Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 07-01-2020, 09:04 PM   #1
New Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Utah
Posts: 3
Default 2012 Traverse NEWBIE to B class RV

Hello from Utah. Just bought a 2012 Traverse and anxious to upgrade the electrical. Considering new battery(s) and adding non-attached solar. Will review other Forum topics and look forward to being an active participant. Thanks for welcoming me!
Traverse12 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-01-2020, 09:34 PM   #2
Platinum Member
 
rowiebowie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,651
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Traverse12 View Post
Hello from Utah. Just bought a 2012 Traverse and anxious to upgrade the electrical. Considering new battery(s) and adding non-attached solar. Will review other Forum topics and look forward to being an active participant. Thanks for welcoming me!
Welome to the forum Traverse12!

There's a current thread here that may be of value: https://www.classbforum.com/forums/f...tml#post111063
rowiebowie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2020, 12:44 AM   #3
Platinum Member
 
Dogman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Florida
Posts: 268
Default

How much solar would you need to power your RV? Some simple questions, they ask to estimate the size of your system in a few moments.
https://gpelectric.com/calculator/
__________________
2021 Coachmen Galleria 3500XD, 24FL, with Li3.
We are H.L. and Jan, from the Sunshine State on Florida's west coast.
"Remember every camping trip is an outdoor adventure and begins and ends with a road-trip. Drive safely with your family cargo."
Dogman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2024, 03:14 PM   #4
Platinum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: MA
Posts: 186
Default

I owned a 2002 Traverse for 11 years. The newer ones were virtually identical to the older models except with fewer features (they dropped the 12/120v hot water heater and the rear door mounted 120v AC for example).

My current RV is a B+ to which I added Lithium batteries, a battery heater system that I designed myself, solar, an inverter, and many other upgrades.

If I were starting over with the Traverse and had a few grand to really make it a better vehicle I would make the following upgrades:
1. Swap the batteries for these Lithium models: PowerUrus $330 ea ($660 for two)
2. Swap the charger for this Inverter (which you can shoehorn into the same spot under the bed with a little effort - but make sure you measure before you buy): Xantrex 1800 $675
3. Rooftop solar using flexible panels. These are cheap and not particularly durable, but you can adhere them to the pop-top (using just enough to hold them since you will likely need to replace them at some point). I would use three, which should take up most of the pop-top and give you plenty of power to run the fridge indefinitely even in cloudy weather. Using three means you can use a cheap PWM controller which will be small and easily mounted next to the existing control panels. A MPPT controller takes up more room, is much more expensive, and only gives you a real-world increase of about 20% more power. Adding a third panel gives you 50% more for less than $100, so it is a far more cost effective approach. Here is a four-pack of panels that give you an extra for future use. $270
4. You need the solar controller. This is not the cheapest option, but it has the battery temperature monitoring capability (use a 10k probe eight dollars) as well as BT monitoring capability (nice!). Renology $30
5. I would add a rooftop fan as well. I talked with PleasureWay about this once to see if the fiberglass pop-top could handle having a 14"x14" hole cut in it but did not get a solid answer. To play it safe you could just install this MaxFan Dome Fan $71. It is possible to modify these to have a variable speed, by cutting out the switch and putting in one of these PWM controllers $8 in its place (the dial should fit where the switch was).
6. I would also install a battery monitor $38. These measure the exact amount of power that flows in and out of the battery so you know exactly how much charge it has. This is far superior to just looking at voltage, which is nearly useless with a LifePO battery. The shunt goes on the negative terminal of the battery, the controller is mounted where you can see it. If you would prefer just bluetooth monitoring this Victron $100 is a good option (the Victron app is very good, I use it).
jakegw2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2024, 03:27 PM   #5
Platinum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: MA
Posts: 186
Default

I would also add the rear-door AC pretty much right away as well, it was so handy. With the two LiFEPO4 batteries you could power it for around 5 hours - perfect for lunch stops or a place to cool down while at the park without running the van. This one should fit in a hole you can cut in the driver's side rear door. It also has a remote so you don't have to crawl over the bed to adjust it.
jakegw2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT. The time now is 08:00 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.