Valley shop advice: Dual battery and electrical experts (1 Viewer)

[DPA200]

I'm looking for Valley shop advice known for quality electrical work. Looking to put a dual battery with Solar to power my fridge and accessories. Not sure exactly what directions I want to go with the setup. I've read more threads and watched enough youtube videos to make my head explode on the subject. So I'm looking for a shop that can guide me, and that is known for its clean quality crimping, no skimping on split loom, wiring diagrams etc. I'm ok spending some money on this, I just want a shop that can advise me which parts are worth putting the money into, and which aren't. It'd be a plus if it's a shop with some newer tech (lithium) options as well. My time is limited right now with work, so looking for a shop that can do the whole install for me. I'm not in a rush either on this, so want to really do it right the first time. I'm sure somebody in the club knows a battery Guru

 

[peacesells63]

Not sure of any shops that will do this, but definitely pick someone with electrical engineering knowlege and previous experience as these installs are not exactly simple. More than likely you will end up at a shop that does van conversions, as that is the popular thing now.

I know a lot about it if you need any help picking components (that's the hardest part IMO). First thing is to figure out everything you will ever want to power and how long you will go without running the truck. Then, figure out what type of battery you want, Lithium is awesome for powering accessories but cannot be use to jump the truck if the starting battery dies and will require an onboard DC to DC charger. Good thing is that there are dc to dc chargers with MPPT solar charge controllers built in now, but they do have limitations on solar array voltage that might not be right for your goals. After you know those 2 things, you can size the battery and a solar array. There are a ton of options on the market now for solar hardware, most of it is the same hardware with various different brand names attached.

After doing a ton of research, I decided on a single 31m AGM battery in my 80 and a 100 watt panel on the roof. For my micro travel trailer I am doing the same, but with 300 watts of solar, mppt controller, and a smart shunt.

PM me if you want to talk about it or have questions.

 

[427060]

Hey there. I know one of the SDHQ electrical guys and I'm sure he'd be happy to do some side work to make it happen. I'm in Gilbert and happy to lend some guidance - always accepting donations of sugarfree red bull. I'm an electrical engineer & work in automotive. Built several full vehicle harnesses.

 

[DPA200]

Hey there. I know one of the SDHQ electrical guys and I'm sure he'd be happy to do some side work to make it happen. I'm in Gilbert and happy to lend some guidance - always accepting donations of sugarfree red bull. I'm an electrical engineer & work in automotive. Built several full vehicle harnesses.

PM sent, thanks

 

[HundoRookie]

Greetings all, thought I'd piggyback on this thread. Similar situation to @DPA200 but I'm located in Sacramento. Starting down the rabbit hole of whether to go with an analog system (switches/relays etc) or go digital (Switch Pro/SPOD/Redarc). Thoughts, comments, advice? Thanks!!

 

[DPA200]

Greetings all, thought I'd piggyback on this thread. Similar situation to @DPA200 but I'm located in Sacramento. Starting down the rabbit hole of whether to go with an analog system (switches/relays etc) or go digital (Switch Pro/SPOD/Redarc). Thoughts, comments, advice? Thanks!!

I'm still in the trenches on this, but I can now see the light. One thing I can say is boy does this research take up a LOT of time. I did find a local AZ shop though, and after a couple of weeks of back and forth on an exact configuration, the parts are all ordered. I was 75-80% convinced on AMG under the hood for the setup, but 2 weeks later after all the research, I was 100% convinced that LiFePO4 is the future. So I should just go for it now to avoid the extra expense of it being a future upgrade. Big initial investment, but if taken care of it can supposedly outlast 4x over or more a comparable AMG dual setup. Also cuts down on a lotta extra wiring up front, in addition to the Slee mounts I would have needed for battery and charger that are no longer needed. My end config is going to be RedArc BCDC1225 charger, BattleBorn or relion 100Ah LiFePO4 battery in the cargo area, and 160W fixed Renogy solar on the roof rack. Many heated opinions on the subject, so for me it more came down to finding a shop with a solid reputation and talking it all out with them. It looks like you are in a 100? I'm in a 200, but the majority of the info applies to either. A couple of recent threads on the 200 section if you want to check out:

LiFePO4 battery sizes that fit in 200 drawer wings

I searched around for a while, found a few scattered posts, but I thought it may be helpful to have the reference info in one place for others that are in the same situation. Lithium appears to be the direction the industry is going as far as house batteries, so this would be a good place to add...

forum.ih8mud.com

Upgrade time: Dual Battery, Solar, Drawers and Air Install - Component advice

I'm taking the plunge on a dual battery drawer, and air compressor upgrades on my 08 200. I have a local shop doing the actual install, but I wanted to get some advice on my final list of components before I sign on the dotted line. My power needs are not too demanding, and my electrical...

forum.ih8mud.com

Shop wise if you didnt already know you are in luck being in the area you are. Valley Hybrids is just over in Stockton. Never been there personally, but know of a whole lot of Cruiser folks had had them do major installs. Supposedly experts in all things Cruiser related. I'd just call them and talk it all out if I were you. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific configuartion questions

Contact - CruiserBrothers

cruiserbrothers.com

 

[HundoRookie]

@DPA200 First of all I want to thank you for contributing to the three hours yesterday and four hours today of "researching" I've done. This is ******* ridiculous. Anyways I'm happy to announce that I'm leaning towards Blue Sea and keeping it AGM. But of course lithium is pretty sick... I'll keep you posted!

 

[DPA200]

@DPA200 First of all I want to thank you for contributing to the three hours yesterday and four hours today of "researching" I've done. This is ******* ridiculous. Anyways I'm happy to announce that I'm leaning towards Blue Sea and keeping it AGM. But of course lithium is pretty sick... I'll keep you posted!

Happy I could pass some of their burden onto you . Yeah no joke what a time suck the subject is.
I was really set on AMG, I figured at $300 I could afford to swap out the battery every few years so who cares. But to get the Slee mount for the 2nd battery, plus the Slee mount to put the RedArc under the hood, that added another $300. That plus all the extra wiring to run that all back. So at $600+ to set up AMG suddenly a $800-$900 100Ah Lifepo4 not such a big expense. Especially considering the useable 100Ah in the lithium vs only 50Ah Max you’d get outta the 100Ah AGM. And then of course the 300 recharges vs 3000 charge life. After 2 weeks of waaaaaay to much research for me I was sold on Lithium

 

[TWILLY]

My end config is going to be RedArc BCDC1225 charger, BattleBorn or relion 100Ah LiFePO4 battery in the cargo area, and 160W fixed Renogy solar on the roof rack.

Contact - CruiserBrothers

cruiserbrothers.com

Super useful - I have been down this rabbit hole a bit lately, but to no avail.

I'm trying to piece together a system of roof solar, house battery, and fridge that can run in perpetuity absent any other power input. That is, if I park on the beach in Baja, I want the solar to power the battery and fridge all week without having to turn the engine on.

Do you know if your system would be capable of this? If so, which fridge do you have?

 

[DPA200]

Super useful - I have been down this rabbit hole a bit lately, but to no avail.

I'm trying to piece together a system of roof solar, house battery, and fridge that can run in perpetuity absent any other power input. That is, if I park on the beach in Baja, I want the solar to power the battery and fridge all week without having to turn the engine on.

Do you know if your system would be capable of this? If so, which fridge do you have?

That’s my hope, but it’s all in theory at this point. My parts have mostly been ordered, but being that none of it I have actually used yet, is where it comes all back to. I’ve done a lotta research though, talked to a lot of folks, and my plan/hope was to be able to stay in a camp for a few days at least without needing to drive the truck. Depends on many factors thought, but I’m hopeful
. Can always add more (or better) solar if needed at some point. I went with National Luna Legacy fridge because of the low draw, very efficient compressor, reputation, and crazy thick insulation. I bought from Equipt which has really good customer service . Snomaster I also hear many good about.

Check this place out and give them a call if you want somebody who can actually figure out your exact configuration. The owner is an electrical engineer, and he answers the phone. His selection is on the higher end as well as his prices, but you are basically paying for the fact that you have him to call for all your questions and setup help

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Solar Panels, Solar Panel Kits, Charge Controllers, Inverters, Batteries, Portable Power Backups and accessories. 4thD solar panels are the best flexible solar panels on the market. Magnum, Genasun, Victron, Bluesky, Relion, Merlin Solar, Overlanding, Camping, RV solar panels, Portable...

4thdsolar.com

 

[TWILLY]

That’s my hope, but it’s all in theory at this point. My parts have mostly been ordered, but being that none of it I have actually used yet, is where it comes all back to. I’ve done a lotta research though, talked to a lot of folks, and my plan/hope was to be able to stay in a camp for a few days at least without needing to drive the truck. Depends on many factors thought, but I’m hopeful
. Can always add more (or better) solar if needed at some point. I went with National Luna Legacy fridge because of the low draw, very efficient compressor, reputation, and crazy thick insulation. I bought from Equipt which has really good customer service . Snomaster I also hear many good about.

Check this place out and give them a call if you want somebody who can actually figure out your exact configuration. The owner is an electrical engineer, and he answers the phone. His selection is on the higher end as well as his prices, but you are basically paying for the fact that you have him to call for all your questions and setup help

Real Solar Power! The best, most efficient and toughest solar panels

Solar Panels, Solar Panel Kits, Charge Controllers, Inverters, Batteries, Portable Power Backups and accessories. 4thD solar panels are the best flexible solar panels on the market. Magnum, Genasun, Victron, Bluesky, Relion, Merlin Solar, Overlanding, Camping, RV solar panels, Portable...

4thdsolar.com

Super helpful. Thanks.

 

[DPA200]

Super helpful. Thanks.

AT Overland Equipment - https://atoverland.com/ might be another place to call for advice. They do a lotta camper conversions with all this type of electrical jazz. They are over in Prescott

 

[1Louder]

If you haven't found a solution yet I would stick to a single AGM battery, a good solar setup, and a jumpbox. This setup has not failed me EVER. It will also save you a lot of money. Just make sure your jumpbox is charged prior to going anywhere far away solo. Here's my simple setup in my 4Runner. Yes, I am a traitor. Sold the FJ and got a 4Runner. Wiring runs to the back with an SAE plug for the fridge.

 

[DPA200]

If you haven't found a solution yet I would stick to a single AGM battery, a good solar setup, and a jumpbox. This setup has not failed me EVER. It will also save you a lot of money. Just make sure your jumpbox is charged prior to going anywhere far away solo. Here's my simple setup in my 4Runner. Yes, I am a traitor. Sold the FJ and got a 4Runner. Wiring runs to the back with an SAE plug for the fridge.



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Looks like a nice and clean setup. I ended up diving down the rabbit hole on this one. Very much 1 decision leads to the next and so on. I'm having Vagabond do the electrical install. In no way the cheapest solution, but was trying to think a few years ahead and avoid my endless urge to upgrade when i start low. Installing drawers in the rear, with a Renogy 100Ah lithium and some other electronics in the drawer wing. RedArc BCDC 1225 for the charging. SwithPros 9100 for all the controls. New ARB base rack on top and the a Renogy rigid panel like yours on top. 160W panel because I really don't use the rack for much storage. Also taking the opportunity to get ARB dual air plumbed to the rear bumper. And adding some Stedi Australia 9" spots up front on my bumper. Should be fun, still waiting on all the parts to arrive before scheduling the install. I'll post up some pics when done.