12v plug is limited to 10 amps (14V x 10A = 140 watts) The Bluetti wall charger is 500 watts. So its 3.5 times faster and you have ac power in the cab and at the tailgate for anything else you might need to power.
Looks well thought out for a build and really gives a great head start to whomever finishes this van. Well done. Looks like you ran 14-2 for the lighting circuits which is typically solid wire. Any thoughts on using solid wire when vibration from being in a vehicle is always a concern? I've mostly heard that stranded wire is better and more vibration resistant for vehicle wiring. Also, those waygo's, which I think you called leveling nuts, are not meant to be used as a connect-disconnect and reconnect type of joint. The more times that is done the looser they become in terms of a solid and secure connection. I prefer them over wire nuts for sure when it comes to solid wire connections. What you did with the vehicle power to charge the bluetti is brilliant and charges so much faster than strictly charging with 12v dc. Not critiquing your work. My comments and questions are just concerns. Thanks for sharing.
I want to do the same thing in my shuttle bus build. anything i should look out for? Do i really need a victron inverter? Or would any 500-800 watt inverter work? The ac200 max only charges under 500 watts when using the dc block. Thanks
Hey i just saw your youtube video powering your van with the ac200max. We are also using this powerstation to run our 12v system in our van. By now we only charge via solar power. Can you advice us with the wiring and the components for dc to dc charging via inverter? We would really apreciate your help. Thanks a lot, best regards pascal
Very nice set up. Thank you for sharing, my question is do you know if there is temperature cut offs for charging on those units? It can get pretty cold where I live and I want it to be connected to solar, set forget, so I don’t want to charging if it’s cold cause that can ruin the batteries from what I know…
All those protections should be built in to the AC200max, but I would also set the heater to 40deg all the time in the winter to keep water tanks from freezing etc. so then its not an issue for batteries either.
Same question as Anne Williams, why Victron 800w over the 500w? thought the bluetti only could get 500w shortpower (inverter) input, and 900w with brick from solar. For the rest very interesting and easy setup, thx for sharing !
It the Victron 800VA which is actually 650 watts. Silly naming scheme but I like to leave a little head room and the extra power could be used for a laptop charger in the cab.
Hi Aaron, great video. I'm trying to do the same on my Ford E350 2013. You have what Ah on this van battery, 100Ah? 75Ah? Thanks in advance, cheers Jose
Thanks for the video. I'm definitely not a Bluetti expert but it seems like there should be a more efficient way to charge from the vehicle battery than a DC to AC inverter then through a AC to DC charging transformer. I cant believe there isn't a more elegant high amperage DC to DC charging solution that could be hard wired to the main vehicle battery/alternator.
Is the high/low voltage range that makes the Phoenix Inverter starts only when the vehicule runs the default settings of the Phoenix Inverter or you had to program it that way ? Thank you !
Hi Aaron, thanks for the concise and informative video. I am starting my electrical setup the same as you have here. I have the AC200max with their aviation cable into a Bluesea fuse block. But the Espar heater is giving an error code, saying there is not enough power for start up. Apparently, there are quite a few people encountering this same problem right now. Can you shed some light on how you got your heater to start up using the AC200max? Did you do something different?
Hey Clement, any progress with this issue? I am experiencing the exact same issue with my Espar. It will run fine off of my Sprinter starter battery through the dashboard 12v cigarette lighter, but not through the AC200max RV/aviation output. Crazy since the Bluetti is actually producing a steady 13.5 ish volts compared to the under 12v from the start battery.
That’s interesting. I don’t think I did anything different. Make sure you use copper or tinned copper wire of large enough gauge, and go over all your connections. I would check voltage at the heater when it’s trying to start up and see what the voltage drop is. Should be ideally 3-5% but no more than 10%. You could try and connect a temporary wire straight from the heater to the 12v out and see if that works, then you know the Bluetti will run it or not. Also I wonder about the aviation plug. I didn’t use the one Bluetti sells, so I soldered my own wires and made a solid connection inside that plug. Hope this helps.
I would say if you have a 150 amp alternator or larger, that would be fine. The general rule is to not use greater than half the rated alternator power for auxiliary loads.
Did you make that aviation connector from the bluetti to the blue sea panel? If so what gauge wire did you use? Any other details would be appreciated. Than you!!! I am planning something like this for a teardrop I am in the process of building.
I had the same question. Some people have fault error on their diesel heater (voltage variation?). Maybe wrong wire gauge. Did you adapt the 12v/30A bluetti RV cable?
Do you have a vid on how you connected the alternator charger to the AC200? I have the AC300. Their (bluetti) standard way of charging front the alt is WAY to weak.
I bought an aviation plug and soldered my own wire to it. I think this is the trick to make the diesel heater work. Use 12awg copper or tinned copper wire. I use Ancor Marine 12/2 wire for this.
hey men. would you help me? I wan to do very same setup as you here. however instead of that victron inventer can I just put a victron dc to dc conventer to get more amps from my alternator? thanks!
I believe the bluetti charger is 500 watts. The Victron inverters are rated in VA , not watts. 800VA is closer to 650 watts, so better to slightly over size it. The 500VA unit would not likely last if it was even able to supply appropriate power.
It’s a programmable voltage range. Victron allows you the set the low voltage cutoff and recovery voltages with accuracy to the tenths. So low voltage shutdown below 12.8v and reconnect at above 13.8v . You just need the usb dongle and Victron Connect program on your laptop.
the phoenix inverter is being used to make a DC-DC charging solution. 12v Start battery to inverter, 120vac to home charging adapter, that puts out ~50vdc to charge the Bluetti. The key to making this work is the programming that's possible with the Victron Pheonix. It's set to turn on above 13vdc input, and shut off below 12vdc input. This means no need for voltage sensitive relays or anything else.
The rate of charge depends on the rating of the units home charger. In this case its a 500 watt charger and the inverter can be purchased in different sizes, but I believe this one is a 600watt. To get charge time just divide battery capacity in Wh by watts charging. So a 1500 Wh battery would take 3 hrs and 500watts. Maybe longer if going to 100% but if you are going 20%-80% then just a couple hours.
This install was over a year ago. That product wasn’t made yet. Also the added utility of having an inverter has more uses when the bluetti is being used out of the vehicle.
That's a PowerWerx product. Not specifically just for solar either. They make dual versions and also white. You need to do some crimping, so get the tool kit for it as well. powerwerx.com/panelpole-panel-mount-powerpole-black-single
This is completely applicable to any power station because it uses the standard wall charger plugged into the Victron inverter. (One exception is the fast charging power stations that have 1500w wall chargers)
The heater is diesel, and uses a 20 or 30 amp fuse for ignition, but much less power once running. Yes it all goes through the fuse panel. I made my own wire with the aviation plug going from the 30A DC out to the fuse panel. I used 10Awg wire to minimize voltage loss. I’ve heard some people having issues with the Bluetti adapter plugs, I think because too thin of wire and voltage drop.
Using the victron Phoenix inverter is a genius idea makes perfect sense and also this could be used for other power packs too well done 👏 👏👏👏
Thanks, I was looking to hook up something to like this to Flex 1500. This was helpful.
Lovely setup do you have any info on how much quicker the charing inverter is over the 12v dc cigaret standard plug Bluetti supply
12v plug is limited to 10 amps (14V x 10A = 140 watts)
The Bluetti wall charger is 500 watts.
So its 3.5 times faster and you have ac power in the cab and at the tailgate for anything else you might need to power.
Looks well thought out for a build and really gives a great head start to whomever finishes this van. Well done. Looks like you ran 14-2 for the lighting circuits which is typically solid wire. Any thoughts on using solid wire when vibration from being in a vehicle is always a concern? I've mostly heard that stranded wire is better and more vibration resistant for vehicle wiring. Also, those waygo's, which I think you called leveling nuts, are not meant to be used as a connect-disconnect and reconnect type of joint. The more times that is done the looser they become in terms of a solid and secure connection. I prefer them over wire nuts for sure when it comes to solid wire connections. What you did with the vehicle power to charge the bluetti is brilliant and charges so much faster than strictly charging with 12v dc. Not critiquing your work. My comments and questions are just concerns. Thanks for sharing.
All wire is Anchor Marine stranded tinned copper wire. Didn’t know about lever nuts wearing out, interesting. Thanks for the comments.
Can i ask what size wire you used from the battery to the inverter ?
what the settings on the inverter for the ac200 max and where did you connect to start battery thankyou ?
I want to do the same thing in my shuttle bus build. anything i should look out for? Do i really need a victron inverter? Or would any 500-800 watt inverter work? The ac200 max only charges under 500 watts when using the dc block. Thanks
Hey i just saw your youtube video powering your van with the ac200max. We are also using this powerstation to run our 12v system in our van. By now we only charge via solar power. Can you advice us with the wiring and the components for dc to dc charging via inverter? We would really apreciate your help. Thanks a lot, best regards pascal
Very nice set up. Thank you for sharing, my question is do you know if there is temperature cut offs for charging on those units? It can get pretty cold where I live and I want it to be connected to solar, set forget, so I don’t want to charging if it’s cold cause that can ruin the batteries from what I know…
All those protections should be built in to the AC200max, but I would also set the heater to 40deg all the time in the winter to keep water tanks from freezing etc. so then its not an issue for batteries either.
Why not use the goal zero with the yeti link?
Same question as Anne Williams, why Victron 800w over the 500w?
thought the bluetti only could get 500w shortpower (inverter) input,
and 900w with brick from solar.
For the rest very interesting and easy setup, thx for sharing !
It the Victron 800VA which is actually 650 watts. Silly naming scheme but I like to leave a little head room and the extra power could be used for a laptop charger in the cab.
Sorry Victron ...New Ecoflow power kits are the way to go now. Simple setup, cheaper and better! Game changer for sure
Hi Aaron, great video. I'm trying to do the same on my Ford E350 2013. You have what Ah on this van battery, 100Ah? 75Ah?
Thanks in advance, cheers Jose
Thanks for the video. I'm definitely not a Bluetti expert but it seems like there should be a more efficient way to charge from the vehicle battery than a DC to AC inverter then through a AC to DC charging transformer. I cant believe there isn't a more elegant high amperage DC to DC charging solution that could be hard wired to the main vehicle battery/alternator.
you can use BLUETTI DC Charging Enhancer (D050S) - but @ 12V you will only get 120 Watts (~15 hours charge time)
which is still pretty bad aha@@roryniland
How would you connect your fridge?
Hi Mate! YOu happen to have a wiring diagram? Or something like that?
How is it after 1 year? Still happy?
Is this your company you do this for? Where are you located
Is the high/low voltage range that makes the Phoenix Inverter starts only when the vehicule runs the default settings of the Phoenix Inverter or you had to program it that way ? Thank you !
Has to be programmed using their usb adapter cable to a computer.
Hi Aaron, thanks for the concise and informative video. I am starting my electrical setup the same as you have here. I have the AC200max with their aviation cable into a Bluesea fuse block. But the Espar heater is giving an error code, saying there is not enough power for start up. Apparently, there are quite a few people encountering this same problem right now.
Can you shed some light on how you got your heater to start up using the AC200max? Did you do something different?
Hey Clement, any progress with this issue? I am experiencing the exact same issue with my Espar. It will run fine off of my Sprinter starter battery through the dashboard 12v cigarette lighter, but not through the AC200max RV/aviation output. Crazy since the Bluetti is actually producing a steady 13.5 ish volts compared to the under 12v from the start battery.
That’s interesting. I don’t think I did anything different. Make sure you use copper or tinned copper wire of large enough gauge, and go over all your connections. I would check voltage at the heater when it’s trying to start up and see what the voltage drop is. Should be ideally 3-5% but no more than 10%. You could try and connect a temporary wire straight from the heater to the 12v out and see if that works, then you know the Bluetti will run it or not. Also I wonder about the aviation plug. I didn’t use the one Bluetti sells, so I soldered my own wires and made a solid connection inside that plug. Hope this helps.
Do you think there would be a problem with the alternator with the 1200 Victron drawing 800 wats?
I would say if you have a 150 amp alternator or larger, that would be fine. The general rule is to not use greater than half the rated alternator power for auxiliary loads.
Did you make that aviation connector from the bluetti to the blue sea panel? If so what gauge wire did you use? Any other details would be appreciated. Than you!!! I am planning something like this for a teardrop I am in the process of building.
I had the same question. Some people have fault error on their diesel heater (voltage variation?). Maybe wrong wire gauge. Did you adapt the 12v/30A bluetti RV cable?
What do I have to do to add my diesel to my solar generator what size amp do u recommend?
Do you have a vid on how you connected the alternator charger to the AC200? I have the AC300. Their (bluetti) standard way of charging front the alt is WAY to weak.
I bought an aviation plug and soldered my own wire to it. I think this is the trick to make the diesel heater work. Use 12awg copper or tinned copper wire. I use Ancor Marine 12/2 wire for this.
I wired my espar heater straight to the aviator plug but still got voltage errors…any tips on how to make it work
hey men. would you help me? I wan to do very same setup as you here. however instead of that victron inventer can I just put a victron dc to dc conventer to get more amps from my alternator? thanks!
No DC DC victron orion is for battery to battery and not for battery to power station!
Do you need a battery isolator with the Victron Inverter ?
No, programmable low voltage and reconnection in the inverter takes care of it.
Why did you decide to go with the phoenix 12/800 vs the 12/500?
I believe the bluetti charger is 500 watts. The Victron inverters are rated in VA , not watts. 800VA is closer to 650 watts, so better to slightly over size it. The 500VA unit would not likely last if it was even able to supply appropriate power.
How do you get the victron to only kick on when the engine is running?
It’s a programmable voltage range. Victron allows you the set the low voltage cutoff and recovery voltages with accuracy to the tenths. So low voltage shutdown below 12.8v and reconnect at above 13.8v . You just need the usb dongle and Victron Connect program on your laptop.
The phoenix does DC To DC CHARGING? What is the part number for that? Great video, thank you.
Brain fart…. I see the path. What about DC to DC charging from the van… is that possible with this unit? Not using the cigarette lighter.
the phoenix inverter is being used to make a DC-DC charging solution. 12v Start battery to inverter, 120vac to home charging adapter, that puts out ~50vdc to charge the Bluetti. The key to making this work is the programming that's possible with the Victron Pheonix. It's set to turn on above 13vdc input, and shut off below 12vdc input. This means no need for voltage sensitive relays or anything else.
how many watts and volts are going into the ac200 max from the victron ?
@@aarongarmon3809 surely doesnt work with smart alternators which drop the voltage from time to time to save fuel
How many wats does the victron charge at and how long to get to 80% charge.
The rate of charge depends on the rating of the units home charger. In this case its a 500 watt charger and the inverter can be purchased in different sizes, but I believe this one is a 600watt.
To get charge time just divide battery capacity in Wh by watts charging. So a 1500 Wh battery would take 3 hrs and 500watts. Maybe longer if going to 100% but if you are going 20%-80% then just a couple hours.
Don't understand why you're using the Victron Phoenix inverter? Why not Bluetti's own DO50s DC Enhancer???
This install was over a year ago. That product wasn’t made yet.
Also the added utility of having an inverter has more uses when the bluetti is being used out of the vehicle.
Who makes that solar input pass through? I want one!
That's a PowerWerx product. Not specifically just for solar either. They make dual versions and also white. You need to do some crimping, so get the tool kit for it as well. powerwerx.com/panelpole-panel-mount-powerpole-black-single
Thanks! added to my wish list!
Hi!
I am planing to buy an Ecoflow Delta 2 powerstation, can someone How can I connect it to an 12v system?😊
This is completely applicable to any power station because it uses the standard wall charger plugged into the Victron inverter. (One exception is the fast charging power stations that have 1500w wall chargers)
is the heater hooked into the fuse panel? how big of a fuse? thanx
The heater is diesel, and uses a 20 or 30 amp fuse for ignition, but much less power once running. Yes it all goes through the fuse panel. I made my own wire with the aviation plug going from the 30A DC out to the fuse panel. I used 10Awg wire to minimize voltage loss. I’ve heard some people having issues with the Bluetti adapter plugs, I think because too thin of wire and voltage drop.
@@aarongarmon3809 thanx