We’ll still be working and going about everyday life while we’re on the road. That means a laptop, external monitors, and internet equipment—including Starlink—running alongside the refrigerator, lights, and everything else in the RV.
We’re also bringing the comforts with us: a microwave, multiple TVs, and an electric fireplace. Yes, multiple TVs. We’re well into glamping territory.
We expect to spend plenty of time in campgrounds with good electrical hookups. Shore power will still be part of how we run the rig. Our solar and battery system gives us additional options when hookups aren’t available, along with stored power for connected circuits if the supply is interrupted.
The planning comes down to what we’ll use, how long we’ll use it, and what might be running at the same time. Work equipment running for several hours creates a different demand than briefly using the microwave. Using the fireplace for heat adds another consideration.Here’s the equipment going into our system and what each component contributes.
The solar panels turn sunlight into direct-current electricity, or DC. Fifteen panels rated at 200 watts each give us 3,000 watts of rated solar capacity.
That doesn’t mean we’ll get 3,000 watts throughout the day. Production changes with sunlight, temperature, shading, and panel angle. On an RV roof, the placement of air conditioners and other equipment matters because their shadows can affect the panels.
The panels’ job is to help supply daytime electrical demand and replenish the batteries. With work equipment and household loads running during the day, some of that production may be used as it’s generated. Whatever is available beyond those demands can go toward charging.
That’s why we’ll be watching daily energy production, not just the highest number that appears on the monitor.
The panels need a charge controller between them and the battery bank to manage charging.
MPPT stands for maximum power point tracking. The controller adjusts how it draws electricity from the panels as conditions change, then converts that power to the voltage and current needed to charge the batteries. Its charging settings must match the battery requirements. Victron’s overview of MPPT solar charging explains how this technology works.
For our setup, this is the connection between the solar array and useful battery charging. It helps us make use of available sunlight while managing how that energy reaches the bank.
The exact controller size depends on more than the panels’ combined wattage. The panel wiring arrangement, maximum voltage in cold weather, and charging-current requirements all need to fit within its limits. We’ll confirm those details with the final controller selection.
The batteries store energy for use when solar production or shore power isn’t meeting demand.
Our plan currently includes three or four 24-volt, 300-amp-hour lithium iron phosphate batteries, with the final count still being decided. Their role is to provide a reserve for the equipment connected to the system.
That reserve matters when we’re working from the RV. The laptop, monitors, and Starlink may run for hours, while other equipment cycles on and off around them. Overnight, the panels stop producing, but electrical use doesn’t.
Assuming the planned batteries are the Vatrer 24V 300Ah models we’re considering, each stores a nominal 7.68 kilowatt-hours. Three would provide 23.04 kWh; four would provide 30.72 kWh. Actual energy delivered to appliances will be lower after allowing for a battery reserve and conversion losses.
The fourth battery would add capacity, but also cost, weight, and space requirements. It would also leave us with more energy to replace after a substantial discharge. More storage is useful only when it fits the rest of the system and how we use it.
The batteries store DC electricity. Household-style outlets and appliances use alternating current, or AC. The Victron MultiPlus-II inverter/chargers connect those two sides of the system.
When operating from batteries, they convert DC power into AC power for the circuits they supply. When suitable shore or generator power is available, they can pass incoming AC power through and use their built-in chargers to replenish the battery bank.
That makes them relevant even when we’re parked at a campground with a good hookup. Shore power, battery charging, and the circuits supplied by the inverters all need to work together.
Our plan includes two units. Their final configuration determines how they share the work and supply the RV, so we’ll cover that arrangement with the wiring details.One specification worth understanding: the “3000” is a VA rating, not a guarantee of 3,000 watts of continuous output. We’ll use the exact models’ continuous watt ratings and operating limits when determining what can run together.
That matters with our mix of equipment. A normal workday, a microwave heating lunch, and a fireplace running for warmth can overlap. Having a substantial battery bank doesn’t automatically mean every appliance can run at once.
The Cerbo GX is the system’s communication and monitoring hub. It brings information from compatible connected equipment into one place.
With the appropriate connections, we can monitor solar charging and inverter/charger operation. Battery information requires a compatible battery monitor or supported battery communication. An internet connection also allows remote monitoring through Victron’s VRM service.
For us, its value is seeing how the system behaves during an ordinary day. How much solar are we getting while work equipment is running? Are we charging the batteries or gradually drawing them down? What changes when another appliance comes on?
Those answers will help us adjust how we use the system. They’ll also make troubleshooting easier if something isn’t performing as expected.
The Cerbo can only display information it receives. We’ll need the right monitoring equipment and connections rather than assuming every component will report to it automatically.
The larger DC connections need an organized place to come together, with appropriate protection for each circuit.
Each Lynx Distributor contains positive and negative busbars—common electrical connection points—with positions for four individually fused DC circuits. Two distributors give us eight fused connection positions for the equipment assigned to them.
Their role is to organize those connections and provide a place for the correctly sized circuit fuses. With batteries, inverter/chargers, and other equipment involved, keeping the wiring understandable will help during installation and later maintenance.
The distributors also support fuse-status indication, but that feature requires the appropriate power and supporting connections. Remote fuse monitoring isn’t automatic just because a Cerbo GX is included.
The Lynx Power In provides additional positive and negative connection points for batteries or other DC equipment. It connects into the modular Lynx system and helps bring those connections together.
It serves a straightforward purpose: organized DC connections. It doesn’t charge the batteries, convert voltage, or manage battery operation.Unlike the Lynx Distributors, the standard Lynx Power In does not contain fuses. Connections through it need appropriate external fuse protection. That distinction matters when planning the complete system.
The battery disconnect switches provide a way to manually isolate the battery circuits they control.
We’re including two in the plan so those designated connections can be disconnected for servicing or shutdown. Their placement will determine exactly what each one isolates, and their DC voltage and current ratings must suit the circuits.
A disconnect switch doesn’t replace a fuse. The switch lets us intentionally open a circuit; the fuse provides overcurrent protection.
It’s also important to know what remains energized. Disconnecting a battery circuit doesn’t necessarily remove power supplied by solar panels or shore power.
Our main battery bank is 24 volts, but the RV still has equipment designed to operate on 12 volts, including lighting, fans, water pumps, and various control circuits.
The DC-to-DC converters step the battery-bank voltage down to a regulated output suitable for those systems. They allow the existing 12-volt equipment to operate from the higher-voltage bank. The Victron Orion high-power DC-to-DC converter page provides specifications for this equipment family.
Two converters are included in our plan. Whether they supply separate groups of equipment or operate together will depend on the selected models and final configuration. Units can only be connected in parallel if the manufacturer supports that arrangement.
Sizing also needs to account for the actual loads, including the starting demands of pumps and other motors. The everyday equipment on the 12-volt side still needs attention, even when the larger appliances get most of the discussion.
The panels produce electricity, and the MPPT controller manages solar charging. The batteries store energy. The inverter/chargers supply the connected AC circuits and recharge the bank from suitable incoming AC power. The DC-to-DC converters supply the 12-volt equipment.
The Lynx components organize the DC connections, the fuses protect the circuits, and the disconnects provide manual isolation. The Cerbo GX helps us see what the connected equipment is doing.
When we have a good campground hookup, shore power will support our routine within the limits of that connection and the RV’s electrical system. Away from hookups, we’ll need to pay closer attention to consumption, battery capacity, and available sunlight. Running the fireplace for heat, for example, will require a different decision than turning on a TV.
This is the main component list, rather than a complete installation plan. Wiring, fuses, grounding, panel mounting, and equipment settings all need to be worked out together.
The goal is to support an ordinary day on the road: getting work done, making lunch, keeping the refrigerator running, and enjoying the rig when the workday ends. We’ll measure how well the system does that and adjust from there.
If you work from your RV, which part of your electrical setup has made the biggest difference?