DIY Truck Camper electrical power solution.

[dbhost]

So continuing with the design / build process for my DIY truck camper for my F150 4x4.

I need power to...

#1. Run a 5K BTU AC unit.

#2. Power a little compressor fridge.

#3. This should have been #1. Run my CPAP. Low draw travel unit, but still run my blessed CPAP.

I have a current "system" that I would like to upgrade / modify to get the most out of and make it work as best possible.

#1. Harbor Freight Tailgator 2 stroke 900w peak, 700w running generator. It CAN do the job, but ugh... Planning on upgrading to an AiPower SUA2000IV 2KW startup, 1.6KW running. More than twice the output with half or less the fuel usage.
#2. 100a/hr wet cell deep cycle battery.
#3. Black and Decker 15/25 amp 12v charger.
#4. Old, and beat to within an inch of its life modified sine wave 500w inverter. We can do better.
#5. Home made 12v power port harness with inline fuse holder.
#6. Home made plywood box to house the whole mess.

What I want to get to due to the limitations of space in the truck camper, AND the limits of my budget...

1. The previously mentioned AiPower 2KW generator. Affordable, Reliable, Efficient.
2. Some sort of solar charger to keep the battery bank charged up when not doing heavy load like the AC.
3. The ability to charge off of the trucks alternator. I will be upgrading to a high output alternator considering the winch, lights etc... on the truck.
4. Better battery setup but what?
5. Better charging circuit setup. Basically what battery charger can I use for powering / charging from the generator or shore power?.
6. Single fuse block protection for the output side of the equation.
7. Multiple 12v power outlets
8. USB charging block that can charge 6 devices. My phone, my wifes phone, both our headsets, and 2 for cameras.
9. Ability to distribute 110V to multiple places in the camper.

This is going to sound funny, but my goal is to have the following load.

1. CPAP
2. Compressor Fridge. Not sure what brand yet, but 50 - 60qt range...
3. AC
4. USB charger.
5. Laptop
6. WeBoost
7. 32" flat screen TV. I need to find one that is 1080, and will run on 12v but that is a sparate issue.

So any recommendations. Anyone have a system they would like to show off>

 

[Buddha.]

What year truck?

 

[Korey H]

I’m certainly no pro but going through the process of design and gear selection.

Check out Will Prowse on YouTube and his associates forum as well. Also diy solar and similar diy RV solar forums on FB. Also explorist life Nate Yarbrough is great a wealth and often chimes in for his fb group.

First need to do an energy audit and back into aprox daily use.

We’re building on a c5500 with a significant size box.

Ours will be 1450w of solar with 560ah lithium, also likely a 60a B2B and 60a or greater shore charger for when home or just in case.

Will have capacity to run our pioneer mini split for at least some time (traveling with a dog so need it), a larger marine fridge then all the periphery stuff. Cooking with gas heating space and water with diesel.

Santan Solar has been most helpful on equipment and they specialize in mobile like we need. Price is great on panels and shipping reasonable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[OverlandFT]

Shouldn't be too difficult to accomplish your electrical system goals. As Korey mentioned, you need to break down all of the items you're powering by the amp draw daily. Really consider how often you'll be using the devices to give you a baseline of not only battery need, but charging requirements. The A/C will require you to upsize the battery/charging system significantly if you plan to use it on battery power. You could build the system to only run the A/C on gen/shore power and keep the rest the battery system smaller. Lithium batteries are the best option for weight, life and discharge efficiency, but come at a really high cost.

This website has some good info. It's based on a van setup, but the components are the same or similar. At one point, I priced out the author's electrical setup around $5K.

https://faroutride.com/van-build/learn/electrical-system/

 

[dbhost]

What year truck?

2004 F150 XLT 4x4 5.4L (bulletproofing in process. Stupid phasers and weak oil pump design!) I am planning on a high output alternator but haven't bought it yet.

 

[dbhost]

Shouldn't be too difficult to accomplish your electrical system goals. As Korey mentioned, you need to break down all of the items you're powering by the amp draw daily. Really consider how often you'll be using the devices to give you a baseline of not only battery need, but charging requirements. The A/C will require you to upsize the battery/charging system significantly if you plan to use it on battery power. You could build the system to only run the A/C on gen/shore power and keep the rest the battery system smaller. Lithium batteries are the best option for weight, life and discharge efficiency, but come at a really high cost.

This website has some good info. It's based on a van setup, but the components are the same or similar. At one point, I priced out the author's electrical setup around $5K.

https://faroutride.com/van-build/learn/electrical-system/

No intention on running AC on battery. That seems like asking way too much.