

Title says "Run RV AC off one battery". The video is actually just a promo for the Pro version of the course...

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

so that was just a commercial before the airing. We run the Tech tips at 6pm.

[@USA-GreedyMenOfNoIntegrity]

The soft start reduces compressor inrush about 75%. You will never run 200 amp on for an hour and a half. You’d be lucky to get an hour before a cell undervoltage shutdown. I have 400 amp hours at 24 V running 9000 btu mini split hp, 22 SEER.

[@woodruffmd]

Got a problem with my 1987 RV. The "control panel" that tests battery, propane level, tank levels, overstove fan and light, etc, suddenly turned off. I checked fuses and breakers. All good. Everything else in the RV works, both AC and DC. Any suggestions?

[@jonbrown9490]

Assuming you have a properly sized inverter, would it be feasible to use a generator to start up and run the AC until it has drawn the temp down and then switch to battery power? I have 2 100ah lithium batteries, solar, and a 4k genset. I am mostly looking to winter and fall camp, but it would be nice to have the option of AC w/o building a massive solar system. thanks for any advice you've got.

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

It depends. We know your generator is powering your 120V panel, but does your inverter? Most of the time the inverter is wired to a few dedicated outlets. If your inverter is wired back to the 120v breaker panel, and your batteries can produce enough power, you have a soft start on your AC, then maybe. But 200ah is not going to give you a ton of time...unless you have enough solar on the roof to power the AC unit. Lots of variables. We may cover this on another tech tip.

[@jonbrown9490]

@@NationalRVTrainingAcademy thanks for the reply and advice. It sounds like many things to be more complex than it would seem at first glance. For my usage, it also sounds like I'd be better off planning to camp where there are hook-ups when it's hot weather ;-). Most of my rv camping will be during hunting and ski season...so AC isn't as worth the off-grid investment. I really appreciate the help.

[@petitchenil]

If charging absorption voltage is 14.2 to 14.4 Volts - how do I protect my DC loads from the high voltage? Also, do I need a DC to DC charger to protect my motorhome's alternator?

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

That’s not considered high voltage to your 12v components. Most 12v components (other than batteries) can handle more than 14 just fine.

[@mileage_master]

I have a question on the math for discharge time. He said a 200A draw will take almost 2 hours to deplete a 280Ah battery. Did he misspeak?

[@chato1977able]

Grate video!! Do I have to do anything to to my stock 5th wheel RV in order to switch from the lead acid battery to a lithium battery? I currently have a stock 2020 vengeance rogue 311A13WS. Thank you U.S. Navy Chief Master At Arms (Retired)

[@merlpriester]

To use lithium, the appliances will not know the difference. To charge lithium yes you need to change things. You charger converter needs a lithium setting. FLA settings will not charge to full and if it has a desulfate setting it will damage the lithium battery or the bms will shut off for overvoltage. Also if the FLA battery charges from the alternator as you are driving, you would need to put in a DC-DC charger. This sets the voltage to the correct amount and limits how much current the LIFEPO4 battery uses. Without the DC-DC charger you can burn out the alternator and it will not charge the LIFEPO4 battery correctly.

[@trevonkollars1874]

Not true. Be very careful in what you are teaching. I live completely off grid. I have a 5th wheel with two airconditioners. On the roof I have 800watts of panels and in the compartment, I have a 40amp MPPT charge controller, 3000watt inverter, battery shunt, and 4 12v 100ah lifepo4 batteries. Just running my domestic 15000btu unit, the batteries only lasted 45mins with a sunny day. I calculated AND the solar tech calculated that I would have at minimum 2 hours of ac use. Did not happen in real world usage with no other draws, only the ac. Now I went to a few different places to gather info. What I found is I need 16 12v 100ah batteries to run this ac and nothing else for 5 hours. In order to charge those 16 batteries, I need 12 400 watt panels and an 80amp charger. Now I have to figure out how to install 12 400 watt panels on my 5th wheel. Just FYI, batteries are about $236 a piece, panels can range from $120 to $250 a piece. The charge controller I chose is a hybrid which is 5kwatt inverter and 80amp charger with mains pass through. It was $700. All just to run an ac unit for more than a couple hours.

[@douglaspearce6980]

Given your system, could it have run on a 2000w inverter?

[@leonarddaneman810]

I use a bluetti ac200p for 'shore power' and it has a 2000w inverter. It will drive a 13.5k btu rooftop ac, but you will need a soft start.

[@herbbates4713]

how about 24 volt system, fewer batteries if using 24 volt batters and watts needed to run

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

So watts are the same. First law of thermal dynamics “energy cannot be created or destroyed” Fewer boxes, but a 24 volt battery has the same amount of cells that 2 of the 12volt systems have. You might save 1-2” inches of total space by using 1 bms instead of 2. And yes Big Beard Batteries will ge offering a 24volt 300ah within a month!

[@herbbates4713]

@@NationalRVTrainingAcademy Your right watts are the same amp drop by half

[@tomforeman4976]

If you don't get enough sun light during the day will the generator top off the batteries to 100 per cent.

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

Shore power or genny within a proper charger can easily charge lithium to 100%. Up to 8 times faster than AGM Gel or FLA

[@spamfilter5488]

Have a Dometic 15,000 BTU with a 3,000W inverter. If I cold start the A/C, the inverter will get overloaded and stop. However, A/C will start if I run just the fan for 15-30 secs and then start the A/C.

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

An AC unit without a soft start can reach 60-70Amps. That's a lot to ask a 3000W inverter. Plus, you need to check and see what else is running at the same time. We'd recommend a soft start.

[@DMB-pe8hk]

Why don't people just get a bigger inverter?

[@williamarmstrong9970]

Todd; Can I run my AC while driving down the road on a sunny day with my solar system? I have 800 watts with 600 amp hours of lithium batteries?

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

If you have an inverter capable of running the ac then yes, for a few hours.

[@SolarPowerMyRV]

Are you selling these batteries to other installers? I’m in Colorado

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

Go to bigbeardbattery.com and contact them

[@andrewhofmann5453]

I really like your longer videos. Good job explaining this.

[@stevecurry5785]

Ok so i know i need a newer converter to charge the lithium batteries at 14.4 volts But can older generators charge these new lithium batteries

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

So generators produce 120volts ac which would supply power to your converter or battery charger.

[@stevecurry5785]

@@NationalRVTrainingAcademy Makes sense now Thanks for the reply

[@dodyhopper4394]

Hi Todd, love your videos but my wife has a question. What is the life expectancy of the Micro Air easy starts? We heard that they also prolong the life of the ac compressor. We have 2 Colman mach ac's 1 is a 15k and the other is a 13.5k I have an electrical background although not a licensed electrician. I have installed them on both units we run shore power only. Down in Quartzsite Az where it's really been a super hot summer. 115° Plus with both units running we can get our inside temperature down to 84 degrees which for us is comfortable. They do run continuously during the day then we alternate them to give each a break. Any info would be highly appreciated thanks. And our rv is also under a cool cover so no direct sun on the roof open on both ends for airflow when we are not traveling.

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

So Microair has a warranty. If your unit is 6 years old or less, they will provide a 2 year warranty on the unit as well as the air conditioner. Details are on their site. regarding the AC. Have the coils been cleaned? Have you checked the lower plenum lately for holds and failed tape? even at 115 84 seems inefficient (assuming doors and windows are closed and no direct sunlight coming in the windows).

[@dodyhopper4394]

Thanks for the quick response. I forgot to say we have rv air flows in both units, I retaped both units before installing the air flows . Our rig is positioned north and south do to the way our lot is in our rv park. We do get some sun on the front in the morning. Ac coils are clean. Our current outside temperature is 106 degrees @ 10am inlet temperature on ac 81.1 degrees outlet 59.3 = 21.8 difference. This is with only one ac running. We are desert rats. I can get it cooler just wanted to make sure wasn't going to hurt anything.

[@rachaellee2629]

Hello, Im in Camp Verde... Its been... hot. Power goes out when it rains feeling like iraqie brown outs. I worry for my pug And I and think building a sandbag earth hut for emergencies. I bought a mini split and am researching how to run that bad boy with zero aps. Im irritated with them for hoodwinking me. Requested an analog meter.. to discover my new analog smart meter and new billing charges... no wheels on it rotating= thats a smart meter.

[@rachaellee2629]

Question... have yall gotten a patented HEMP emp device for your rv? Not due to the war but because of GRB221009A's effects on the sun.

[@JoeZyzyx]

My sister lives in Wichita Falls Tx. Last summer I sent her an indoor swamp cooler to help her low power AC unit. Her humidity I saw on weather was dry & typically between 25-40%, and that helped her AC bring the temps down more, even with them over 100 both then and especially this year. She's been grateful for that cooler both summers! It allowed a bit higher humidity in her home, which the moisture stored as "latent heat" and allowed her AC to more efficiently cool the indoor air below the dew point and drain what was "latent heat" quickly out of the house.

[@AdorableDeplorable1]

Victron MultiPlus Inverters are rated in Volt-Amps, not watts. 3000 VA translates to around 2200 watts.

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

Actually it’s 2400 watts at 25 celcius or 77 fahrenheit which is listed both by Guy Stewart of Victron and in Wiring Unlimited written by Margret Leeftink. Being overly technical loses the general audience. Part of the art as an instructor is to teach in baby steps. Once they understand the tidbits of free KZbin content then in class setting you can impart vast reserves of wisdom.

[@AskRemy]

The bare minimum to run the typical rv AC in places like Florida is 3000 watts - not to mention that victron will be stressed the entire time

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

If you’re planning to use more than 25 amps all the time we’d agree. We are seeing more and more multiple inverter setups now. Lots of folks are going with the quatros too.

[@AskRemy]

@@NationalRVTrainingAcademy I have the 3000VA - 700 watts activates the fans - so it is already getting hot enough to require cooling - at @ 1200 watts, unit is very warm to the touch - at 50% load? it's been this way from day 1 - I raised the issue with guys at battleborn and was told it is normal - i have been a 12volt tech for over 20 years, it has been some time, but I know 12 volt well - to me this is not normal - 25 A puts the load over what the unit rating listed in documents losing faith in Victron at first Victron had great support, I spoke with the top guy - and because of my experiences, they changed the update protocols - now optional where before it was required some MPPT's would set the battery voltage to 24 - I have a 12volt setup - it melted my fuse holder when the sun came up and caused bunch of issues I am curious about your batteries battleborn has a 270ah you are claiming 280ah they are 81 lbs you are 58lbs that is a big difference and you claim extra components for bluetooth price $2500 them / $2k you but I know I can get theirs for much less than listed

[@sunshinepowerco.9439]

You can not run a 13,000BTU AC off of a 12 volt inverter/battery because the 1AWG wires between the batterys and the inverter will overheat and possibly catch on fire. You need at least 24 volt DC input inverter /batterys.

[@AskRemy]

how did they pack so much storage into that small battery footprint? comparing to battle born batteries -

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

It’s all about the cells.

[@waexplorer]

I assume, he's using prismatic cells. 280 AH is a common cell. Most over the counter lithium batteries use them, but most are 100 AH cells (cheaper), then they choose a BMS to control the cells. Many different BMS's out there too. I wound up building my own 304 AH battery out four prismatic cells, used a 150 amp charge/discharge BMS with low temp/high temp cutoff and bluetooth. Changed my converter charger to a lithium compatible one. So far so good. I don't run the AC on it though, not enough solar and no inverter yet...

[@JimGoryeb]

Great video! When you say “We’re actually just confounded to the limit on our RV.” The word you’re actually looking for is “Constrained” not “confounded”

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

Now we're confounded 😬

[@doughanawalt7736]

I think you mean "confined".

[@invisibilianone6288]

Found it CON, to expect the system to operate, beyond its limitations.

[@Joe-fj9kw5bg1v]

I did not see where you turned on the compressor

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

We used the Peacemaker (little black box) which gave us the ability to turn on the fan and compressor without having to use a thermostat

[@brandonlaragirl]

So by using a power inverter to change from 12-volt DC to 120 volt AC it's drawing 10 times more amperage? That seems so inefficient why not just get a 12v air conditioner?

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

@@brandonlaragirlthere isn’t an air conditioner that’s 12volts that can cool the same sqft. As well the 12v ac will draw 10 times the amperage as the 120v ac Watts Law.

[@aleksandrarkhipov1]

4:29 if this is 12/3000/120 multiplus then it’s not a 3000 watt inverter. It’s a 3000 volt-ampere (va) inverter, which is rated to produce 2,400 watts at 77F and 2200 watts at 104F.

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

Correct. But the very name of said inverter is the Victron Multiplus 3000w. It makes it easier to identify it based on its name. Had the topic been on the VA of the inverter in question then I would have added that.

[@johnboughton651]

I'm wondering how hot those baby sized wires are from your batteryb to the inverter because the are definitely not big enpugh of r200 amps and probably not big enough for 100 amps. I see some holes in your story here . good luck with the liability building up here.

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

I have heard of the camera adding 10 lbs but ive never heard that the camera shrinks the gertj of cable. Brother thats 2/0 ultra flex welding cable. Handles over 300 amps continuous. Liability check. Might i suggest an optometrist?

[@justicejo9965]

How can I get saport to build my solar system as I have invested in 300 w solar panels 1 lifepo4 Lithuania 12 v 100 Amp and a 24-volt inverter would like to be a part in advertising solar system

[@horizon42q]

Excellent information

[@KINGABRAHAMMOSESSOLOMON]

I'd like to partner with you as a dealer.

[@johnr5545]

Thanks great job god bless

[@stv111play]

biggest game changer in the Rv business is ability to run AC when no shore line. gonna watch and know you will enlighten me towards the best decision. I would love to take some classes just to go next level DIY from you guys. thanks for sharing knowledge and experience. I bought a multimeter so on my way LOL

[@KINGABRAHAMMOSESSOLOMON]

Awesome!

[@gergc4871]

Freon? I want a AC with freon!

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

Don’t we all

[@Miami305-RV]

Glad you went back to your intro music, the other video today was not you. 😊

[@Andy-df5fj]

Not all lead acid batteries are bad at high continuous loads (golf carts, fork lifts, etc) and not all lithium batteries are good at high continuous loads. Try running that AC with a typical 100 amp BMS.

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

All lead acid batteries are limited on their amp flow well below the performance of lithium full stop. Its a chemical exchange that takes time. Golf carts only pull 40 amps but at 36 and 48 volts. Higher the voltage the lower the amps ended on inductive loads. You are right small 100ah batteries couldn’t pull the load that this battery can. This is the reason we showed what this battery can do.

[@Andy-df5fj]

@@NationalRVTrainingAcademy Again, there are always exceptions on both ends especially if you're speaking purely of amp flow limitations. Try starting you car with a standard 100 Ah lithium battery and the engine won't even turn over let alone start, yet lesser capacity 50 to 75Ah lead acid car batteries have been doing so reliably millions of times a day for decades. Yes, in general, lithium performs better, but that is not absolute. It all depends on the applications for which the batteries are designed.

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

@@Andy-df5fj i dont think we ever said it was better. The video is specific to heavy continuous loads. I appreciate you adding to the conversation but i want to be clear that we never suggested anything other than what this battery can do.

[@EricVillalobos-h9r]

Something that should be studied is the decrease in life expectancy of an air conditioner running off of an inverter. I have had to replace air conditioner within 5 years when they are ran part time off of High quality inverters

[@bestman7776]

What exactly fails in the AC?

[@EricVillalobos-h9r]

@@bestman7776 the compressors in both refrigerators and RV airconditioners have their lifecycles split at least by 50 percent even with a soft start installed. The future would be to have high efficiency 12 volt fridges and A/C's so your not inverting the voltage . On a Custom X-Men themed Super-Van based of a highly modified Classic GMC motorhome I have install a cable race way down the center of the roof with 4 /O positive and negative 12 volt cables. Then branches off to three sub panels forward center and rear.

[@bestman7776]

@@EricVillalobos-h9r it MAY not be related to having an inverter. Could be the vibration. Could be the condenser on the roof getting beat up by 70mph wind..Do you run the fridge and/or AC while in motion? There’s too many variables to focus only on inverters.. just a thought. But I agree, a study would be helpful

[@jeffroche3265]

question . how many cycles can a battery have over its lifetime. if you deplete it to 50 % each night wont you shorten its life?

[@merlpriester]

Most lithium batteries can go 80 to 20 percent cycles for min 4000 cycles. That is over 10 years. Lead Acid can only be cycled to around 50 percent and back to 100 percent and then lucky if they last 4 years.

[@DaRougaroux1]

13:38 you start to explain how many batteries you need to get through the night, but you start side bar talking and go off track and never get back to the answer, you just go to "how many solar panels." Good video but man I would have liked to have known what the answer was for that set up.

[@mrwoodsman2000]

Just ignore the whole runaway charging issue with lithium batteries and sure, go for it.

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

Well that’s what the BMS protects from. Runaway happens on batteries with no protection like a drill battery. Not these

[@mrwoodsman2000]

@@NationalRVTrainingAcademy it happens in all lithium batteries. That’s why the Bms systems were developed. They aren’t put in drills… They are beyond expensive and do not solve all the problems. All in all great information in the video, just doesn’t seem like a good option, though it is the best currently available to achieve the goal stated. You have to have money and extra capacity for it to go well. And as you know, extra capacity is our biggest issue on the road.

[@jackfox5738]

Everyone has their own plans. My plan is to get a 3000w dual propane gas generator, and all of my overnights are done at rest stops! And you can get away from all the transient people living out of their cars, because of you park on the truck and trailer side

[@harryohrn6051]

great advertising

[@CitizenOfBabylon]

140 amps from one 100ah battery for an hour and a half? How's that again? That math has never worked for me. Don't you mean 42.6 minutes?

[@NationalRVTrainingAcademy]

The battery is 280amp hours not 100amp hours. 280amp x 12vvis 3360 watts. The rating on the Dometic ac at 94* is 1400 watts consumed per hour. I added the heat gun to push it to 2400 watts per hour. So taking an average of around 2000 watts per hour then yes the battery will last roughly 1.5 hours. Math is solid and I have tested time and time again. You had mistakenly thought the battery was only 100 ah.