Thank you, currently have Victron mppt for solar. Want to leave that alone as a) redundancy and b) it’s geographically far away
L/Battery - go large or go lithium?
- Thread starter Chris1983
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- dc - dc charger victron vsr
Can I ask, if I am to go with the XS DC to DC (if it can fit under driver seat), and thus MUST replace current cabling with 25mm, would I be best served taking ALL wiring out and starting again from starter battery through bulkhead etc etc, rather than try and work with current ‘tangle’?
With heater ducting I may well be forced to use some passenger seat real estate, I wonder if it’s still worthwhile going for XS as it seems from my reading to run much cooler and therefore I may be able to use passenger storage whereas if I had the smart DC to DC in there, would be nervous of fire risk
With heater ducting I may well be forced to use some passenger seat real estate, I wonder if it’s still worthwhile going for XS as it seems from my reading to run much cooler and therefore I may be able to use passenger storage whereas if I had the smart DC to DC in there, would be nervous of fire risk
Yes, you would need to replace all cables from SB to DC-DC then to the LB plus appropriate fuses if you fit the XS. 16mm2 would be fine with a 60A fuse.
The 18A Orion does not run hot, it’s the 30A one that does. Even then it’s controlled and the output is throttled back to manage the heat. It’s not a fire risk but does need room to breathe.
The XS is only worth while in my opinion if you need the 50A output (big batteries to charge), have very limited space or need the extra connectivity it offers. From what you have said about your usage the 18A will be fine - saving you ££ and likely being able to use the existing wiring (subject to confirmation it’s big enough). Sorry to go against the T6 Forum rule of biggest and best!!
Stick with the stock VW lead that comes through to that existing SCR, no point in making life more difficult.
As for worrying about fires make sure each wire is thick enough for the current it's carrying plus that it's fused as near to the LB as possible, add isolators to the LB and solar, then consider that you've been sitting on a lead acid bomb for a while already and are just replacing that bomb for a slightly more powerful one.
As for worrying about fires make sure each wire is thick enough for the current it's carrying plus that it's fused as near to the LB as possible, add isolators to the LB and solar, then consider that you've been sitting on a lead acid bomb for a while already and are just replacing that bomb for a slightly more powerful one.
Might be worth looking up an AWG (American Wire Guage) to metric cable size chart online for current capacity bearing in mind the shorter the run the smaller the CSA (cross sectional area) can be.
Also be aware that there's a lot of CCA ( copper clad aluminium) cable masquerading as solid copper online and this will normally carry slightly less current so needs to be slightly chunkier CSA.
Also be aware that there's a lot of CCA ( copper clad aluminium) cable masquerading as solid copper online and this will normally carry slightly less current so needs to be slightly chunkier CSA.
One attached a few posts up
Don’t NEED the xs, was only thinking space wise. Would love to use existing wires as I don’t want to go burrowing under carpets/ through bulkhead if I can get away with it.
Next job is seat out and post some very clear pics for expert perusal
My split charge is an amber valley so don’t think it’s stock VW, presume leads will be similarStick with the stock VW lead that comes through to that existing SCR, no point in making life more difficult.
As for worrying about fires make sure each wire is thick enough for the current it's carrying plus that it's fused as near to the LB as possible, add isolators to the LB and solar, then consider that you've been sitting on a lead acid bomb for a while already and are just replacing that bomb for a slightly more powerful one.
@Chris1983 Stop panicking and over thinking the project chap, the supply to your SCR, Amber Valley or not, comes from the alternator and goes onwards to the leisure battery, if it has a trigger wire on it to operate the SCR then that may well be used by your new B2B unless that's a voltage sensing type but your new B2B charger should be able to sit where the old SCR did.
Whip the seat out and start setting spaces out for your new layout but again don't panic, with a 100Ah lithium LB you're going to have shed loads of space, I've got nothing under the double passenger seat as that's where the shoes and wash bags go.
Whip the seat out and start setting spaces out for your new layout but again don't panic, with a 100Ah lithium LB you're going to have shed loads of space, I've got nothing under the double passenger seat as that's where the shoes and wash bags go.
Space problem is the heater ducting. I’ll post pics when seat out for all esteemed input.@Chris1983 Stop panicking and over thinking the project chap, the supply to your SCR, Amber Valley or not, comes from the alternator and goes onwards to the leisure battery, if it has a trigger wire on it to operate the SCR then that may well be used by your new B2B unless that's a voltage sensing type but your new B2B charger should be able to sit where the old SCR did.
Whip the seat out and start setting spaces out for your new layout but again don't panic, with a 100Ah lithium LB you're going to have shed loads of space, I've got nothing under the double passenger seat as that's where the shoes and wash bags go.
“I’m a health professional man not an engineer!” In some Star Trek style riposte
I’m not either, but plenty of research and prior planning helped. I found Climbingvan.co.uk and Explorist.life were excellent resources with clear explanations and diagrams. Nothing is difficult, it’s just important to get the cable fuse size correct and the fuses in the right place. Doing it yourself is a fantastic way to learn about the can and be able to solve any issues in the future. And save a fortune! Get the pics up with the seats removed and let’s see what we’ve got.
There's a built in lithium profile on Victron stuff, most of the time that's all you need to use. LiFePO4 is lithium, just a different variation of lithium.
As TallPaul says. There are Victron specific settings on the Fogstar FAQ webpage so you can set up a specific charging profile.
I’d still question your need for such a big box. How often will you need to charge on EHU? As an indication the graph below is the solar recharging over the last few days with my fridge on 24/7. It was warm so working hard(ish) and obviously plenty of sun. The van was driven on one day but the DC-DC was turned off - and Bly charge was the solar. Doors opened regularly and AMT working hard with a dying SB. As you can see the LB never dropped below 91% each day (that was in the early morning) and was recharged by about 10am (the van was still in shade then). Even with fridge, heater, lights, USB chargers running the solar has always topped up the LB during the day regardless of weather. Even with zero charge I’d get minimum of 4 days from the LB at max use. If you drive the van every few days then the situation is improved even further. I simply see no need for the mains charger unless you are using an inverter and have big power needs (or use EHU all the time, in which case why bother with lithium?).
Guess was trying to keep all options. Would certainly like to not use EHU (opens up more camping options and reduces cost) but as I have a non compatible charger/ hook up now have took the leap into Lifepo thought could replace that as I tackle all
Fair enough. Your hook up will still give 240v to sockets etc, just won’t charge the LB without the new charger. I was of the same view when I was swapping my kit out and fitting the Fogstar. I put the wiring in place for an IP65 and even bought the charger but subsequent experience has shown it’s not necessary and I’ve not bothered finishing the wiring or fitting it. The solar, combined with the extra capacity of the lifepo4, has proved to be a game changer. I don’t even carry the EHU cable anymore (more room saved!).
Space is always the challenge! Hope to get drivers seat out tomoz and get some good photos of it all
I’m still on my original ancient factory 75Ah AGM leisure battery and with a decent DC-DC and solar panel even I gave up carrying the EHU lead around some years ago.
I think you need a fast DC-DC charger over anything else. We have been in the situation where there has been minimal solar output & not on EHU. We needed to run the engine to give a quick boost to the LB. The faster the B2B the better.
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