Leisure Electrics Install - AGM, Renogy DC

burendan

burendan

Member
T6 Pro
I am starting a thread here to document my leisure electrics install in my new van as I have learned so much from other people's threads here.

This is my second van conversion, that last one was a T5 and was a lot more simple as I was located in the UK with so many suppliers and access to basic VSR kits. This time I have a T6 in Australia and everything is just a little bit harder to source. I am not planning on doing such long trips in this van as I did in Europe however, so I have not added a shore charge circuit.

As the van is still in build stage, with insulation and wall linings going in, I am currently just preparing for my electrical install. I have ordered most of the items listed in the diagram below, but as nothing has been installed yet I still have time to make changes if anyone has any tips or suggestions.

I will add an important disclaimer - I am a complete amateur at this, I understand basic electric principles but I have a lot to learn. I am sharing my experience and lessons for others to learn from, but do not assume that I know better than you!

VW Wiring Diagram.jpeg

Cable
AWG 6 & 8 - Battery / Starter | Tycab Australia
2mm & 4mm* - Twin Sheath Two Core Flat | Tycab Australia
*Some industry standard apparently, not the cable area!

1598274343838.png
1598274473215.png

High Amp Side
Low Amp Side
 
I cannot edit the post above, but the battery I have selected is a single 140AH AGM, which according to my cardboard mockup will fit under the drivers seat if mounted on its side.

www.aussiebatteries.com.au

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All deliveries in Melbourne are taking a fair bit longer than usual with Australia post having to reduce its workforce in the current Stage 4 covid restrictions, but I did receive the cable, battery, DC2DC charger, bus bar and battery monitor before the weekend.

I managed to build a battery frame under the drivers seat from aluminium corner profile, and run the AWG8 cable from the engine bay to the drivers seat. The previous owner of my van had some unmarked twin core cable already running from the engine bay, although it had been cut off under the cab mat and 6 inches short of the battery. I didn't fancy using unmarked cable anyway, but it did mean that they had already opened up a route through the firewall so I didn't need to work hard to find this.

Only after running this did I learn that the large red cable under the passenger seat is apparently for a factory split charge system and I could have located my battery under the passenger seat and used this cable. At least by running my own cable I will have easy access to the fuse at the starter end (not in the e-box) which will make commissioning the charger a bit easier.

I have mounted the Renogy charger at the front of the seat base, which is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle to get in but it will allow me unobstructed visibility of the status lights on the front of the charger. The back of this panel/mount will host the monitor shunt and negative busbar (pictured), and the charger/load midi fuses once they arrive. If I have space, the Victron smart isolator will also go here, but I suspect this will need to be mounted away with the fuse boxes due to space under the seat.

I also had to remount the VW unit (BCM?) from its frame, and instead bolt it directly to the seat frame to reduce its footprint. I also ran the ign sensor cable for the charger up to the dash fuse box which will be connected once I get a mini fuse tap in the mail.

All load side cables have now been run, either in conduit or regularly attached to the factory looms via cable ties. So far everything is coming back to just behind the drivers seat where I plan to build a unit to house the fridge and electrical distribution. I had to split one cable run that is to power some fans in the back of the van, and in doing so I think I might have achieved my best attempt so far at soldering in the van. It might look like rubbish to most people, but it was a solid improvement for me!

Next steps are to run the AWG6 cables out from the drivers seat under the flooring to where the fuse boxes will be located behind it and to connect the negative bus bar to the grounding point just under the seat. Hopefully my fuse holders, cable lugs and adhesive heat shrink all arrive this week.

P.S. While I was writing this post the battery isolator and inverter arrived. Unfortunately, I made a mistake and ordered the 24/375 inverter, so this will be delayed as I arrange a return and replacement for the 12v unit.

2020-08-29 17.16.42.jpg2020-08-29 17.18.49.jpg2020-08-30 15.04.55.jpg
 
A few more parts arrived, and a few more delayed deliveries. This week saw the addition of cable lugs for my larger AWG6 cable (still waiting for my AWG8 lugs), some adhesive heat shrink, the Victron Battery Protect, Midi fuse holders, and a 3D printer!

I managed to get all the AWG6 cables crimped, and I was very happy to make room for the Battery Protect under the drivers seat. After reading the manual a few times I also realised that I need to run the cable for the inverter direct from the battery (well from the 'in' side of the battery protect which is fused) and then run an additional signal cable to the inverter remote switch from the battery protect 'out' terminal. Every time I think I have bolted the drivers seat down for the last time I realised one more cable is needed, but fortunately I remembered to run the display cable for the Renogy battery monitor with the extra inverter cables so now I think I really am done with that...

I am still a few weeks away at least from getting into the back and connecting any load items, but I did get the battery protect and monitor programmed this week, so it is only the DCC30S to setup in the front once my cable lugs arrive. For reference I went for mode 7 on the battery protect, which has a cut-out at 11.8v which I am hoping equates to not much under 50% discharge?

I have only had the 3D printer for a few days (Creality Ender 3 V2), but I have been able to make some custom cable clips and a switch mount for the battery cut-off all to fit on my bracket under the drivers seat. It is very satisfying to make something that just fits perfectly! The battery switch connects to the remote port on the Battery Protect.

I updated my wiring diagram to show the change in the Inverter setup, and the minor cables for the inverter & battery monitor. I have also ordered an additional midi fuse holder for the new inverter setup.

2020-09-05 16.09.47.jpg2020-09-05 16.10.29.jpg2020-09-06 13.59.50.jpg2020-09-06 14.39.12.jpg2020-09-07 16.36.37.jpg2020-09-07 16.43.07.jpg


VW Wiring Diagram.jpeg
 
It has been a while since I did anything significant on the electrical side of my build, but I did finally receive the lugs for my AWG8 cable a few weeks ago so my Renogy DC charger is now hooked up. I had a chance to see a Redarc charger in another van recently and it made me realise just how big the Renogy device is.

All my lights are now installed, via a temporary fuse box location. Once I have the cabinets built I will be able to tidy this all up and install the MOSFET to connect the strip led's to the door function. All the down lights are touch switch/dimmable. It has made such a difference working in a van that has lights!

I closed in the back of the driver seat and the rear ~15cm of the top of the seat base with 3mm ply covered with black carpet to hide all the electronics underneath. The top piece is just held in by friction of the seat rails, and the back piece has a couple of cupboard latch springs that were a perfect fit to clip into the existing opening in the back of the seat base. Sorry, I don't have any close up pics of this on my phone, but happy to take some if anyone wants more detail.

2020-09-26 19.59.17.jpg2020-10-11 12.57.38.jpg
 
The van build is now complete*, and I added the final piece of the electronics this weekend with the addition of a solar blanket & Anderson connection to my charger. FYI the clips for the solar blanket are here.

I have had to make a few other modifications to the plan. I installed hidden wireless chargers in my benchtop that consumed more power than I would like when not in use, so I separated these from the accessories spur and added a switch.

I have also discovered that Victron's reputation is not entirely deserved. As discovered by others on this forum (link), installing the Victron Battery Protect and Phoenix Inverter as shown in the Victron manuals does not work as expected, and Victron's support is comically poor. This required an addition of a manual switch for the inverter also as it does not turn off with the BP cutoff. A minor addition, but frustrating when you buy some kit that does not work as advertised.

The only two things I have left on my list for the electronics are to install some sockets down the back so we can plug in fans near our heads, and to tidy up the fuse box cupboard with some cable ties. Time will tell if I ever actually complete these tasks now that we are out of Lockdown and I can get out of Melbourne every weekend instead of working on the van.

*I acknowledge that the build will never actually be complete and I will continue to tinker for as long as I own this vehicle

2020-12-12 11.10.48.jpg

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2020-12-12 13.46.22.jpg
 
burendan said:
It has been a while since I did anything significant on the electrical side of my build, but I did finally receive the lugs for my AWG8 cable a few weeks ago so my Renogy DC charger is now hooked up. I had a chance to see a Redarc charger in another van recently and it made me realise just how big the Renogy device is.

All my lights are now installed, via a temporary fuse box location. Once I have the cabinets built I will be able to tidy this all up and install the MOSFET to connect the strip led's to the door function. All the down lights are touch switch/dimmable. It has made such a difference working in a van that has lights!

I closed in the back of the driver seat and the rear ~15cm of the top of the seat base with 3mm ply covered with black carpet to hide all the electronics underneath. The top piece is just held in by friction of the seat rails, and the back piece has a couple of cupboard latch springs that were a perfect fit to clip into the existing opening in the back of the seat base. Sorry, I don't have any close up pics of this on my phone, but happy to take some if anyone wants more detail.

View attachment 88546View attachment 88547
Click to expand...
hi burendan

sorry to resurrect an old thread, but have you done a build thread on how you made the ceiling? love what you've done and would like to do something similar

cheers
 
gdj001 said:
hi burendan

sorry to resurrect an old thread, but have you done a build thread on how you made the ceiling? love what you've done and would like to do something similar

cheers
Click to expand...

No, I didn't document it but the approach was:
  1. Attach battens to roof
  2. Create roof template with 3mm ply and paint this black
  3. Cut timber strips and create spacing jig
  4. Glue timber strips to ply, then I flipped and screwed them from behind (no visible screws)
  5. Attach roof in one piece. I used black screws and put a screw between each strip at each of the battens.=
For bonus points you have to do it all single handed! Getting the roof in place what quite the task!

2020-10-10 17.23.04.jpg2020-09-29 18.04.16.jpg2020-10-04 12.55.13.jpg2020-10-07 17.44.42.jpg2020-10-07 16.54.34.jpg2020-10-11 12.57.34.jpg
 
amazing, thanks for explaining that.
i've been trying to work out how to hide the fixings, hadn't even thought of screwing from behind
 
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