Very nice set up and very well explained.👌 'PV' would mean: PhotoVoltaic. Basically, turning light into electricity. Oh...sorry, was too fast...the answer was already given, down below, by: 'Jonas & Tiffany Stephens' & 'David C'. 😇
I paid $450 for 3,010 watts. They are 4 years old and have zero snail trails. Came from a solar farm that was upgrading. Basically I paid $0.15 per watt
@@TheirHappyTrails sorry I made a mistake, I actually paid 650 for 3,050 watts. Bringing me to $0.21 per watt. Still a great deal tho. Like I said they are 4-5 years old and came from a solar farm who was upgrading to bifacial panels. I had to drive 3.5 hours to get them but my wife and I just chocked it up as a road-trip date.
This is by far the best explanation and walk through of a Victron solar system. You helped me so much in understanding things. I am literally copying almost your whole setup. THANK YOU!!!!
As Stone Inc said.. hands the best explanation. Getting to see exactly what you're talking about helps my brain make sense of the words. They should hire you to do their online How To's. Great work Matt & Thank you!!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I've had a lot of anxiety about building my electrical system properly on my 14' cargo trailer conversion. The thought of designing a box to contain everything needed, wiring, and building the rest of my micro environment around it all; only, to have to go back and make corrections after-the-fact has been a maddening vision. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the rescue!
Just like many other comments above, your explanation is the best! Is your system powered by the bus while you are driving? Did you have to get a 12 to 24 adapter coming from the bus alternator? What are your thoughts about using the 3M VBH tape to hold solar panel brackets to the roof of your bus? Can’t wait to watch your plumbing video!
Hey! Thank you! I’m glad the video was helpful. No, the bus doesn’t charge the batteries the batteries, although I wish I would have added it lol. And I can’t speak on using adhesive. I do know that the panels take a lot of wind pressure, and I wouldn’t do it. But I know some of it is insanely strong.
Thanks for sharing your solar setup and explaining how it all works together. This subject is a complicated one for me but your simple step by step approach really helped demystify some of this challenge. It would have been great if girls in my day were encouraged to study electronics back in high school; it would be better to learn this at a younger age. I am trying to prepare myself to get a bus and to actually understand how the systems work. In case of a failure, I don’t want to be completely helpless. Thanks again
I certainly never learned this stuff in school either! All from TH-cam and experience. It’s really actually pretty simple once i actually built the solar system and took the time to try to learn. I’m glad the video was helpful to you!
Will be installing this same system but will be using the aluminum mounting bars for the panels just to give it that corrosion resistance and heavy wind resistance also I can attach my deck to them as well thanks so much for walking through this it’s just what I needed!!
It seems as if you and us are on the same trail but headed in different directions. We are a family of 4 who purchased a bus and gutted it but decided to come to Mexico for a trial run before finishing out our bus. We drove from Texas to PDC, then went to Merida, and now we are in Tuxtla GTZ!
Awesome job!!! Very thorough!! Just what I needed….this stuff is so complicated and I really appreciate the quality differences that you covered in some of the components!
Fantastic video! I'm at exactly this stage right now and will definitely be watching again and again as I progress. I did already pick up brand new panels off FB marketplace - not as good a deal as you got, but I paid $.65/watt. Got a total of 1520 watts which will completely cover my shuttle bus roof(except where the fan is). Thanks again!
Great explanation on what each part plays in your power production and usage. I think I understand how solar works a little better. Great info for me as I'll be building a cargo trailer conversion soon.
Great explanations on the solar. Thank you so much for making this! The inverter explanation was so thorough and wow, what a powerhouse you have there. You should do more like this =)
Thank you Andrea! I’m glad you got something out of video! I really appreciate the feed back! I would love todo more like this! Do you have any ideas for me to explain?!
Should include that a lot of solar panels will have higher amps than his so you'll need to get a charge controller with 250 volts capacity so you can run the panels in series without overloading the mc4 connectors. The 250/70 from victron is usually cheaper than the 150/100
Soo much information, this is incredibly overwhelming. We are looking at buying a converted MCI and it's currently setup for only running shore power. I'm imagining it'll be incredibly difficult to retrofit a system like this with the bus already finished inside?
Probably addressed earlier but beware, the Victron Multiplus 3000 is not a 3000 watt output but a 3000 volt amp output with a .8 power factor. That means it's a 2400 watt output inverter. These are very reliable inverters but they are not 3000 watts.
Thank you for sharing this! We bought everything you added in the description through your links. I do have a question, hoping you can answer. If we bought 1 more battery could be buy less solar panels? We found some solar panels for sale on fb market and they are 335w each, to get 2,800-3,000w of solar we would need to buy 8-9 panels. That would take up so much of our roof space, and I don't recall seeing any buses with that many darn solar panels on their roofs!
You might be able to find panels that have a higher wattage. And the more batteries the better! The more panels the faster the charge. The more batteries, the more storage. Typically, if you have more batteries, you want more solar, so they completely recharge in one day. When it comes to batteries more is always better! If you want to save space on your roof, you can do solar plus have a small generator to charge your batteries on occasion when you need it. Sorry for the slow response! I did not see the comment.
Oddball question for you. Say you built this system for a part time Rv. Is there a way to take all this solar energy you're making and put it into your home when you're not on the road? Kinda of like a portable solar farm.
Yes, absolutely. I would guess you would have to outputs from your panels. One that goes into your system in the Rv, and one that out to your house. I’m not exactly sure how it would be done, but I would assume it’s definitely possible
Well the main reason is that DC ac units at the time of building the bus were very expensive, and not that great for cooling a bus the size of ours. I’m sure how they are now, or if they have gotten better and less expensive so it’s worth looking into
Awesome video. Exactly what I was looking for. Adding mini split to my Shuttle Bus. ‘24 overall length. I can only add about 2k watt solar, with less solar than yours, can I just up my AH to make up? I was thinking 2k watt dolor and 800ah lith battery’s.
love the build. I am in the solar panel install phase. So I'm curious why you decided to use the angle brackets to mount the struts in stead of just mounting the struts to the bus? Also how are the panels holding up and how many times do you check on them to tighten? Thanks in advance!
Hey there! We used the angle brackets to mount the Uni-strut to compensate for the curve of the bus. The struts would not be flat without the brackets, causing issues mounting the panels. We sold the bus earlier this year but talk with the new owner constantly. The panels are holding up great and only need to be checked occasionally.
Hi... I have a question about your solar setup. What brand solar panels with specs (VMP, IMP, VOC, ISC) are you using? Also, how do you have them configured, series/parallel? Great video and very nice skollie. Thanks Steve
Hey Steve! They are sunpower solar panels. They are 87v panels and we run them in Parallel. Monocrystal panels. I’m not sure what VMP, IMP, VOC, or ISC is. I’d love to know tho if you don’t mind!
@@TheirHappyTrails VMP-Maximum Power voltage, IMP- Maximum Power Current, VOC-Open Circuit Voltage, ISC-Short Circuit Current. So you have all 6 in Parallel or combination Parallel and Serial?
Pv= photovoltaic. The ability to convert solar energy into usable power. So I'm assuming on these larger pannel arrays that make 2000+w need a surge/ short protection. Hence a pv breaker. The 150a breaker on the battery is for the outbound power. The pv breaker is for the incoming power off the panels. At least that's what I understand of it
@@TheirHappyTrails I did... we want to give the skoolie life a try in another state. And the power system is my only worry. But this vid put some of my questions to rest.
We like y'alls set up the best and are working on mimicking it! And overall, we had an idea for our bus layout we have been working on and we started watching y'alls videos and kept saying "hey! that's how we want to do it!" or "oh cool, they have a very similar set up" so we were definately drawn to this electrical set up. Overall, it looks like all of this fits into the under part of the L couch? If so, what were the dimensions of this part of your L couch? Just so we are leaving enough room for the same exact set up, thank you!!
Hey!! So glad this video and our set up is feeding into your ideas!! That part of couch is about 2 feet wide by 3.5 feet long, and 1.5 feet tall! If you have any other questions feel free to ask!
@@TheirHappyTrails yes, we have a document and copy and pasted all of your links there so we know exactly what to buy AND to be sure to use those links! We are very aware of how helpful those links can be for people who take the time to make these AWESOME videos/resources so we will definitely return the favor!
Just a little back story- we are two single women with corporate jobs and we are bringing our 3 dogs (So lots of dependable electricity for work and cooling/heating for the pups, and dependable internet). It sounds like you all use a lot of energy and work from home as well so we were hoping to know if you did any kind energy audit table/chart? That way we can see if ours is fairly comparable? The first one we did seemed outrageous w/ the amount of energy we needed, so I'm assuming we are off on a few things.
Hello, thank you for this video! What is the benefit of a 24v inverter instead of a 12v inverter if you also run a converter? I am new to electrical work so sorry if this is a weird question.
Hey! I’ll make a video as a reply to this! But before I do that I answer your question here. When you have heavy 110v loads like AC, heat, hot water heat, etc, it makes the jump from 24v to 110v much easier with smaller cables. When running a 12v system, the amps gets really high when your running heavy loads, and things get hotter easier. Does that make sense?
Great video! Can I ask how you came up with the correct PV Solar breaker and size? Ill have about 1460 watts of solar (4 panels 47.6 voc / 365w / 9.78 isc) strung in series. 24v Victron multiplus 3000 system. 2 12v 300ah lifepo4 in series. 250/60 solar charger. Hoping I' m doing things somewhat correct. This stuff is confusing me but honestly your video really helps. Best one out there. I'd really appreciate any help.
Hey man! Glad the video was helpful! To find the correct size breaker for the solar panels you were just want to calculate with the amps are coming out of the solar panels into the solar charge controller. Also, the solar charge controller is right at the max of what your panels will push out. 1460÷24 V equal 60 (amps going to your batteries from the charge controller) So if your panels are ever fully pushing out that water edge, it might strain the solar charge controller a little bit. Should be fine because the panels will not usually hit the full watts but you don’t want it to go over. It’s always better to over size the charge controller. And just remember, don’t over think it! Learning the basic math of adding amps and volts will be really helpful. And then it’s just wiring red to red and black to black! If you have other questions email me at theirhappytrails@gmail.com You can also go to our website www.theirhappytrails.com to learn more about our bus!
@@TheirHappyTrails that clears things up alot! I can bump up to 250/70 or maybe even a 250/80. I'll have to price them out. So, as far as the breaker, my panels are 9.78 isc and they will be in series , so just like 10amp breaker or should I go maybe a little higher to like 15 or 20? I appreciate your help.
@@jim-kj2wh awesome! You’ll always want to go a little high, so the 15a would be good. The breaker will be for big shorts which will pop a 15amp breaker. But if you go to small to extra safe it might pop because the panels are hitting that voltage. Just make sure it’s also rated for that voltage!
@@jim-kj2wh also, I have a lot of experience on this subject, and never had a issue. At the same time, I’m not an expert or licensed electrician. I am confident in what I’m telling you, but if it sound off to you then research it first 👍👍
Hi!! Love the vid, very well explained the only thing is how do you run say appliances like fridges and washer/dryer? Maybe doesn’t pertain to this but I’m very curious, I want to get some info on how you can do all this before starting my build. So I don’t know how to hook up electrical and don’t really know what to do lol. Do you know any sources that could help me understand or could you perhaps explain?
Hey there! This is Matt. To run all your 110v (house hold) appliances you will need a inverter. I help a lot of people with their builds and offer consulting! If that interest you you can go to our website and get in contact. Www.theirhappytrails.com
Great job very nice system. How many hours can you run your mini split when boondocking with full sun???? I was thinking of a 48v all in one inverter system and the same size solar array , any thoughts on that ??? Thank you for your time happy trails
We can run our mini splits all day with good sun, and at night time we can run one of them for about 3 hours. More battery store would make our system perfect 👍
Meaning they do not hold voltage? If that's the case, the battery cells are dead and will need to be replaced. But make sure you put a good charger to the batteries before replacing them to make sure.
I'm mimicking your setup. Just using 200ah batteries in 24v instead of your 300ah same brand. Question can you or did you run a Dc/DC charger from your bus? I'm not sure on what to buy or if we can even with the 24v system. It wouldn't be the 12/12 one and my bus isnt a 24v charging system for the 24/12..... any Input last piece to buy before I can start physical layout. Thank you
Great video! Question: do the inverter/charger and solar MPPT controller work together to charge the batteries? If you're connected to shore power and the battery charger is in float mode, does the solar controller lower its voltage too?
Yes that is correct! They do work together. So the MPPT detects the higher voltage when the charger is on. Remember the power assisted part of the inverter? When the MPPT detects the voltage start to drop, even when we are plugged in, the solar will start to kick in with the inverter to create the power we are using. Joining the shore power and solar/batteries for extra power
Matt, I duplicated your system but I have one question...might be basic, but I'm an entry-level electrician...what did you ground the Lynx Distributor to? Since it's 24v, I'm confused. Also, great video! I've watched it more times than I can to admit...LOL,
Hey there! Good question. Just ground to the bus! But if you have already grounded your batteries, you don’t need to ground the Lynx again because the Lynx is an extension of the batteries. I’m really glad the video is helpful! Make me really happy to hear that! -Matt
@@TheirHappyTrails Thanks for the quick response! To be clear, do you have your batteries grounded in that video and if so, to what/how? I've learned a TON but I still question myself. Also, can't wait to finish this build so we have time to catch up on your new content!
Hi, did you say that you are using a 100amp solar charge controller? For 2800watts (2800/24=116.16 amps), don't you need more than 100amp? I am working on putting my system together and all the info I am finding suggests 2 60amp or more controllers... I am confused.. any advice .. thank you
Hey! Yes, that absolutely an opinion, but more power is always better! I could have added a alternator charger to the system, but didn’t actually need one. Another thing to is if we were off-grid for a month I didn’t want to be starting to the engine to charge everyday. Moral of the story is the more solar the better if you have large power needs like an ac unit 👍👍
how did you get the Unistrut to stay parallel with the solar panels using the 90 brackets? did you bend them past 90 to account for the curve in the roof?
Awesome question. This is Matt here We used the washers in the link below to build up the 90’s to make them flat, with about 3”x1/2” bolts through the roof of the bus. So the out edge of the 90 has the washers while the inner edge is on the roof of the bus. amzn.to/3Jmgz4I Hope this helps! It’s been a great way to mount the panels with zero issues
Do your batteries come equipped with the 200A BMS system? Your video is the only thing I can find that says these batteries will work with Victron multi plus. Also, the MPPT says the battery supply must be protected with a max 140A fuse. Does having the 150A do damage?
Hey, I can see why you might be having a hard time figuring this stuff out. A word of advice to not complicate things. Any battery will work with a multiplus. The BMS is in every lithium battery, and if it’s not do buy it. Also, the size of the fuse has no impact at all on the operation of the system. The only thing the fuse does is if more amps is passing through it will pop and stop the flow of electricity. It’s just for safety. The only difference is that the 150 amp fuse will cut the power if 150 A is pass-through it instead of 140 also that 150 amp circuit breaker is just for the batteries. Everything else has fuses independently within the victron fuse panel. Hope that clears it up a little
One more question I have…I see you have the smart sense battery monitor and the smart shunt. Looking at the distributor, I see that it can only be powered by a lynx shunt ve. can. Why did you decide not to go with that one? Thank you so much for clearing things up, by the way. This video was super helpful.
I’m the manual, it says it’s powered by the rj10 cable that connects either to a Lynx smart BMS (Victron batteries only) or a Lynx shunt Ve.can and if neither is used, must be powered by an alternative source by altering the rj10 cable. Do the batteries count as the alternative source making the rj10 cable irrelevant? I didn’t see the rj10 in your setup so I was wondering how you made that work.
I bought this same setup and mine is having issues getting enough power to the inverter. Not sure if it's an issue on my end, but is there anyway I could get some help?
@@TheirHappyTrails the inverter states low charge and according to the app it's only getting 13.4 V of power. Not sure if I'm just impatient for the batteries to charge up or if I might've hooked something up wrong, but I could send pictures if you that would help?
Looking to use this set up on our bus. Question. Does the app require data usage? Or can i use bluetooth to view system when we are not in cell service?
Hi Matt Just wanted to mention the system can also be monitored from the internet from anywhere using Victron website as long as you are connected to internet and have the system on wireless from my understanding. Good job explaining
Yes it did. But you have to source the panels like I mentioned in the video to get them for less expensive. If you buy them brand new from the manufacturer you’ll pay a lot more
I am running 3 of the 12v 200amp batteries and was wondering if i could still use the orion converter? Im trying to figure out a way to still use 12 v but 12 v kind of confuses me at times
@@TheirHappyTrails Sorry, I was a little sleepy when I posted that comment. Im in the process of building out my bus and designing the electrical system. Im usually really good with electrical but solar is a new step for me. I plan on having 9 450 watt panels with 4, 12v 200ah batteries ran in series.
Very east. Just get a dc dc charger and wire it from the bus battery to the house battery. Make sure it’s a good DC To DC charger and is meant for going from lead acid to lithium batteries
Hey, they are in the description. As well as all the other components I used. And yes, they did very. I mainly use 16 gauge wire for all my lights and other 12 V plugs and switches, 10 gauge wire for the solar panels, and two gauge wire for the batteries and other bigger components but you need to size your systems out before youwire it up. You may want to make sure that your wires are big enough for your needs.
@@TheirHappyTrails I did see the wire you listed and ordered some. Thank you for doing that! I just wondered if component to component if it was different. I'm setting up the same system as you due to the similarities in our buses. Residential fridge, two mini splits..etc
@@michellepickard awesome!! In the video the thick wires are the 2 gage. Pretty much everything within the electrical box used the two gauge. The batteries, the lynx’s distributor, the inverter, and everything else that carries a load. Then the 16 gauge that everything else. For your 12v water pump, you may want to use a little bit of a thicker wire. Maybe a 10 gauge wire. If you’re using diesel heaters, you can also use 10 gauge for that. But pretty much everything else for a 12 gauge electrical system can be 16 gauge wire. Like your lights, charging port, and mostly everything else that have a low electrical load.
Depends what you mean. The main DC wires come from the distributor to the multi plus. But they don’t communicate through the app. Does that answer your question?
Hey there! Matt here. They are 80v panels wired in Parallel. Keeping the voltage at 80v. If you are looking todo solar on your rig, I would search for high voltage panels like we have. Rv focused solar companies are the only ones that use 24 V or less. Residential and solar farms are all high-voltage panels for a reason 🤘🏼👌🏻
@@TheirHappyTrails how did you get the Unistrut to stay parallel with the solar panels using the 90 brackets? did you bend them past 90 to account for the curve in the roof?
lol… clearance was 12 foot 6 inches. There isn’t many bridges that low… I didn’t cover the clearance because that changes for every single bus. For example, we did a roof raise on our bus which would make it much different than any other bus.
Thank you for that information. I'm taking the leap of faint in joining the skoolie community. It was irritating me that I cannot find a single person taking about the original height of buses and I know that the legal limit is 13'6. I plan on raising because I'm 6'3 and I don't think I'd like living full-time bending over in my home on wheels but not too much because I need room for solar. Thanks to your reply I now know ever bus is different which seems odd because they're mass produced but that explains why no one covering it.
Hey! Are you trying to build a solar system yourself? I did try my best to explain what each items does, but if your still having trouble with electrical I offer one on one consulting to help people with their builds and solar systems
All products links are in the description 🤘🏼🤘🏼 hope this video was helpful!
Very nicely explained. As I'll bgin my bus / truck conversion next year, this was SUPER helpful 👌
Do you have schematics posted anywhere?
@@bartholomewnash4510 no I do not. -Matt
@@TheirHappyTrails Thanks
What was used to wire the solar in parallel? combiner box, 6 to 1 Y Branch?
Very nice set up and very well explained.👌
'PV' would mean: PhotoVoltaic. Basically, turning light into electricity.
Oh...sorry, was too fast...the answer was already given, down below, by: 'Jonas & Tiffany Stephens' & 'David C'. 😇
I paid $450 for 3,010 watts. They are 4 years old and have zero snail trails. Came from a solar farm that was upgrading. Basically I paid $0.15 per watt
Wow! That’s an insane deal! Where did you find the panels?
@@TheirHappyTrails sorry I made a mistake, I actually paid 650 for 3,050 watts. Bringing me to $0.21 per watt. Still a great deal tho. Like I said they are 4-5 years old and came from a solar farm who was upgrading to bifacial panels. I had to drive 3.5 hours to get them but my wife and I just chocked it up as a road-trip date.
That PV represents photovoltaic, nice nice video I like it ❤
This is by far the best explanation and walk through of a Victron solar system. You helped me so much in understanding things. I am literally copying almost your whole setup. THANK YOU!!!!
Awesome! Glad the video was helpful!
Best explanation of all the components that I've seen yet, nice job !
Whoever came up with that solar panel mounting system is a genius!
Right!!
Best solar video I have seen. Thank you for the breakdown and links!
Hey! Thanks for letting us know. Glad it is helpful to you!
Hands down best explanation on a simple cost effective high power solar system!
Well down. Great system.
Glad you like it!
Best solar power explanation. I feel more ready to work on mine.
Heck yeah man!! I’m glad the video can help!
As Stone Inc said.. hands the best explanation. Getting to see exactly what you're talking about helps my brain make sense of the words. They should hire you to do their online How To's. Great work Matt & Thank you!!
Thank you Ronda!! I'm glad to hear the positive feed back also!!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I've had a lot of anxiety about building my electrical system properly on my 14' cargo trailer conversion. The thought of designing a box to contain everything needed, wiring, and building the rest of my micro environment around it all; only, to have to go back and make corrections after-the-fact has been a maddening vision. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the rescue!
So awesome to hear this was helpful!!!!!
Just like many other comments above, your explanation is the best! Is your system powered by the bus while you are driving? Did you have to get a 12 to 24 adapter coming from the bus alternator? What are your thoughts about using the 3M VBH tape to hold solar panel brackets to the roof of your bus? Can’t wait to watch your plumbing video!
Hey! Thank you! I’m glad the video was helpful.
No, the bus doesn’t charge the batteries the batteries, although I wish I would have added it lol. And I can’t speak on using adhesive. I do know that the panels take a lot of wind pressure, and I wouldn’t do it. But I know some of it is insanely strong.
The system brings a lot of feature that it's worth paying the extra money. Thank you for sharing
Absolutely! You’re welcome. Glad it could help. -matt
Thanks for sharing your solar setup and explaining how it all works together. This subject is a complicated one for me but your simple step by step approach really helped demystify some of this challenge. It would have been great if girls in my day were encouraged to study electronics back in high school; it would be better to learn this at a younger age. I am trying to prepare myself to get a bus and to actually understand how the systems work. In case of a failure, I don’t want to be completely helpless. Thanks again
I certainly never learned this stuff in school either! All from TH-cam and experience. It’s really actually pretty simple once i actually built the solar system and took the time to try to learn.
I’m glad the video was helpful to you!
@@TheirHappyTrails Yes it was. I subscribed and look forward to learning more-in simple terms, please. Thanks again.
Will be installing this same system but will be using the aluminum mounting bars for the panels just to give it that corrosion resistance and heavy wind resistance also I can attach my deck to them as well thanks so much for walking through this it’s just what I needed!!
Awesome!! Glad it was helpful!!
As someone who is new to solar builds, great video!
Awesome!! Glad to hear it!
It seems as if you and us are on the same trail but headed in different directions.
We are a family of 4 who purchased a bus and gutted it but decided to come to Mexico for a trial run before finishing out our bus.
We drove from Texas to PDC, then went to Merida, and now we are in Tuxtla GTZ!
Yes!! Very similar!! Glad you guys reached out. So are you still planning to build out your bus??
@@TheirHappyTrails Yes, after 6 months to a year in Mexico.
This is an incredibly helpful video thanks mate!
Awesome!! So glad it’s helpful!
Awesome job!!! Very thorough!! Just what I needed….this stuff is so complicated and I really appreciate the quality differences that you covered in some of the components!
Awesome, thank you!
Fantastic video! I'm at exactly this stage right now and will definitely be watching again and again as I progress. I did already pick up brand new panels off FB marketplace - not as good a deal as you got, but I paid $.65/watt. Got a total of 1520 watts which will completely cover my shuttle bus roof(except where the fan is). Thanks again!
Awesome!! I’m glad the video was helpful!! -matt
Thanks so much this is the system I want to build.everything you run is about what I will run.
Awesome! Glad this was helpful to you! If you have any questions feel free to ask!
Great explanation on what each part plays in your power production and usage. I think I understand how solar works a little better. Great info for me as I'll be building a cargo trailer conversion soon.
Awesome!! I’m glad this helped. We are releasing a plumbing video today also! Might help you out in that end too 😃😃
Ditto
PV photovoltaic. I’m absolutely copying your system btw. Happy Trails!
Thank you!! Man, I’m sure that was a quick google search just never have done it! Glad this video was helpful to you 🤘🏼🤘🏼
Great explanations on the solar. Thank you so much for making this! The inverter explanation was so thorough and wow, what a powerhouse you have there. You should do more like this =)
Thank you Andrea! I’m glad you got something out of video! I really appreciate the feed back! I would love todo more like this! Do you have any ideas for me to explain?!
Great video of explaining the what and why of the system. Very helpful. Someday (hopefully soon) I'll be checking this again! Thanks!
Awesome man!! Glad it was helpful. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out
Should include that a lot of solar panels will have higher amps than his so you'll need to get a charge controller with 250 volts capacity so you can run the panels in series without overloading the mc4 connectors. The 250/70 from victron is usually cheaper than the 150/100
That is very true, and it depends on the person's system. ✌🏻
Great video guys keep it up 👍
Thank you Maverick!!!
PV breaker is a dedicated photovoltaic breaker, right?
Yes!! The link to the product is in the description if you want to look into it more
I looove this video so easy to follow and understand. I’m still learning so all of this is set up in place of a generator?
Awesome! So glad it is easy to follow! And yes, that’s correct. No generator needed! But a generator is always nice to have as a addition backup :)
Awesome video….so helpful. Will reach out later
Glad it was helpful! Yes, you can reach out on our instagram account if that works for you!
Soo much information, this is incredibly overwhelming. We are looking at buying a converted MCI and it's currently setup for only running shore power. I'm imagining it'll be incredibly difficult to retrofit a system like this with the bus already finished inside?
No, it wouldn’t be hard at all! It seems overwhelming, but it’s not that bad.
Probably addressed earlier but beware, the Victron Multiplus 3000 is not a 3000 watt output but a 3000 volt amp output with a .8 power factor. That means it's a 2400 watt output inverter. These are very reliable inverters but they are not 3000 watts.
Hm interesting! Never knew that. Thanks for sharing!
Really well done tutorial, BTW. (should have opened with that)
Im going to need you when I buy batteries and hook it up
Absolutely! Just hit me up at the email I gave you on the last video! Theirhappytrails@gmail.com
Thank you for sharing this! We bought everything you added in the description through your links. I do have a question, hoping you can answer. If we bought 1 more battery could be buy less solar panels? We found some solar panels for sale on fb market and they are 335w each, to get 2,800-3,000w of solar we would need to buy 8-9 panels. That would take up so much of our roof space, and I don't recall seeing any buses with that many darn solar panels on their roofs!
You might be able to find panels that have a higher wattage. And the more batteries the better! The more panels the faster the charge. The more batteries, the more storage. Typically, if you have more batteries, you want more solar, so they completely recharge in one day. When it comes to batteries more is always better! If you want to save space on your roof, you can do solar plus have a small generator to charge your batteries on occasion when you need it. Sorry for the slow response! I did not see the comment.
Oddball question for you. Say you built this system for a part time Rv. Is there a way to take all this solar energy you're making and put it into your home when you're not on the road? Kinda of like a portable solar farm.
Yes, absolutely. I would guess you would have to outputs from your panels. One that goes into your system in the Rv, and one that out to your house. I’m not exactly sure how it would be done, but I would assume it’s definitely possible
Nice video. Question - why AC mini splits instead of DC?
Well the main reason is that DC ac units at the time of building the bus were very expensive, and not that great for cooling a bus the size of ours. I’m sure how they are now, or if they have gotten better and less expensive so it’s worth looking into
Awesome video. Exactly what I was looking for. Adding mini split to my Shuttle Bus. ‘24 overall length. I can only add about 2k watt solar, with less solar than yours, can I just up my AH to make up? I was thinking 2k watt dolor and 800ah lith battery’s.
Absolutely that would work great! I’m glad the video was helpful!!
love the build. I am in the solar panel install phase. So I'm curious why you decided to use the angle brackets to mount the struts in stead of just mounting the struts to the bus? Also how are the panels holding up and how many times do you check on them to tighten? Thanks in advance!
Hey there! We used the angle brackets to mount the Uni-strut to compensate for the curve of the bus. The struts would not be flat without the brackets, causing issues mounting the panels. We sold the bus earlier this year but talk with the new owner constantly. The panels are holding up great and only need to be checked occasionally.
Hi... I have a question about your solar setup. What brand solar panels with specs (VMP, IMP, VOC, ISC) are you using? Also, how do you have them configured, series/parallel? Great video and very nice skollie. Thanks Steve
Hey Steve! They are sunpower solar panels. They are 87v panels and we run them in Parallel. Monocrystal panels. I’m not sure what VMP, IMP, VOC, or ISC is. I’d love to know tho if you don’t mind!
@@TheirHappyTrails VMP-Maximum Power voltage, IMP- Maximum Power Current, VOC-Open Circuit Voltage, ISC-Short Circuit Current. So you have all 6 in Parallel or combination Parallel and Serial?
@@therollingstone5495 oh got it!! All of our panels are in parallel
@@TheirHappyTrails Thanks!!!
PV = Photovoltaic
🙌🏻
Hey there! Great video! Do you have a diagram on how this is exactly wired up?
No, sorry i dont, but if you want some other tutorials online you'll be able to wire it at Beasley. Connecting everything is actually pretty easy
Great video and extremely helpful. How many L brackets did you use per 10' Uni-strut section?
Hi David. I used 3 L brackets per ten foot section of Uni-strut! One in each end and one in the middle for extra support
Pv= photovoltaic. The ability to convert solar energy into usable power. So I'm assuming on these larger pannel arrays that make 2000+w need a surge/ short protection. Hence a pv breaker. The 150a breaker on the battery is for the outbound power. The pv breaker is for the incoming power off the panels. At least that's what I understand of it
Hey! Yes you have that all correct. The panels have a breaker and a fuse inside the lynx distributor. Hope you got some value out of the video!
@@TheirHappyTrails I did... we want to give the skoolie life a try in another state. And the power system is my only worry. But this vid put some of my questions to rest.
We like y'alls set up the best and are working on mimicking it! And overall, we had an idea for our bus layout we have been working on and we started watching y'alls videos and kept saying "hey! that's how we want to do it!" or "oh cool, they have a very similar set up" so we were definately drawn to this electrical set up. Overall, it looks like all of this fits into the under part of the L couch? If so, what were the dimensions of this part of your L couch? Just so we are leaving enough room for the same exact set up, thank you!!
Hey!! So glad this video and our set up is feeding into your ideas!! That part of couch is about 2 feet wide by 3.5 feet long, and 1.5 feet tall! If you have any other questions feel free to ask!
Also if you plan to buy the same components as we have we would appreciate if you used the affiliate links in the description!!
@@TheirHappyTrails yes, we have a document and copy and pasted all of your links there so we know exactly what to buy AND to be sure to use those links! We are very aware of how helpful those links can be for people who take the time to make these AWESOME videos/resources so we will definitely return the favor!
Just a little back story- we are two single women with corporate jobs and we are bringing our 3 dogs (So lots of dependable electricity for work and cooling/heating for the pups, and dependable internet). It sounds like you all use a lot of energy and work from home as well so we were hoping to know if you did any kind energy audit table/chart? That way we can see if ours is fairly comparable? The first one we did seemed outrageous w/ the amount of energy we needed, so I'm assuming we are off on a few things.
Hello, thank you for this video!
What is the benefit of a 24v inverter instead of a 12v inverter if you also run a converter? I am new to electrical work so sorry if this is a weird question.
Hey! I’ll make a video as a reply to this! But before I do that I answer your question here. When you have heavy 110v loads like AC, heat, hot water heat, etc, it makes the jump from 24v to 110v much easier with smaller cables. When running a 12v system, the amps gets really high when your running heavy loads, and things get hotter easier. Does that make sense?
Great videos!! How long are you able to stay off grid?
For about 3 to 4 weeks! Only because of water tho! Powerwise - indefinitely
Great video! Can I ask how you came up with the correct PV Solar breaker and size? Ill have about 1460 watts of solar (4 panels 47.6 voc / 365w / 9.78 isc) strung in series. 24v Victron multiplus 3000 system. 2 12v 300ah lifepo4 in series. 250/60 solar charger. Hoping I' m doing things somewhat correct. This stuff is confusing me but honestly your video really helps. Best one out there. I'd really appreciate any help.
Hey man! Glad the video was helpful! To find the correct size breaker for the solar panels you were just want to calculate with the amps are coming out of the solar panels into the solar charge controller. Also, the solar charge controller is right at the max of what your panels will push out. 1460÷24 V equal 60 (amps going to your batteries from the charge controller) So if your panels are ever fully pushing out that water edge, it might strain the solar charge controller a little bit. Should be fine because the panels will not usually hit the full watts but you don’t want it to go over. It’s always better to over size the charge controller.
And just remember, don’t over think it! Learning the basic math of adding amps and volts will be really helpful. And then it’s just wiring red to red and black to black!
If you have other questions email me at theirhappytrails@gmail.com
You can also go to our website www.theirhappytrails.com to learn more about our bus!
@@TheirHappyTrails that clears things up alot! I can bump up to 250/70 or maybe even a 250/80. I'll have to price them out. So, as far as the breaker, my panels are 9.78 isc and they will be in series , so just like 10amp breaker or should I go maybe a little higher to like 15 or 20? I appreciate your help.
@@jim-kj2wh awesome! You’ll always want to go a little high, so the 15a would be good. The breaker will be for big shorts which will pop a 15amp breaker. But if you go to small to extra safe it might pop because the panels are hitting that voltage. Just make sure it’s also rated for that voltage!
@@jim-kj2wh also, I have a lot of experience on this subject, and never had a issue. At the same time, I’m not an expert or licensed electrician. I am confident in what I’m telling you, but if it sound off to you then research it first 👍👍
Hi!! Love the vid, very well explained the only thing is how do you run say appliances like fridges and washer/dryer? Maybe doesn’t pertain to this but I’m very curious, I want to get some info on how you can do all this before starting my build. So I don’t know how to hook up electrical and don’t really know what to do lol. Do you know any sources that could help me understand or could you perhaps explain?
Hey there! This is Matt. To run all your 110v (house hold) appliances you will need a inverter.
I help a lot of people with their builds and offer consulting! If that interest you you can go to our website and get in contact. Www.theirhappytrails.com
@@TheirHappyTrails Thank you so much 😊
Great job very nice system. How many hours can you run your mini split when boondocking with full sun???? I was thinking of a 48v all in one inverter system and the same size solar array , any thoughts on that ??? Thank you for your time happy trails
We can run our mini splits all day with good sun, and at night time we can run one of them for about 3 hours. More battery store would make our system perfect 👍
How much battery storage you think with a 48v all in one inverter/charger /mppt with 9600 Ah
Hi!! Do you have a wiring diagram for this. Going to duplicate this system
No we do not, but glad the video was helpful!
Have you ever had problems with your batteries holding voltage?
Meaning they do not hold voltage? If that's the case, the battery cells are dead and will need to be replaced. But make sure you put a good charger to the batteries before replacing them to make sure.
I'm mimicking your setup. Just using 200ah batteries in 24v instead of your 300ah same brand. Question can you or did you run a Dc/DC charger from your bus? I'm not sure on what to buy or if we can even with the 24v system. It wouldn't be the 12/12 one and my bus isnt a 24v charging system for the 24/12..... any Input last piece to buy before I can start physical layout. Thank you
I Found the 12/24 model lol thanks
Awesome!! Which one did you find??
Great video! Question: do the inverter/charger and solar MPPT controller work together to charge the batteries? If you're connected to shore power and the battery charger is in float mode, does the solar controller lower its voltage too?
Yes that is correct! They do work together. So the MPPT detects the higher voltage when the charger is on. Remember the power assisted part of the inverter? When the MPPT detects the voltage start to drop, even when we are plugged in, the solar will start to kick in with the inverter to create the power we are using. Joining the shore power and solar/batteries for extra power
Matt, I duplicated your system but I have one question...might be basic, but I'm an entry-level electrician...what did you ground the Lynx Distributor to? Since it's 24v, I'm confused. Also, great video! I've watched it more times than I can to admit...LOL,
Hey there! Good question. Just ground to the bus! But if you have already grounded your batteries, you don’t need to ground the Lynx again because the Lynx is an extension of the batteries. I’m really glad the video is helpful! Make me really happy to hear that! -Matt
@@TheirHappyTrails Thanks for the quick response! To be clear, do you have your batteries grounded in that video and if so, to what/how? I've learned a TON but I still question myself. Also, can't wait to finish this build so we have time to catch up on your new content!
Hi, did you say that you are using a 100amp solar charge controller? For 2800watts (2800/24=116.16 amps), don't you need more than 100amp? I am working on putting my system together and all the info I am finding suggests 2 60amp or more controllers... I am confused.. any advice .. thank you
Hey! In the video I meant to say 2600. 2 Mttp charger controllers would work great also!
Which video details the (curved roof) rigid panel mounting ? I can’t seem to find it …
Hey, I don’t have one. But I can do my best to explain it for you.
Did you consider less solar and let the engine charge the battery while driving?
Hey! Yes, that absolutely an opinion, but more power is always better! I could have added a alternator charger to the system, but didn’t actually need one.
Another thing to is if we were off-grid for a month I didn’t want to be starting to the engine to charge everyday. Moral of the story is the more solar the better if you have large power needs like an ac unit 👍👍
@@TheirHappyTrails totally makes sense, im still digesting all the things like this. So thanks for the tip!!!! I come back to your video a lotttt
Hi question does the inverter have Bluetooth i have this same one and mine doesn’t or do you have a Bluetooth dongle
Hey, yes you need the Bluetooth dongle
how did you get the Unistrut to stay parallel with the solar panels using the 90 brackets? did you bend them past 90 to account for the curve in the roof?
Awesome question. This is Matt here
We used the washers in the link below to build up the 90’s to make them flat, with about 3”x1/2” bolts through the roof of the bus. So the out edge of the 90 has the washers while the inner edge is on the roof of the bus.
amzn.to/3Jmgz4I
Hope this helps! It’s been a great way to mount the panels with zero issues
Do your batteries come equipped with the 200A BMS system? Your video is the only thing I can find that says these batteries will work with Victron multi plus. Also, the MPPT says the battery supply must be protected with a max 140A fuse. Does having the 150A do damage?
Hey, I can see why you might be having a hard time figuring this stuff out. A word of advice to not complicate things. Any battery will work with a multiplus. The BMS is in every lithium battery, and if it’s not do buy it. Also, the size of the fuse has no impact at all on the operation of the system. The only thing the fuse does is if more amps is passing through it will pop and stop the flow of electricity. It’s just for safety. The only difference is that the 150 amp fuse will cut the power if 150 A is pass-through it instead of 140 also that 150 amp circuit breaker is just for the batteries. Everything else has fuses independently within the victron fuse panel. Hope that clears it up a little
One more question I have…I see you have the smart sense battery monitor and the smart shunt. Looking at the distributor, I see that it can only be powered by a lynx shunt ve. can. Why did you decide not to go with that one? Thank you so much for clearing things up, by the way. This video was super helpful.
@@elizabethcoffield4493 hey! I’m not exactly what you mean by powering it with the Lynx shunt?
I’m the manual, it says it’s powered by the rj10 cable that connects either to a Lynx smart BMS (Victron batteries only) or a Lynx shunt Ve.can and if neither is used, must be powered by an alternative source by altering the rj10 cable. Do the batteries count as the alternative source making the rj10 cable irrelevant? I didn’t see the rj10 in your setup so I was wondering how you made that work.
I bought this same setup and mine is having issues getting enough power to the inverter. Not sure if it's an issue on my end, but is there anyway I could get some help?
Getting enough power? What do mean?! I might be able to help out
@@TheirHappyTrails the inverter states low charge and according to the app it's only getting 13.4 V of power. Not sure if I'm just impatient for the batteries to charge up or if I might've hooked something up wrong, but I could send pictures if you that would help?
@@nmbelsch9276 yeah man. Theirhappytrails@gmail.com
Looking to use this set up on our bus. Question. Does the app require data usage? Or can i use bluetooth to view system when we are not in cell service?
Hey there! Yes, it’s a great system. And the app is completely Bluetooth and uses no data. Works great no matter where we are 🤘🏼
Hi Matt
Just wanted to mention the system can also be monitored from the internet from anywhere using Victron website as long as you are connected to internet and have the system on wireless from my understanding.
Good job explaining
Did 6k cover the cost of panels as well?
Yes it did. But you have to source the panels like I mentioned in the video to get them for less expensive. If you buy them brand new from the manufacturer you’ll pay a lot more
I am running 3 of the 12v 200amp batteries and was wondering if i could still use the orion converter? Im trying to figure out a way to still use 12 v but 12 v kind of confuses me at times
Well the converter is good only to step down 24v to 12v. Are you running your batteries in parallel or series?
@@TheirHappyTrails Sorry, I was a little sleepy when I posted that comment. Im in the process of building out my bus and designing the electrical system. Im usually really good with electrical but solar is a new step for me. I plan on having 9 450 watt panels with 4, 12v 200ah batteries ran in series.
@@TheirHappyTrails I also am in the learning phase. So I still have a little bit more to learn XD
What would it take to add charging from the engines alternator?
Very east. Just get a dc dc charger and wire it from the bus battery to the house battery. Make sure it’s a good DC To DC charger and is meant for going from lead acid to lithium batteries
@@TheirHappyTrails I would think to wire it stright off the alternator skipping the lead acid battery connection entirely
Where did you purchase your air conditioner?
Hey! We bought them from Amazon. I have a full video on the ac’s on the channel also! Would be worth watching if your in your build.
@@TheirHappyTrails will check it out! Thank you 🙏🏾
What gauge wires did you use throughout the system? Did they vary?
Hey, they are in the description. As well as all the other components I used. And yes, they did very. I mainly use 16 gauge wire for all my lights and other 12 V plugs and switches, 10 gauge wire for the solar panels, and two gauge wire for the batteries and other bigger components but you need to size your systems out before youwire it up. You may want to make sure that your wires are big enough for your needs.
@@TheirHappyTrails I did see the wire you listed and ordered some. Thank you for doing that! I just wondered if component to component if it was different. I'm setting up the same system as you due to the similarities in our buses. Residential fridge, two mini splits..etc
@@michellepickard awesome!! In the video the thick wires are the 2 gage. Pretty much everything within the electrical box used the two gauge. The batteries, the lynx’s distributor, the inverter, and everything else that carries a load. Then the 16 gauge that everything else. For your 12v water pump, you may want to use a little bit of a thicker wire. Maybe a 10 gauge wire. If you’re using diesel heaters, you can also use 10 gauge for that. But pretty much everything else for a 12 gauge electrical system can be 16 gauge wire. Like your lights, charging port, and mostly everything else that have a low electrical load.
Does the multi plus connect to the distributor?
Depends what you mean. The main DC wires come from the distributor to the multi plus. But they don’t communicate through the app. Does that answer your question?
@@TheirHappyTrails yes thank you!!!
How many watts on a 28 foot box truck would you need to be fully off grid and how much you think I can fit on in
Depends on how much you’re trying to run 🤙🏼 but the more the better. Trust me lol
What are your dimensions of your power box
About 3 feet by 2 feet
Awesome thank you
What is the size of this box you installed everything in
@@GaryDuty-q8k about 3 and half long, by 2 feet wide
@Their Happy Trails are your solar panels wired in series or parallel?
Hey there! Matt here. They are 80v panels wired in Parallel. Keeping the voltage at 80v. If you are looking todo solar on your rig, I would search for high voltage panels like we have. Rv focused solar companies are the only ones that use 24 V or less. Residential and solar farms are all high-voltage panels for a reason 🤘🏼👌🏻
@@TheirHappyTrails how did you get the Unistrut to stay parallel with the solar panels using the 90 brackets? did you bend them past 90 to account for the curve in the roof?
Photovoltaic
You didn't cover your clearance... All that hard work--- Gone as soon as you cross your first low bridge.
lol… clearance was 12 foot 6 inches. There isn’t many bridges that low… I didn’t cover the clearance because that changes for every single bus. For example, we did a roof raise on our bus which would make it much different than any other bus.
Thank you for that information. I'm taking the leap of faint in joining the skoolie community. It was irritating me that I cannot find a single person taking about the original height of buses and I know that the legal limit is 13'6. I plan on raising because I'm 6'3 and I don't think I'd like living full-time bending over in my home on wheels but not too much because I need room for solar. Thanks to your reply I now know ever bus is different which seems odd because they're mass produced but that explains why no one covering it.
Are you totally off grid
Yes
Did not understand a word said lol anyone know a video in layman's terms???
Hey! Are you trying to build a solar system yourself? I did try my best to explain what each items does, but if your still having trouble with electrical I offer one on one consulting to help people with their builds and solar systems