Black Series HQ17 Upgrade Usefulness Report

Introduction

This past summer, my wife and I embarked on a road trip like never before. We purchased our 2022 Black Series HQ17 in December 2022 with this road trip in mind. I also bought a 2022 F250 Platinum with a 6.7L Diesel Engine to pull it.

While we did a handful of short excursions in our Black Series, we never really experienced the full capabilities of our rig. That was about to change.

Like many Black Series owners, we underwent a series of modifications to improve the camper's reliability and function. We did our best to learn from the experiences of others through a very active Facebook group. Many of our modifications were inspired by others' experiences; however, some are original.

This report rates and comments on the usefulness of each of our modifications to provide other BS owners with additional information to consider before undertaking a project. It is not a "how-to" write-up.

Style of Travel

Not all Black Series owners have the same travel styles, and these differences can affect whether a modification is useful for their mode of travel.

We left our Oklahoma home, Black Series, in tow on May 2, 2024. We first headed south to West Texas and then Arizona. We worked our way up through the western states and into British Columbia. We continued through western Canada and into Alaska, where we spent several weeks travelling around the state. In mid-August, we left Alaska and headed across Canada to Manitoba before heading south through the midwestern US and back home in late September.

We stayed 4 nights in one place only three times. On average, we stayed 2 to 3 nights at each location. Many times, we were in an area one night and never unhooked. Elaborate camp set-ups were not our thing. We targeted quick and efficient set-ups.

We drove 20,000 miles, including 16,000 miles of towing our Black Series.

We boondocked 90+% of the time. Even when not boondocking, we rarely had hook-ups at our site. I DO NOT TRAVEL WITH A GENERATOR.

We had no significant problems with the Black Series (that were not self-inflicted) aside from the Wan Li bombs, which were quickly replaced in the first 1000 miles of the trip with quality Load Rated E tyres.

The Modifications

Let's get into it! These modifications will be listed by category in order of their value to us on this trip.

Electrical

Energy Collection and Storage

Value: Indispensable, Complexity: Very High, Cost: Very High

Off with the flex panels! They didn't work from day 1. We added 1250W of Rich Panels in two arrays. One on the roof and one on the front angle. We additionally added new Victron smart solar charge controllers (one 50amp and one 30amp). We also added a 3000W Multiplus Inverter.

To take advantage of time on the road, I added two 30-amp Victron DC/DC charge controllers with individual cut-off switches. This required running new 2 AWG wiring from the truck battery through the Black Series frame and under the dining seat, where the charge controllers are located.

The original batteries were removed and sold. I installed 3-400AH EG4 batteries (1200AH total) under the lower bunk. Two on one side and one on the other. This required raising the lower bunk 3" to accommodate the height of the batteries. I made a detailed post on this if you need more information on this installation.

This upgrade allowed us to never worry about power for the entire trip. We maximized the use of solar by switching the refrigerator from LPG to 110V as needed. The fridge was on power 30-40% of the time.

The installation had its issues.

• I kept the 200A DC breaker between the battery and the inverter because I was not sure what the stock copper conduit between the breaker and the transfer switch (and the stock transfer switch itself) was rated for. This was a good call because the insulation on the copper conduit melted at 200A.
• With the above 200A breaker in place, the full capacity of the inverter was not available, and the breaker tripped occasionally when using multiple 110V appliances. I must increase the conduit size and verify the transfer switch capacity before increasing the breaker size to 300A.
• The cabinet below the seat, where all the Victron equipment is located, gets very hot. We had to remove the cushions and the board to fully ventilate the area while driving, inverting, or charging significantly. I will need to put a more significant air mover in this box to solve this problem.
• The EG4 batteries would occasionally go into Protect COV (meaning Cell Overvoltage). This only ever happened on one of the three batteries, but it happened often. It eventually came out of this mode as the other batteries draw down 20% or so. I adjusted the charge controller voltages slightly, but I think it is the internal charge controller on the EG4 that is controlling. I am not sure that I can do anything about this.

HQ Display Light Switch

Value: Indispensable, Complexity: Low, Cost: Low

That display generates a lot of light! I like to sleep in the dark. Enough said. This is a great, simple project that everyone should do.

Awning and HQ Light Kill Switches

Power Configuration and Use Upgrades

Value: High, Complexity: Medium, Cost: Medium

This project allows everything that is 110V to be run from the new Victron Multiplus Inverter. This required two new runs of appropriately sized wire between the breaker panel and the inverter. They run under the camper in conduit. A new 30-amp breaker is also needed in the passthrough for the shore power. In addition to that, we added a couple of outlets at more convenient locations and converted the inside gas stove into an induction stovetop. My wife would argue that the stove top upgrade was indispensable, and I would agree.

Awning Kill Switch

Value: High, Complexity: Low, Cost: Low

In rare cases, an awning will deploy unexpectedly while driving down the road. Why? Maybe the remote is bouncing in a drawer, and the deploy button activates, or maybe the relay gets jostled and activates.

Installing a switch on the power going to the awning eliminates the worry.

Moving Breaker Panel

Value: High, Complexity: Medium, Cost: Low

The breaker panel is in the passthrough and is oriented in a way that restricts the access to one side of the passthrough. With some effort the panel can be rotated 90-degrees and pushed against the wall to make access to the passthrough a breeze!

Battery Protect Installation

Value: High, Complexity: Medium, Cost: Low

We eliminated the two under voltage protection relays under the dinner table seat and replaced them with a Victron Battery Protect to eliminate the constant 1-2amp drain on the battery.

Remote Voltage Read-out on Break-away Battery

Value: High, Complexity: Medium, Cost: Low

As part of converting under the dining seat to additional storage (see below), I needed to block easy access to this battery. Wiring a voltage indicator to the break-away battery required opening the battery box itself to find the terminals that are directly on the battery. The terminals on the outside of the box are wired with circuitry so the battery voltage cannot be acquired at this location.

This project made it very easy to verify the voltage on this little battery by toggling a switch located in the Victron Component area.

Flood Light Segregation

Value: Medium, Complexity: Low, Cost: Low