@Scott-Benson I am thinking of adding solar to my Roadtrek and I want to know if you would recommend using Bluetti AC200P rather than buying all the inverters and controllers. My thoughts are to plug the solar into the AC200P but not sure about getting power to the built-in system/house battery (205 Lithium Iron Phosphate). Would you just plug in a DC to DC battery charger into the DC Output 12v/25A port of the AC200p and connect to the house battery? If this seems viable would you recommend a charger if not what would be a better solution?
Depending on how complex you want to get, here is what I would recommend first:
1-Keep you house battery charging with your coach alternator assuming that is occurring now.
2-Find a convenient place to position the AC200 in the van, get a short 12 ga extension cord and route the cord from the AC200 to the location that is close to being able to connect to your can shore power cord. When you want AC from the AC200, plug this extension cord into the AC200 and your shore power, power up the AC 200 and you have AC. Assuming you have an on board power converter this will also provide power through to the DC circuits via your existing on board existing AC to DC converter. This will also allow charging of your battery. Essentially this will work exactly like you were plugging into a portable generator outside.
4-This method above will be simple, but you will lose some efficiency running the AC to DC converter. But…you needs may be such that this will not be an issue. If it is an issue, you can turn off your AC to DC converter by unplugging the cord that connects it to a wall socket in the van or it may have a circuit breaker switch you can simply flip.
5-The DC output of the AC200 is limited to 25 amps. If you wanted to go deeper into an install, you could run a cable from the AC200 to a switch that would select AC200 supplied DC or battery supplied DC. But the AC200 uses power to produce the regulated DC. If you left the AC200 in the mode of supplying DC power for long periods of time with little use, it will lose power.
6-When you add solar, you need to be able to switch your solar input so you can choose to charge your AC200 or your coach battery (Through a charge controller) so you have the ability to charge either source.
7-But…If it was me, unless you are very technical, I would try using the AC200 just like a generator as shown in item 1 first to see if that would work for you. It it does, the only thing you have to do is install solar panels and connect them to the AC200 and everything else takes care of itself. When you don’t need the AC power you can still use your coach batteries for DC just like you do now. If your coach batteries are having dificulty getting topped off from the AC200 via the onboard ac to dc converter, then you can add a switch to the incoming solar panel lines to select solar charging to your house batteries or the AC200. You are not going to be able to install a large amount of solar on the roof, so I don’t think you are going to be able to use solar exclusively unless you go with a lot of portable panels as well.
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Here are a couple of pics from someone who put their AC200 in their RV. They simply ran the Solar cables to this location and plug in the AC extension cord.
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Scott,
This seems like a great, simple, and straightforward plan A and plan B if needed. I think I will just be a weekend RV guy so this might work out. I am going to get 200 or 300 on the roof and a fold-out 120 w. Even though my Class B does have AC to DC converter it does not have an inverter so I think this will do the trick. Thank you for your thoughtful response and method to implement this plan.
You may want to try plan C and try three or four portable folding panels like the Bluettis. 300 on your roof laying flat will give you about 150 on a good day. If you use the AC200 heavily you will want all the solar you can get. If the portable doesnt supply enough then you can add roof top. You could also do roof top connected to the house batteries and leave the portables for the ac200.
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That is a great option. I have a built in Onan gen if things don’t quite match up on performance or it is cloudy that maybe a cheap PWM to the house battery might be a good way to go. The more you research the more you find out your don’t know. Again, thank you for helping poor schlubs like me figure this out.
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With the all the money spent on other items, I would suggest biting the bullett a little harder and getting an MPPT charge controller rather than the PMW one. The controller will last a long time and make a big difference in the overall solar power you will capture as well as as being happier in the long run for not always having to wonder “how much wattage would I be bringing in right now if I had got the MPPT controller instead”
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Question for you @Scott-Benson… what mppt controller would you recommend for handling a usage like @MikeW?
Im in a similar situation and have been using a cheap 20w panel/10a PWM setup to trickle charge my Scamps 12v AGM battery system, but with the recent purchase of 2x180w BougeRV panels I plan on mounting up top on the camper, will need to upgrade my charge controller setup. Do you have any suggestions for a mppt controller that isn’t overkill and won’t break the bank? (Thinking <30A since I probably won’t have the need to add more panels to that system)
I don’t have any personal experience with specific maker model but I do hear good things about the Renogy and the Victron brands
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@Scott-Benson I slept on it and you are making too much sense so I am going with an Mppt. @m.briney I might go with the Renogy because I feel like that company may remain solvent when others fold. That being said the Rich Solar seems to use the same Mppt for a cheaper price.
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I have purchased several Renogy products in the past and all have been first rate. I have just never purchased a charge controller from them
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Good lookin’ out! I’ll check out Rich Solar and see what they got available. Thank you!
I see 380W incoming from the brick listed on the unit.
nice clean install with open access…I will copy that design
I agree with Scott. Turning off the converter/charger will save power. Your house Batteries don’t need to be charging all the time.
Indeed. That was a great advice. It saves over 150w for me. Scott, Thank you!
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Once my house batteries are fully charged (13.5v) there is no noticeable draw on my bluetti from them. My base wattage draw is 60w. Fridge controls which a little part of could be a trickle to the house batteries. I can live with that. I don’t have a manual switch for the house besides cutting off the entire house. That kills my fridge even running it on LP.
I run the bluetti up to 90-100% via solar during the day shutting off the AC if I want a faster charge. (If the house batteries are 100%)
It will run my furnace all night without a problem and the coffee pot in the morning. The microwave for a few minutes now and then. (Cook over a campfire mostly) Haven’t needed a furnace for many weeks now in FL.
My house batteries are being topped off during the day by proxy as long as I leave the AC connection on. Works for us. 
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