BT240/12volt elec layout - long winded, i hope it helps someone

Hello to one and all, I thought I would put on paper the final result of my BT electric wandering/decisions. This will be boring for some and interesting for others - so read on at you peril ! Technology is constantly changing & improving, and it's difficult to keep up with these changes. How many of us have bought what we thought was the latest/ best only to find when we got home that it was old technology, promoted simply because it was stocked ......."they now use this and do it that way". Frustrating at the least. I have ventured along the path that I have - as stated before, due to my nature......I am constantly looking of ways to improve what already exists. Some might argue that I should accept what is available. My answer to that is that if everyone did this then you would still be vanning in a caravan built from plywood, using candles / torches, with block ice. I am happy to take this plunge into the new "untested" area, for myself, an offshoot of this is that Bt owners may benefit The success of these tests may well see the equipment options list change, or at least expand. "We will never go forward if we only dwell on yesterdays achievements." At the outset I had some goals ; To utilise all power sources to their full potential, save weight where possible, streamline van electric layout, and make the transition from home to van with minimum changes. So this is what I have done: The 5 x 225amp/hr Lifeline Concorde AGM batteries from Solar Online, are located beneath the cafe style lounge, as is the inverter/charger unit. This has been done to reduce cable lengths required, hopefully improving performance ( less voltage drop) and saving on weight - with the shorter cable runs. I chose Xantraxs 2200watt inverter / charger. mainly due to the battery charger side of this combined unit being capable of 100amps output. The use of a 100amp battery charger ( 3 stage with AGM selection) is necessary given the recent info of my batteries- Concorde lifeline batts have no limit to the bulk portion ( majority ) of charge. So I see little point in trickling in 20 - 30 - 40 amps/hr when I can pump in 100, and the batts will take 3,4 -5 ? times more. The second reason is that the inverter charger unit is a "power sharing" one. This was the second reason for it's purchase - if the A/C runs at 1800watts then the inverter would be programmed to begin assisting the generator once the AC power demand exceeds the preset gen threshold- i.e. ;1,000 watts from Honda 1 kva, so the balance of 800 watts for the A/C would come out of the batts - which is acceptable to me. The inverter is also able to reduce the battery chargers required input to suit available generator amps . For example - A standard 50amp battery charger requires a generator that can produce 50 amps ( + inverter losses of AC to DC, usually 15-25%) - it's an all or nothing approach. So the 83amps of the Honda 1 kva ( less battery charger losses 15- ? % ) Probably wont "trigger" the battery charger.- and the 2kva is overkill - but in this situation, the only solution. The charger part in this Inverter/charger unit is programmable and can be set to any figure .... 10 amps 12 - right up to the chargers max of 100amps. I like many of you dislike the thought of both buying and then lugging around a 2kva generator - with this system I don't have to. I save on gen cost / weight and hassles of carting around the larger 2kva generator. Now I should have the room to stick the smaller generator on a box on the front. I have used a Xantrex C40 regulator as it has the Pulse width Modulation technology, and was the cheapest to buy, which still offered the 3 stage charging. This basic unit was chosen as I needed to install a dedicated battery monitor with shunt. This battery monitor was necessary so that the power from the vehicles alternator into the system, would be included via the shunt I will install a Zena 200amp alternator with an external 3 stage regulator ( again with AGM selection ). The regulator is capable of providing 100amps @ 2,000 rpm (vehicle cruise speed - 80kph) The cable to the van is 35mm with a 10mm voltage sensor wire. The voltage sensor wire from the alternators 3 stage regulator will sense the voltage at the vans batteries and send the volts down the 35mm cable. The voltage drop in the 35mm cable will be compensated for by this 10 mm sensor wire, so the vans batteries will receive the correct voltage. The 35mm cable will join the van via a 175amp Anderson plug, with a second 50amp Anderson plug containing the Voltage sensor wire and a solenoid power wire. The solenoid power wire is necessary so that when the van is not connected, the regulator does not keep looking for the non - existent van batteries. Disconnecting the van at the rear dual Anderson plugs will instruct the solenoid to sense the closer un- compensated vehicle batteries, and charge them accordingly. In brief: the maximum recommended discharge of this battery bank is %50 or 500a/hrs I can replace the 500amps via the cars alternator in 5hrs ( without counting the solar input whilst driving) - so realistically probably closer to 4hrs Should I ever have to stay in a caravan park I would recharge all batts again within 5hrs The Honda 1kva will charge the batts in approx 6hrs - again without counting solar input, so probably around 5hrs. All these charge times are similar - around the 5hr mark. This is the worst case scenario - i.e. having drained 500amps, which is allot of power to have used. In real terms I expect to only ever discharge the batts to 20- 30 % of capacity making for a very , very long life expectancy, and naturally a brief 2-3 hr recharge time. This system is not revolutionary - all the parts already exists, it just needs someone to have a desire to put them all together.........I had that desire. I hope this helps someone - or at least gives you an option that you may not have previously had. I will give more real time feed back on the systems working operation after I pick up the van, after the Sydney show. Cracker