My Electrical Setup

[Matt71]

So, this is what I'm looking at for my electrical setup.
I have no idea what size fuses or wire gauge I need for any of this. It will probably be more evident once I start buying stuff I suppose.

1 - Tiger Claw 1500 Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter

4 - Trojan T-105 6V 225Ah Batteries
3 - 210W Panels from Craigslist
1 - NOCO Genius GCP1 Black 13 Amp 125V AC Port Plug
1 - Blue Sea Systems 5026 ST Blade Fuse Block with Cover
3 - Blue Sea Systems 12 Volt Dash Socket
1 - Renogy® Tracer 4210 40 Amp MPPT Charge Controller
1 - 12V 150A Continuous Duty Solenoid Relay
1 - Blue Sea Systems 6006 m-Series (Mini) Battery Switch
2 - E2 by Scoshe EWFH Single ANL Fuse Holders

Am I missing anything? Do I need additional fuses? Do I not need the ones I have?

 

[IGBT]

Fuses are great.   I would consider a very large fuse right at your battery bank such that if you drop a wrench across some later part of your wiring the fuse blows and not  your wrench, fingers, hand, upper forearm.   Consider what 2000 amps at 12V would do to a 0.01 ohm piece of metal. Perhaps something in the range of 200 amps for your size inverter.
As far as wiring size goes, it depends somewhat on the distance of the run.   Your 1500 watt inverter probably draws around 150 amps at full load.  2AWG wire would drop about a quarter of a volt at that current over a round trip distance of 10 feet which would be acceptable to me (if your inverter were 5 feet from the batteries)
The solar stuff could be lighter...maybe 8AWG wire.

 

[Matt71]

Where at the battery bank? In the diagram I have one between the bank and the MPPT controller, and between the battery switch and the inverter.
Should I put that fuse before the switch (between the bank and the switch)?

 

[IGBT]

Where at the battery bank? In the diagram I have one between the bank and the MPPT controller, and between the battery switch  and the inverter.
Should I put that fuse before the switch (between the bank and the switch)?

I think the way you have it drawn is how they recommend in my Magnum inverter manual.  When I get a chance, I will check.

 

[MikeRuth]

Yes you are Matt, you show 110VAC going directly into your Charge controller (Renogy Tracer 4210 40 Amp MPPT Charge Controller).
Your 110VAC needs to go into a Transfer switch. I'm gonna stop here and say this again.
You need to figure out(guess for now) just what you want to be able operate electrically.
Lets get that out of the way first. TV, Video player, PC, laptops charging stuff etc.
.

 

[Matt71]

I've posted it elsewhere and the link in my signature can take you to it too.
We'll be using approximately 218 to 244Amps per day at the most.
Then we'll have the AC which will be shore power only.

 

[Matt71]

Mike, there is no 110V AC going into the charge controller. There's just the solar panels in and out to the batteries and 1 single 12V outlet which the controller has a space to output to.

 

[MikeRuth]

Hey Matt, from the diagram you posted first here, I see a red line going from the NOCO Genius GCP1 Black 13 Amp 125V AC Port Plug right to the bottom left of the Charge controller. so that's why I said that.
I forgot you posted that spreadsheet. Good job.
Question, your only going to run the 24" monitor from shore power?

And if I total that right your looking at pulling down about 218A a day.
Indeed you need 4 T-105's.

 

[Wabbit]

Matt71, Thnx for the pic and the parts list. Definitely very helpful for me when I get to this point.

What or how is the12V 150A Continuous Duty Solenoid Relay used for? Thnx!

 

[MikeRuth]

the relay(continuous duty solenoid) is used to connect/disconnect the house batteries to the alternator.
When engaged the house batteries can be charged(partially) from the alternator. when your stationary, camped etc, the house batteries need to be disconnected to prevent drawing on the starting battery. Also in an EMERGENCY you could connect the house battery to assist in starting with a dead or low starting battery.

Matt see what I mean here? 
http://invertersupply.com/index.php...&cPath=0_442&gclid=CKvBkdeX78MCFYhhfgod0kIAjQ

Just one of many

 

[MikeRuth]

Save some money on a part that won't matter
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001445O5W/ref=sr_ph?ie=UTF8&qid=1424389501&sr=1&keywords=fuse+block

 

[Matt71]

the relay(continuous duty solenoid) is used to connect/disconnect the house batteries to the alternator.
When engaged the house batteries can be charged(partially) from the alternator. when your stationary, camped etc, the house batteries need to be disconnected to prevent drawing on the starting battery. Also in an EMERGENCY you could connect the house battery to assist in starting with a dead or low starting battery.

Matt see what I mean here? 
http://invertersupply.com/index.php...&cPath=0_442&gclid=CKvBkdeX78MCFYhhfgod0kIAjQ

Just one of many

That thing at the top isn't shore power, it's one of the [font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]12 Volt Dash Sockets. I saw in a video that you can attach one directly to the MPPT [/font][font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]controller and bypass the battery. If that's not the case I'd just remove it. The shore power is the black cord on the lower right and is not connected to the battery setup at all. At least for now. I'll wait and see if the solar plus alternator will be enough to keep the batteries charged.[/font]

 

[MikeRuth]

Ahh the power of pictures, LOL, gotch ya.

Regarding that being connected to the load of the charge controller, and I see you saw a video, OK but read the manual for the charge controller. My Morning Star TS-45 does not allow connections to the load terminals when used as a solar charger. All power drawn from the batteries comes directly from the batteries.

So just double check on that.

 

[Matt71]

I thought that might be the case, so no big deal there. I don't even think I'll need three 12V outlets

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Matt, you need to fuse the wire between the engine battery and the house batteries.  Actually, for a circuit like that, you need TWO fuses, one at each end of the wire, as close to the batteries as possible.  If that wire shorts anywhere in the middle, either or both batteries could feed power into the short until the wire gets hot enough to start a fire.

Regards
John

 

[SoulRaven]

Just this electrical stuff weights over 400 pounds now add the rest of stuff plus the kitchen sink that you want to take along you will need an 8 lug truck and will be lucky to get 11 mpg.

For the last three months I have been living out of my truck cap. The truck cap and ALL my gear weight about 400 pounds and I get 18-19 mpg on the highway.

 

[SternWake]

The battery interconnects need to be at least as thick as the cabling to the inverter.
The quality of these cables and their terminations is paramount.
Professionally made cables are wise, when one does not have the tools or skills to properly terminate large cabling.

Sometimes a big manual reset circuit breaker comes in handy. You can use is as a manual battery disconnect, instead of that blue seas 6006 switch.

http://www.amazon.com/Bussmann-Hi-A...99863&sr=1-1&keywords=120+amp+circuit+breaker

I have a cheaper version of the above Bussman on my alternator Feed. Wish I bought the Bussman instead.

http://www.genuinedealz.com/custom-cables

Are you Not getting a 120 vAC battery charger/converter/power supply for when you do have 120 Vac available?

In threads past, I have brought up the possibility of using an adjustable voltage power supply, specifically the Powermax brand.
My opinion and my recommendations of Powermax converters, are now in limbo. I ordered a 100 amp adjustable voltage unit for my buddy, and it was incapable of producing more than 75 amps.

I'm gonna give them a chance to make it right, but I got really pissed off when the seller tried to tell me the depleted bank consisting of 2 group 31 AGM batteries could not accept 100 amps together. The Manufacturer recommended minimum initial amperage would be 80 amps for these two batteries. Amps held level at 75 for 55 minutes before amps began to taper. If the batteries could not accept more than 75 amps, the amps would have tapered right off the bat. We received a 75 amp charger when a 100 amp one was ordered.

Four T 105's can also easily accept 80 amps. I think a plug in charger/converter/power supply is wise to have, to give the batteries a break from cycling, and holding them at absorption voltages for hours, then float voltages for as long as you have.

There will be times when the alternator and solar will not be enough. I gave my G31 flooded battery two sessions of 41 initial amps for 15 minutes today breakfast and lunch, as there was just not enough sun today to refill last nights deficit, l without an assist. Sometimes it is nice to get the batteries to 80% charged in an hour, rather than 4.

Now is dark and by battery is still over 13 volts with 4AH removed.

 

[Matt71]

Ok, I reworked things a little
Still no 120V to 12V inverter, because I'd rather not overcomplicate things at this point. I can always add that option later. Rather than spend a the money on yet another inverter, I think that money might be better spent on a generator which will be more versatile.

I also labeled the diagram this time.
Any idea how many amps the fuses between the engine battery and battery bank should be?

 

[LeeRevell]

The 120VAC to 12VDC is a 'converter', not an inverter. Just got mine via Amazon. Already have a 400W inverter. My needs are moderate at this point.

 

[Matt71]

Sometimes a big manual reset circuit breaker comes in handy.  You can use is as a  manual battery disconnect, instead of that blue seas 6006 switch.

http://www.amazon.com/Bussmann-Hi-A...99863&sr=1-1&keywords=120+amp+circuit+breaker

 After doing some more research, I don't think the Bussman will work. The inverter has a 3000W max surge which means it's going to need a 360Amp fuse and I can't find a Bussman that goes that high. 
I couldn't find a manual for the inverter online, so I'm going by the formula Bob gave in his blog to figure out the fuse Amps (surge power/10 x 1.2).
That seems pretty high, especially since it took me a while to find an ANL fuse at that rating, so maybe I'm wrong.