Battery & Solar System Design Help

[Cimatu]

How did you get the solar panel wires into the canopy?

I looked hard at the KickAss system, but I didn't want to take up space in the main bed area. And I wanted just a little more than 100AH so the fridge will run for two days without any charge.

This battery and tray will fit between the wheel well and tailgate, tucked away so it doesn't interfere with the main part of the bed. I'll have a slide on one half and fridge on the other half of the bed. Behind the fridge will be storage.
Battery - https://kickassproducts.com/collections/batteries-systems/products/kickass-lithium-120ah-battery-fg
Tray - https://kickassproducts.com/collections/batteries-systems/products/tray-for-battery-ka12120slim

Your first post seems to have two attachments, but they don't open anything. What are they?

thank you!!

knowing what I know now… I’m actually planning on doing a similar set up to what you mentioned. Slim battery where you mentioned, and the kickass control unit mounted on the cab. Trying to find a good molle panel to mount on there. I got the battery box with the kickass dcdc charger, but my dumbass accidentally swapped the positive and negative when I was replacing the battery and now it wont work. So went back to old faithful. I contacted kickass and they weren’t really about sending me a new unit.

one thing to keep in mind, is the environment.. I’m in Texas and battery gets so hot in the canopy that the BMS will stop the charging and your fridge will possibly drain the battery. I just ordered a 12v fan, gonna see if it’s gonna be able to push that hot air out the cap, enough so that battery can remain chargin


Other than that, I left my truck parked for 5 days and the solar panel kept my battery topped off and fridge running with no problems (this was a couple months ago when it wasn’t 90+)

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[Cimatu]

some companies just released 100ah mini lithium batteries for 300ish. I was thinking about mounting them under the rear seats and wire them to the control hub in the cab. So the batteries can cool down when even I run the AC.

 

[HereWeGo]

some companies just released 100ah mini lithium batteries for 300ish. I was thinking about mounting them under the rear seats and wire them to the control hub in the cab. So the batteries can cool down when even I run the AC.

I'm glad you mentioned the heat. I'm in FL. I'll keep that in mind.

Where did you find the mini 100ah battery for $300? That's a deal. I'm also considering batteries in the cab. I have a DIY platform that has plenty of space. I just can't wrap my head around how to run all the wires. Solar panel wires have to go from on top my RTT to inside the cab, then run wires from the battery to a distribution panel in the bed.

 

[Free2roam]

I looked at a mini LifePo4 not all that much smaller IMO at least not small enough to call it mini. But speaking of Blue Sea System Panels

 

[Cimatu]

I’m planning on cleaning up all the wiring. Wanted to make sure everything run with no problem before tidying up everything.

did spend all week trying to figure out why the bcdc wants constantly charging. Found out I didn’t have enough ground ????‍

 

[Cimatu]

I'm glad you mentioned the heat. I'm in FL. I'll keep that in mind.

Where did you find the mini 100ah battery for $300? That's a deal. I'm also considering batteries in the cab. I have a DIY platform that has plenty of space. I just can't wrap my head around how to run all the wires. Solar panel wires have to go from on top my RTT to inside the cab, then run wires from the battery to a distribution panel in the bed.

I lifted up my cap and ran the wires thru then sealed it with silicon. I ran a ground wire from a ground point where the spare tire is and ran it thru already made hole on the side next to one of the bed anchor

 

[Cimatu]

I'm glad you mentioned the heat. I'm in FL. I'll keep that in mind.

Where did you find the mini 100ah battery for $300? That's a deal. I'm also considering batteries in the cab. I have a DIY platform that has plenty of space. I just can't wrap my head around how to run all the wires. Solar panel wires have to go from on top my RTT to inside the cab, then run wires from the battery to a distribution panel in the bed.

Power Queen 12V 100Ah MINI LiFePO4 Lithium Battery, Deep Cycle Battery with Upgraded 100A BMS, Max 1280Wh Energy, Up to 15000 Cycles & 10-Year Lifespan for RV, Solar, Trolling Motor & Camping https://a.co/d/fWiD3wM

 

[HereWeGo]

I saw that one and found this one with a lot of reviews and answered questions.
https://a.co/d/2RTWGNi

I wonder about the quality compared to known vendors like KickAss, Battle Born, Renogy, etc.

 

[Free2roam]

Dimensions: 12.99 x6.77 x 8.43 inch / 330 x 172 x 214mm

Weight: 28.7 lbs. / 13.0 kg
These are the 100ah Renogy specs on size and weight. If they are any good the weight savings alone would be worth it.
Product Dimensions‎5.23"D x 10.23"W x 8.95"H and the one in your link at 19lbs

 

[HereWeGo]

Weight, space, and cost savings is nice, but is the quality there? Getting a great price on something that doesn't last is what I"m worried about. I"ll spend some time reading the comments on that LiTime battery tonight.

I talked to Renogy yesterday about my planned setup using the SolarHawk 110w panel and Renogy 50A DCDC/MPPT and I'm glad I did. Their unit only handles 25v solar input and the SolarHawk panel has a 28v output, so it wouldn't work. This kind of stuff is what I'm most worried about. I don't know what numbers I should be comparing between the components.

I'm now looking at the Redarc BCDC 1240. I also read somewhere that for every 100ah of battery, you should have 200w of solar. Now I'm considering the Renogy 200w panel.

I appreciate the replies from everyone. This is a huge learning experience!!

 

[ChrisNLA]

Weight, space, and cost savings is nice, but is the quality there? Getting a great price on something that doesn't last is what I"m worried about. I"ll spend some time reading the comments on that LiTime battery tonight.

I talked to Renogy yesterday about my planned setup using the SolarHawk 110w panel and Renogy 50A DCDC/MPPT and I'm glad I did. Their unit only handles 25v solar input and the SolarHawk panel has a 28v output, so it wouldn't work. This kind of stuff is what I'm most worried about. I don't know what numbers I should be comparing between the components.

I'm now looking at the Redarc BCDC 1240. I also read somewhere that for every 100ah of battery, you should have 200w of solar. Now I'm considering the Renogy 200w panel.

I appreciate the replies from everyone. This is a huge learning experience!!

I'm a bit of a gambler, especially if it makes my hobbies more affordable / palatable. I'm glad you pointed out that lighter 'mini' Li Time 100aH because that makes me even more likely to build a power solution for my truck. Apparently these were marketed as 'Ampere Time' previously so they have been around for at least a little while.

I may do some watching when I get off work:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=li+time+battery

 

[HereWeGo]

I'm a bit of a gambler, especially if it makes my hobbies more affordable / palatable. I'm glad you pointed out that lighter 'mini' Li Time 100aH because that makes me even more likely to build a power solution for my truck. Apparently these were marketed as 'Ampere Time' previously so they have been around for at least a little while.

I may do some watching when I get off work:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=li+time+battery

I watched a couple of "takedowns" of the LiTime battery. Overall, it's well built, but lacks some features (low temp cutoff). A Victron temp sensor will fix that. The BMS unit is basic. It's a decent battery for the price.

This guy is good at takedowns!!

 

[HereWeGo]

I forgot to follow up with the results. Renogy DCC50, KickAss Slim 120AH, assorted Blue Sea breakers and distro panel, SolarHawk solar panel for the iKamper. It's all complete! Thanks for everyone's input.

 

[shikamaroxu]

For the distribution panel, you could grab a pre-made fuse box with built-in bus bars—it’s super easy to set up and saves a ton of time. If you’re into DIY, you could put together a compact bus bar and add the sockets you need.
When it comes to solar options, some solar panels companies are great for vehicle setups. They usually have panels designed for tight spots, like your iKamper RTT. Definitely worth reaching out to see what they suggest, especially if you’re thinking about adding stuff like a heater or water pump later.

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