HC 331rl solar battleborn Victron multi install.

[driller]

I’m in the late planning stages of my installation of 1260 watts of solar, six battleborn batteries, and two Victron 3000 multiplus inverters on my 2020 HC 331rl.

The two locations I am considering for the installation are in the front original battery compartment or the storage bay behind the original wall under the stairs.

I have seen some YouTube videos of some installations on Grand Designs with the batteries and multiplus in the void area behind the bay wall and under the stairs, as this takes the least amount of storage area.

Also any suggestions on where to install the GX color control and the BMV 712 woud help.

Has anyone done this on their HC 331rl, and if so, any advice, suggestions, or pictures you could share would be helpful.

Thanks.

[66 Galaxie]

Originally Posted by driller

I’m in the late planning stages of my installation of 1260 watts of solar, six battleborn batteries, and two Victron 3000 multiplus inverters on my 2020 HC 331rl.

The two locations I am considering for the installation are in the front original battery compartment or the storage bay behind the original wall under the stairs.

I have seen some YouTube videos of some installations on Grand Designs with the batteries and multiplus in the void area behind the bay wall and under the stairs, as this takes the least amount of storage area.

Also any suggestions on where to install the GX color control and the BMV 712 woud help.

Has anyone done this on their HC 331rl, and if so, any advice, suggestions, or pictures you could share would be helpful.

Thanks.

Do you have a generator?

[driller]

Not installed, I have a predator 3500 portable.

[docmoose]

I know this was a while ago, but how did it go? I'm about to install 840W of solar panels with two 300W Victron multi-inverters. The pic posted here was great info!

Did you have solar prep and did you wind up replacing the 10-Gauge wire from the roof with 6G?

[kowbra]

Originally Posted by driller

I’m in the late planning stages of my installation of 1260 watts of solar, six battleborn batteries, and two Victron 3000 multiplus inverters on my 2020 HC 331rl.

The two locations I am considering for the installation are in the front original battery compartment or the storage bay behind the original wall under the stairs.

I have seen some YouTube videos of some installations on Grand Designs with the batteries and multiplus in the void area behind the bay wall and under the stairs, as this takes the least amount of storage area.

Also any suggestions on where to install the GX color control and the BMV 712 woud help.

Has anyone done this on their HC 331rl, and if so, any advice, suggestions, or pictures you could share would be helpful.

Thanks.

Sorry, I can't directly answer your questions, but in case it is helpful, there is a photo down the page here about the Montana Super Solar Flex package installed from factory...
https://www.rvnews.com/major-fifth-w...-power-system/

The photo is showing a box with the batteries and all other electronics inside it. This box is installed in the main storage bay, and it looks like it would be up against where the original walls for the bay would be. So, it takes up almost half the main storage bay space.

When I spoke to Sam Lengeritch, the Montana Product Manager, about this last fall, he indicated that there were a lot of reasons why it was placed where it was. Some of those have to do with the regulations they fall under, such as RVIA, but there are other practical reasons. One of the main advantages is that this area is heated, whereas the front area is not. Even though there are heat blankets on the batteries, it is good to have them in a heated area if you will use in lower temps.

Obviously taking up that much of the main bay storage is a disadvantage, especially for some floor plans. Perhaps you could place in a similar area, but more tucked into the area just aft of the storage bay.

Maybe that gives you some ideas to work with, and I'm sure you can find more videos and photos for more details and ideas.
hth!

Brad

[Daryles]

Just an FYI, in the picture behind the grey panel where it says "solar prep wiring" there is a fair sized void space. Maybe install a pull out tray and put batteries in here?

[driller]

It would be great if there was room in there for something like this, then I wouldn't lose bay storage.

[docmoose]

I am looking to do the same. Do you think two Victron inverters will fit? And with that setup and 10 batteries you are you using another inverter in a separate location? (It may be hard to tell but I'm referring to the pic above that is in the front compartment with the ten batteries)

[kowbra]

Originally Posted by driller

It would be great if there was room in there for something like this, then I wouldn't lose bay storage.

I like that idea!
And, as noted, the roof wiring from the solar panels does drop right down in behind those bay panels.

I think this might be one of those times where you can remove a panel and find a lot of dead space. Seems like a lot of advantages to use that space. Heated, no extra wiring, doesn't use up a lot of existing space, and with the hinges should be easy to access the components.

It just might work!
I will be watching to see how it works as you check that space out.

Brad

[jetskier]

Originally Posted by kowbra

I will be watching to see how it works as you check that space out.

Brad

If you take those panels off on the 3790, it's a rat's nest of 12V wires and 120V romex and plumbing lines crossing every which way. If the factory did a little cable management.....

[jetskier]

Just found a pic!

[kowbra]

Originally Posted by jetskier

Just found a pic!

Thanks for the pic!
Ya, looks a lot like the last couple of 5th wheels I've had.
In the boat building business, they use ABYC standards and the wiring looks better than in our homes. In the RV business, it's the opposite and speed seems to be the priority.

I do like that Montana has at least adopted color coding for their wiring, but I have no experience working on it yet.

Either way, there is lots of potential room behind the bay storage walls. How easy that is to clean up probably depends on model, and maybe on the installers.

Brad

[jetskier]

Originally Posted by kowbra

Either way, there is lots of potential room behind the bay storage walls. How easy that is to clean up probably depends on model, and maybe on the installers.

There is slack in most of it. If you really wanted to spend the time, you could move quite a bit of it. I was able to add a second 50A ATS from the 2000W factory inverter after the primary ATS from the gen/shore. It wasn't fun, but I found some real estate to mount it to the floor in there. I do remember it wasn't fun routing wires.


My next goal is the BB battery replacement of my four GC2s and changing the inverter to the 3000W inverter/charger. I have the 150/85 MPPT for my current 850W solar, but I need to add more panels to accommodate the BB setup. A little rewiring to the main living AC and a easy start are in the plans as well! After burning 8 gallons of propane a day to run the ACs at the lake last year, it's time for alternative energy.

[PNW Fireguy]

There is a Youtube channel installer that routinely installs electrical equipment behind the rear basement wall. In fact even relocating the wall in most cases. The pics posted look very familiar to his work based upon the layout familiarity. It is not my position that these installs are not ok I will say if you pack all that heat generating equipment into an area that is not fitted with adequate air movement for cooling and heat disapation your investment will most likely suffer a premature death. For example both Victron and Magnum Energy list specific clearance values regarding ventilation requirements and those two Multiplus I/C's butted against one another MAY not allow for sufficient air movement.

The Montana wiring rat's nest behind the basement wall can be clleaned up. There is sufficient slack to train and secure the wiring to make room for recessing some equipment in that dead space. If you are DIY'ing just make sure you address cooling requirements for the space now that you will be installing significant heat sources in this area. Something as simple as an exhaust fan can move enough air to keep the temp in that area acceptable in summer, it can be controlled with a cheap thermostat of even configurable output relays from the inverters in the case of Victron Multiplus's or Quattro's.

[66 Galaxie]

Originally Posted by driller

Not installed, I have a predator 3500 portable.

You could hang the components from the underneath side of the front compartment without losing much storage. There's a decent amount of wasted space behind the bulkhead walls but six GC2's held together with busbar's is going to be tough to fit. You can stack them on top of each other and secure them down but it's going to eat into storage. On the Super Solar they build the wall out 16" to hide everything.

[R.S.O'Donnell]

I don't know how my 3121rl compares but here is how I installed my 6 Battle Born's. I wanted them in a heated and cooled compartment so I put them in the basement and screwed a plastic tub to the floor where the batteries used to sit and moved non-temperature sensitive stuff up there. In all honesty I think I have more basement storage now than I did before the battery upgrade.

[docmoose]

Very nice! Just curious why you don't have the batteries in the front right compartment? And do you have a generator on the front left? I'm figuring all of this out for a new RV which is why I ask.

[R.S.O'Donnell]

Originally Posted by docmoose

Very nice! Just curious why you don't have the batteries in the front right compartment? And do you have a generator on the front left? I'm figuring all of this out for a new RV which is why I ask.

Happy to help.

The very front compartment isn't temperature controlled at all. Lithium batteries don't like to be too hot or too cold and the charge controller and power inverter both need to run cool.

No installed generator. We carry a 3500W gasoline generator in the bed of the truck.

[twindman]

O'Donnell, so you have 6 batteries at a grand each!?!?!? I assume you must do a lot of boondocking to need that much......

[R.S.O'Donnell]

Originally Posted by twindman

O'Donnell, so you have 6 batteries at a grand each!?!?!? I assume you must do a lot of boondocking to need that much......

Between totally free BLM/NF Dispersed or no hookup campgrounds I'd say about 90% off the cord. We like the quiet, darkness, and spacing that is inherent with it. We do have a few campgrounds we like but they are in special areas and are not what we call "Walmarts with hookups".