Charge acceptance of a LiFePO4 battery is huge.
A typical 100 amp-hour LiFePO4 can safely be
charged at an improbable 300 amps! This can
be invaluable with a 4WD that has an oversized
alternator. (My previously-owned Nissan Patrol
had a 130-amp unit retro-fitted.)
MAXIMISE SOLAR CAPACITY
The smart thinking now is to maximise your solar
capacity. This enables at least some charging on
almost totally overcast days, and rapid charging
when there is only typical sun and even more so
when there is ample sun. The only time during
daylight when there is literally zero input is when
the sun is blocked by smoke from bushfires.
There is little or no risk of damaging AGM battery
banks of 200 amp hours or more, and none
whatsoever of charging LiFePO4 batteries.
“ BE VERY WARY OF
'EBAY BARGAINS' ”
22 \
Be very wary of ‘Ebay bargains’. Some are good
products, but for RV use (where space is at a
premium) it is vital to use only the most efficient.
If space for solar is truly at a minimum, consider
this: in most RVs, a compressor fridge is
responsible for 60-80% of the total draw. Today,
top three-way fridges are expensive, (and draw
far too much for solar) but one run on LP gas (and
230 volts when available) leaves you with ample
solar for all else.
LOCATING YOUR SOLAR MODULES
Most articles and books on solar advise orienting
solar modules at (your) latitude angle and facing
due north. While valid for homes and properties,
this is usually not feasible for RVs. Apart from
Australia’s south coastline, however, horizontal
mounting is just fine. The modules are best
mounted such that they have a 25-50 mm air gap
beneath them.
The flexible stick-on types are convenient,
but are only two-thirds as electrically efficient
as conventional rigid modules. By and large,