Is my system working properly?

[SunshineMatt]

Hi,


I have a 2023 Flying Cloud 23 FB Twin that I bought in January. When I bought the trailer I paid for a pretty big upgrade to the electrical components to add solar and a lot of batteries.



The following was a quick list from the dealer of what I got.

- 3,000 INVERTER/CONVERTER MULTIPLUS- 3 X 200 AMP GC2 BATTLEBORN BATTERIES
- VICTRON SMART SHUNT FOR BLUE TOOTH MONITORING THROUGH CELL
- SOLAR CONTROLLER (100/50)
- 3 SOLAR PANELS (100 WATT each)
- SMART DONGLE
- BATTERY DISCONNECT SWITCH
- SOFT START FOR AC



I got all this in case I wanted to take the trailer off grid for a little bit. Normally when I have the trailer at home I keep it plugged in but this summer we will be in a state park with no hookups so I decided to unplug it for a few days to see how the batteries last.


The trailer has sun on it for about half the day or a little more at home. Tall trees on one side so as the sun gets to the west in the afternoon the trailer gets shaded.


Without using the trailer, the batteries are losing about 10% of their power every day. Which I can only assume is basically the fridge, the smartshunt, and a small fan pushing air through the battery storage area. Does this sound right? I have seen multiple videos saying that this airstream can basically run on solar as long as I am not using the AC or the microwave/convection oven. If I am using 10% a day when not even using the trailer I worry about what will be used when we are actually sleeping in it.



Thank you for taking the time to read through all of this.

[10Smiles]

I suspect your analysis of usage is correct especially if you have an electric only fridge. You don't say how much gets replenished by the solar, or is the -10% the net for the day? If so, I'm surprised, I would think that with decent sun, your batteries would be charged each day.

[SunshineMatt]

Originally Posted by 10Smiles

I suspect your analysis of usage is correct especially if you have an electric only fridge. You don't say how much gets replenished by the solar, or is the -10% the net for the day? If so, I'm surprised, I would think that with decent sun, your batteries would be charged each day.

The -10% is net. And has been pretty consistent for the last 4 days. Since Sunday Afternoon to Thursday morning the batteries have dropped about 10% a day and are now at 35%. They honestly don’t seem to be charging much from the solar. Did the dealer potentially install crappy solar panels? The days have been partly cloudy.

[Rolind]

I sure you already have made sure your inverter is turned off. It is a power hog when on even if not running any appliances.

[SunshineMatt]

Originally Posted by Rolind

I sure you already have made sure your inverter is turned off. It is a power hog when on even if not running any appliances.

Honestly I have no idea what that means or how to turn it off, but ironically just before seeing this post I went to the trailer and started playing with the screen for the smart shunt. I saw something about AC mode which I can turn off or to charger only. It seems to control the MultiPlus 3000. I just set it to charger only and will see how today goes.

Edit, I should add that it is pretty cloudy right now and the PV charger says it is pulling in around 100-150W at any given moment.

[SunshineMatt]

Ok, the MultiPlus is the Inverter. So, should I set it to charger only or turn it off completely when off grid and not using the Air Conditioner?

Thank you for the responses. I am glad I am testing this before taking the whole family off grid.

[starlite29]

Originally Posted by SunshineMatt

Honestly I have no idea what that means or how to turn it off,

It’s in your owner’s manual, and you can also find this information from googling “2023 flying cloud inverter.”

Above information is accurate and your electric-only fridge likely accounts for your electricity use. It’s normal and you’re in good shape. Solar replenishment is very highly dependent on actual sunlight and may not meet your needs with cloud and/or tree cover. You might need to investigate acquiring a small gas generator as “backup” for overcast days.

[SunshineMatt]

Thanks. Since I got this big upgrade I think that was replaced and all controlled by the Victron smart shunt now. I am slowly learning how to use this expensive upgrade I paid for and appreciate the responses.

[LilPeanut]

300w of solar for 600ah of batteries is pretty weak. If you are in full sun, you might avg 200w for 6 hours you might add back about 100ah to the batteries. The fridge will pull more than your solar is adding. Whoever told you it would keep you even must have thought you would run the fridge on propane when boondocking. That’s why all electric fridges are not universally liked.

[Wazbro]

Originally Posted by SunshineMatt

Ok, the MultiPlus is the Inverter. So, should I set it to charger only or turn it off completely when off grid and not using the Air Conditioner?

Thank you for the responses. I am glad I am testing this before taking the whole family off grid.

When off grid you should have inverter off unless you need 120 volts for something. In outside temps around 70F the fridge should use around 50AH per day, over 90F it could use over 100AH per day.

[Life is a Highway]

I do not see a 200 amp GC2? I see 100 amp and a GC3 270 amp

Do you have 3 100 amp batteries? If that is so your fridge and the inverter running are going to draw down your batteries. You better carry a small 2200 gen with you as most of us do

Regards

[Rolind]

I would think charger only is the correct setting. I do not have a multiplus and am not very familiar with them. Others may be more helpful. You should also run the AC on battery only to get some idea of how long your batteries will last while running the inverter and the AC. I have a similar setup with a Truma Aventa AC and would deplete my 630 ah lithiums in about eight hrs running the ac with no solar or generator input.

[Shiny16]

You simply do not have enough solar to go indefinitely if that is really all that important. Even in perfect conditions in the Southwest with no clouds it would not be enough to go indefinitely .You could try a couple of portable panels to supplement the roof. They are a bit more work to move around but are much more efficient then roof mounted. You could also just buy a small inverter generator. Ask yourself if you really need over a week of power before spending on more.

[richard5933]

Originally Posted by SunshineMatt

Ok, the MultiPlus is the Inverter. So, should I set it to charger only or turn it off completely when off grid and not using the Air Conditioner?

Thank you for the responses. I am glad I am testing this before taking the whole family off grid.

Charge only position is only relevant if you are plugged into shore power or a generator. It sets your Multiplus so that the inverter circuits are off and only the battery charging circuits are on.

The off position means that your inverter doesn't supply any power to the 120v outlets. If you are not using power from the 120v outlets, this is the position you want when you are not on shore power or generator.

The inverter switch position has nothing to do with the solar charging. With full sun for half a day your 300w of solar should be able to keep up with the 10% battery usage. If you have shade or limited sun then all bets are off.

[SunshineMatt]

Originally Posted by richard5933

Charge only position is only relevant if you are plugged into shore power or a generator. It sets your Multiplus so that the inverter circuits are off and only the battery charging circuits are on.

The off position means that your inverter doesn't supply any power to the 120v outlets. If you are not using power from the 120v outlets, this is the position you want when you are not on shore power or generator.

The inverter switch position has nothing to do with the solar charging. With full sun for half a day your 300w of solar should be able to keep up with the 10% battery usage. If you have shade or limited sun then all bets are off.

Thank you. I had it set to charger only for 2 days without understanding. Battery life definitely improved. Lost about 20% over 3 partly cloudy partly rainy days which was better than losing 10% a day. I just changed it to OFF instead of charger only since I understand better from your post. Today is sunny. Will see how things go.

This morning my wife went to the trailer to do something and the lights and all power weren’t working. I tried to figure things out, after a while on the smart shunt screen I found a reboot button. After hitting that and waiting for the reboot to complete power started working again. Not sure what could have triggered this issue but at least it was an easy fix.

[lento]

Originally Posted by SunshineMatt

Hi,


I have a 2023 Flying Cloud 23 FB Twin that I bought in January. When I bought the trailer I paid for a pretty big upgrade to the electrical components to add solar and a lot of batteries.



The following was a quick list from the dealer of what I got.

- 3,000 INVERTER/CONVERTER MULTIPLUS- 3 X 200 AMP GC2 BATTLEBORN BATTERIES
- VICTRON SMART SHUNT FOR BLUE TOOTH MONITORING THROUGH CELL
- SOLAR CONTROLLER (100/50)
- 3 SOLAR PANELS (100 WATT each)
- SMART DONGLE
- BATTERY DISCONNECT SWITCH
- SOFT START FOR AC



I got all this in case I wanted to take the trailer off grid for a little bit. Normally when I have the trailer at home I keep it plugged in but this summer we will be in a state park with no hookups so I decided to unplug it for a few days to see how the batteries last.


The trailer has sun on it for about half the day or a little more at home. Tall trees on one side so as the sun gets to the west in the afternoon the trailer gets shaded.


Without using the trailer, the batteries .. .



Thank you for taking the time to read through all of this.

I have a 2021 Flying Cloud 25 FB Twin. It has a gas/ AC powered Dometic fridge. From the factory I have 2 90watt solar panels on the roof and 2 standard factory installed AGM batteries.

Just got back from 2 weeks off the grid camping in Santa Fe National Forest at 8,000 feet. My batteries would loose about 5 to 8% overnight. I ran the 1kw inverter everyday for small electrical appliances for about an hour. One day I forgot to turn it off. My batteries fully charged in about 6 hours of full sun each day. I’ve also had experience off grid in Florida and I have had to use a portable 200watt cell to chase the sun around to get a full charge. I’ve had more experiences out west camping in Airizona at the Grand Canyon. At that location my batteries charged easily in about 4 hours of sun.

I’ve monitored my power usage and generally get about 400watts of power/per day from the 2 panels as long as it is not cloudy. The trailer uses on average about 350watts/day.

It charges the best at altitude even on cloudy days. In Florida it needs augmentation with the 200watt panels. I suspect Floridas thick humid atmosphere cuts down on the radiation from the sun and the dry air at altitude gives not radiation. Completely overcast cloudy skies for several das require about an hour from a portable generator to augment the solar. I carry a dual fuel 2kw generator and only run it on propane. I rarely need it out west.