Leisure power upgrade
- Thread starter The Flying Scotsman
- Start date
I bought an ablemail that keeps the starter battery topped up so I will never have a problem of not being able start the van.
That’s perfect thanks and exactly what I’m going to do now.
Was hanging fire on ordering the charger until I knew exactly what I was doing.
Will go order it and that lead.
Think that’s my systems base plans worked out now and just about everything here or ordered.
Need to order PV cable and fixings for my mahoosive solar panel.
I want a wind breaker along the front edge with the front bolted through the roof the rest of the brackets stuck down with tiger seal.
I want to be able to unscrew the panel from the permanently fixed brackets.
Just ordered these
Going to using these on the sides and back and plan to just key the roof below them and tiger seal them on. The front ones I’m going to bolt down through the roof as well as tiger seal them.
The solar panel is 2m long and 1m wide so it’s got to be solid.
Going to using these on the sides and back and plan to just key the roof below them and tiger seal them on. The front ones I’m going to bolt down through the roof as well as tiger seal them.
The solar panel is 2m long and 1m wide so it’s got to be solid.
You can get quadrant shaped mounts that run the full width of the panel. Give a really neat finish, aerodynamic leading edge and a large surface area to fix it. You wouldn’t need bolts with those as plenty of surface area for Sikaflex. Just an example:
How flat is your pop top?
I was going to use the abs corner mounts but the curve on the std T6 roof (front to back and side to side) really made it tricky.
I was going to use the abs corner mounts but the curve on the std T6 roof (front to back and side to side) really made it tricky.
That was my original plan but my pop top has ridges as well as a curve side to side as well as front to back.
I thought about just notching the trim so it sits over the ridges but the side to side curve put me off the idea.
I had wanted to fit the alloy trim right along the front and then use the plastic middle and rear brackets
I was hoping the abs corner mounts would be the best suited to take up the curve in the roof.
As there’s space under the panel.
I will go take a pic of my pop top
Here’s my roof.
Think I will sit a flat metal trim I have here on it tomorrow to see how bad the side to side curve is and if I can accommodate it to fit the alloy trim along the front.
Think I will sit a flat metal trim I have here on it tomorrow to see how bad the side to side curve is and if I can accommodate it to fit the alloy trim along the front.
Ah, that’s a shame. What poptop is it? Could you fix roofbars? Reimo can have alloy channels retrofitted that run front to back then crossbars attach to those. Panel then attached to the crossbars. May increase height (and cost!) but opens up other options and you can swap the panel if you need/want.
Depends how many you're using - just the 4 corners is fine but I wasn't happy with just them only held down with sikaflex.
Your pop top does look a lot less curved that the std T6 roof so I reckon you'll be fine. It looks almost flat front to back.
It was actually the front to back curve on the std T6 roof that was the issue, putting centre mounts meant a good inch or more gap at the front and back.
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I’m not sure the make.
I’m wanting as little build up as possible for height and wind noise.
I’m using 6 the 4 corners and 2 in the middle.
At worst I think I might have to fettle the height of middle two by grinding the flat bit the panel sits on to keep the panel flat. Will cross that bridge when I come to it.
I’m a joiner so no problem making it work one way or another.
I’m going to double check the side to side curve tomorrow to see if I can modify those alloy trims to fit right along the front edge.
I actually got them in my basket on eBay and the seller has given me an offer on them.
So I’ve made a start.
I’ve measured the space I have and this board will fit perfectly and I can screw it back easily.
The red power wire bottom left will go to another 80A mega fuse beside the starter battery then to the SB.
The 3 red power wires at the top are going to the positive terminal on the lithium LB.
The black earth wires are going to an earth busbar that’s going above the isolation switch. I’m still waiting on that. Then that fat black wire with the gold connector is going to the chassis from the earth busbar.
The blue smart charger wire will get swapped out with the fused one I’ve ordered. Is this the best place to take the positive for this?
The shunt I’m still waiting on and is going above the fused busbar.
How is this looking so far guys?
Is the Ablemail wired up correctly?
The left connection to the leisure battery I’ve just sat in place and presume I’m best taking it direct to positive LB terminal?
I’ve measured the space I have and this board will fit perfectly and I can screw it back easily.
The red power wire bottom left will go to another 80A mega fuse beside the starter battery then to the SB.
The 3 red power wires at the top are going to the positive terminal on the lithium LB.
The black earth wires are going to an earth busbar that’s going above the isolation switch. I’m still waiting on that. Then that fat black wire with the gold connector is going to the chassis from the earth busbar.
The blue smart charger wire will get swapped out with the fused one I’ve ordered. Is this the best place to take the positive for this?
The shunt I’m still waiting on and is going above the fused busbar.
How is this looking so far guys?
Is the Ablemail wired up correctly?
The left connection to the leisure battery I’ve just sat in place and presume I’m best taking it direct to positive LB terminal?
No, that means the main fuse and isolator are meaningless if you do this.
Connect the main single positive cable to the positive terminal on the battery. There should only be this single connection on the battery.
Then the shortest run possible to the main Megafuse - shortest as this cable is unfused, and a short circuit in this would send hundreds or thousands amps through the short circuit.
Megafuse to the isolator switch.
Isolator switch to the fused busbar.
Then, EVERY positive connection is connected via that fused busbar, with the correct fuses for the wiring and device.
The main Megafuse and isolator are your primary LB protection, so if you need to quickly cut power to everything that the LB is powering, you can with a flip of the switch.
Currently with your set up in that picture, the Orion XS and the EHU are bypassing the main fuse and isolator. And you've got unfused connections going straight to the positive terminal. Not what you want. Again, if they chafe against anything connected to chassis ground, that's a short circuit as lots and lots of amps going the route of least resistance...
In the fused busbar/distribution box you've got 4x midi fuse slots.
1x 60a for the Orion XS output
1x for the MPPT
That leaves 2x free, I'd have a 12v fusebox connected to another and add the Ablemail and ehu connections to that - basically anything low amps.
Thanks.
I have sorted my mistakes.
The only cable going to LB positive is the thickest red one coming from my mega fuse now.
I’ve taken the Orion output to the mega slot on the busbar as it’s not getting used and will order another 60a fuse for this.
I’ve got all my 12v fuses for everything still getting used In the fuse box integrated into the Sargent so will just take the supply wire for the Sargent to one of the 4 points on the busbar then use the other 3 for the Ablemail, MPPT and the blue smart charger.
Is this looking better?
Earth busbar should be here later today
Just noticed I’m a T6 legend now 
As in my case, that's just a hyphen away from the truth.Just noticed I’m a T6 legend now
Looking better. Personally I wired the AMT differently and just went direct to the Orion as per the instructions. Less cable and connections. You could certainly do that with the neg to save routing that to the chassis.
You don’t need the fused cable for the ip65 now as the one you have fitted is fused via the busbar - maybe save it for use on other vehicles.
Make sure you have the little crossover bar from mega to the midis on the correct end - the end the cable from the isolator comes in.
I'm a bit post rave 
after the Torch Light Festival this weekend and I know that board isn't your whole install which you're revamping but it looks like you've got to incorporate your incoming solar via the separate Mppt unit, your standalone EHU smart charger input, plus as you've indicated your 12 volt supply back to your Sargent unit to replace the Sargent's built in PSU.
It's probably my addled brain but I'm wondering if the four midi ways on that unit will be enough with the mega fuse way handling all in and out current to the leisure battery, that main in and out pair looks a bit on the thin side too although I don't think you're running an inverter so I'm probably talking out of my rear again.
after the Torch Light Festival this weekend and I know that board isn't your whole install which you're revamping but it looks like you've got to incorporate your incoming solar via the separate Mppt unit, your standalone EHU smart charger input, plus as you've indicated your 12 volt supply back to your Sargent unit to replace the Sargent's built in PSU.It's probably my addled brain but I'm wondering if the four midi ways on that unit will be enough with the mega fuse way handling all in and out current to the leisure battery, that main in and out pair looks a bit on the thin side too although I don't think you're running an inverter so I'm probably talking out of my rear again.
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