Victron Energy Power System Upgrade in Luxury Brinkley Model Z 3100 Fifth Wheel

Russ and Tina are ready for some serious summer of fun in their beautiful new Brinkley fifth wheel. Our friend Ken Smith at Adventure Van Systems recently upgraded their power system using Victron Energy components. With plans to retire next year and hit the road full-time, the couple needed a robust battery-inverter system that would allow them to camp off-grid for one or two nights with room to expand their system over time. In this video, Ken gives a quick rundown of their system.
Have a question for Ken? Get in touch with him at [e-mail]
To learn more about Adventure Van Systems, visit their website: adventurevansy...

[@KU9L]

I have enjoyed the evolution of off-grid camping as a camp host over the decades. I try to be a model for our camp hosts, not a preacher. No matter how much you preach, they almost always show up with a distorted & cheaper version that will perform differently & fail uniquely so that you have to gently re-educate them, spoon-feeding as you go. We went from a couple AGM batteries, 250-W of solar, & a decent Tri-metric monitor & charge controls with a 400-w inverter in our truck camper back in 2011 to various modest evolutions as we upgraded RVs & camp host locations with different solar levels available. Now, as a manager, we didn't need an inverter as traveling between seasons and overnight Harvest Host stops we just used our generator for 3 minutes coffee or microwave uses, yet enjoy our 200 AH Lifepo4 batteries to overnight run our DC RV, furnace fan, lights, etc. Now as we are closer to semi-retiring, our next coach will be a Brinkley & it is time to consider winter snowbirding with a combo of roof & ground solar, single 3-KW inverter, 300AH Lifepo4, & 30-A DC vehicle charging, etc. With camp hosting & snowbirding I like modest systems that still perform reliably as needed, with the generator used modestly as needed. Case in point, last winter it was cool & rainy in Quartzite a lot. Every single large PV system was running their generator a lot, those who filled their generator bay with batteries bought out all the portable generators in the valley. They had to run them a lot to fill those huge banks. When we went to do elder care in FL & the RV park blew two huge transformers, our 200-AH batteries performed all night to run our fridge, furnace, & lights while most others went to a motel & had spoiled food in their fridges (most had a single L.A. battery & a 12-volt fridge). As we pursue purchasing our Brinkley Z 2900 we will keep you folks in mind. Cheers, Davey & Sheila

[@ophirpass]

Hey Ken. We have a generator and 2 Battleborn GC3’s in our Z3100…so not much room for a Victron MultiPlus II unless I mount it to the compartment ceiling…or in the basement which I really don’t want to do. What do you think about ceiling mounting the inverter? Maybe some peripherals on the passenger side wall by the propane?

[@intelligentcontrols]

Hi there, asked Ken your question. His reply: "Although there is no problem with mounting the MultiPlus II on the ceiling, I prefer to keep it lower in the space and vertical for better cooling. I would consider adding a thermostatically controlled fan in the compartment to help circular cool air to the inverter, possibly tied to the factory battery vent inlet."

[@mikeventi637]

Nice setup. Are your AC's soft start equipped? Did you have to add soft starts? Are your batteries heated for colder temps being in an uninsulated front cabinet? Thanks.

[@intelligentcontrols]

Hi Mike, this is Ken from Adventure Van Systems. First, I must mention that I get nervous on camera and miss-spoke about the air conditioners. This single inverter system is not currently wired to run the air conditioners. The components are sized and set up in order to easily add a second parallel inverter in the future for running the full RV with air-conditioning. This would also require additional batteries. The air conditioners in this RV are not set up with soft starts from the factory, though they are simple to add. They are highly recommended for any system running off of inverters and batteries. The Pylontech RT12100G31 batteries are internally heated. They are installed on a half-inch insulation pad. Insulated jackets will be added for cold weather use. Feel free to reach out if you have additional questions at [e-mail].

[@billb48843]

Ken - I bought some Ruuvi's and silicone cups from you you guys recently. Pucks are working great, BUT the cerbo BlueTooth is not working. Yes it's switched on, it works for maybe 5 minutes and then the BT shuts done. The cerbo worked just long enough to set up 2 of them, cycled power, and set up the second 2. Is there a work around for the cerbo BT? I want to record and switch R2 to have a heat extraction fan for the compartment. (3'6"x8'x8') where the BB100's, inverter, solar, BVM are located. Thoughts and ideas appreciated.

[@intelligentcontrols]

Hi Bill, I can jump in here (Laura): The range of that onboard radio in the Cerbo GX is definitely a factor when connecting Ruuvi sensors - depending on where they are (like a metal enclosure where the Bluetooth range is going to be really restricted). There are external radio options for the Cerbo, which Victron has tested and affirmed work well: See that link 2nd to last para in this blog: icmontana.com/blogs/technical-articles/monitor-temperature-on-victrons-cerbo-gx-using-ruuvi-sensors. You can also run a USB extension cord off of the Cerbo out to where BT range is better (out of the engine bay, for ex) and plug your TP-link antenna to the end of that. Victron has also documented that when the Cerbo gets too warm, the first thing that shuts down is the Bluetooth radio. It's something they're well aware of and will address in the next iteration of the Cerbo, but that's where support from your supplier comes in: If your Cerbo is super sensitive to heat, you should be able to document that and warrantee that via your supplier.

[@dianeb5100]

Can you give a ballpark as to how much this setup will cost including install?

[@intelligentcontrols]

Hey Diane, I would reach out to Ken to get a quote. He'll ask you a bunch of questions to understand your application, what your loads are, etc. You'll see 'kits' on his website (adventurevansystems.com/collections/electrical-system-kits), but that's mostly a conversation starter. The opportunity here is to have a conversation with a real person who knows what they're talking about and can advise on the best setup for your van or RV. Victron makes a LOT of products, so having someone to navigate that with you is helpful. I assume you're not in the Missoula area. If not, Ken does quite a bit to pre-program the inverter and other devices for your battery bank and provides a wiring diagram, etc. for those that are going to install the system themselves. That's something you could also discuss with him.