I have played with 12 V systems at the sailboat past 6 years. Anywhere you need more power than for electronics or lights the 12 V system is just insufficient. The amps have to rise high to get the watts needed. And because of that the cabels have to be thich, distances short and a lot of batteries and charging. It's a newer ending loop.
Busses and heavy duty vehicles use 24 V system. Half better but not enough. Not even near. Same problems and even more requirements than in sailboat.
I did not wanted to go to Litium straight. But after I calculated how much lead batteries I was going to need, how heavy they would had been, expensive and short life spand I gave up for LiPoFe.
The next idea was to aquire a used Kia electric car battery from Norway. 64 kW of 352 V power packed in 500 kg and 197 x 147 x 33 cm space was the ultimate power storage as an idea. There is a guy called Dala here in Finland who hacks these car batteries BMS (Battery Managment System) to get the power out and in but it's all experimental. The idea died on the spot when I asked Dala if he could install the system for me or if he knows someone who could install the hardware for me as he has published the software for the hack. But no, he is not an electrician who could or would do it for anyone else but for himself.
Had to search few sleepless nights more about how am I going to power the RV. What would be the best choice as the invesment is quite high and life spand long or better be.
I came up with several power banks that looked and seemed identical. As I studied furher the options I came convinced that Ecoflow would be the best for my needs in recreational vehicle.
The requirements are:
- enough capacity that the generator would have to run only once a day
- 230 V
- expandable
- integrated charger
- integrated inverter
- enough output to run the heat pump at the same time as appliances
- enough input that the charging would not take long as Diesel is expensive
- powerful integrated solar charger (PV)
- other charging options (car alternator)
- integrated generator operation
- open interfaces
- total remote control in app
- long warranty
- good support
- good reputation
- long history at the market
Ecoflow had all these and even more. They have a whole ecosystem for RV's, houses, cabins,...
I had couple Ecoflow models in mind and I turned to new Delta Pro 3 that was just released.
It had all in one cabin size suitcase box:
- 4 kW capacity (storage)
- 230 V
- expandable up to 12 kW with two additional 4 kW batteries
- 2900 W integrated charger
- 4000 W integrated inverter
- up to 6 kW with X-boots and spike 8 kW (400 ms) enough output
- 2900 W + 2600 W PV + 800 W alternator charger input (7 kW in total with additional battery)
- 1000 w + 1600 W integrated dual solar charger (PV)
- 800 W other charging options (car alternator)
- 1,8-1,6 kW dual fuel (petrol/LPG) integrated generator operation with auto start and stop functions and 32 A DC charging
- open interfaces
- total remote control in app
- 5 year warranty
- good support via app, chat, phone, email
- good reputation
- long history at the market
- option to charge the battery from electric car charger station
I was sold. This is the heart of my RV that powers heating, cooling, lights, entertainment, security, connections,...
I have been using it 3 months now without any problems and it has delivered everything I was expecting from it. Next I'm adding the alternator charger, 2600 W of solar panels and automate the charging with generator.
The Ecoflow Smart Generator runs with petrol and LPG. With a tank of petrol it runs 4 hours and with a 10 kg bottle of LPG it runs 20 hours. It's remote operable with app (wi-fi) and can be automatically started and stoped when Delta Pro needs to be charged.
Ecoflow, the heart of the RV