Completely dumb electrical system question ...

ColoRockiesFan · 05-01-2018, 06:19 AM

OK, I have a question that's making me crazy due to my extremely limited knowledge of electricity.
I am using an Inergy Kodiak + 200w solar for my electrical system in my van. It's perfect for all my current needs. That said, I'd also love to have 30A shore power. What do I need to make this happen? I do not want to add a second battery or a lot of wiring. What would be the most minimal setup possible? The Kodiak cannot charge from a 30A pedestal.
Thanks in advance!

boywonder · 05-01-2018, 08:15 AM

For Clarification....you have a Kodiak portable lithium ion battery pack and solar panels??

What do you want to do with shore power?? Power 115V receptacles in the van to run microwave, etc? ....or to charge the Li-ion battery pack?.....or both?

Reading the kit specs quickly it appears that the battery pack can also be charged by other 12V sources, like your alternator....up to 600W max input 2.5 hours charge time.

86Scotty · 05-01-2018, 08:24 AM

Yep, need more info on what your goals are.

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MountainBikeRoamer · 05-01-2018, 09:01 AM

If the OP's goal is *only* to create the ability to charge the Kodiak from 30A service 110V AC shore power (RV-park style)....would the solution be as straightforward as just:

1) Wiring a shore-line-supplied 30A house circuit-breaker panel into the van
2) wiring a 110V GFI-protected outlet box to one of the panel's breakers
3) plugging a basic steady-voltage 30A Converter/Charger into the GFI outlet, and connecting its 12V output to the Kodiak's second DC charge input port

?

ColoRockiesFan · 05-01-2018, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

Yep, need more info on what your goals are.

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Hi guys,

I have a Kodiak Lithium Powerpack which I can recharge via my solar panels or the electricity in my house.

"Power 115V receptacles in the van to run microwave, etc?" Yes

I want to be able to run a small heater in the winter, possibly add a microwave, etc. All require more than the Kodiak can provide.

I cannot use 30A to recharge the Kodiak (per Inergy reps).

Thanks!

Stanvan · 05-01-2018, 11:19 AM

You may do better by getting a 12 volt microwave, and either a diesel or catalytic heater.

boywonder · 05-01-2018, 11:56 AM

For clarity, 30A service power means that it is rated to provide up to 30 amps. The power bank will just draw the amperage it needs.

...and, for shore power, most use the standard RV 30A plug and receptacle setup. Since I very rarely use shore power and need a stealth setup (no outside van connectors/penetrations) I just used a std 115V 20A shore power receptacle inside the van; this takes a plain vanilla extension cord.

The simple way to wire the van is just to have shore power connect thru a circuit breaker to 115V receptacles in the van to power a microwave, etc. much as mountainbikeroamer stated above. This simple wiring only allows the micro to run on shore power, but your power bank won't power the microwave anyway according to your post above.

*Edit: Looking at the specs of your power bank it appears that it can easily run a 700W microwave, and likely run a 1000W microwave.

Adding a converter/charger will allow you to charge house batteries (they convert 115VAC to 12VDC) but your Li-ion bank already has that included so you likely won't need that.

ColoRockiesFan · 05-01-2018, 12:04 PM

Thanks boywonder. Is a circuit breaker needed? Is it possible just to connect the outside 30A cord to a receptacle then inside the van attach a surge suppressor with multiple outlets? I saw a Youtube where the van owner did just that. But, I do not know if this was safe ...

Something like this:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

boywonder · 05-01-2018, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColoRockiesFan

Thanks boywonder. Is a circuit breaker needed? Is it possible just to connect the outside 30A cord to a receptacle then inside the van attach a surge suppressor with multiple outlets? I saw a Youtube where the van owner did just that. But, I do not know if this was safe ...

Something like this:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Will it work?...yes....is it the correct, safe way? not really....

Installing a shore power panel mount plug and a breaker is very straightforward.

..All that being said, my shore power connector is connected directly to my charger/converter without a breaker, although the charger/converter is fuse protected (intellipower 9600 series).