Got quite a few upgrades done this weekend.

Undertheradar
Undertheradar Member Posts: 11
edited January 2024 in Modifications & Upgrades
Good weekend getting some much needed improvements made on our new ‘15 320:

Wired in a 3-position battery cutoff/switch and a smart Bluetooth shunt so I can monitor the battery levels, and replaced the old “shortstop” breaker with a resettable 30a unit.  

I also had a brand new 100Ah AGM battery sitting around from a solar project a few years ago and decided to put it to use in the empty generator box the previous owner had installed.  It’s wired to the second position on the cutoff so if the main battery gets too low, I can easily switch over to the backup.  Added an SAE plug to it as well so I can charge it with the new Renogy 100w suitcase panel.  

Ditched the old elevator style table base and installed a Laguna assembly which I remounted the old top onto.  Holy heck did that make the table 10x more functional!

Last but not least:  I installed a fan in the output vent for the fridge.  On our first trip we noticed the bag of groceries we had sitting on the counter were getting really warm.  Read about the issues with the early models not having the fan, so I added one.  Not too difficult and it really moves some air!





 


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  • AnOldUR
    AnOldUR Member Posts: 1,728
    edited January 2024
     
    Stockton, New Jersey
    2020 nuCamp T@B 320S * Jeep Wrangler
    60,865 camping miles through the end of 2025

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  • Sharon_is_SAM
    Sharon_is_SAM Member Posts: 10,061
    @AnOldUR - I think he has a solar port connected directly to the battery to charge via a suitcase. 
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • AnOldUR
    AnOldUR Member Posts: 1,728
    edited January 2024
     
    Stockton, New Jersey
    2020 nuCamp T@B 320S * Jeep Wrangler
    60,865 camping miles through the end of 2025

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  • Undertheradar
    Undertheradar Member Posts: 11
    AnOldUR said:
    Productive weekend! Looks good, but I have an observation. It looks like one of your negative leads is connected directly to the battery rather than going through the shunt. Solar? Am I seeing it incorrectly?
    Correct…there’s a negative from the solar port as well as the one coming from the backup battery.  Don’t want either going through the shunt.  👍
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  • Tabaz
    Tabaz Member Posts: 2,421
    Nice work!  BTW, is that a cable winch in the planter?
    2016 Outback 320
    2024 Ford F150 Supercrew short bed.
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  • AnOldUR
    AnOldUR Member Posts: 1,728
    edited January 2024
     
    Stockton, New Jersey
    2020 nuCamp T@B 320S * Jeep Wrangler
    60,865 camping miles through the end of 2025

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  • SLJ
    SLJ Member Posts: 645
    edited January 2024
    Undertheradar said:
    AnOldUR said:
    Productive weekend! Looks good, but I have an observation. It looks like one of your negative leads is connected directly to the battery rather than going through the shunt. Solar? Am I seeing it incorrectly?
    Correct…there’s a negative from the solar port as well as the one coming from the backup battery.  Don’t want either going through the shunt.  👍
    The shunt won't give an accurate reading unless it is the only thing connected to the negative battery post. If you charge using the solar port the shunt won't sense any charging and you won't know the state of charge in the battery. It won't be accurate for the second battery and will make the first battery's reading inaccurate so you might as well connect the second battery after the shunt also.
    2021 T@B 320 S Boondock
    2025 KZ Sportsmen 130RD
    2025 Ford Ranger
    The Finger Lakes of New York
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  • Undertheradar
    Undertheradar Member Posts: 11
    Tabaz said:
    Nice work!  BTW, is that a cable winch in the planter?
    Haha, good eye!  My parking pad in the backyard is on an alley and there’s a good size bump the trailer has to get up and over and doing it solo is next to impossible.  The hand crank winch does a great job,  once over it I can manually move it into position.  
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  • Undertheradar
    Undertheradar Member Posts: 11
    SLJ said:
    Undertheradar said:
    AnOldUR said:
    Productive weekend! Looks good, but I have an observation. It looks like one of your negative leads is connected directly to the battery rather than going through the shunt. Solar? Am I seeing it incorrectly?
    Correct…there’s a negative from the solar port as well as the one coming from the backup battery.  Don’t want either going through the shunt.  👍
    The shunt won't give an accurate reading unless it is the only thing connected to the negative battery post. If you charge using the solar port the shunt won't sense any charging and you won't know the state of charge in the battery. It won't be accurate for the second battery and will make the first battery's reading inaccurate so you might as well connect the second battery after the shunt also.
    Yeah, I realized that after wiring it up.  I’m going to put another breaker on the negative line from the second battery so I can isolate it from the shunt.  May get a second shut to install on that battery if I find that we actually need to use it on a regular basis. 
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  • Tabaz
    Tabaz Member Posts: 2,421
    Undertheradar - I know from reading this forum that some of our members might have difficulty maneuvering their rigs into the parking spot at their homes.  It might prove helpful to others if you posted more details (and photos) on that winch set-up for others to consider. 
    2016 Outback 320
    2024 Ford F150 Supercrew short bed.
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  • Sharon_is_SAM
    Sharon_is_SAM Member Posts: 10,061
    Brilliant!  Thanks for sharing.
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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