Thinking about new ev project

Hi everyone! This is my first post here. Im wanting to build an ev vw bus but I want to be able to charge it from my RV and I want the batteries on the VW to power my house system on the RV when driving down the road and towing the ev. I also want to install a generator in the VW in order to charge batteries in an emergency or when boondocking in my Rv. And lastly I want to be able to plug the ev into a campsite outlet for recharging. Got all that?

The VW will be drivin in short trips around various places that I travel to as well as from my home to work. I live about 10 miles from work and can charge at home or at work.

My RV is actually a real 40' bus with a Detroit Diesel 6v92 and a 24 volt alternator.

I have taken the first step and bought a VW bus without a running engine. The VW has a solid body so it should be strong enough to hold an array of lead acid batteries.

What all do I need to do? I know I need an electric motor, charger/controller of some sort/ connecting plate and batteries. I would like to keep the expence way down and am even considering purchasing a used ev from ebay that I can pull the running gear out of to do this. Will the 24 volt alternator be enough or do I need to add an alternator? How about solar panels? Thank you.

maybe just stick with an ebike to keep the expense down, no registration or insurance too. but for the vw, evalbums has a collection you can thumb through to see how others do it. stay away from lead too.

Now Dnmun that wasn't a very good welcome jk

Welcome to the forum btw

Uh lets see. If your rv has a 24v alt. then you could run an inverter off that to run house loads. And you want a generator in the VW so that would take care of any loads there. So, If you also run an inverter off the batt. pack in the VW then you are twice redundant on having power for house loads. I would say put the generator on the bus for house loads/charging the VW and just use an inverter in the VW for your backup whew!! Overload

I guess I didnt explain it very well, sorry my bad. For my house system on the rv I am figuring I will need at least 10 6volt batteries or so because I really didnt want to run a generator (they are loud, stinky and obnoxious). I have not bought an inverter yet for my rv or batteries for that matter. I would need to be able to plug into a 50 amp outlet at a campsite though in order to run the RV and save thier batteries while recharging them at the same time ...... most people who do this just hook up thier house inverter for this but maybe with the ev I wouldnt have to do that?

I was considering adding an alternator to the Detroit Diesel (which runs on biodiesel btw) like this http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/JACK-HEINTZ-500-AMP-30-36-48-96-VOLT-DC-EV-MOTOR-GEN_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZalgoQ3dLVIQ26ituQ3dUCIQ26otnQ3d2Q26poQ3dLVIQ26psQ3d63Q26clkidQ3d5334160067435537878QQ_trksidZp3286Q2em7QQcategoryZ46093QQitemZ130432216153 in order to charge the batteries on the VW while driving the RV and pulling the VW down the road.

When boondocking (parking by the ocean without electical hookups at all) I figured I would get juice to run the rv house from the batteries in the ev VW. The generator on the VW could be used to recharge those batteries if they got low while boondocking plus if Im out running around in town with the VW and find myself needing an emergency charge to get back to camp I could use the generator to help me limp home.

is it true that an electric motor produces energy even when off just as long as the wheels are turning like as it is being pulled down the road?

If it takes 50 amps to run the house then 10- 6 volt batteries won't run it very long. I know you don't want to run the generator but it sounds like you may end up doing it anyway.

On the new post yea. If the ev is set up to regen. I suppose it "could" charge itself while you are towing it.

I know 10 wouldnt run it for very long. Inititialy (before I thought of towing an ev vehicle) I had intended on about 10 batteries to run it for short periods of time coupled with solar panels and of course the 24 volt alternator on the rv now. But after deciding to explore the possiblities of using an ev towed vehicle, I am more then willing to carry more batteries up to a safe weight limit for the vehicle and thinking too about lithium batteries (hopefully they will come down in price).

So I guess what I need to do now is find out what motor I need to look for (or how to set up any motor) for regenerative power.

Where were you when I was trying to sell my bug? Look for Methods. He might be trying to sell his.

Anyway, here is my electric car-- which i drive every day. The novelty is almost gone...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phvm0z1BUpY

If you are doing this on a budget, mines not a bad template. D&D motor, altrax controller, lithium batteries are a little expensive but it's what makes the project practical. Send me a PM if you want to know more.

jondoh that is awesome For my conversion, it has to be a larger vehicle because of my family being in it too. Just awesome!!

Yes I know about his bus, that was the reason I joined the forum. But he says I need to learn more about electric vehicles before I could do the needed work on his. So I bought a VW bus and am going to convert it myself instead