John61CT wrote:Have you **measured** actual continuous amps output from your Alt?
Very few stock units will output anywhere near their rating for more than a few minutes without getting too hot. And some stock setups drop voltage rather than amps when things get hot.
If I wanted actual output over 70-80A for hours at a time, I'd put in a large-frame Leece-Neville or Delco designed for big trucks, rated for at least 160A, higher capacity the better really, cooling designed to handle it over long runtimes.
Make sure the belts could handle the torque at full output, and get the pulley ratio set so the Alt was capable of putting out 70+% at a low "high idle" rpm.
An external alt with separate remote voltage sensor and temp sense wires helps a lot, Balmar MC-214 ideal for custom programmability, essential for LFP longevity.
If that's charging a big TV house bank, then a Sterling DCDC would be ideal for charging from there to the trailer's. I think 120A is currently the biggest model, 180A "coming soon".
And yes big fat heavy expensive wires, robust connectors, top-notch fuses all essential.
With lead banks, you'd want solar to do the long tail last 15-20% low-amp stages, silly to burn fossil fuel for 3-4 hours for that part.
But with LFP, no need to top up full, 1-2 hrs runtime would be plenty even for a very large bank.
tdhcsc wrote:I'd give fans some serious thought. I like the idea of being able to run the air at night but using fans you can simplify your electrical system significantly. We were in Panama for 2 years and only used the air conditioning when in a marina. When we were at anchor we alway used the fans. I'm sure Ohio gets pretty darn warm and muggy but it can't be much worse than Panama.
Moving air really keeps you pretty comfortable (most of the time) and it's a lot quieter than running the air conditioner.
How big is your trailer?
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 31 guests