Newbie electrical design HELP! LOL

Anything electric, AC or DC

Newbie electrical design HELP! LOL

Postby 76Kroh » Tue Jan 05, 2016 11:34 pm

Hi, I have spent the last few months planing my teardrop build and now I have my basic design for it and plan to start soon. The one thing I know nothing about though is electical and I need to get my plan down for it. So any help would be greatly appreciated :D

What it has to have:
#1 wall mounted mini window A/C. (I Live in AZ)
#2. A few plug ins as my wife has sleep apnea and has to wear a machine to sleep, I would like to have tv/dvd player, and be able to plug in a heater.
#3 interior lights, porch light.

What I hope to do:
#1 be able to run everything off of battery power and recharge it by solar panel.
#2 plug in at RV parks if I want to and also charge Battery at the same time.

So the question is.... how would you best accomplish this? Gold stars will be awarded for money saving and simplicity :beer:

Thx in advance! Stace
You don'the have to be rich to be well traveled!
User avatar
76Kroh
Teardrop Inspector
 
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2015 6:06 pm

Re: Newbie electrical design HELP! LOL

Postby KennethW » Wed Jan 06, 2016 12:01 am

To start off you will only be able to run the AC or the heater when on shore power(plugged in). There is simply not enough power in battery's to power them for any amount of time. A led tv and led lights wouldn't take a lot to power them. A bigger battery will power a CPAP for around 4 day but i am talking a dead battery after that(hard on the battery). I have to run two cpaps to run so last week I put a 150 watt panel of my TD that I hope will work.

138444138443 click to enlarge

http://www.ebay.com/itm/351354135857
That is my two cents. I just have a power strip for AC, a battery charger to charge the battery and a inverter to run the cpap's, so I will let others answer the AC part.
KennethW
1000 Club
1000 Club
 
Posts: 1188
Images: 82
Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2013 8:01 pm

Re: Newbie electrical design HELP! LOL

Postby MtnDon » Wed Jan 06, 2016 12:57 am

A/C is almost impossible to do running off batteries. Campground shore power or generators come to mind.

There is a member here with a cargo trailer conversion who runs solar powered a/C. He runs lots of panels, a good sized set of lithium batteries ($$) and a mini split A/C (more $$ than a window shaker). So yes anything can be done but.....

An electric space heater is another item that is tough to run off batteries for any length of time. Electric, resistance heating, and solar with batteries don't do this well. The basic problem is in storing enough energy in batteries. Enough batteries = more than enough weight to cart around in a hopefully relatively light weight TD. Insulate the floor, walls, roof as well as you can. Buy long underwear and warm sleeping bags for cold weather.
Our 6x12 deep vee nose cargo trailer camper conversion... viewtopic.php?f=42&t=58336

We have a small off grid cabin we built ourselves in the NM mountains; small PV solar system; 624 watts PV, Outback CC & inverter/charger ... http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=2335.0
User avatar
MtnDon
2000 Club
2000 Club
 
Posts: 2199
Images: 24
Joined: Sun Aug 19, 2012 10:57 pm
Location: New Mexico
Top

Re: Newbie electrical design HELP! LOL

Postby noseoil » Wed Jan 06, 2016 7:23 am

Agree with the above statements. Shore power or generator for A/C & resistance heating is the way to go.

I use a PD4045 for power distribution (for both shore power & 12 volt stuff) & run the TV & entertainment off of a small designated inverter in the cabin with the battery. The galley uses a separate 1000 watt inverter (coffee!). Shore power inlet feeds from outside on the driver's side.

Battery charging is with a fixed 100 watt solar panel on the roof, group 27 AGM battery in the galley.

Welcome from Tucson! Where in the state are you?
Build log: viewtopic.php?f=50&t=60248
The time you spend planning is more important than the time you spend building.........

137905
User avatar
noseoil
1000 Club
1000 Club
 
Posts: 1820
Images: 669
Joined: Sun Apr 27, 2014 8:46 am
Location: Raton, New Mexico, living the good life!
Top

Re: Newbie electrical design HELP! LOL

Postby 76Kroh » Wed Jan 06, 2016 8:09 am

KennethW wrote:To start off you will only be able to run the AC or the heater when on shore power(plugged in). There is simply not enough power in battery's to power them for any amount of time. A led tv and led lights wouldn't take a lot to power them. A bigger battery will power a CPAP for around 4 day but i am talking a dead battery after that(hard on the battery). I have to run two cpaps to run so last week I put a 150 watt panel of my TD that I hope will work.

Thx that helps answer some of my questions!

138444138443 click to enlarge

http://www.ebay.com/itm/351354135857
That is my two cents. I just have a power strip for AC, a battery charger to charge the battery and a inverter to run the cpap's, so I will let others answer the AC part.
You don'the have to be rich to be well traveled!
User avatar
76Kroh
Teardrop Inspector
 
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2015 6:06 pm
Top

Re: Newbie electrical design HELP! LOL

Postby 76Kroh » Wed Jan 06, 2016 8:42 am

MtnDon wrote:A/C is almost impossible to do running off batteries. Campground shore power or generators come to mind.

There is a member here with a cargo trailer conversion who runs solar powered a/C. He runs lots of panels, a good sized set of lithium batteries ($$) and a mini split A/C (more $$ than a window shaker). So yes anything can be done but.....

An electric space heater is another item that is tough to run off batteries for any length of time. Electric, resistance heating, and solar with batteries don't do this well. The basic problem is in storing enough energy in batteries. Enough batteries = more than enough weight to cart around in a hopefully relatively light weight TD. Insulate the floor, walls, roof as well as you can. Buy long underwear and warm sleeping bags for cold weather.


Thanks this helps me a lot. I probably will do the Super Simple Electrical set up I saw on this forum for A/C and heat when plugged in. Generator when not. My floor, walls and roof will be well insulated. I plan to frame mine out and build it as a mini gypsy style trailer.
You don'the have to be rich to be well traveled!
User avatar
76Kroh
Teardrop Inspector
 
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2015 6:06 pm
Top

Re: Newbie electrical design HELP! LOL

Postby 76Kroh » Wed Jan 06, 2016 10:08 am

noseoil wrote:Agree with the above statements. Shore power or generator for A/C & resistance heating is the way to go.

I use a PD4045 for power distribution (for both shore power & 12 volt stuff) & run the TV & entertainment off of a small designated inverter in the cabin with the battery. The galley uses a separate 1000 watt inverter (coffee!). Shore power inlet feeds from outside on the driver's side.

Battery charging is with a fixed 100 watt solar panel on the roof, group 27 AGM battery in the galley.

Welcome from Tucson! Where in the state are you?


Thanks for the info. I am here in Tucson as well. Soon to be on the east side. So your Solar power runs thru your PD4045 panel and charges the battery that way? I am going to look into it. I think I will just run a generator off grid for heating and cooling.
You don'the have to be rich to be well traveled!
User avatar
76Kroh
Teardrop Inspector
 
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2015 6:06 pm
Top

Re: Newbie electrical design HELP! LOL

Postby noseoil » Wed Jan 06, 2016 10:45 am

NO! The solar feeds through a charge controller directly to the battery, not the PD4045 (sorry if it was a misleading post on my part). Let's get together sometime & we can talk about some of this stuff. Easier to do a show & tell that way... tim
Build log: viewtopic.php?f=50&t=60248
The time you spend planning is more important than the time you spend building.........

137905
User avatar
noseoil
1000 Club
1000 Club
 
Posts: 1820
Images: 669
Joined: Sun Apr 27, 2014 8:46 am
Location: Raton, New Mexico, living the good life!
Top

Re: Newbie electrical design HELP! LOL

Postby KennethW » Wed Jan 06, 2016 11:23 am

Just to clarify. When I said 4 day on a battery using a cpap, it is without the humidifier.
As for a Television there is some on the internet that is 12 volt and the 19" tv only at walmart is a 12 volt with a wall wort (transformer). There is no need to go thru a inverter .Most of the time I found is if you are at some altitude. The roof fan (fantastic fan) is good enough to keep you cool. If is it dry maybe a wet rag it the window with the roof fan blowing out would help cool you too.
Just my thoughts
KennethW
1000 Club
1000 Club
 
Posts: 1188
Images: 82
Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2013 8:01 pm
Top

Re: Newbie electrical design HELP! LOL

Postby 76Kroh » Wed Jan 06, 2016 12:09 pm

noseoil wrote:NO! The solar feeds through a charge controller directly to the battery, not the PD4045 (sorry if it was a misleading post on my part). Let's get together sometime & we can talk about some of this stuff. Easier to do a show & tell that way... tim



Sounds good I would like to see your set up. Moving in the next few weeks but maybe after that I am sure the wife will allow me some time :worship: lol, if your available then. Stacy
You don'the have to be rich to be well traveled!
User avatar
76Kroh
Teardrop Inspector
 
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2015 6:06 pm
Top

Re: Newbie electrical design HELP! LOL

Postby 76Kroh » Wed Jan 06, 2016 2:19 pm

KennethW wrote:Just to clarify. When I said 4 day on a battery using a cpap, it is without the humidifier.
As for a Television there is some on the internet that is 12 volt and the 19" tv only at walmart is a 12 volt with a wall wort (transformer). There is no need to go thru a inverter .Most of the time I found is if you are at some altitude. The roof fan (fantastic fan) is good enough to keep you cool. If is it dry maybe a wet rag it the window with the roof fan blowing out would help cool you too.
Just my thoughts


Good ideas thanks!
You don'the have to be rich to be well traveled!
User avatar
76Kroh
Teardrop Inspector
 
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2015 6:06 pm
Top

Re: Newbie electrical design HELP! LOL

Postby OverTheTopCargoTrailer » Sun Jan 17, 2016 8:41 am

But if you really want everything 100% on solar and batteries it's possible :lol: :lol: it never hurts to dream big. For under 5 grand I can get you in the game, world's only 100% solar AC teardrop ......with a 30% tax credit and saving $35 a night on camping fees it's paid for in no time.

http://overthetopcargotrailer.blogspot.com/?m=1

Cheers OTTCT
User avatar
OverTheTopCargoTrailer
1000 Club
1000 Club
 
Posts: 1628
Images: 0
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 8:53 pm
Top


Return to Electrical Secrets

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 12 guests