(UPDATE!) Do We Have TOO MUCH POWER? RV Solar, Victron, Lithium Battery Upgrades | RV With Tito DIY

[@RVwithTito]

Did this video help you out? Buy me a beer 🍺 by going to www.rvwithtito.com/battleborn when you shop for lithium batteries and rvwithtito.com/victron for your Victron gear. (BTW: This video was NOT sponsored) Cheers! Brian

[@rvfigs2747]

I've been learning from Brian for years. There are very few RV learning channels today that have substance. I label these channels as "Legacy Channels." Legacy Channels are channels that have a lasting impact on a community. We are all very lucky to have this incredible channel. Keep up the great work guys!

[@pauljconroysr4080]

I totally agree with you on this :)

[@kenathte]

Good video. Nope, you can't have too much power. We have a very similar but slightly smaller setup (30ft class A with Victron Multiplus 2x120, 1.2kW on roof, 1kW flex on ground, 400Ah Li, parallel Onan generator outputs), and after months of travel I came to the same conclusion: now we don't have to worry about powering everything, it just works.

[@RVwithTito]

Sounds like we're on the same track. Great job! I used to say that running off of Lithium batteries are boring because there's nothing to do...it just works. Same is true when you use quality equipment and put together a nice system the first time.

[@briancook8516]

This was very well done Brian. I have been involved in many large scale systems in my electrical career but never small scale systems like these. You covered everything I would be looking for, and to know the rv is fully self power is amazing!

[@RVwithTito]

Thanks! I really appreciate your feedback. It means a lot. Yes. We love being off-grid in this RV. We've been all over in this rig so far from Alaska to southern Baja - all off grid. It's all dialed in and everything is working perfectly. Cheers. Brian

[@cujo7240]

very cool system for sure! I love the Power Assist ability of the inverter that allows you to draw the additional amps need from your batteries when needed. If you were connected to shore power and the shore power voltage dropped below a safe level, does the smart inverter have the ability to protect the RV from this situation?

[@RVwithTito]

I'm pretty sure there's a setting to adjust the safe level and program how you want to handle the condition...probably just switch to inverting. I've never looked into that one and have never had an issue.

[@philsmith5400]

Brian - I am more than happy to support this channel and your efforts to educate us! By sharing your experience and skills, we all have a better chance to enjoy our RVs. Keep it up, and I look forward to every episode!

[@RVwithTito]

Again...Thanks for all of your support and feedback 😀

[@stewartmhyre1528]

Great video again Brian. Your explanations are so clear and easy to understand. I’ve seen a few other RVers talk about the issues with the generator Circuit breakers tripping when having the same set up as you. You’re the first one to actually explain and show how you resolve the issue. Can’t wait for your next video.

[@RVwithTito]

Awesome! Glad it was helpful. When I previewed the video, I thought ... hmmm that might be a little confusing? Glad it was clear enough :)

[@Race1]

I have victron solar on my 5th wheel and also converted my dometic refrigerator to 12volt. Works perfect! 1200 watts, 600 amp hour batteries, 3000 watt inverter.

[@ZoeyR86]

You have about a third as much lifpo4 as me. But everything for me is electric cooking heating a/c it all runs off my pair of inverters

[@RVwithTito]

Nice! It's amazing what can be done these days. RVing this way really changes everything. Doesn't it?

[@ZoeyR86]

@RV with Tito DIY yes the only thing I hookup for is water, and I built my MT45 XL with extended boondocking in mind I have 80gal of water with 40gal gray and black tank's and 100gals of fuel all my tanks are custom and I don't really have a kitchen instead I have a bedroom/office with a full size bathroom I use a portable induction top and convection microwave for cooking I have a wrap around desk and a Murphy bed most of desk is on wall mounted linear rails and actuators. I have a pop-up spare bed room on the roof also on actuators it's about 4 feet tall when up and is the size of 4 full-size 390w solar panels. It's so bigger than most 5th wheel lofts. With my front and rear side wings extended, I make about 4.2kw on solar. I don't have a generator, BUT I have 2 modified 320A alternators on the 5.9l Cummins engine tied to my battery bank. My bank is 48v lifepo4 817Ah tested with a pair of 12kw inverters syncd up for 240v 120v split phase. 240v runs my mini-split and my PC and EV charging ports on the front and back of the box. The engine will auto start and charge the battery system if it drops below 10% and can fully charge in an 1.5hrs producing over 32kw , everything in the box is controlled from wall mounted tablets, and home assistant I use victron shunts for battery management. I can go on for ever

[@mudman7618]

Hey, I appreciate the videos - but I have to ask, if you don't mind - what did you guys do for a living - that allowed you to make this leap into the RV life? Obviously, you have youtube income now - but prior to that ... what did y'all do for a living ?? I'm a Design Engineer by trade - and had worked designing Prevost coach layouts for a coach builder for a couple years, went into manufacturing jobs, and ended up back at a travel trailer/5th wheel mfg for about 5 years. (prior to covid shutdowns) but - even when I worked for a mfg. with an employee discount - I still couldn't see being able to afford one. So I'm curious - and want to learn from those before me - how did you get to where you are?

[@RVwithTito]

Well we bought our previous Class C in 2007 and just sold it two years ago and bought this 20 year old rig to fix up. For more about us, check this out www.rvwithtito.com/about-us/

[@frankhazelton4591]

Thanks for the info. I’m upgrading my Rv to a similar system and you answered a lot of my questions.

[@RVwithTito]

Great to hear!

[@jimsjacob]

Ah! The money shot for me was the combining of the two 30A circuits from the gen and then splitting before the ATS. We overnighted @ Terrible’s on the Nevada border so we could pull the grade in the morning hours before it got hot and I kept blowing one of those 30A breakers when running both AC units. Now I know the fix. I knew it was something like that but didn’t know exactly. Thanks!

[@RVwithTito]

Glad that helped. Yeah it took a few tries with an amp meter to get it right.

[@jimsjacob]

@@RVwithTito Wired it up yesterday. So cold now that I can't really test it out. The AC units need to be running or at one of them with the microwave. Thank you so much again for sharing that!

[@cryptokingz8297]

what is the little black thing you used to wire both legs of the generator? you have a link? thanks! Amazing setup you have. Great work

[@RVwithTito]

It's a cable splice like this (amzn.to/3OIt3q2) that you can also find at Home Depot. They also have 3 position ones which may work better.

[@joepace1880]

I really enjoy and have learned a lot from your videos. I'm not familiar with the Onan 5500, and am curious how you discovered both legs off the alternator are in phase so they could be paralleled? That's pretty unusual in a two leg generator output. They would typically be 180 deg out of phase, but then this generator is listed as being single phase 120V. Thanks!

[@RVwithTito]

Yes. It's single phase. I don't have a dual channel scope (just a single channel) so I tested the parallel output to verify it was 120V @ 60Hz before finishing it up. It was spot on. If it was slightly out of phase, I believe the voltage would be off.

[@joepace1880]

@@RVwithTito Interesting!

[@cmgtafan]

I like your set up. Did you ever consider a all in one like in your shop or even a 48v system with rack type batteries?

[@RVwithTito]

I know folks who have gone with an all-in-one 48V system in their RVs. That's one way to go. I'm happy with my current setup though. I'll be building out my shop electrical instead :)

[@grandadjess1731]

Just finished installing 7.5KW batteries, 1100 watts of solar, inverter, auto switch, charger, dc-dc, converter replacement and built a box to hide and protect it in my front storage compartment. Then put three fans to cool things off. So watching yours and there it is the same temperature controller controlling my two fans. The third is 120 fan plugged into the 3k inverter. Works great just wished it was in Fahrenheit, then again once set it just works.

[@RVwithTito]

Can't complain about "it just works" :)

[@user-qc6yq1jh4j]

there's no such thing as having too much power. but ther is when having too little

[@RVwithTito]

True

[@MattLesak]

Was waiting for this video to come out after watching all the builds. Excellent work my friend! A labor of love for sure. Glad it’s working out and I know you’ll keep tweaking it. Thanks for sharing 😎

[@RVwithTito]

Thank you! There will be more.

[@pokerbuddy2227]

Very nice! AC is why I have 1280ah at 24v. No issue running ac all day and night and chatting to 100% with the 2k solar panels. Also enough power to run incinerator toilet! In order to conserve power in the winter though I got a pellet stove. I’m about to test out a wind generator that I can put up when I’m staying in a location for a while in the winter when solar is lower (today only got 5kw)

[@RVwithTito]

Wow 5kw is awesome. Is it noisy? We have a composting toilet. I also moved my Webasto gas heater into the Class A. It keeps us warm through the night when we don't want to use propane.

[@DirectCurrent4u]

Hey Brian, I have to commend you for doing a super fine job on your solar install! I know how difficult it is to try to install enough solar on an RV to meet all your needs. It is a very difficult task with such a very limited amount of space for equipment and especially for Solar panels. You've done one of the nicest Solar System Install's on an RV that I have seen that wasn't done by a licensed electricians that does RV solar. Clean work is very important especially in an RV. It shows that you've done a lot of research ahead of time which is definitely key. Especially for an RV application. I'm glad that your system is working really well for you and hopefully you will be good to go from here on out for a long long time! You can never have too much solar! lol when I'm at home I run most of my house off of my RV. I really appreciate you sharing this update with us all. Wishing you all the best this fall and winter season! ⚡👍

[@RVwithTito]

Thanks a bunch for noticing the endless hours of planning :) I spent months planning things out while on the road in our Class C last winter/spring. I can't tell you how many times the plan was re-done :) I'm very happy with the result and YES it should last a while with just some minor improvements along the way.

[@JohnBraman413]

have you looked into running a 12v fridge and 12v ac unit?

[@RVwithTito]

I recently switched to a 12V Air Conditioner.(kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIuteIyPoLiUldk) My 20 year old absorbtion fridge hasn't died yet though. When it does then that would be the time.

[@wideawaketotruth5301]

Thanks for another excellent video. Everything you do is done with precision, intelligence and longevity.

[@RVwithTito]

I appreciate that. You're very welcome

[@musimowingmoreinc9031]

Just found your channel and i am a newbie to rv life and solar. I am learning all andnyou explained a lot of confusing things very simple andni understood. So thank you. We are starting to gather parts for our solar system. We currently have a reflection 324mbs that came with a 370 w panel on roof and an mppt 50 solar charge control and the interverter prep senario. I was planning on 3 more panels of 370 w with the victron multiplus and other victron components. Keep the cideos coming. Thanks

[@coreymerritt7742]

Very cool brian glad everything is working out very nice setup are you thinking about changing out your fridge to the 12 volt compressor version I’ve heard they are pretty efficient 👍

[@RVwithTito]

Perhaps in the future when ours dies. For now, I like having the LP option. It comes in very handy when you need to make your battery capacity last. Also, real stories from others with 12V fridges have been hit/miss. Perhaps the longer I wait, the better they get :)

[@garryhammond3117]

Well engineered system Brian. And very well presented as usual! - Thanks - Cheers!

[@RVwithTito]

My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@zboatman]

While I have watched a ton of your content, this video really helped me understand how to better utilize my Multiplus display and control my input current. Thanks a bunch, keep the content flowing!

[@RVwithTito]

Glad it helped! Thanks for watching. Definitely have more to come. So stay tuned.

[@MitchOfCanada]

I did a 24v system primary to AC and then charge up my 12v bank for my DC needs. Also a window AC in the RV garage cools the trailer at only 350 watts! (10k btu) Vrm warning and messages are great for when battery is low or high or say you have great solar input you can hook it up to a home Assistant to turn on items.

[@mikegyver3193]

Why have you not recommend something for wind when there’s no sun?

[@RVwithTito]

I've thought about it a lot, but still not sure if it's worthwhile for an RV. There are several drawbacks. Noisy for one. If I come up with something you'll be the first to know.

[@bradbrown7555]

The newer Onan's are wired that way from the factory (12:15)

[@RVwithTito]

Thanks. That's good to know.

[@JAYFEATHERBOONDOCKS]

Awesome. I was just thinking about my battery bank and solar this morning. I sized and built my system for my budget as well as winter camping in the North Dakota badlands. I have 3 100 Ah batteries and a 75 Ah lithium charger and 950 watts of solar on my 20’ travel trailer. I started with 3 190 watt panels on the roof and realized I’d be better off with four on the roof to eliminate the need to drag out portable solar that was awesome. Now that the sun isn’t as high I’m seeing I’ll want another ground deploy panel. First test running furnace all night and a fan because furnace is not ducted I used 25% of my battery bank. So if I have sunny days I should be able to go at least four days without power or Gen. If I do need to run Gen I can charge 20% of my battery bank in an hour. That’s awesome.

[@RVwithTito]

Nice. Sounds similar to what we had on our class C. I would also add another 220W of solar on the ground. Ever little bit helps :)

[@daniellel256]

Thank you Philip Smith and Brian. Yesterday, we took the cardboard off our solar panel. 618ah in batteries with 1000 watts of solar. Can’t wait to see where this takes us. Like the GPS. Will be adding it to our system.

[@RVwithTito]

That's awesome. I'm excited for you. Adding the GPS is very easy. It should detect it automatically.

[@allencoleman2319]

Great setup. The cerbo has programmable relays. You can set them to temperature and it will use one of the temp sensors. In other words you don’t need your separate temp control module ;)

[@RVwithTito]

Oh yes. I know this. I like the simicitt of those switches and have used them for years.

[@gregorygiarrusso]

Thank you for that video Tito, How do you feel about plugging in your system and charging it every two weeks, just to balance it, equalize it and I believe it's recommended by Battle Born to do so?

[@tonybachler2272]

My Oh My; I am 84 Years old. Went trough The Elactronic Chorus; Every Block. of Which there were 4 Of, The Professore Said. In 10 Years From now Everything will have Changed; That was In The year Of 1986;; This Information and system You are Talking Of Is Like from another Planet. I have a 2000 Ultimate Winnebago; I'll watch It 8 More Times; Thanks.

[@rvingwithbearandfriends7506]

A couple of things you said really resonated with me. When you said you almost never plug in because you don't need to. I just winterized my rig and pulled the lithium batteries out for the winter and it dawned on me, ever since I installed my solar this spring, from the time I switched on the breakers to my solar in early June, I had not plugged in my rig until the day I pulled the batteries for the winter a few weeks back. If I had low sun and ran the batteries low while camping, they would just recharge themselves on the solar between outings. Same like you said, If we had good sun while camping, I flipped the fridge to AC and occasionally the water heater too. That probably didn't save much propane but it was great to know I could and did. I also snickered at the simplicity reference of set it and forget it. I tell people the same. If you have a good setup, it just simplifies camping and that I just set it and forget it. I've offered to run a cord over to a buddies RV to charge it and he thought I was showing off. I was trying to explain, this is one of the reasons for my system. It runs my needs and if I have extra, its magic electricity from outer space and I'm happy to share and keep them charged too so they can take advantage of what the sun has provided. Not because its green, but because we can!

[@rvingwithbearandfriends7506]

But long story short, thanks for all of your videos. There are a number of content creators here on KZbin that I've followed for ideas and pointers that helped me formulate my plans for what I've done on my little rig and have helped give me the confidence to try some of the things I've done. Keep up the good work!

[@RVwithTito]

Yes! It is magic electricity from space :) and it's ok to show off a little especially with my 2003 motorhome. BTW I will plug in an extension cord in the winter to run a space heater when it gets cold...until we book it south that is.

[@rvingwithbearandfriends7506]

I haven't tried an electric heater but I may. I've ran my big crockpot while camping in the fall and its actually a dual action, its slow cooking dinner and at the same time its radiating heat into the rig which is sort of like running an electric heater. 6 1/2 hours of crockpot through the day at 45 degrees and the furnace never came on once. So maybe i have inadvertently ran an electric heater via the crockpot?

[@earlhunt2815]

Thank you for your years of sharing. I started planning my lithium system in June 2020 for our 2017 Winnebago navion Class C. Your insights and shared DIY for everything inspired me to go full victron and hands down it's the best! When I started ordering parts, battleborn didn't have the GC3. I would have quickly gone with them rather than six 100 AH. Not only would the installation be easier but space saving too. On the roof I have 2 rigid solar panels and 4 flexible ones that employ your technique for heat dissipation and the T rail system...they are GREAT! I had to pull new wiring to accommodate the amps. I use 4 solar controllers:2 panels /roof controller plus diodes across each panel all to minimize shading. The 4th controller is wired to the exterior AUX input solar plug. I can connect up to 5 100 what panels on the ground to this input. Yes, this required lots of rewiring. what I like the most about the system: the multiplus. I'm blown away with its capabilities. I no longer have to be concerned about blowing circuit breakers when we mooch doc. Additionally, when I shut the generator off and I still have the air conditioning and TV going there are no interruptions... it's like having your own UPS. I cannot praise the engineering of Victron equipment enough. Thanks again for all of you sharing. You made this build easier, better, and faster for this old certified aviation electronic and electrical technician.

[@RVwithTito]

You're very welcome. I love the Victron gear. It's worth every penny in my view. I knew I wanted 800Ah in this rig. The challenge was how to get it. I looked at several battery configurations for that space. So glad I took my time and finally went with the GC3s. Aviation electrician. Hmmm. Did you know I was an Avionics Tech in the Navy as a youngster? It's where I got my feet wet with DC power.

[@earlhunt2815]

@@RVwithTito Did not know you were Navy. That explains your broad-based creativity and self-reliance since survival at sea ⛵🌊 requires many hats. Since my days in Aviation, only wings, wheels and tails remain constant. Fiber Optics, composites, software, digital networks, and satellites revolutionized today's manufacturing of lighter heavy transport aircraft. Likewise, I appreciate the sharing of your early adopter experiences from solar and lithium power systems, Lectric bikes, to the diesel heater.

[@jockosboy17]

Question. Instead of using a transfer switch with you generator to bypass shore power and your inverter system why not use it to just charge your batteries back up (through the Victron)? You could set your max current through the controller then shut it down the moment the system is at the state of charge you prefer. I would think that would be more efficient than using it to run everything in the RV and charging the batteries. Also as automated as you are you could probably set it to automatically start the generator to top the batteries up then shut itself back down once complete.

[@RVwithTito]

There are lots of times when I power other high draw equipment while also charging. If I didn't have an on-board generator, then what you suggest is probably an option to consider. Thanks!

[@goththicus]

I’m sure it was nice to dry camp along the way on your trip to Alaska and not worry about electrical power, and have a comfortable rig to enjoy it. Can’t wait to view your next plans in upgrades to the RV.

[@RVwithTito]

Very true! Yes. It was nice and we love traveling in this rig.

[@Flying_AZ]

I did a similar system in out last class C. Slightly smaller though. Although I ran my solar panels at a higher DC voltage(parallel/serial wiring) to limit cable loss into a single Victron 150/70. I really appreciated being able to get up early in the morning and hit the button on the Keurig at 5:30am and make coffee or run the microwave without running the generator. I really tried to get the generator usage to as close to 0 as possible.

[@1MashMaster]

I would love to see your setup. We have a class C and trying to figure out what to do

[@RVwithTito]

Nice! I got there with our Class C too, but just ran out of space to add more stuff.

[@Flying_AZ]

@@1MashMaster I sold it about a year ago. It was 3 battleborn 100ah batteries gc2, a Victron multiplus, solar charger 150/70 and 600w of solar wired in a parallel/series scheme. There was still some work to be done when I sold it. I needed better heat venting, I hadn't mounted the control GX, and I really wanted to figure out how to get better engine alternator charging so I could possibly run AC while driving (we live in AZ).

[@leapnlarry]

The reboot device when no contact was a game changer when i figured that you last year. Manually resetting the Wi-Fi all the time was a pain. The only generator we use is a eu2200, reallly only used as a battery charger when there is not enough sun to charge the battteries. We often just set it to 7.5 amps on our multiplus i, i am switching to a multiplus ii, but now the lower limit for the input amps is 9.5 amps, I would have preferred to keep it at 7.5 amps to keep the loudness of the generator at a minimum. I am switching so I dont have to use an SPS to enable 50amp connection to fifth wheel. Great tip on the vrm app, i didnt know about this new app. We run our fridge on AC mode while we are moving, as long as there is some good sun, the batteries stay topped up. We like to have the entire propane system off while moving for safety. Larry

[@RVwithTito]

Yes the restart has been great. I haven't heard great things about the SPS from my installer friends (lots of issues). I also try to make my propane last as long as possible which is easier to do when it's sunny. It's nice to have when it's not though.

[@johnhowell8228]

awesome job! I would like to do this but I don't trust myself to do it properly. I think I will go with the bluetti ac300 and 2 of their batteries with 4x200w solar to charge it

[@GregTrapold]

Great video and learned a lot. Looking at upgrading the 5th wheel solar. What area of Washington do you call home...... Thanks much

[@campingforayearrenoheart5908]

1000 amp hrs of lithium batteries! 3000 watt aimes inverter, 1800 watt Xantrex ! 2 40amp solar controller, 1400 watts of solar ? Just the right amount of juice 🧃 for my 37 class A

[@MGarage2816]

So how do you combat moisture and condensation?

[@RVwithTito]

Not an issue for me so far. I keep it well ventilated. You could put a small Damp Rid (amzn.to/3Z6gtFb) thing in there.

[@berthaduniverse]

Brian/Tito: Thanks for the update. It's always nice to see how things worked out.

[@RVwithTito]

You bet! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@blackcatrose4257]

Im at a loss cause i dont know how to install upgrades. Are there places that will do the upgrades if i dont know how.

[@RVwithTito]

You're in luck. I keep a list of folks who can help here (www.rvwithtito.com/rv-solar-installers).

[@blackcatrose4257]

@@RVwithTito I just want to be able to boondock and still run house systems on battery inverter and solar. That includes 2 ACs.

[@SolarPowerMyRV]

2 ac units lol

[@thomasboyle-nu2vg]

Why do you go on so much about how pretty your wakl is and the steel supports. Just talk about the system. Everyone's trailer is different

[@n1joh1]

I have done the same think on my fifth whell. I have 9 battle born batterys 900 amps 1200 walts solar and two victron inverts. They are hooked up not together not as one master and the otheraas a slave. Am i doing something wrong because wrong because i have to recharge the batterys about every 6 days. I leave the inverters on when the rig is in storage. I use the freezer for storage. Thank you .amy help is appreciate.

[@gregjonesdfw]

Very informative. Did you consider 24volt system? Also how are you able to run split phase with one inverter? Thanks

[@jimmybiddy]

Since there isn' an index I have to ask you how do I add the button to turn my shore power on and off? just got the system installed. I'm a little under battery storage right now. I'm reallt looking to save$$$ on electricity.

[@fmemories]

Fun and nice overview. Can I ask, with all that battery and power, didnt you go to 24v or even 48v for smaller cables and less loss?

[@WiseMan22]

how much did this system cost you? How big are your solar panels? considering installing it myself. Thank's

[@mmoncure11]

Great video. Interesting, with a bigger battery bank, and a bit more power, you could probably ditch the generator.

[@brianchetelat6601]

Hi again Brian, can I ask if you can pass along instructions as to how to program and use the G-Mouse GPS device? Can you point me in the right direction now that I've purchased it? Thank you, BC

[@RVwithTito]

Once it's connected the Cerbo should just pick it up. You should see it in your device list. I think there are only a couple settings. The defaults should work. It should display an icon on the top once ut starts receiving data.

[@SEANRMZ]

Love your setup, almost done mine, keep up the amazing reviews

[@RVwithTito]

Thanks. Will do.

[@Datzneat]

Oh noooo! Not too much power! I can help by taking some of that off your hands. Lol For real though I'm struggling to power a laptop for 8 hours. One day I'll get there.

[@RVwithTito]

:)

[@blackcatrose4257]

Watch Mike Mas he has a dual system. One 24 v for ac and one 12 v system. He ran a AC for 10hrs on solar and lithium.

[@weasleyoc]

Thanks for the video. We have been watching you for a few years now. I do have a question, are you an Amateur radio operator? I thought I saw a couple of Baofengs.

[@RVwithTito]

No I'm not. We have a couple radios that we use to communicate with each other when in remote areas or with friends we're traveling with.

[@fry5family]

We have an '05 Monaco Knight. I added 3 360 watt panels, a 712 shunt and a 150/70 charge controller a few years ago. Last fall we replaced our 4 golf cart batteries with 4 SOK2s. We also had to replace our Magnum inverter/charger with a Multiplus II because the Magnum did not have a lithium charging profile. I was shocked (not literally...) to find only one power leg coming into the Magnum and a jumper wire bridging the two leg inputs in the inverter. I verified two legs coming from the transfer switch to the power panel, but only one leg from the breaker panel to the inverter. I've also noticed a few plugs that are not powered by the inverter. For the moment I have used a jumper between from leg 1 to leg 2 on the Multiplus II the same as the Magnum inverter was set up. Have you seen something like this before? Would you go ahead and run a second leg between the inverter and the breaker panel? Thanks for reminding me about the "settings" function with my Cerbo GX screen!

[@RVwithTito]

Not sure what's going on there. Maybe the Magnum was expecting single phase?

[@jroot1680]

Awesome system. To bad most people can't afford a 20 or 30 thousand dollar solar system.

[@BEASTmodeontheRoad]

Nope, I have 1500watts of PV and 400ah 24v and I could easily double it and be just fine. Winter is brutal for trying to get sun some days. But 800ah is barely enough to enjoy a mini split in a 30ft RV. Would have to have perfect sun. Looking to get two more 250 watt panels while in quartzite this year so hopefully I can bring it at least 1200watts during the day.

[@RVwithTito]

Yes. Winter is brutal. So max it out. Enjoy the winter!

[@herbert8128]

AWESOME VIDIO IM BUILDING UP MY INCOME SO I CAN CONTINUE TO GO SOUTH IN THE WINTER. LERNING ABOUT MY RV THROUGH YOU IS FUN. I HAVE NOT CHANGED ANTHING YET JUST THE LIGHTS TO LEDS THAT MADE A HUGE DIFFERNENCE IN OUR TRAVELS FROM BELLINGHAM TO YUMA, EACH YEAR.

[@RVwithTito]

Best of luck with your future projects.

[@williamhaynes5271]

I have a 30A input that I put on the front of my 5th wheel that goes into the input of my multiplus, so when docking to shore power or generator, it charges the battery while augmenting the power available, without having to use a transfer switch at all. Just seems redundant at this point when the multiplus can manage it all. I did have a question, why a charger for each panel rather than running in parallel with a bigger charger?

[@RVwithTito]

I'll be discussing the charge controller issue in a future video. Bottom line is that each of these 435W industrial panels puts out 72 volts and potentially as much as 40A (after MPPT). Sizing a single controller to handle those in parallel or series is difficult. I've always preferred the performance, flexibility and simplicity of having parallel controllers. So for just a little more $$ I decided to go with this design. So far it has paid off. Hope that helps.

[@festusrv1849]

Howdy question How to connect a solar generator (ac500) bluetti to my Rv batteries? Is this possible? Thanks 👍🏻

[@RVwithTito]

What's your objective? Recharge the Bluetti or charge your RV battery?

[@festusrv1849]

@@RVwithTito connect to batteries for like a failure of house system. To use (solar generator) to house batteries. Instead of buying the manufacturer back up batteries. Ie: bluetti sells attachable batteries

[@RVwithTito]

@@festusrv1849 Easiest thing to do is to plug the shore power cord into the Bluetti and use it like a generator.

[@festusrv1849]

Thank you so much for your help 🎃

[@RVwithTito]

@@festusrv1849 No problem 👍

[@markelkins8432]

Hi - you should try adding Gui Mods to your Cerbo-GX - then you get more info on the main screen. I didn't know about Widgets - that was something new!

[@RVwithTito]

Yes. There are lots of potential projects I could take on with the cerbo.

[@dirtroadsailing6418]

That's a really nice system, I'm not sure how many people could justify the probably $15k+ price just for a DIY system.

[@RVwithTito]

Thanks! Oh sure. Everyone has different priorities and needs. If you're not going to use it, then it's not worth the money. For us, we've settled into the off-grid thing. So it makes perfect sense to buy a less expensive used RV and spend the money on quality upgrades that suit us to a tee. Plus in the last several years, we've spent very very little on campground and RV park fees :) Really...fuel is our only RV expense.

[@nikolasekulic7194]

thank you for you schooling , enjoying watching you your simple building ideas and the explanation of how all is working . just simply great job THANK YOU sinerely NIKY :)

[@RVwithTito]

You're very welcome! Glad you're enjoying following this project. I'll be sharing more.

[@SwimSpen]

Good install and video. Noticed some cool Cerbo GX setting updates (tanks/AC input) on your Home Screen. Would appreciate a tutorial on how you did that. Looking for a shortcut to turn MP ll on/off too. Thanks

[@RVwithTito]

Other folks have noted that screen also. I don't think I did anything special. After going through the programming of the MP II from my laptop, it came up. Perhaps it was a management option I selected. When I figure it out, I'll update you.

[@edwardbroomfield2291]

Thanks for all your informative videos. Before installing my system, I watched all the one relating to your Victron/ Battle Born/ solar system. I was wondering what is your background amp draw? I'm pulling an average of 12 amps without anything like TV's and etc. I added the Starlink to my coach which is great for having internet on the road. The downside is that it draws 4 amps increasing my background load. Going to have to add an additional solar panel.

[@RVwithTito]

I can't remember what the background draw was on the class C. It was definitely less than 12A though. It's probably around 4 with nothing running.

[@mhbjeep]

My wife and I just bought a 2018 Holiday Rambler Class A and will be outfitting it with Solar as the first project we do. This series has help considerably (as do many of your videos actually). We've been researching for about 2 years and I found your channel early on. Very very helpful. Thanks!

[@matthewknight5641]

I built out my holiday rambler over the last 2 years. I used 30 kw of lithium and 3200 watts of ground deploy panels. I have a 4000 split phase sungold power inverter and a powmr all in one inverter both of which are chargers as well. I have 3 victron charge controllers and another 100 amp powmr charge controller. Also a 24 volt power max AC 50 amp charger for extra 120v charging from a generator if needed. I recently added a 24 to 24 victron DC to DC charger so that I can use my Nissan leaf battery as another charge source in case of bad weather. I think it's cool you are building out a holiday rambler also. They are my favorite camper for sure. Affordable yet built great and the best cabinets in the business lol. I saw your post and had to tell you of my build.

[@nealcoppola9963]

Great Video !!! Would love to know the Approximate Start Up Costs for this System - I understand you could expand as needs or functionality grows. Thanks Again !!!

[@RVwithTito]

Off the top of my head, I'd say between $10-15K. The batteries were the largest expense. So you could reduce that if needed. The Solar, Batteries, Inverter, Cerbo/display were the main components. There were lots of other materials like cable, switches, circuit breakers, adapters, etc. The system diagram also has a full parts list with links. You can download it for free at RVwithTito.com/downloads

[@duncanjames914]

Hi Brian, First off let me say how much I enjoy your videos and the level of detail you provide. Excellent content and format. My question is about the inverter exhaust fan setup. Do you adjust the temperature that the fan turns on to 25 or 30 (from 22.9) when traveling in colder temps? This would minimize the internal battery heaters from turning on by keeping the compartment warmer when charging up here with our bumpy roads. 😄The net of it would be to save energy battery power for other uses. Thanks again. Great video.

[@RVwithTito]

I just use the fan for cooling since the inverter is also in there. My GC3s don't have the internal heater. Also I don't have a need for them since it doesn't get that cold in that compartment. While we are using the batteries they generate their own heat which I monitor. Thanks for the comment!

[@timaz1066]

I have 400 amp hours of lithium batteries in my Monaco dynasty a 2000 model. I’m about to add 400 more so I was interested to see how it’s been doing for you. I have a 120 V compressor fridge conversion on my Nord cold from RC refrigeration in Shipshewana Indiana. I’ve had this for over three years and it works great and I was wondering if you had thought of converting your fridge to a 12 V compressor style which would not use much energy whatsoever?

[@RVwithTito]

I'm sure I'll be switching to a DC fridge at some point (probably when mine dies). For now the original fridge works fine (even after 19 years) and I like having the option to run on LP.

[@djkillachris]

Get microwave, refrigerator and freezer with inverter technology. Amazing

[@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath]

Clear as mud

[@RVwithTito]

:)

[@SaltyVetAdventures]

Great video Brian! I love the MultiPlus II and just installed one in my 5th wheel. I have 1600 watts off solar set up in two 800 watt arrays, each with it's own 60 amp solar controller. My battery setup is 600 amp hours and I also have an Onan 5500 that I paralleled the two legs. My solar controllers are Rich solar instead of Victron and I didn't install the Cerbo so I just use the apps on an extra iPad that is dedicated to the trailer. Anyway...thanks for the awesome videos and I always enjoy taking some time to just relax and see what you have to say. 👍

[@RVwithTito]

Glad you enjoyed it. You've got a nice setup as well. Thanks for letting me blabber on about this stuff :)

[@SmokyOwl]

I think that system costs more than my rv did.

[@canadainguy4026]

Great video, very informative and nice installation. But how about an approx cost breakdown as that is a really relevant piece of information. Thanks

[@RVwithTito]

Sorry. I don't have a cost breakdown. I estimate it was around $13K for my entire setup. There are a lot of custom variables. Here's a writeup that may help www.rvwithtito.com/articles/how-much-does-rv-solar-cost

[@toddswenson]

Wow, great run through. You sure have done a lot in just a couple of years. You did a pretty good explanation about hooking up the generator, why you needed too, how you solved the problem but I couldn't stop wondering, How was it hooked up wrong? Were you just connecting one leg of the gen set? It's crazy how you wired the 2 120's from the gen set together then just split them again with an inexpensive high amperage capable connector. Such a simple solution. Thanks for sharing. Washington is great this time of year for camping, My favorite.

[@RVwithTito]

The generator wasn't wired wrong before. Both legs (single phase) passed through the transfer switch to the distribution panel. Now with the Multiplus II in the middle, it detects whether it's single or split phase and handles it differently when passing through to the distribution panel. The generator puts out two single phase lines while shore power puts out two split phase lines. The Multiplus II detects the difference and handles them differently as well. Hope that helps.

[@kenathte]

As Brian noted, it wasn't hooked up wrong, but the firmware in this inverter looks at the incoming power and if it's split phase (there's 240V between line 1 & 2), it passes both through to the L1 and L2 output as this is what it sees when it's connected to a 50A split phase shore power input. When it sees the same phase on L1 & L2 (0 volts between L1 & L2 input), it passes only the L1 input to both L1 & L2 along to the RV's AC power distribution panel. In that case it assumes that shore power is from a single phase input (like through a 30 to 50A dog bone) and supplies L1 input power to both Multiplus outputs L1 and L2 to the AC distribution panel. As a result, only one (L1) of the 2 generator outputs is connected to the loads in the RV. So the L2 generator output was not used (only 50% of generator capacity). I checked with a scope first to confirm that the generator outputs were in phase before shorting them together, just to be safe. Then I connected both generator outputs to the L1 input in my transfer switch, so now 100% of the generator power is available to power all the AC loads in my rig.

[@RVwithTito]

@@kenathte Thanks for chiming in to help clarify this. I could have just connected to L1 in the ATS, but decided to connect both L1 & L2 just in case I was wrong :)

[@toddswenson]

@@kenathte That's crazy good software. So in jest I guess you could say generators break all the rules?. Is there a relationship between this and why you need to loop a ground in common together in one of the receptacles on the generator to keep from tripping GFCIs or pass through a surge protector?

[@toddswenson]

@@RVwithTito as I mentioned to Ken that must be crazy good software. You guys know your stuff man Cool thanks

[@arriagada1957]

Brian you doing a great Job!! I fix a lot of stuff thanks to your videos from the past 8 yrs...!!!

[@RVwithTito]

Thanks for following along through the years! Glad to help.

[@goranj8210]

According to the manual, when in inverter mode, it will only output 120V and not the split phase 120/240V. Can you confirm if this is actually the case? Thanks!

[@RVwithTito]

Yes. This is true. A single inverter will provide 120v single phase to both legs of your electrical system. You will only get 240V split phase when connected to shore power (pass through) OR if you have two inverters configured for split-phase output (one inverter per phase).

[@OldManandtheSuperC]

Thorough. Excellent Brian.

[@RVwithTito]

Glad you liked it. Thanks for watching.

[@OldManandtheSuperC]

@@RVwithTito I downloaded your Power System design, first very helpful. Second the negative line from the battery to the shunt to the negative busbar is colored red not black for Negative. No big deal - It’s a nit. Third the dc service panel shows a ground. Did you use the chassis ground or run a ground cable directly to the negative busbar?

[@RVwithTito]

@@OldManandtheSuperC Both the DC panel and negative busbar are grounded to the same post on the chassis. The negative connections through the disconnect switch and SmartShunt to the Busbar are actually colored brown to represent the copper busbar I used. Thanks for the feedback.

[@Tom-In-Ga]

Hey, if you have too much power you can always power your house when you're parked at home. 😉

[@RVwithTito]

I've considered it. But I'm working on a 48V system now to power the entire shop and part of the house...stay tuned :)

[@dewholdingsllc1050]

Thank you again for the detailed information and education. Engineering and fabrication ideas are very helpful. I am still waiting for you to do such a detailed installation of the soft start modules on the Coleman basement AC. The only installation I have seen to date is okay but not as clear and detailed and precise as your install instructions. My 2 cents. Seems like the basement AC would be drawing a lot less load from the batteries. 1. How is the solar panel system working on cold days and how long does it take to charge the battery system? Do they fully charge when it is cold? 2. Are all panels connected through the one central inverter? Is there a way to use the newest non-clipping micro inverters to connect with your central system? I know in 2022 there are more choices for micro inverters and costs are lower.

[@RVwithTito]

I don't plan to add soft-starts to the basement AC for now. It works as is. Solar will actually produce more energy when it's cold. The problem in the winter is the lack of direct sun. The panels are connected through the charge controllers and charge the batteries. They don't go directly to the inverter. Micro inverters produce AC and are best suited for grid-tied systems. On an RV solar is primarily for charging batteries.

[@dewholdingsllc1050]

@@RVwithTito every rv with a basement ac could use a detailed explanation video since the actual soft start makers don’t know how to make it work as I asked them directly. The only rv yt person I have seen skips a lot of detail. Your content is very detailed. My point was not that cold weather isn’t good for the panel output, but that the lithium batteries are difficult to fully charge are they not?

[@quietprolink5322]

your may have missed it. I have watch the vdo twice still didn't see how you hook up the 4 MPPT . Did you hook up in series or parallel? Either way how would that effect the solar panel if any?

[@RVwithTito]

Each panel has a dedicated controller. All 4 controller outputs go into a combiner then to the batteries...so they are in parallel.

[@patricklyons7683]

Oh a usb splitter into the cerbo-gx was a nice tip & trick! Why you hide the touchscreen is beyond bemusing...it should be centrally viewable (show it off!).

[@RVwithTito]

Monitoring the SOC and amps can become an addiction :) Honestly, with 800Ah of lithium batteries I simply don't need to monitor things that closely as I used to. Plus the VRM widget is on my phone and always shows me the current stats.

[@JJfromIA]

Great video. Solar is great, however, if your vehicle already has a generator, it would have to take a large number of years of solar use to pay for itself versus the fuel used for the generator. I understand the limitations of the generator. But that solar setup also costs many thousands of dollars. If I have to use the microwave in my travel trailer, I just shut off the A\C for two minutes. Simple. All of that being said, if I decide to build out an ambo or box truck, it's solar all the way.

[@RVwithTito]

Most of us with this type of solar setup don't do it with the expectation that it will pay for itself. It's more of a lifestyle choice and desire to have a renewable energy source. Thanks for the comment.

[@SublimeTree]

Great video! Thanks for sharing. I was wondering if that multuplus ll has the ability to connect to the grid and give back energy when parked at home and batteries are all full? Any info would be great.

[@RVwithTito]

Not directly. You may be able to feed a separate PV grid tied inverter in your house, but there's much more involved. Here's an article that may help www.victronenergy.com/live/ac_coupling:start If it's coming from an RV then I doubt any utility company would approve it. Just a hunch.

[@DaftDrunk24]

Can I hire you to upgrade my Class A?

[@jtlong8383]

How do you connect to the VRM cloud without a WI-FI signal (when away from your RV)? Does the unit have a cellular radio in it?

[@RVwithTito]

You need a wifi signal or direct connection to a router.

[@daemocd]

Nice video...On the Victron, on either the inverter or the solar charger, can you set the SOC of the batteries, lets say 80% max so they can have a longer lifetime? Thanks

[@RVwithTito]

Yes. Both. It reaches 100% SOC at 14.6V. So in the charge profile, set the bulk charge voltage to 14.4V instead of 14.6. That will keep them from reaching 100%. I have mine set to 14.4V

[@daemocd]

@@RVwithTito Thank you

[@vincehollingsworth8214]

Great job Brian, once again great job 👏. Love your knowledge and input .

[@RVwithTito]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@davefoff]

Easier way to wire up the Cummins generator fix is by just using a short 10 gauge jumper wire between the two hot connections inside the ATS

[@RVwithTito]

That's what I had before and it still pulled all of it from the first leg on the generator.

[@GaryBoyd02]

Brian I am curious to know if you.ha r your solar on higher voltage or why maybe you didn't go with 24 or 48 volt system.

[@toddswenson]

Remember his RV like most is set up for 12 volt already. You can wire your solar for any voltage that your solar controller can except. Many except multiple voltages in than once you wire to your inverter life gets cheaper and easier than changing appliances to all DC stuff. At the inverter you can use AC and DC.

[@lynlalalala]

@@toddswenson So, what you're saying is; many solar controllers accept almost any voltage, except for the one's that don't?

[@toddswenson]

@@lynlalalala Check the specs. Yes you can wire/configure your panels to whatever your controller will take at the input. many controllers except multiple choice voltages in/out.

[@lynlalalala]

@@toddswenson I would accept that answer, except I'm not clear on your explanation. 😉

[@toddswenson]

@@lynlalalala maybe you're thinking that your whole system has to be 24 volt or 12 volt or whatever. Everything changes at your controllers to help you make the most of your system. Lots of software and controllers and inverters these days you can put in whatever the specs allow and get out it converted voltage for whatever you need it for.

[@kurtmcmichael2045]

Thank you for the content and the feedback on your system after running it for awhile

[@RVwithTito]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@Walterz930]

Nice video have you got any plans on connecting your tanks to the gx system

[@RVwithTito]

I don't think so. Since we're always dry camping and using water from our fresh tank, I always have a pretty good idea what our fresh and gray levels are. We also have a composting toilet so there's nothing going into the black tank. I'll probably setup a remote generator start at some point though.

[@mikewedel4983]

Your design sense is amazing! Wish I had 1/10 of it.....

[@RVwithTito]

Thanks!

[@ASPO777]

Another very informative and well made video. Great Job Brian!

[@RVwithTito]

Thanks!

[@chuckbruni1230]

Thanks!

[@RVwithTito]

Thank you Chuck!

[@JohnBraman413]

how's the setup holding up now?