L/Battery - go large or go lithium?

[roadtripper]

The literature talks about buying another cable and doing clever laptop things!?! I understood this was simply a fit and forget?

That's if you want very precise control or have unusual batteries, the stock settings are good enough for general use so don't worry.

 

[Chris1983]

It's not the ideal but have a good look and think contact area - you want the high current wires to have the most surface area in contact. Often with a biggish screw down terminal if you put the high current wire at the bottom (so it gets all the contact area in the fixed bit) and tuck the lighter guage on top it will work.

I wouldn't try getting any more than that in, that's the point to switch to a bus bar.

And thoughts on grounding the tiny wire from amt?

 

[roadtripper]

If you're happy using the positives on the DC-DC use the ground too?

It's not uncommon for the AMT to be wired around the DC-DC as all the feeds you need go through it.

 

[roadtripper]

If you do use those terminals remember to give it a good tug test to ensure both cables are firmly clamped

 

[Chris1983]

you are all heroic!

All in, all seems to be working as described!

I need a battery securing strap, before I screw all down, you all have my sincerest thanks for the weeks and weeks of support!

I will hold off on any switches/isolators / bus bars/ shunts etc and just go and make a brew! And then I’ll look towards the ip22

 

[Chris1983]

Next question, how do I turn this…..into this

 

[Stay Frosty]

I'll take a stab at putting a 13A single socket and surface box on that back woodwork fed by the LEN cables going into the white plug from the original charger then connect that outgoings red and black to the output of the Victron IP22.
You can actually get 20mm Kopex PMA glands if you wanted to fix that corrugated conduit into the single skt back box and not see any exposed cabling there.
I would make an isolator on the leisure battery and solar where it enters the van a priority so that you can work on the system without pulling fuses every five minutes.

 

[Chris1983]

I'll take a stab at putting a 13A single socket and surface box on that back woodwork fed by the LEN cables going into the white plug from the original charger then connect that outgoings red and black to the output of the Victron IP22.
You can actually get 20mm Kopex PMA glands if you wanted to fix that corrugated conduit into the single skt back box and not see any exposed cabling there.
I would make an isolator on the leisure battery and solar where it enters the van a priority so that you can work on the system without pulling fuses every five minutes.

I’m happy all is out of sight, could you drop some links to what you would buy and I’ll get busy on amazon

 

[Chris1983]

what would I do with the attached ‘house plug’ on Victron?

 

[Chris1983]

Or do I ‘plug’ the house plug into the socket?

 

[Chris1983]

I think I understand. Get a normal single house socket 13 amp.

Put three wires into that (Live, Earth, Neutral).

And then simply plug Victron house style plug into that.

Allows unit to be switched off and on easily.

And the two spade connectors that are present now, can gow straight into Victron +/-.

How would you think it best to attach a socket/ box. Back wall is just insulation and then van inner skin

 

[Chris1983]

I'll take a stab at putting a 13A single socket and surface box on that back woodwork fed by the LEN cables going into the white plug from the original charger then connect that outgoings red and black to the output of the Victron IP22.
You can actually get 20mm Kopex PMA glands if you wanted to fix that corrugated conduit into the single skt back box and not see any exposed cabling there.
I would make an isolator on the leisure battery and solar where it enters the van a priority so that you can work on the system without pulling fuses every five minutes.

Oh, you are saying have the back box inside the cupboard rather than in void

 

[Stay Frosty]

If you want it to look really tidy you can get a Fastafix type plasterboard flush skt box and leave the 230 incoming wiring behind the wood panel to the left of the old charger in the top picture you showed and just have the 13A skt on display with the Victron plugged into the skt.
Yes, put the Victron and 13A skt in the cupboard so you can access them if needed, it's never wise to install kit where you can't get at it when something inevitably plays up, obviously all rules go out the window when bunging kit under the drivers seat!

 

[Chris1983]

If you want it to look really tidy you can get a Fastafix type plasterboard flush skt box and leave the 230 incoming wiring behind the wood panel to the left of the old charger in the top picture you showed and just have the 13A skt on display with the Victron plugged into the skt.
Yes, put the Victron and 13A skt in the cupboard so you can access them if needed, it's never wise to install kit where you can't get at it when something inevitably plays up, obviously all rules go out the window when bunging kit under the drivers seat!

I have the back box and socket. How best to get wire for Victron from behind to in front of wooden back wall? I was going to unwire and thread and re wire, but that doesn’t look easy? Do I need to cut and then fix wire? Afterwards?or cut stock plug off and rewire another in its place

 

[Stay Frosty]

There's my Victron IP22 charger, plugged into that 13single socket which in turn is fed from the EHU main fuse board, not sure why you appear to be dismantling the Victron?

 

[Stay Frosty]

While we're looking at that picture you'll see I've wrapped a bit of alloy sheet covered in black PVC around the seatbase, this has the battery isolator mounted to it.
The isolator is a rotary 300A cheapie from Amazon/eBay but does a great job of isolating the battery for working on the install or stopping any voltage leakage through the various leisure equipment eg inverter or B2B for instance.

 

[Chris1983]

I want to mount it on little flap in cupboard that drops down (where other charger was).

That means wire has to come from behind the wooden wall to plug into socket

 

[Chris1983]

I want to mount it on little flap in cupboard that drops down (where other charger was).

That means wire has to come from behind the wooden wall to plug into socket

Am I making sense? I’ve put Victron ip22 back together now, considering chopping plug off, threading cable from behind (void) and then wiring a new plug on to plug into socket

 

[Chris1983]

I’ve drilled a hole under there now to get Victron cable from back to front. I think I need to cut existing plug off tho and re wire

 

[Bigsidavies]

Yeah I’d just chop the plug off and then wire a new plug back on.
I chopped the plug off mine and wired it direct into the consumer unit 5A outlet.