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RE: Largest Lithium AMP Hour Battery - 2023 Arctic Fox 865
Incredible set up. I have a 24 AF 1150 on order with 600W solar on roof and Onan generator. Trying to find schematics and details for installing a similar system. Anything like this you can post will be appreciated. Where did you fit all of this equipment?
Will check into the batteries and removing the battery tray. Great idea!
Thanks, Kevin
Hey Kevin-
I started by emailing Northwood and requesting wiring diagrams for the 12v and 110v circuits. This helped me figure out where existing equipment was located (the converter, circuit breakers, tie in points, etc. I told them I was installing solar and they happily sent over pdf drawings within a few hours.
From here it was a matter of identifying space for the battery, and all the victron equipment. It quickly became obvious the original Arctic Fox battery box location would hold the lithium battery and the majority of other components since the 300 A/H Sun Fun Kits battery is pretty compact and has the usable power of 5-6 100 A/H lead acid batteries. I then opened up the underside of dinette seating and discovered there was more empty space inboard of the Arctic Fox battery box. This convinced me that the only answer was to get the sawzall out and remove the battery box. I then paneled the 3 sides with an additional piece of 1/2” plywood so I would have something to screw all my components, wire clamps, etc to without having screw tips come through and daylight. I then went to the compartment just below the battery box (on the left rear as the 865 is a non-slide model) and thats the access for the grey and black tank drains and has some exterior storage space in it as well. I needed a place to mount the Victron Multiplus, and since inverting DC to create AC power, I wanted to keep it very close to the Linksdistributer to keep the large diameter wire runs as short as possible. Plus it weighs about 25lbs so needed a secure location and wanted the weight as low as possible. In this same lower compartment I also mounted twin Victron 30a dc-dc chargers. Again the thinking was to keep as many components as close as possible to reduce wire runs (and weight - the nemesis of all TCs).
I’m not familiar with the 1150 but I would suggest requesting wiring diagrams from
Northwood. I will draw up a diagram of what I did and happy to share it. Use at your own risk as I’m not an electrician or an electrical engineer but have worked with AC and DC power on and off over the years and felt comfortable with it.
The system works really well and we can even run the microwave and air conditioner for a bit with the inverter. Havent stress tested it too much, but in peak sunlight with 500w of solar coming in it looked like I could run either one for about 1.5 hours before the battery would be dead. Not that I would ever do that, but on our last trip to Kings Canyon we did run the Furrion microwave for 1.5 to 3 mins here and there and the solar quickly brought the battery back to 100% and went into float mode.
I can also pass along the info for the gentlemen that builds relay boxes and a set of instructions to interlink the Cerbo GX and the Onan control panel. He builds them for Winnebagos but the concept is the same. I sent him the Northwood electrical drawing for the the comand center which is where the onan start switch is. He then mailed me a pair of relays pre configured and some instructions and it was easy peasy. Now if I happen to get below a 40% state of charge the generator will automatically start and the Multiplus then will charge the battery at up to 80a until it reachs 70% state of charge, and it will shut off. I can also manually start and stop the generator from my phone if the Cerbo GX has a connection to the internet.
More to come shortly. Perhaps PM me your email address and then I can more easilly share a layout and wiring sketch for what I did.
John
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skanj0
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09/01/23 09:18pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Making the change to lithium and starting the Onan.
My onboard onan starts fine from my 300 ah lithium battery. The generator starter leads are connected to positive and negative buss bars fed from the Lynx Distributor. Its a 2.5k onan.
Are you connecting directly to the 2 lithium batteries or elsewhere in the system?
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skanj0
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07/05/23 06:40pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Goodbye CH751 key!
Last night I replaced the CH751 lock on the water fill hatch with a lock that matches my entry door and other compartment locks, which were replaced in previous upgrades. One less key to mess with!
WOOHOO!!!
There's also a thumb turn style lock available.
I wanted the locking version because I camp remotely most of the time and I don't want someone dumping unmentionables in my water tank.
Video describing the upgrade
Hey Delta Bravo - Well done. I followed your lead and just changed out all the locks on my Arctic Fox 865. Even if the new locks proved to be no more secure than the CH751 (I think they are) having a single key for all compartments and the entry door is nice. And they operate so much more smoothly! I also used the opportunity to ditch the thumb latches and now have 2 locks on my battery and generator compartments.
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skanj0
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06/29/23 03:52pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Largest Lithium AMP Hour Battery - 2023 Arctic Fox 865
That is truly a remarkable installation, possibly even the standard bearer of installs!! :) GREAT Work!
3 tons
Thank you, Sir for the compliments. Its almost more of a work of art than anything else. At least my wife now understands the vision I had when I picked the camper up brand new in Spokane, drove it 880 miles back home, and the the next day began to tear it apart. We still havent slept in it. The inagural shakedown trip is very soon though.
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skanj0
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06/28/23 06:45pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Largest Lithium AMP Hour Battery - 2023 Arctic Fox 865
That is a sweet setup! Only thing you are lacking is a way to clean the grey water to make it drinkable again and you could stay offgrid for a long time!
Thank you, Sir for the complements. I like to take my time and do things the best possible way. Its not quick though.
I like the idea of grey water reuse. You got me thinking. :B
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skanj0
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06/28/23 06:40pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Largest Lithium AMP Hour Battery - 2023 Arctic Fox 865
https://photos.app.goo.gl/MvDY5pAPB3U117e56
Update: Solar install and battery upgrade is complete. To answer my own original question (for the benefit of others) the stock Arctic Fox 865 battery box will hold two Sun Fun Kits 300 ah lithium batteries if you remove the oem slider battery tray. I only installed one as its plenty for our power needs.
I decided to start from just about scratch and remove the existing sliding battery tray and the battery box (with help from a Sawzall). Then installed 580 watts of Zamp Obsidian solar on the roof and routed it to a Victron 100/50 mppt controller. Then connected the oem Zamp 45 watt panel and a bumper plug in for my portable 90 watt zamp panel, to a Victron 75/15 mppt controller. Then installed 2 Victron Orion 30a dc-dc chargers in parallel and wired them to a 100amp phillips lift gate plug at the right front of the camper. Then installed a Victron links distributor and multiplus 2000/80 inverter charger. All this is tied together with a Victron Cerbo GX and routed to a Touch 50 digital display. The multiplus is also connected with a digital multiswitch for easy access to ac power. Then I tied in a generator auto start relay to the cerbo gx and set it such that if the battery state of charge drops below 40% the generator will start and charge the battery using the Multiplus. Once it gets to 70% SOC the generator will automatically shut down.
Overall quite pleased with the outcome. Will load a few pics.
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skanj0
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06/27/23 09:19pm |
Truck Campers
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