Mojovan Promaster

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Graphite Dave

Dave Orton
mojogoat said:
Keep it clean when not in use, lots of birds, tree sap etc...
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I did not use shore or alternator power so panel was in use all the time. My second vehicle powered inverter was strictly a back up available if I had enough grey days in a row that panel could not keep up with the power usage. The last year I owned the Sprinter the 205 watt solar panel did all the charging. I did cheat sometimes by turning on the vehicle powered pure sine inverter while driving. With inverter on, the main power draw (refrigerator) automatically switched to 120 volt AC instead of 12 volt DC. That way all amperage from the panel would be used for charging instead of part for charging and part to run the refrigerator.

My total involvement with the system was to look at the SOC each morning to keep track of the charge level in the 255 amp-hr 8D battery.

My new Transit will have the same system with a couple of improvements. Bought the same physical size single panel with 300 watts instead of 205 watts. The vehicle inverter size will increase from 600 watts to 1000 watts which will allow the full 50 amp charge rate of my 1000 watt Magnum house inverter/charger/transfer switch. It will also reduce my shower water heating time down from 45 minutes to 30 minutes and will allow a electric 750 watt baseboard heater in the back of van. A selector switch is used to choose which of the 3 functions is wanted. All of these uses requires that the engine is running. One of my reasons to choose a gas engine instead of a emission limited diesel.
 
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mojogoat

New member
Lithium batteries don't require a float charge and storing them at 100% SOC lowers their lifespan. I have a 40watt panel dedicated to a aux AGM battery I'm installing to run the 12v system while driving and short stops.
 
hein

hein

Van Guru
Panel covers look nice and a good idea to keep them from collecting dirt & dust when not needed. I am still hoping there is some time in the schedule for another AC cover made out of that fabric?
 
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mojogoat

New member
hein said:
Panel covers look nice and a good idea to keep them from collecting dirt & dust when not needed. I am still hoping there is some time in the schedule for another AC cover made out of that fabric?
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Maybe when we get back from our trip in a couple of months.
 
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mojogoat

New member
Areogel installation, stuff is tuff to cut. It has reinforcement fibers in it that are pretty tough. Tip, hit it with a leaf blower before handling as its pretty dusty when you receive it.
 
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Cromag

New member
Those are some really nice progress pics! I can't wait to hear how the LiON system runs.

LiON is the future for sure. With enough capacity you don't really need solar panels. Just recharge a large LiON bank with shore power after midnight, something like the Powerwall's 10Kwh capacity. A water cooled bank like that might work as a roof mount instead of solar panels, or undercarriage mount. It's only a matter of time.
 
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mojogoat

New member
I could imagine several of those banks mounted in the floor, pull into a RV park for a night to recharge using the 50amp service and go. Temp affects the longevity of the cells and could damage them.
 
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