danielOur first big trip after wrapping up the install was to Myrtle Beach. We needed to break it into two days. The initial thought was to stop at a truck-stop or Walmart but instead we used Harvest Hosts for the first time. Both experiences were great and we plan to make more use of it in the future. I was able to stress test some of the solar especially while off grid at the Harvest Hosts. Even at the RV park (Myrtle Beach Travel Park) there were times that we would have popped the 30amp breaker if not for the assist and 50amp upgrade. Every thing stayed well attached on the roof and worked as expected.
Harvest Host
On the way down we had a shorter day due to a late start. We stayed at Armstrong Valley Winery which was great. They had live music and good wine and local beer. They had dedicated RV parking with six spots, and every spot had 30 and 50amp service. We did not have a need to hook up with the solar system. We ran the A/C to cool off the camper while getting ready for bed, ran the fan for white noise, and had the drip coffee pot brew in the morning. When we left we still had 65%+ battery.
On the way back we stayed at another host which was also great www.dandsproduce.com. They had a great ice cream stand and play area for the kids. This was a bigger test as we arrived earlier and it was a very hot day. When I initially started the air conditioner it was giving an estimate of six hours of runtime. I ran it for about three hours straight. We also ended up stress testing the system some. While running the A/C my wife ran the microwave for seven minutes straight. This pushed the inverter to almost 2900 watts well above the 2400 watt rating and I saw a 295 amp draw on the battery. With only a few seconds left on the microwave timer the inverter shutdown with a overload and over temp error. It did kick back on in a minute or two and then happily ran the A/C for another hour or so. We had both TVs on and I ran the A/C in fan only mode for most of the night, brewed another pot of drip coffee in the morning, and ran the A/C for another hour or so. At the end we left with 22% battery.
System capacity results
What I have learned about what I can and cant run is as follows. The “big” things are what matter. In our RV those things are the A/C, electric hot water heater, blow dryer, and microwave.
- On 15amp I could not run the A/C perhaps after the softstart I would be able to run it.
- On 30amp I can run two big items. For example if the A/C is on and my wife uses the blow dryer after the shower which causes the electric heating element to kick on it would pop the breaker.
- On 30amp with the inverter assist I can use three big items. The example above is not an issue now.
- With the inverter only can run 2 big items for a short period of time. I could run the microwave for a few minutes while running the A/C but not for five minutes plus.
- With the generator and inverter I can run 2 big items
Softstart Issue
I feel like my A/C was under performing. I am going to set my softstart to “relearn” during a hot day. The compressor works harder in high heat and the softstart may be holding it back.