Important Note: This video was filmed in 2021. Master Tech last performed work for us in 2022. As of 2024, we are hearing that they have shut their doors.
That’s sad. I’m watching this video again because I want an extreme system on my Allegro Bus 45FP. Oh well… I’ll keep on looking. Has your system held up well over the years?
We went solar three years ago, when someone asks the question. How long till it pays off for it self. Answer, the first day I had the freedom to do what I wanted .
Thats a silly question for a solar system on a rv. The point of solar on a rv is to be able to go anywhere at anytime and have power. Only a house solar system would a pay off be a question worth asking.
if you source everything yourself and understand how to diy everything, its about 1-2 years when youre offsetting fuel at 4$/gal. about 4-6 years if youre offsetting home utility use. unfortunately labor is just so crazy expensive in the US that a lot of these systems will never break even. its kind of like repairing an old car. you are making doctor money by doing any kind of repair yourself but its probably not worth it if you have to hire out the work.
@@vevenaneathna Any payback figures have to take into account use, I can't believe there would ever be a strictly cost payback, unless you do it yourself and figure the cost of boondocking vs full hook up resorts and nearly full time at that! 48V is great though, it doesn't have to be "extreme" on the cost scale, late 2024 there are 3kw all in one inverter, charger, solar controller units under $1k and a 5kwh battery a little over $1k, and not a whole lot else needed to convert an existing system. With a big enough solar system, use a small 12v converter to the chassis and put all the 12V loads on the chassis.
That was really interesting. Being able to run AC is kind of the Holy Grail of RV solar or any solar, house or RV. If you can do that, everything else is a subset. Nice state of the art system.
I look forward to reports on how this continues to work for you. Solar gives you so many options that are not always available. I love that you can plug into a 30 amp and still run like a 50 amp. Very creative. Happy journeys!
Finally, someone does what I dream of doing one day. Mounting the panels on a raised rail and not putting all those holes in the roof. It also provides a lot of shade on the roof with it full of panels and that means less air-conditioning needed to begin with. Throw in 48v and you are set for boon docking heaven. Great job!!!
I know this is an older video, but this is by far one of the best setups I’ve seen. The redundancy to charge your batteries is top shelf innovative thinking. Would love to see a follow up video now that you’ve used it in our on the road!full time.
I am glad you talked about this not being a money saving move. Not everything in life is about saving money. Quality of life and peace of mind is truly invaluable and not always the cheapest way to go. I'm really happy for you guys!!!
There's a difference between money saving and money blowing. $3600 for a 12V 300Ah LiFeP04 battery is money blowing. (I'm looking at their batteries and it seems to be $1200 per 1280wh)
@@jlarm3 you wanna know how millionaires become millionaires and stay millionaires? They're frugal. To quote my mother "if it isn't on sale we aren't buying it" is something I heard every time I went to the grocery store with her.
@@ericklein5097 I can appreciate what you are saying, but I don't agree with you. If you have the money to enjoy the finer things of life, why not? If I applied your way of thinking, everyone would be driving the cheapest car available. Are you?? I'll bet not! All cars do the same thing, but people still buy more expensive ones because they can afford them.
I just finished a pretty large system in my travel trailer that's going to let me run my air conditioner all night which lets us stay at campgrounds in Florida during the summer that don't have hookups. This is awesome because there are a lot less busy during the summer than full hookup ones.
That was awesome. I'm also planning on a 48V system for my RV for spring of next year. I just ordered a Quattro 48/10000/140 100/100 120V inverter/charger and 4 of the BBGC3 Battleborns. I should be getting those next week. For now, I'll be using them for backup power in my sticks and bricks in case I lose power this winter. But, early next spring, they'll go into the RV and I'll be hitting the road to explore this beautiful country of ours. Yea. When I was planning on my large investment into the charger and batteries, others said why not wait a few years until the prices come down. Well, at 66 years old, it is dangerous to wait for tomorrow before enjoying things. We work all our lives. Now, after retirement, I'm going to travel and enjoy whatever number of healthy years I have left on this earth. I love your videos. Health and Happiness!
Just finished our 48v install with six 5120Wh server rack batteries, 5000W Victron inverters (x2), replaced all 3 AC's with Furrion adaptive speed AC units, 13 250w Rich Solar panels connected to our 10KW Onan generator. It was expensive but it seems to work great so far! Chose to leave out the alternator option because when we did the load analysis on the engine charging the batteries at 90A, it cost less gas to run the generator while driving by about 12%. Same with us as being 'all in'. We haven't spent a night in our diesel pusher (we'll be full-timing it), so we're very much alike! Jean at Off-Grid RV did an amazing job and provided a quality wiring diagram for our RV bumper to bumper warranty provider.
Thanks for getting this system and sharing your experiences with us. I know this kind of solar and lithium has been used in the last few years on Class B and Cs. But I didn't know that Class As are coming to prime time now. Will be interesting to see how you use and like yours!
I'm impressed with your solar setup guys! Just think, you can now park on a cliff overlooking the ocean and stay now - as long as you want to, and only have to worry about having enough water and groceries! Pretty amazing way of life if you ask me! Congrats!
Thanks guys, great video, loved the new system, hopefully when I get back into RV'ing I can find a place to install a like system.. much appreciated the info!! THKS Doug!
Enjoyed your detailed video covering the installation of your 48 volt solar and lithium battery installation. Like the commenter below said, Perfection at its finest. Thanks.
Excellent video. You guys are at the tip of the spear with solar systems for RVs. I hope many of the RV manufacturers out there will take note and make these types of systems more available. This is the first solar video I've seen out there where they didn't punch your roof full of holes and then dump copious amounts of rubber sealant on your roof. Thanks for sharing.
THIS IS THE FUTURE: 48 VOLTS. A system like this is not only UL Listed and SAFE, but, it cuts out the pollution (global warming) caused by generators that have no emissions control. Lithionics Battery is very passionate about offering 12, 24 and 48 volt systems. Your RV is just amazing and a real show piece. You must be proud of what you did. Thanks for showing it to the world.
One hell of a great set up. I can understand your going to some over the top, I'm a "what if guy", now your covered, no worries. Be looking forward to more videos of your travels and updates of your home. Safe Travels
I host for the US Forest Service in a campground in northern WI and have considered doing something similar to my Camper. Currently I have about 500 watts of solar charging a single 12V 150 Amp LiFePO4 battery with a 1000W Pure Sine Wave inverter for the computer, TV, etc. When I want to run the AC I have to go to the generator which is not my favorite option. I was considering going 48V to get a bigger inverter and was stuck on the 12V side of things. You definitely gave me some ideas. Thank you.
We haven’t watched yet but extremely excited. We are going to get some chicken wings, beer, kick back and enjoy 😊 thank guys for taking the time to create these great videos. Cheers!
Very impressive! The feeling of freedom and not having to concern yourselves with hookup availabllity, parked or rolling down the road is worth whatever you paid. Congratulations!
Thank you for all the great content! You have inspired my husband and I to get out on the road. Just bought our first RV a 2020 Class C Entegra Odyssey 24B! Hope to meet you some day on the road!
I have aich aller motorhome that i am installing my 800w arrays on and i know getting the attention to detail right is HARD it takes time and a LOT of messing with this and that until you finally get it dialed in and then and ONLY then can you start installing. This was VERY well done great job guys!
Hey y’all! We hope you enjoyed this tour of our RV’s 48 volt solar and lithium setup! It was a HUGE project, but we are loving the results! If you missed the first 2 episodes in this series, you can watch them here: Inside Tour: th-cam.com/video/YXWfv9mFzRU/w-d-xo.html , Outside Tour: th-cam.com/video/p3drc3GfbAk/w-d-xo.html . And you’ll find the Padre Island video we mentioned here: th-cam.com/video/nA1Z1LJ4bLY/w-d-xo.html
OK team welcome to the drinking video for the week!! Whoo hoo! Here's the challenge. Each time his wife interrupts him, talking over him, take a shot and counts each one! The first husband/wife team to get the right answer wins the pot for the week! It can get hard to keep count at the end if you're keeping up with the shots! Lol. Let's have a great week! I found this video when looking at the solar installation. Since we did the same thing, we simply added 8 5120wh server rack batteries. Have fun!
Very nicely produced video. Lots of good info here. I am curious about the 48vdc belt driven generator. Who makes this? I would expect that you would need a dc-dc Charger to take that output and do multistage charging of the batteries. Like a 48-48 version of a sterling.
We’re having our 48v solar system installed in a couple of weeks. We will have 2520 watts of solar and 8-300ah lithium batteries. It’s a large investment, but it’s what we want. So we are rite there with you on off grid RVing. And we’re also full time RV’ers. Would love to connect with you at some point. We too are FMCA members.
Wow, that’s an incredible system, how do you fit all those batteries? Good luck on the install & keep us up to date! Look forward to meeting up on the road one day! 😊
Great video! It is so interesting to see how Master Tech pieced it all together. We totally understand your choice (greater flexibility), your timing (life is too short) and your discretion. We look forward to seeing you next month! Have a great time with Grammy Kay. ❤❤❤
The solar options are endless, so exciting! So well thought out. Hiring the professionals imo is worth the money & I 💜 the redundancy. I wish you all the best.
Better to have too much than not enough as weather permits. Now that we are back to normal are we going to see some cooking, hiking, Star/Astro videos. Both of you plus Granny Kay mean a lot to me so please be careful in your travels. Hope you have a great security set up as times have changed. I do care ok. Can't wait to see you back on the road doing what you do best. Love y'all and thanks.
Maybe is a crazy question. You have dull batteries and the charging is stopped. Is it possible to use solar power than for electricity while the batteries stay full and use them at night when there is no sun...
You’re right Tom. We know the folks who were the first owners of that coach and had the install done. It’s a 12 volt system. Their next New Aire is the first 48 volt system that Master Tech completed.
I thought I heard one of you claim that you could run your lithium batteries down to almost 0 Volts. Just a word of caution. You infact can only run the South down to about 3.2 V if I remember correctly. Others will chime in and correct me cuz I'm sure I have that wrong but I know it's not very far below there. Charge capacity when looking at voltage. Aside from that I have super much solar battery Envy. You guys did an awesome job and you're probably up the top two or three solar installs out there.
Just ran into this video for the first time. Subscribed and gave a thumbs up. Started looking for an approximate price but didn’t find one. Will unsubscribe and move on to other videos.thanks for the install video.
Wow! Those guys are good. Hot temps are definitely my limitation in my new camper. I have a solar package that runs everything, but no AC in Texas is no fun. I had a similar experience this summer in Manzano Mountains where I thought it would be cool enough with no hook ups. Wrong! Thankfully the camp host moved me to a full hook up site for no extra money. It was during the heat wave. I would love to have a set up to have ac sans a generator.
Well the wait was worth it, your solar set up is awesome and good for you guys! I will definitely check out Master Tech for our system installation but at a much less extensive and I'm sure less expensive system, still your system is envious!! Congrads....see ya out there
I was so excited for you both and have been waiting to watch all of the changes that you’ve made. It so nice to see that you’ve tried to maximise the solar energy available to you and allow you both to rv in total comfort from now on, and all without compromising the integrity of the roof itself. Not drilling any holes is so impressive in itself to accommodate everything, my only concern is regarding the future maintenance of the roof and accessories on it, i.e. ensuring it’s weatherproof and being able to seal anything that will require annual maintenance etc... I was asked by the techs at Newell about solar installations and I asked why the industry install solar like it currently does, i.e. placing solar panels side by side. I suggested that instead they design it a different way. One where the panels could be placed in a rack (on top of each other and end to end) that can then be moved to cantilever not only over the roof area when access to the roof isn’t required but, also extended and cantilevered over the other way, i.e. over the side of the extended rv awnings. I can’t wait to see you both enjoying the fruits of your labour from this side of the pond here in England (Brexitland 🇪🇺🤭), take care y’all, party 🎉 🎈 time. 🤗👍🏻😉
Check out the video of the fifth wheel off grid buddy plug solar set up. He has what your talking about. With electric levers that cascade another full set of 8 panels out over the slides. It produces so much solar power for him that he can even allow others to plug into his rig and actually give them 500 watts of continuous power without limiting himself. Lithium and solar are the wave of the future for class a rv’s. Liberty coach has been using lithium that you can run all air conditioners on since 2012.
I"ve been watching this video a lot. We are researching solar for our Tiffin 45 OPP that we will be living in. Do you recall the weight of just the rail system?? Thank you for sharing this video and information.
We didn’t weigh it so I’m not sure. We waited till the whole system was done to weigh and we were really good. It’s an aluminum frame so it didn’t add that much weight. The company that did it for us is having financial issues right now so I would look for someone else if you are looking into it!
It costs a bunch but our system is very unique and things have changed a ton since then so we are not sharing that because a normal system is sooo much less and we don’t want to discourage anyone from looking into it!
Absolutely fantastic. Love it. Looking forward to hearing more how it does. Totally understand the reasoning for the investment and totally agree. Just great.
When you said no holes in the roof, you attached to the rails, what rails are you referring to? How did you attach your new solar frames to the roof without penetrating the roof?
Congratulations on installing a state-of-the-art system. 48-volt is definitely the way to go for a whole bunch of reasons. Plus, your Onan genny will have reduced runtime and therefore a longer time between maintenance intervals. Thanks for sharing!
Hello well im starting my solar adventure with an Ecoflow Delta Pro and 10 200 watt panels for my 40 feet RV, those roof air conditioners are a joke on any RV, im thinking about going the mini split route but i already have a couple of Kapsul Air Conditioners, those things use a fractions of the energy, and i think the best for heating would be the famous 'Chinese Diesel Heater' that uses a fraction, well who know if there is ever any apocalypse type of scenario, only a few will surive, great info in your vid, enjoy ur RV :)
I have a 40 ft motorhome with 4,350 watts of solar, 15,360 watts of battery (48 volt system), and a 6,000 watt 240/120 split phase inverter. been running it for 2 years, in sunny parts of the US I save about $75 a month on shore power bill. Went boondocking out west for 27 straight days, only solar for power. System has been working good, I can run AC, electric hot water, heat pump, what ever I need on solar. The cost was $8k with no labor.
A lot! 😂 Really not relevant now because it was totally custom to us and the cost on everything has changed so much since we did it. Don’t want to discourage someone to look into it for their needs & get a price for what they need!
Awesome video even if I'm seeing it 2 years later. The real question is how are the coach MFGers not incorporating this capability from the factory. With LiFePo now under $200/kwh it's very realistic to have 20kwh of battery power onboard. With a dedicated alternator (or starter/generator) on the cummins for battery charging and solar on the roof it kinds of makes you wonder if the standalone generator could be deleted for cost savings/offsetting. Its also kind of makes you wonder why any coach would have 12v dc anything instead of standardizing on 120v ac. There's been so many advancements in hybrid inverters that I think if you did this today the electronics would be1/2 the cost. Victron's are bulletproof, but they are expensive because they are based on low frequency (transformer) vs. digital high frequency (IGBT). I really wonder when the coach builders will get Cummins to do a hybrid diesel with a ~40kwh battery. That really is the perfect match. The batteries could improve fuel economy while driving up/down hills or start/stop, but then also provide the power necessary to boondock once you get somewhere. It seems like today coaches are just a spider's nests of power....diesel engine, diesel generator, diesel hot water heater, propane, solar, batteries, inverters, and shore power. IHMO.....Time for a clean sheet
Great system guys, if you don't mind a few questions: 1. how did you get the solar power from the roof to the basement? 2. Approximately how much weight did you add to the roof? The position of this weight would move the CG in the vertical position, have you noticed any change in side-to-side motion especially when going around a curve? Did you contact Newmar engineering to get advise on the extra weight up on the roof? Obviously this was expensive, is it possible to provide some information on the cost of the components and labor? I don't know how you feel about providing more technical information for those of us who are interested in such stuff but I, and perhaps others, would like to know more technical information such as why did you go with the external BMS versus the batteries with the internal BMS and if these batteries have internal heating ability why the external bay heaters? Thanks for you great videos.
I have 6 390w panels on my 1999 31ft class a(1999 f53 triton v10) only 14000lbs empty and its an absolute handful if the road and wind isn't perfect, but thats the nature of an older lighter rv without air suspension. If you have a newer diesel pusher thats about 20000lbs or more with air ride, you won't know the 200-300+ lbs of panels are up there.
We were just finishing the specs for our 48v system when we saw this video. Great stuff! Our system will be about half the size of yours, but will also have a rack system on top (much better than screwing, gluing, and Dicoring). We were wondering if your AC units are 12v or 110? Thanks!
After hearing your explanations for your solar panels , it seems to me this should be an add on for all motor homes. I didn’t know of those restrictions and obstacles that can occur in motor homes.
We are really happy with the solar and lithium modifications, but it does add to the cost. And a lot of RVers only go to campgrounds where they are plugged into power.
You don't need the length of the battery cables to be the same. Your batteries have a bms in them that makes sure to top balance any individual cell if they become out of balance.
@RV Texas Y'all it's not about disagreeing. It's just the how it is. A Bms job is to balance lithium cells. A few feet of cable length difference won't matter, especially if the amperage being put in is far lower than the cable is capable of handling.
I’d say just talk with Lithionics, the ONLY UL approved Lithium battery company out there. They make the batteries for US Military and ask their opinion, which I know is probably the most educated company period on this subject. I trust them and nobody else, that’s where I got my information from. Like I said, I big enough to say we can agree to disagree and good luck with however you want to do it.
Thanks Brendan! We plan to do a lot of camping this year that will really put our system to the test. And we will absolutely share how it performs. Stay tuned!
I called the place that did this and they said they just did one for $90K. 4 batteries at $8K apiece. That buys a lot of hotel rooms when it's too hot at night without A/C.
Really want to know more about the other components. the Inverter is one part. Did you keep any 12v config, or totally strip the 12v out? Any converters down to other on board voltages?
Our normal 12 volt system is still there we just have 2 DC to DC Victron 48 to 12 volt converters so the coach can use the power to operate things like the lights, control boards, silver leaf & so on.
Without giving exact about can you give out roughly what it cost to do this? Wife and I will be making the move in roughly a yr. And will be going trough NIRVC (as it stands right now) we love watching angie in her vids and have read a lot of nice things about NIRVC. Also the tire monitor system and the proteng fire system 👍🏻👍🏻 thank you
We totally agree with NIRVC, don’t think we would ever buy from anyone else & you can call Tim with Mastertech RV in Elkhart, Indiana to discuss pricing & what you would need for your situation. We’re not discussing $ because ours is way extreme & I don’t want to scare you away from solar & lithium because of what we had done & paid. Best of luck on your RV purchase & solar setup!
Thanks for watching but our system is soooo different that we don’t want to discourage folks from doing a normal or even a setup like ours since pricing is changing so fast on this kind of thing. If you are looking for a system you can call Mastertech RV in Elkhart Indiana. Good luck!
Important Note: This video was filmed in 2021. Master Tech last performed work for us in 2022. As of 2024, we are hearing that they have shut their doors.
Oh no. That's too bad :(
That’s sad. I’m watching this video again because I want an extreme system on my Allegro Bus 45FP. Oh well… I’ll keep on looking. Has your system held up well over the years?
We went solar three years ago, when someone asks the question. How long till it pays off for it self. Answer, the first day I had the freedom to do what I wanted .
Thats a silly question for a solar system on a rv. The point of solar on a rv is to be able to go anywhere at anytime and have power. Only a house solar system would a pay off be a question worth asking.
@@randybobandy9828 Read his comment again.
if you source everything yourself and understand how to diy everything, its about 1-2 years when youre offsetting fuel at 4$/gal. about 4-6 years if youre offsetting home utility use. unfortunately labor is just so crazy expensive in the US that a lot of these systems will never break even. its kind of like repairing an old car. you are making doctor money by doing any kind of repair yourself but its probably not worth it if you have to hire out the work.
💯
@@vevenaneathna Any payback figures have to take into account use, I can't believe there would ever be a strictly cost payback, unless you do it yourself and figure the cost of boondocking vs full hook up resorts and nearly full time at that! 48V is great though, it doesn't have to be "extreme" on the cost scale, late 2024 there are 3kw all in one inverter, charger, solar controller units under $1k and a 5kwh battery a little over $1k, and not a whole lot else needed to convert an existing system. With a big enough solar system, use a small 12v converter to the chassis and put all the 12V loads on the chassis.
OMG, That's incredible!! Congratulations, absolutely love the way the solar is attached with no holes in the roof!
That was really interesting. Being able to run AC is kind of the Holy Grail of RV solar or any solar, house or RV. If you can do that, everything else is a subset. Nice state of the art system.
I look forward to reports on how this continues to work for you. Solar gives you so many options that are not always available. I love that you can plug into a 30 amp and still run like a 50 amp. Very creative. Happy journeys!
Finally, someone does what I dream of doing one day. Mounting the panels on a raised rail and not putting all those holes in the roof. It also provides a lot of shade on the roof with it full of panels and that means less air-conditioning needed to begin with. Throw in 48v and you are set for boon docking heaven. Great job!!!
I know this is an older video, but this is by far one of the best setups I’ve seen. The redundancy to charge your batteries is top shelf innovative thinking. Would love to see a follow up video now that you’ve used it in our on the road!full time.
We will definitely have follow up videos this year!
And any recent follow up?
I am glad you talked about this not being a money saving move. Not everything in life is about saving money. Quality of life and peace of mind is truly invaluable and not always the cheapest way to go. I'm really happy for you guys!!!
There's a difference between money saving and money blowing. $3600 for a 12V 300Ah LiFeP04 battery is money blowing. (I'm looking at their batteries and it seems to be $1200 per 1280wh)
@@ericklein5097 One man's stepping stone is another man's stumbling block. Same stone, different outcomes.
@@jlarm3 you wanna know how millionaires become millionaires and stay millionaires?
They're frugal. To quote my mother "if it isn't on sale we aren't buying it" is something I heard every time I went to the grocery store with her.
@@ericklein5097 I can appreciate what you are saying, but I don't agree with you. If you have the money to enjoy the finer things of life, why not? If I applied your way of thinking, everyone would be driving the cheapest car available. Are you?? I'll bet not! All cars do the same thing, but people still buy more expensive ones because they can afford them.
I just finished a pretty large system in my travel trailer that's going to let me run my air conditioner all night which lets us stay at campgrounds in Florida during the summer that don't have hookups. This is awesome because there are a lot less busy during the summer than full hookup ones.
That’s awesome, freedom to go where you want! 🙌🏻
That was awesome. I'm also planning on a 48V system for my RV for spring of next year. I just ordered a Quattro 48/10000/140 100/100 120V inverter/charger and 4 of the BBGC3 Battleborns. I should be getting those next week. For now, I'll be using them for backup power in my sticks and bricks in case I lose power this winter. But, early next spring, they'll go into the RV and I'll be hitting the road to explore this beautiful country of ours.
Yea. When I was planning on my large investment into the charger and batteries, others said why not wait a few years until the prices come down. Well, at 66 years old, it is dangerous to wait for tomorrow before enjoying things. We work all our lives. Now, after retirement, I'm going to travel and enjoy whatever number of healthy years I have left on this earth.
I love your videos. Health and Happiness!
Enjoy your new system and travels Peter! We agree... tomorrow is not guaranteed. Glad to hear you're going out to experience life. 😁
Just finished our 48v install with six 5120Wh server rack batteries, 5000W Victron inverters (x2), replaced all 3 AC's with Furrion adaptive speed AC units, 13 250w Rich Solar panels connected to our 10KW Onan generator. It was expensive but it seems to work great so far! Chose to leave out the alternator option because when we did the load analysis on the engine charging the batteries at 90A, it cost less gas to run the generator while driving by about 12%. Same with us as being 'all in'. We haven't spent a night in our diesel pusher (we'll be full-timing it), so we're very much alike! Jean at Off-Grid RV did an amazing job and provided a quality wiring diagram for our RV bumper to bumper warranty provider.
That system sounds awesome 🤩. Good luck with your fulltime journey, we are just about to hit six years fulltime! 😊
Thanks for getting this system and sharing your experiences with us. I know this kind of solar and lithium has been used in the last few years on Class B and Cs. But I didn't know that Class As are coming to prime time now. Will be interesting to see how you use and like yours!
Just listened to your 1 year review video, nice job! Very informative and useful information for new rv’ers. Ok…onto this one!
Thanks 😊
Thank you Tom and Stacy for sharing with us on TH-cam!
I'm impressed with your solar setup guys! Just think, you can now park on a cliff overlooking the ocean and stay now - as long as you want to, and only have to worry about having enough water and groceries! Pretty amazing way of life if you ask me! Congrats!
Thanks guys, great video, loved the new system, hopefully when I get back into RV'ing I can find a place to install a like system.. much appreciated the info!! THKS Doug!
Enjoyed your detailed video covering the installation of your 48 volt solar and lithium battery installation. Like the commenter below said, Perfection at its finest. Thanks.
Excellent video. You guys are at the tip of the spear with solar systems for RVs. I hope many of the RV manufacturers out there will take note and make these types of systems more available. This is the first solar video I've seen out there where they didn't punch your roof full of holes and then dump copious amounts of rubber sealant on your roof. Thanks for sharing.
Very Very happy for you all, we all not getting younger, you all did it in the right time. You all relax and kick your feet up. Very good videos
THIS IS THE FUTURE: 48 VOLTS. A system like this is not only UL Listed and SAFE, but, it cuts out the pollution (global warming) caused by generators that have no emissions control. Lithionics Battery is very passionate about offering 12, 24 and 48 volt systems. Your RV is just amazing and a real show piece. You must be proud of what you did. Thanks for showing it to the world.
Thanks so much Steve! We are very happy with our setup.
One hell of a great set up. I can understand your going to some over the top, I'm a "what if guy", now your covered, no worries. Be looking forward to more videos of your travels and updates of your home. Safe Travels
I host for the US Forest Service in a campground in northern WI and have considered doing something similar to my Camper. Currently I have about 500 watts of solar charging a single 12V 150 Amp LiFePO4 battery with a 1000W Pure Sine Wave inverter for the computer, TV, etc. When I want to run the AC I have to go to the generator which is not my favorite option. I was considering going 48V to get a bigger inverter and was stuck on the 12V side of things. You definitely gave me some ideas. Thank you.
You’re welcome ☺️
Great video, love the detail of the installation and equipment used. Thanks!
You’re welcome ☺️
We haven’t watched yet but extremely excited. We are going to get some chicken wings, beer, kick back and enjoy 😊 thank guys for taking the time to create these great videos. Cheers!
Love your new RV, the new solar add makes it even better. Safe travels and we'll be watching for you!!!
Awesome video and wow what a system you’ve put together. Looking forward to following your future travels unhooked!
Should be fun!
WOW! That is some serious "Tim the Tool Man" solar up there! We want to do the same on ours! Now you can get out there and enjoy!
Very impressive! The feeling of freedom and not having to concern yourselves with hookup availabllity, parked or rolling down the road is worth whatever you paid. Congratulations!
Thank you for all the great content! You have inspired my husband and I to get out on the road. Just bought our first RV a 2020 Class C Entegra Odyssey 24B! Hope to meet you some day on the road!
What a set up!!!! You will be comfortable where ever you go now.
That's the plan Vernon. 😁 We're loving it so far.
That is an AMAZING system!!! Is it possible to know ballpark cost?
Yes any idea?
Just an incredible system. The new solar benchmark for sure.
I have aich aller motorhome that i am installing my 800w arrays on and i know getting the attention to detail right is HARD it takes time and a LOT of messing with this and that until you finally get it dialed in and then and ONLY then can you start installing. This was VERY well done great job guys!
Thanks Chris, good luck on your installation
Awesome setup... :-) so badgering the better half to get out and do this life style. Would you share what that solar setup cost you?
Might of missed it but what was total cost?
Truly an awesome setup. Thank you so much for sharing all this information. Safe travels.
Hey y’all! We hope you enjoyed this tour of our RV’s 48 volt solar and lithium setup! It was a HUGE project, but we are loving the results! If you missed the first 2 episodes in this series, you can watch them here: Inside Tour: th-cam.com/video/YXWfv9mFzRU/w-d-xo.html , Outside Tour: th-cam.com/video/p3drc3GfbAk/w-d-xo.html . And you’ll find the Padre Island video we mentioned here: th-cam.com/video/nA1Z1LJ4bLY/w-d-xo.html
OK team welcome to the drinking video for the week!! Whoo hoo! Here's the challenge. Each time his wife interrupts him, talking over him, take a shot and counts each one! The first husband/wife team to get the right answer wins the pot for the week! It can get hard to keep count at the end if you're keeping up with the shots! Lol. Let's have a great week! I found this video when looking at the solar installation. Since we did the same thing, we simply added 8 5120wh server rack batteries. Have fun!
😂 that’s really funny! 😄
Fantastic setup great video
We love it, thanks!
Definitely the largest solar ive seen on a rig ! Well done peace of mind and redundancy and RVs go hand and hand.
Awesome! Having it now was definitely the way to go! Live your best lives!
Thanks
Great video. Very impressive setup.
Thanks Anthony! 😊
Oh btw? Thin film Solar awnings are now coming to market as well.
That will be interesting 🧐
Very nicely produced video. Lots of good info here. I am curious about the 48vdc belt driven generator. Who makes this? I would expect that you would need a dc-dc Charger to take that output and do multistage charging of the batteries. Like a 48-48 version of a sterling.
I don’t know who makes the alternator but Mastertech RV does!
We’re having our 48v solar system installed in a couple of weeks. We will have 2520 watts of solar and 8-300ah lithium batteries. It’s a large investment, but it’s what we want. So we are rite there with you on off grid RVing. And we’re also full time RV’ers. Would love to connect with you at some point. We too are FMCA members.
Wow, that’s an incredible system, how do you fit all those batteries? Good luck on the install & keep us up to date! Look forward to meeting up on the road one day! 😊
@@rvamericayall
I’ll let you know how it goes. I’ll send some photos to. Safe travels.
Sounds awesome, good luck 👍🏻
Very interesting, looking forward to updates on the road.
Whoa--now that's an impressive solar set-up! Well done!
Thanks!
Great video! It is so interesting to see how Master Tech pieced it all together. We totally understand your choice (greater flexibility), your timing (life is too short) and your discretion. We look forward to seeing you next month! Have a great time with Grammy Kay.
❤❤❤
The solar options are endless, so exciting! So well thought out. Hiring the professionals imo is worth the money & I 💜 the redundancy. I wish you all the best.
Thanks so much!
8 solar panels and I want to see end caps sealed on the sub structure before the install. Tom and Stacy need to have the best as full time RV'rs.
Awesome Solar you two! can not wait to follow your results as I follow you two!
Better to have too much than not enough as weather permits. Now that we are back to normal are we going to see some cooking, hiking, Star/Astro videos. Both of you plus Granny Kay mean a lot to me so please be careful in your travels. Hope you have a great security set up as times have changed. I do care ok. Can't wait to see you back on the road doing what you do best. Love y'all and thanks.
Maybe is a crazy question. You have dull batteries and the charging is stopped. Is it possible to use solar power than for electricity while the batteries stay full and use them at night when there is no sun...
That’s a great question but no the way our solar is setup it’s to charge the batteries.
Unbelievable setup, congrats, I’m totally blown away, enjoy
Thanks so much Willy!
Mount Comfort RV had a used 2018 New Aire with basically the same set up. I believe Master Tech did that work as well.
You’re right Tom. We know the folks who were the first owners of that coach and had the install done. It’s a 12 volt system. Their next New Aire is the first 48 volt system that Master Tech completed.
I thought I heard one of you claim that you could run your lithium batteries down to almost 0 Volts.
Just a word of caution. You infact can only run the South down to about 3.2 V if I remember correctly. Others will chime in and correct me cuz I'm sure I have that wrong but I know it's not very far below there. Charge capacity when looking at voltage. Aside from that I have super much solar battery Envy. You guys did an awesome job and you're probably up the top two or three solar installs out there.
you guys go!!!!!!!!!!!! I love it and your life style, BUT I think you over did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love It ThomyT
Just ran into this video for the first time. Subscribed and gave a thumbs up. Started looking for an approximate price but didn’t find one. Will unsubscribe and move on to other videos.thanks for the install video.
Holy cow guys. That’s insane. Love the work they did! If we ever run into each other I’ll plug into your coach!
Wow! Those guys are good. Hot temps are definitely my limitation in my new camper. I have a solar package that runs everything, but no AC in Texas is no fun. I had a similar experience this summer in Manzano Mountains where I thought it would be cool enough with no hook ups. Wrong! Thankfully the camp host moved me to a full hook up site for no extra money. It was during the heat wave. I would love to have a set up to have ac sans a generator.
Well the wait was worth it, your solar set up is awesome and good for you guys! I will definitely check out Master Tech for our system installation but at a much less extensive and I'm sure less expensive system, still your system is envious!!
Congrads....see ya out there
I was so excited for you both and have been waiting to watch all of the changes that you’ve made. It so nice to see that you’ve tried to maximise the solar energy available to you and allow you both to rv in total comfort from now on, and all without compromising the integrity of the roof itself.
Not drilling any holes is so impressive in itself to accommodate everything, my only concern is regarding the future maintenance of the roof and accessories on it, i.e. ensuring it’s weatherproof and being able to seal anything that will require annual maintenance etc...
I was asked by the techs at Newell about solar installations and I asked why the industry install solar like it currently does, i.e. placing solar panels side by side. I suggested that instead they design it a different way. One where the panels could be placed in a rack (on top of each other and end to end) that can then be moved to cantilever not only over the roof area when access to the roof isn’t required but, also extended and cantilevered over the other way, i.e. over the side of the extended rv awnings.
I can’t wait to see you both enjoying the fruits of your labour from this side of the pond here in England (Brexitland 🇪🇺🤭), take care y’all, party 🎉 🎈 time. 🤗👍🏻😉
Check out the video of the fifth wheel off grid buddy plug solar set up. He has what your talking about. With electric levers that cascade another full set of 8 panels out over the slides. It produces so much solar power for him that he can even allow others to plug into his rig and actually give them 500 watts of continuous power without limiting himself. Lithium and solar are the wave of the future for class a rv’s. Liberty coach has been using lithium that you can run all air conditioners on since 2012.
@@lukeelwood2391 sounds great, how do I find it?
I"ve been watching this video a lot. We are researching solar for our Tiffin 45 OPP that we will be living in. Do you recall the weight of just the rail system?? Thank you for sharing this video and information.
We didn’t weigh it so I’m not sure. We waited till the whole system was done to weigh and we were really good. It’s an aluminum frame so it didn’t add that much weight. The company that did it for us is having financial issues right now so I would look for someone else if you are looking into it!
@@rvamericayall Thank you for the update. Hope all is well with you guys.
Beautiful RV very nice people but how much did the system cost
It costs a bunch but our system is very unique and things have changed a ton since then so we are not sharing that because a normal system is sooo much less and we don’t want to discourage anyone from looking into it!
Great presentation! Solar power to the max. Glad that you received Tax Credit. Hope to do the same with my RV. Best, Steve from Western Mass.
Keep removing the obstacles that hold you back from chasing your dreams. Enjoy to the max.
Proud of y'all
Thanks 😊
Absolutely fantastic. Love it. Looking forward to hearing more how it does. Totally understand the reasoning for the investment and totally agree. Just great.
Wow that’s impressive and more or less how much was everything because I would love to have those in my rv
Close to six figures
When you said no holes in the roof, you attached to the rails, what rails are you referring to? How did you attach your new solar frames to the roof without penetrating the roof?
The grid attached to the awning rails not the roof!
How does a solar tax incentive work in an RV. We have been told no to tax incentives for an rv install. Please explain. Thank you.
It is our home!
Congratulations on installing a state-of-the-art system. 48-volt is definitely the way to go for a whole bunch of reasons. Plus, your Onan genny will have reduced runtime and therefore a longer time between maintenance intervals. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Duncan! We’re really happy with it.
@@rvamericayall It's the future for RV's. :-)
Hello well im starting my solar adventure with an Ecoflow Delta Pro and 10 200 watt panels for my 40 feet RV, those roof air conditioners are a joke on any RV, im thinking about going the mini split route but i already have a couple of Kapsul Air Conditioners, those things use a fractions of the energy, and i think the best for heating would be the famous 'Chinese Diesel Heater' that uses a fraction, well who know if there is ever any apocalypse type of scenario, only a few will surive, great info in your vid, enjoy ur RV :)
Very neat set up Y'all!! Bet you are enjoying all of that solar! We appreciate the 6 solar panels we have.
Thanks so much y’all! We’re loving it.
Love your system. All I need to do it is the pretty penny to do it. Enjoy your freedom!
Great Rv. I know y’all will have many great adventures in it. Hope to meet down the road and see it in person.
Thanks Dennis!
I have a 40 ft motorhome with 4,350 watts of solar, 15,360 watts of battery (48 volt system), and a 6,000 watt 240/120 split phase inverter. been running it for 2 years, in sunny parts of the US I save about $75 a month on shore power bill. Went boondocking out west for 27 straight days, only solar for power. System has been working good, I can run AC, electric hot water, heat pump, what ever I need on solar. The cost was $8k with no labor.
Wow 🤩 That’s incredible, congrats on the setup and somehow making it economical! I would love to see your system!!!
Which vendor did you use for your installation?
I did all the design, purchase, and install of my system
1) 30 hours on battery power sweet 2) your red color with stripes is really an awesome look 🌻
Thanks Jimmie!
Holy shitbtme himevyiu say cstvrun stiff overc24 hur on solar bster t s
So what was the cost??
A lot! 😂 Really not relevant now because it was totally custom to us and the cost on everything has changed so much since we did it. Don’t want to discourage someone to look into it for their needs & get a price for what they need!
Wow well done…I am speechless! Congratulations
Awesome video even if I'm seeing it 2 years later. The real question is how are the coach MFGers not incorporating this capability from the factory. With LiFePo now under $200/kwh it's very realistic to have 20kwh of battery power onboard. With a dedicated alternator (or starter/generator) on the cummins for battery charging and solar on the roof it kinds of makes you wonder if the standalone generator could be deleted for cost savings/offsetting. Its also kind of makes you wonder why any coach would have 12v dc anything instead of standardizing on 120v ac. There's been so many advancements in hybrid inverters that I think if you did this today the electronics would be1/2 the cost. Victron's are bulletproof, but they are expensive because they are based on low frequency (transformer) vs. digital high frequency (IGBT).
I really wonder when the coach builders will get Cummins to do a hybrid diesel with a ~40kwh battery. That really is the perfect match. The batteries could improve fuel economy while driving up/down hills or start/stop, but then also provide the power necessary to boondock once you get somewhere. It seems like today coaches are just a spider's nests of power....diesel engine, diesel generator, diesel hot water heater, propane, solar, batteries, inverters, and shore power. IHMO.....Time for a clean sheet
What you did makes perfect sense. I'm just cost curious
This is a BEAST of a system. Probably cost more than my house🤣😂but if you’ve got it, it’s certainly worth it!! Beautiful!
Wow that’s a beautiful set up!!
Thanks so much!
Does that 12v battery crank the generator?
Not sure but I think the chassis batteries crank the generator? 🤷♂️
Should have went with a
D/C Heat/A/C pump, no current lose, will run directly off the panels also
😎
Great system guys, if you don't mind a few questions: 1. how did you get the solar power from the roof to the basement? 2. Approximately how much weight did you add to the roof? The position of this weight would move the CG in the vertical position, have you noticed any change in side-to-side motion especially when going around a curve? Did you contact Newmar engineering to get advise on the extra weight up on the roof? Obviously this was expensive, is it possible to provide some information on the cost of the components and labor? I don't know how you feel about providing more technical information for those of us who are interested in such stuff but I, and perhaps others, would like to know more technical information such as why did you go with the external BMS versus the batteries with the internal BMS and if these batteries have internal heating ability why the external bay heaters? Thanks for you great videos.
Everything I'd like to know as well. Please share
I have 6 390w panels on my 1999 31ft class a(1999 f53 triton v10) only 14000lbs empty and its an absolute handful if the road and wind isn't perfect, but thats the nature of an older lighter rv without air suspension. If you have a newer diesel pusher thats about 20000lbs or more with air ride, you won't know the 200-300+ lbs of panels are up there.
How much did your entire system cost including installation (solar, batteries, integration, etc)?
A lot! 😂
We were just finishing the specs for our 48v system when we saw this video. Great stuff! Our system will be about half the size of yours, but will also have a rack system on top (much better than screwing, gluing, and Dicoring). We were wondering if your AC units are 12v or 110? Thanks!
The A/C control boards are 12 volt but the A/C runs on 110!
After hearing your explanations for your solar panels , it seems to me this should be an add on for all motor homes. I didn’t know of those restrictions and obstacles that can occur in motor homes.
We are really happy with the solar and lithium modifications, but it does add to the cost. And a lot of RVers only go to campgrounds where they are plugged into power.
I have 2040 watts on my 28' travel trailer, which I had no help installing - I can actually add another 200 watts on the roof if I learn to fly
That’s awesome!
You don't need the length of the battery cables to be the same. Your batteries have a bms in them that makes sure to top balance any individual cell if they become out of balance.
Good luck with that, we will agree to disagree! 😊
@RV Texas Y'all it's not about disagreeing. It's just the how it is. A Bms job is to balance lithium cells. A few feet of cable length difference won't matter, especially if the amperage being put in is far lower than the cable is capable of handling.
I’d say just talk with Lithionics, the ONLY UL approved Lithium battery company out there. They make the batteries for US Military and ask their opinion, which I know is probably the most educated company period on this subject. I trust them and nobody else, that’s where I got my information from. Like I said, I big enough to say we can agree to disagree and good luck with however you want to do it.
You guys could power up a small town!
Would you please do a 6 month follow up video?! Amazing solar array!
Wow!!! Happy and safe travels!
Thanks Brendan! We plan to do a lot of camping this year that will really put our system to the test. And we will absolutely share how it performs. Stay tuned!
I called the place that did this and they said they just did one for $90K. 4 batteries at $8K apiece. That buys a lot of hotel rooms when it's too hot at night without A/C.
Love the set up!! Learning a lot from ya'll. Just a question about if you encounter hail how will it stand up to it?
So can u talk about what u had to tweek with ur new system to get it just right
The Silverleaf system
Really want to know more about the other components. the Inverter is one part. Did you keep any 12v config, or totally strip the 12v out? Any converters down to other on board voltages?
Our normal 12 volt system is still there we just have 2 DC to DC Victron 48 to 12 volt converters so the coach can use the power to operate things like the lights, control boards, silver leaf & so on.
Without giving exact about can you give out roughly what it cost to do this? Wife and I will be making the move in roughly a yr. And will be going trough NIRVC (as it stands right now) we love watching angie in her vids and have read a lot of nice things about NIRVC. Also the tire monitor system and the proteng fire system 👍🏻👍🏻 thank you
We totally agree with NIRVC, don’t think we would ever buy from anyone else & you can call Tim with Mastertech RV in Elkhart, Indiana to discuss pricing & what you would need for your situation. We’re not discussing $ because ours is way extreme & I don’t want to scare you away from solar & lithium because of what we had done & paid. Best of luck on your RV purchase & solar setup!
I didn't see any of your actual costs for this rebild. How much for parts and labor?
Thanks for watching but our system is soooo different that we don’t want to discourage folks from doing a normal or even a setup like ours since pricing is changing so fast on this kind of thing. If you are looking for a system you can call Mastertech RV in Elkhart Indiana. Good luck!
That's a 30-50k system
Wow what great setup! Thanks for sharing!🖖🏻👍🏻😘🙏🏻