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Old 09-30-2017, 06:48 PM   #1
Skoolie
 
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12 volt questions

My shuttle bus has a wheelchair ramp and an extra battery. It also has 12 volt plugins at each seat. Wood changing the batteries two deep cycle batteries and adding more batteries be enough to Boondock for a few days without running the bus?

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Old 09-30-2017, 06:49 PM   #2
Skoolie
 
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Originally Posted by Gypsy Clipper View Post
My shuttle bus has a wheelchair ramp and an extra battery. It also has 12 volt plugins at each seat. Wood changing the batteries two deep cycle batteries and adding more batteries be enough to Boondock for a few days without running the bus?
Also could I use small inverters at each 12 volt plug in to run a few small AC appliances?
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Old 09-30-2017, 06:51 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by Gypsy Clipper View Post
My shuttle bus has a wheelchair ramp and an extra battery. It also has 12 volt plugins at each seat. Wood changing the batteries two deep cycle batteries and adding more batteries be enough to Boondock for a few days without running the bus?
This is a "How long is a piece of string?" question.

This article (not by me) is a great place to start working out your power needs:

Electrical System Design | FarOutRide
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Old 09-30-2017, 06:59 PM   #4
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OK. For the sake of ending this constant over thinking. My power needs are minor. For major power hogs such as air conditioning I will use a generator. I'm talking to run all of my electronic stuff and some fairy lights.
And even if I wanted to run something huge wouldn't the battery bank from the truck be able to run a 5000 watt inverter if it were running?
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Old 09-30-2017, 07:32 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by Gypsy Clipper View Post
OK. For the sake of ending this constant over thinking. My power needs are minor. For major power hogs such as air conditioning I will use a generator. I'm talking to run all of my electronic stuff and some fairy lights.
And even if I wanted to run something huge wouldn't the battery bank from the truck be able to run a 5000 watt inverter if it were running?
Planning for your needs is not "over-thinking". It's doing the right amount of thinking and preparation.

If you wing it, you will either spend too much money or run out of power just when you need it most.

Spend a few hours doing the calculations, it could save you a fortune (and a 5000W inverter is not cheap).

5kW, by the way, would power many homes Your batteries wouldn't last long driving that beast!

A 200 Amp alternator produces around 2400W, and some of that is required to run the bus and charge the batteries. So if you put a 5000W inverter in the system, you would be draining the battery fast, and probably killing the alternator.

If your needs are very modest, you could probably run it all from 12V, and a couple of deep-cycle batteries would last several days.
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Old 09-30-2017, 07:34 PM   #6
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Seriously quit it. If you don't have an answer then don't reply. What is it to you if I spend a million dollars? You my mom?
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Old 09-30-2017, 07:42 PM   #7
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Sorry but seriously, you need to ask a specific enough question to get a useful answer.

List the devices you want to run, for average how many hours per day.

How will you be recharging the bank?

Then we can give opinions on how big the bank needs to be.

Some people thing running a little fridge or a bunch of fans is a small load, others mean one smartphone and a clip-on LED light.
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Old 09-30-2017, 07:45 PM   #8
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Do you plan to use solar?

Carry a gennie?

How long driving spells, how many days stationary?

How many days between shore power?
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Old 09-30-2017, 07:46 PM   #9
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Seriously quit it. If you don't have an answer then don't reply. What is it to you if I spend a million dollars? You my mom?
I gave you an accurate, and helpful answer.

I won't give you any more.

You're welcome.
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Old 09-30-2017, 07:51 PM   #10
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My shuttle bus has a wheelchair ramp and an extra battery. It also has 12 volt plugins at each seat. Wood changing the batteries two deep cycle batteries and adding more batteries be enough to Boondock for a few days without running the bus?

I would consider separate systems for your living needs and starting your bus. If you accidentally leave something on or just miscalculated your usage your bus won't start! At that point you will need a jump start.....
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Old 09-30-2017, 10:20 PM   #11
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Something tells me I'm going to have to pdf " basic dc electricity for dummies"

Lets talk power it's measured in watts just like its sold. To determine run time figure total wattage then divide by 12 gives you amperage draw. Get amp hours of battery times number of batteries then divide by draw and you get hours of run time. Ya think?

Do your own math gypsy LoL

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Old 09-30-2017, 10:22 PM   #12
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Do you have the space and springs for a forklift battery?

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Old 10-01-2017, 09:34 AM   #13
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Here is a good discussion on loads, batteries and solar: https://handybobsolar.wordpress.com
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Old 10-01-2017, 11:28 AM   #14
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Handy Bob is excellent, but a bit 'dogmatic' on some issues. Don't take *all* of it as gospel without getting second opinions.
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Old 10-02-2017, 11:47 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Twigg View Post
This is a "How long is a piece of string?" question.

This article (not by me) is a great place to start working out your power needs:

Electrical System Design | FarOutRide
Thank you for posting this article! It's exactly what I've been looking for as a basic, "this-is-what-works-for-us" primer that's short on theory and heavy on real-world practicality. This gives me a start, something I can actually work with in designing my system.
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Old 10-02-2017, 12:28 PM   #16
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That write-up from FarOutRide really is pretty good. I opened it with low expectations, but even from the viewpoint of an electrical engineer, I think they did a great job of considering a variety of alternatives and making choices that balanced the trade-offs and met their wants/needs well.

It surprised me to see they chose the inverter-and-charger route for charging the house battery off the van's system. That's an approach I've floated here a couple times too. At first glance it seems a dumb thing to do, but it really does offer some beautiful simplicity, modularity, and serviceability. If the drive time is long relative to the house battery size then the inefficiency of the multiple conversions is unimportant.
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Old 10-02-2017, 01:12 PM   #17
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It surprised me to see they chose the inverter-and-charger route for charging the house battery off the van's system. That's an approach I've floated here a couple times too.
It looks wacky, given the inefficiency of multiple conversions, but yeah, sometimes modular plug and play stuff that "just works" can count for a lot.
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Old 10-02-2017, 06:41 PM   #18
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I would consider separate systems for your living needs and starting your bus. If you accidentally leave something on or just miscalculated your usage your bus won't start! At that point you will need a jump start.....
Is it me? Am I speaking a foreign language? Would you give these bullshit answers to a buddy standing there asking your advice? Do I sound like I need a Mom?
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Old 10-02-2017, 06:43 PM   #19
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The bus has FOUR batteries. Two for starting it and two for the wheel chair lift. If I take out the wheel chair lift could I use the second system for running a 5000 watt inverter?
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Old 10-02-2017, 06:43 PM   #20
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Nevermind... honestly you guys are a pain in my ass.
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