A clean slate install - would this work or what would you recommend?

[PaddyTinCan]

Hi, in the very early stages of a complete gut and refit of a 76 excella and after reading so many useful posts here (and not understanding a great deal of them, but I’m learning!), I have a couple of questions / ideas I would love some feedback on...

As you can imagine a 40y old airstream needs a fresh install so I’m looking at a potential ‘wish list’ of what I’m after.

I’ll be running all lighting LED, recent efficient led tv, ac convection oven & microwave with an induction hob for cooking, will be also powering wifi and Alexa , a computer and monitor on occasion, as well as PS4, hairdryer etc (hopefully not all at once!). But I guess a pretty typical load? I’m hoping to boondock more than have shore power and use some smart home tech for automation and efficiency.

I know I definitely want to go lithium due to lack of maintenance and ability to run lower than 50% etc, and with the 31ft excella I think I could get 6-8 100w solar panels up there? Anyone done similar?

At the moment I can only see the propane being used for ac / fridge / heating / water heating - has anyone gone down a similar setup? Is it viable these days to be propane free? I’m thinking would it be possible / cost effective having a decent lithium battery Bank with solar, the ability to hook up to shore or top up with a generator if needed, or would the appliances like the fridge be too much of a constant drain? I’m afraid I don’t have a great deal of experience and I know the manufacturers specs don’t always equate that closely to real world use...

Thanks for any real world advice, so many great installs going on!

Simon

[GMFL]

What’s your budget? That will help determine if what you are trying to do is feasible.
Solar is a must for boondocking. Lithium batteries will be nice although costly on the front end. Propane is a MUST as you will need it for heat, hot water, and refrigerator while not on shore power.
Do you plan for 1 or 2 A/C units. That will determine 30 or 50 amp service.
Running all that smart stuff and TV And PlayStation will eat amp hrs up on your battery bank.
You could probably get 600-800watts of solar on that roof.
Are you planning to do the work yourself or hire it out.
Well that’s a start anyway.

[TheGreatleys]

Sounds feasible and expensive. I know I dropped a LOT more than I had originally planned on my setup, though I'm very happy with the result. You should have no problem fitting 600 watts on a 31'. 8 might take a ground deploy. I suggest wiring a receptacle for a ground deploy when you're prewiring for solar, which will give you some flexibility.

I don't think it's worth it to go propane free. If you have a lot of solar, a DC compressor fridge is a great option. But propane is great for cooking and heating water and the furnace. We nixed our furnace and use a wood stove instead (put a dishwasher where the furnace was), but a propane furnace or direct vent propane stove work well for others. If you want to run AC off-grid, you will need a generator, and propane is a handy generator fuel.

You've got a long road ahead of you. Take lots of pictures. Ask lots of questions. Good luck!

[PaddyTinCan]

Thanks for all the kind advice! I suspected it would be too much to go propane free so it’s great to know I need to go down that route! Still on the strip out stage but making progress!

[PaddyTinCan]

Oh and I’m looking to source all the parts myself and then hire a specialist for the install as I don’t trust myself with electrics or plumbing 😂 if you have any recommendations for specialists in Ontario?