Newbie general electrical help??

[Rucker]

Originally Posted by Kentucky Dreaming

Here is what I use. It can be used over a campfire or a propane stove!!

https://www.amazon.com/Stansport-Fol...95852150&psc=1

Exactly the mindset change I was talking about!

Solutions abound.

[Rucker]

Originally Posted by benevolence.bus

@Rucker

When it comes to the water heater, i wanted a gas one but i cant really find a good gas one. I already have a gas stove so propane will be on my system i just didn't ultimately know between gas and electric which one to go for. My thoughts being, propane would be great for off gridding but electric would be good for during school. However i haven't found one that takes both so i have to pick and choose.

...

Towards the diesel heater, i really want one, however i don't think i have the space. Supposedly, not confirmed, i would be getting a 28' dognose through a family friend so I'm limited to about 20' of workable space and i just don't have the space to safely install one. If that bus specifically falls through i am aiming for a larger bus and will definitely opt out of an electric heater and going for a diesel one.

Just making a final clarification, you think a 60a MPPT and about 2000w inverter would be fine?

I have a Camplux propane unit that vents out a window. Pretty cheap ($279 I think) but I haven't used it yet to see how well it works. Highly recommended and used by lots of folks, so I'm pretty optimistic. If you already have plans for propane, this might work for you.

Search 'Chinese Diesel Heater' on YouTube and you'll see lots of videos that go over the different models, how to install, considerations. Mine is going under the bed in the back, won't take up much room.

Inverter: It is only used for AC loads since all your DC devices will run straight from the battery. Focus on which specific appliance or devices you MUST have on the bus that run on 120 AC, add up their wattage and multiply by 1.5. That should give you a pretty good number to work with.

Solar array and charger: Your battery bank is big, so 60A makes sense. But more importantly you'll need to make sure your solar array and method of connection doesn't exceed peak volts or amps of the system. I sized my inverter to my power needs, then sized the solar array to the inverter. If you already have the panels, get educated on what peak volts and amps means, and lay out the solar array. That will determine what size your solar charger should be.

12 versus 24 volts: I don't have an informed opinion but here's a thread that discusses pros and cons: https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f49/w...c-22124-2.html

[benevolence.bus]

@Bert

I plan on having a small brita filter on board my bus. I'm trying to minimalize waste and don't like buying bottles much. Ill also be filtering my water going into my tanks as well as between the tanks to the pump. I don't know if that will stop any pathogens but its an effort.

From your suggestion i found a 150v 70amp victron mppt charge controller, as well as 3000w 24v inverter, that's not victron but it has good reviews.

@drew bru

Do you have the brand name for the water heater? because I would totally love a half and half. Also I didn't know diesel heaters could have the diesel mounted below the heater. I'll look into that! Still worried about safely installing one in the space that I have so far. Do I want warmth or a small sitting area... Ill have to move my floor plan around to see what I can do.

@kentucky dreaming

THANK YOU!!! Didnt even know those existed, I guess that says a lot about my age. I can now remove my toaster from my usage chart!

[benevolence.bus]

Originally Posted by Rucker

I have a Camplux propane unit that vents out a window. Pretty cheap ($279 I think) but I haven't used it yet to see how well it works. Highly recommended and used by lots of folks, so I'm pretty optimistic. If you already have plans for propane, this might work for you.

Search 'Chinese Diesel Heater' on YouTube and you'll see lots of videos that go over the different models, how to install, considerations. Mine is going under the bed in the back, won't take up much room.

Inverter: It is only used for AC loads since all your DC devices will run straight from the battery. Focus on which specific appliance or devices you MUST have on the bus that run on 120 AC, add up their wattage and multiply by 1.5. That should give you a pretty good number to work with.

Solar array and charger: Your battery bank is big, so 60A makes sense. But more importantly you'll need to make sure your solar array and method of connection doesn't exceed peak volts or amps of the system. I sized my inverter to my power needs, then sized the solar array to the inverter. If you already have the panels, get educated on what peak volts and amps means, and lay out the solar array. That will determine what size your solar charger should be.

12 versus 24 volts: I don't have an informed opinion but here's a thread that discusses pros and cons: https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f49/w...c-22124-2.html

I didnt see this one, my bad!

Chinese diesel heater and the camplux propane unit, got it! Ill make sure to look those up.

also for the inverter that helps a lot, pretty much need to just focus on the fridge and a/c then.

For the connections and installation n' such, my uncle is going to help me (if not do it all). He works on planes and helicopters so he's good with vehicle electricity but he put me in charge of getting all the info and supplies, rightfully so, my bus, I gotta figure it out myself. So ultimately, no worries there!

Thank you for the link and the info!

[Drew Bru]

Originally Posted by benevolence.bus

@drew bru

Do you have the brand name for the water heater? because I would totally love a half and half. Also I didn't know diesel heaters could have the diesel mounted below the heater. I'll look into that! Still worried about safely installing one in the space that I have so far. Do I want warmth or a small sitting area... Ill have to move my floor plan around to see what I can do.

There seems to be 2 main makers of RV water heaters, Suburban and Atwood. They're probably similar in quality. We chose the Suburban SW6DE. It takes up quite a bit of room installed in the base cabinet under the sink but it worked well for us. We were off grid for 18 months so we used the gas mode when we wanted hot water. Mostly we used room temp water (our tank is inside). When we spent the winter with hookups though, we used electric mode and left it on all the time and having hot water any time we wanted was a pretty sweet thing.
The diesel heaters are pretty small, as big as a large shoe box. We mounted ours under the bus because it was an afterthought, but you should be able to squeeze it into your build if you plan it. We couldn't have overwintered without one, it was indispensable.

[Unpluggedone]

Send me your attachment as a spreadsheet file, be happy to review and get you to the next step. My bus from my profile photo is a very long term project, I do own a remote cabin, completely off grid, 12/24 volt batteries, 1,200 watts of solar, the best 24 volt fridge/freezer which will keep cool for 3 days without power, water pumps, computers, cell phone booster and radio, it’s all possible