Mobile Overlanding Charging station build with Victron this time

[MurphysLaww]

Starting the mobile conversion of our current off-grid charging system for our Lightning with the goal of WFC (work from campground) in the near future. Starlink standard kit and Roam subscription on the way. Fair warning, the trailer, if it happens at all, won't be purchased until next May, likely. We have a 5x8 trailer that was part of the original plan, but the limited size, and the increasing thoughts that I want to try to tow the Autocross car to events with the Lightning has changed the plans. I have an old Audi Q7 Diesel that I'm finishing up an overland build on(3" lift, swingout tire carrier, 2785/70-18 mud tires...

It's here:

https://www.overlandbound.com/forums/threads/2012-audi-q7-tdi-eurowise-build.48064/

Original Lightning offgrid charger build thread is here:

https://www.f150lightningforum.com/...rging-solar-array-build-w-agrivoltaics.17055/

The original refurbished, EG4 6000ex-48HV inverter gave up the ghost, and I wasn't inclined to give a Chinese manufacturer another shot at this time, so going Victron this time. This will add another year to payoff for the system, but if it's also Mobile, I'm good with it. We have victron in our 8x14 studio shed that has been working perfectly for a year plus. We'll likely also go with a Victron EVSE, if we don't use the spare chargepoint we have left over since we have the FCSP.

I expect to build an overlanding trailer out of a 5x8ft trailer we already have, with likely, 3000-4000kw of panels. That design is still WIP right now. It's not impossible that this might change to a Casita, or a used pop-up.

Starting with a Ryobi convertible workbench/dolly, which conveniently, should fit most of the components, but also should be pretty unwieldy. We'll see. It'll hold 400lbs, and we're only at around 200 now.

ON the bottom of the Dolly tray we have a 48v, 5kw Battery currently. We'll see if it works or if we need a second one. This takes the home system up to 15kW when it's tied into the system.

 

[MurphysLaww]

Waiting on UPS for the Inverter/Chargers, but am testing the Charge controller, and getting it moved into Victron VRM. We already had a Victon system in our 8x14 art studio/shed.

New wild hair idea is a 24ft aluminum Car hauler to be made dual purpose moving my autocross car to races, and then a home away from home camper. Gotta luv Sketchup...

Where will the lifting bed fit ?

I also have to fit two home offices in here and sound separate them pretty well. Lot's o' design work to do, but 3100-3800 watts of panels fit on top with 530 watt bi-facials. 3800 would just about max out the Victon system, and would pretty evenly match what we have here already at the house. At $165/panel, new, these 530 watt panels (x6) also will end up costing about the same as the 10 used panels we have in the back yard. I'm me, so I'll likely try to build some sort of tracking system if it can be made to be pretty light.

 

[21st Century Truck]

Waiting on UPS for the Inverter/Chargers, but am testing the Charge controller, and getting it moved into Victron VRM. We already had a Victon system in our 8x14 art studio/shed.

I have a Victron charge controller on our teardrop TimberLeaf Pika camper trailer. IMHO You won't go wrong with Victron. Well-designed, well-made stuff.

 

[MurphysLaww]

I have a Victron charge controller on our teardrop TimberLeaf Pika camper trailer. IMHO You won't go wrong with Victron. Well-designed, well-made stuff.

Yeah, I started out with Epever, which are decent products, but we've been super-happy with the Victron 100/50 that replaced the 200/80 Epever in the Shed. I don't have to mess with it at all. This cost twice as much as the EG4 I was going to replace the failed EG4 with, but I trust Victron.

 

[MurphysLaww]

Well, the inverters arrived, but unfortunately, one has taken some shipping damage.

But... this is what it will look like. The room on the right side, bottom will be for the Victron EVSE.

Cabling will be routed through holes through the table top into innerduct in the rear. 80lbs on the top, hopefully won't make it too top heavy to stand, but it will always be secured, regardless. The Chins 48v 100ah battery on the bottom is the same weight as the combined inverters.

Not 100% sure this will work, but it'll be cool if it does.

 

[MurphysLaww]

More fun with Sketchup...

 

[cullensanderson]

Did you ever install starlink standard? Did you do a roof or sunroof mount?

 

[MurphysLaww]

Did you ever install starlink standard? Did you do a roof or sunroof mount?

We have it, and fired it up. I'm having some issues with some of the security tokens I need to work passing through the Starlink network, maybe, so I'll have to work through that. I'm actually involved with the Starlink rollout at my place of work, so I have some resources.

 

[MurphysLaww]

Just about there, fired it up Friday night, now have to make some changes in layout(unequal length AC feeds did not work), but am close to testing charging the lightning. The Ford Charge Station Pro had no issues with the AC feed, but I haven't tried charging yet. It powered the Garage AC just fine. If anyone followed my original build thread, we run this pretty lightly, with the Charge Station Pro set to just 12 amps. We may push it up to 16 amps at some point.

Before the layout change:

 

[MurphysLaww]

Testing is going well first two days. I've been running it with just the Chins, 48v, 5kW battery, and it's been working perfectly so far.

8kW into the truck
13kW saved on the house AC running the mini-split with the garage door open.

Truck running with the AC also running no issues whatsoever:

Victron systems are VERY quiet, compared to the EG4. It's amazing seeing them only pulling 20W per inverter, as well, when idle, preserving something like 2,200 watts per day of self-powering for use. At our rates, that's about $140/yr, more efficient. Eventually, they'll pay for the difference in cost, in around 7 years.

mounting these so close, presents some heat concerns, but this is the temp between the two after several hours of running at close to 4kW output:

 

[MurphysLaww]

This will really contribute to paying for the system, and wasn't something I had really considered when deciding to build the Truck charger. I had only calculated payback on the energy put into the truck, and to be honest, we don't use the truck enough for the payback time to be less than like 8-10 years right now as we both work from home.

After building the system, I had wanted to add a mini-split to the garage to enhance my man-cave, and expected I'd have enough spare juice to power it. What I didn't know is that it will also save a ton of $$$ on the house energy bills when not charging the Truck.

I have, conveniently, two, very similar days results from our Enphase grid-tie system where you can see, opening the door of the garage and running the Mini-split to help the, apparently, very inefficient, house central A/C system, could save nearly 20kW of house use, with only around 10kW of truck charger generated use from the mini-split. I put 4kW into the truck that day, and the mini-split used about 10kW.

We produced almost the same amount, the average temp for the day was 80f both days, yet the day I ran the mini-split in the garage with the door open to the house, we used nearly 17kW less energy in the house. This is another vector for payoff. Something for someone to consider if building an off-grid charger for their EV

 

[MurphysLaww]

Wired in the non-mobile, 10kW battery bank. I was worried about the balancing, but so far it seems to be working fine, and the internal BMS for each battery seem to be handling it with no issues. Was rewarded with a new remote console interface from Victron at the same time!

First non-cloudy day in a good while today, and put in nearly 35 miles. Coming up on a year since we first fired up the system.

 

[MurphysLaww]

Took our normal weekly 100mile round trip pilgrimage to the farm last weekend, City truck doing country truck things...

And charging with the combined 15kW of LiFEPO4's is much smoother(than with just 10kW) with pretty much no intervention, especially with the fordpass app working closer to 75% of the time now to start and stop charging. Adding 15-20kW back to the vehicle per day which was our initial best case scenario.

This would allow for my 25 mile commute should my work make us return to the office. Stoked !

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