Electrical Beginnings

To begin electrical we had to mount the Outback charge controller and start pulling it apart to get the specs dialed. The smaller gauge wire is for level indications, which we wired to the sub-panel (a 12V DC connection) for fans, the water tank, and the water pump. The larger 4/O wire is connected directly to the batteries' negative and positive terminals, with the negative running through a shunt to monitor battery consumption. We have six 300 amp hour lithium batteries wired and already installed into the floor for a 24 volt system. The inverter is rated for 3000 watts at 24 volts, which is more than enough energy to accommodate having a climate controlled vehicle 24/7, and running all necessary appliances for an average sized home. In a future step we will install the panels on the roof to complete the electrical arrangement. There are two charge controllers for nine 320watt solar panels. Panels will be installed on the roof in a dual layer configuration using aluminum bin rails. It will be so exciting when we get to that step! For now, we finished this step off by building a cabinet around the controllers: a cute little birch home for the main electrical component to live inside of.