Excellent video Nate! You explained the need for 6 gauge triplex wire leaving the multi plus to the ac distribution box very well. Quite amazing the multiplus has that transforming ability. But what puzzles me is the recommendation to use 10 gauge wire coming into the van, aka shore power. I used 12 gauge wire coming into the van as my extension cords and my home ac duplex outlets are not bigger than 12 gauge. Do really need to upgrade the shore power to 10 gauge? If so why? Thanks !
Like the 10th time watching this! As a geek, I find this more exciting than any box office movie out there! Nate, you did an INCREDIBLE job and a great service to all us geeks/newbs out there. Thanks so much for this exhaustive video tutorial. Customer/subscriber for life!
I love love love your videos. Inspiring. I am very thankful. Amazes me how clear you make things look. Without your videos I would never ever have dreamed of buying a van and turning it into a camper. I am eternally grateful. 👏🏻
WOW!! That is an IMPRESSIVE system. Love the flowing non cluttered layout. I could see some ducting needed behind the MPPT, and the DC-DC Controllers with fans venting to the Battery compartment ( helping to keep them warm ) , or out via the wheel well. Awesome job !!!
Thanks! Your idea is indeed what we plan in the event that we have overheating issues with the Orions. We aren't anticipating problems, but if we do, that's what we'll do.
was thinking the same....if the plan is to encase everything after it's finished then seems like things could get hot...although I hear more worry about things being too cold for lith batt so perhaps exit heat vent directly at the batteries....?
thanks Nate, glad you covered a double dc-dc Victron Orion install, just wish they would offer an larger Orion model like a 40 or 50, I think most Lithium phosphate s can handle this charge load. another amazing install bud.
A larger Orion is definitely needed. It's on Victron's list of 'things to make', but I don't have any kind of official date for it's release. They have the larger "Buck Boost" models; but they, admittedly, aren't as user friendly nor have as good as a charging profile as the Orion Smart DC DC Charger.
@ChrisDepends on your alternator. You can order Ford Transits with dual high powered alternators rated for 500A total, or install aftermarket high powered alternators.
Wow! A super impressive and most informative video of a great system! I am about to install a similar system, but with non-Victron batteries and your video, well, all your videos are MOST helpful. Thank you for all your videos, from Backpack to Victron!
I love the video series that you've been posting. They're a big help. Any plans to do one explaining DC-DC chargers a little more? We have a diesel truck with dual alternators and dual batteries and I can't figure out how to wire in the chargers to the truck and feed back to a 5th wheel camper.
Truck Battery -> High AWG Wire -> Breaker -> High AWG wire -> To Anderson Connector mounted near trailer light connections -> Anderson Connector -> High AWG Wire -> Anderson Connector -> Anderson Connector passthrough to camper -> High AWG Wire -> DC to DC Charger -> RV Batteries / Bus Bars
@@the_wildberrys Thank you for replying Austin - I understand that part though. I assume since each alternator is 125A, I can install 2 of the Victron 30A DC-DC chargers? If yes, do I wire one to each battery or both to the same battery? It's the dual alt's and dual batt's that messes me up.
@@johnm4550 I bet you could do more than two; while victron does make a great product there are other higher amp dc. To dc charging options out there that could simplify for you. The alternators are charging both batteries at the same time so doesn't matter. Hook pos+ & neg- up to whichever battery is easier (I hooked to the one that had other 12v accessories factory) and once you run those into camper run them to small bus bars then to as many dc to dc chargers as you want / as many as your alternators can handle.
Never crossed my mind to use two Orion dc to dc chargers. That is a great idea. I have a Class A coach with 400 ah of lithium batteries and 700 watts of solar on my system.
Awesome video! You are a good instructor. Curious about the 60a draw from the alternator, how do you determine how much "extra" capacity the OEM alternator can provide?
I missed you Nate. Another smashing video. BTW all your wonderful advise has been put to use in my friends setup which is up and running! Video with due credit coming soon.
Nate, great meeting you yesterday at Victron training. Your knowledge and training is appreciated. Let me know if you wanna do the enclosed utility trailer idea together that I shared with you. It would make for another great DIY video. Jon
Thanks nate. For your next video on this can you try using those all in one devices like the "mpp solar" inverter that also has a built in solar charge controller. Solar generators have been around for sometime already there should already be existing all in one devices that help keep cost and used space down.
Good too see you back on… and nice install. I have learned so much (everything) from your videos and installed a nice system in my motorhome, posted a couple videos on my UA-cam, thank you again!
13:54 So the newer Sprinters have that spot for the 2nd battery or something as it says "2" on it and those 2 posts where that fuse was going to go is not connected to the main battery. I ran into the same problem. Always surprises!
No problem! We've talked about that internally w/ Victron but we struggled to find a way to size it because there are so many different factors to sizing a solar array and simply adding a DC DC charger to each size of MPPT would get a bit unreasonable in terms of cost. So... Question for you... As an end user, how many amps of DC DC Charging would you like to see? How many output amps and input volts from solar would you like to see?
@@EXPLORISTlife 40-50A is popular down here in Oz especially if 200AH is the std LiPo. eg: Redarc has the BCDC1240D and BCDC1250D 32V solar input and Enerdrive has the EN3DC40+ 45VOC 800W max solar input. Attractive alternatives to 2-3 seperate Victron units.
this videos are very helpful. I just got all the components I need to wire my system up. my build has its own set of challenges compared to vans. I'm currently converting an old ambulance into a camper and the ambulance has its own electrical system already. I have to figure out how to tie everything into the existing system.
Nice clean job! I’m glad you ran into the issue with the DC chargers. I had the same issue on my coach and ended up running one 2awg wire to single bar and then to separate breakers then to the dual dc chargers. I wasn’t sure if that was the right decision at first because one charger was reading about 20% less input voltage than the other. After leaving them both disconnected for about a week while I did more research, I turned them both back on and their input/output voltage was the same. At 24v I get about 50amps in while driving. I might add two more😃
Great Video! You connected both negative ports of the Orion to the chassis ground. why not using the non-isolated Version of the Orion and just use one negative to chassis cable? Am I thinking the wrong way? Thank you
Great video, very much thanks, I learned much. Can you give a little more detail on the Blue Sea AC/DC 360 panel, i.e., a link to the panel site, thanks and I look forward to your next video
Sure! I just added it to the parts list on the blog posts. It's listed as the Blue Sea 360 panels: www.explorist.life/waypoint-vehicles-x-explorist-life-camper-electrical-install/
@@EXPLORISTlife thank you just what i need to know,just a thought on this system which am installing a very similar system, the battery disconnect on the solar charger,if this cut out it would disconnect the 12 volt but leave the solar pv power still coming in or does the bms also disconnect this,thanks love your channel and stay safe ps on the orion tr remote cable does it mater which way this wired into the plug as my wiring shows the wire opposite the yellow going into the right hand side of the orion tr thanks again
Love how well organized you are, I have a question. I want to do a build down the road for a Mobile Barbershop, if I do this I need a setup that will allow me to be in one spot for 8+ hours while running my A/C and charging clippers and using a hairdryer, in addition I need to also have a bathroom and sink. Which one of your videos do you recommend I follow to support what I’m looking at doing, thanks in advance
Hey Nate, I love your channel. I got your wiring diagram for my van with 400watts, watched your video a dozen times and with no electrical experience, the installation went perfect. It's been running for 4 months now and no problems. I was hoping you could address 2 more areas. 1) I want to add a 2nd starter battery to my 2021 Transit and there is room for it under the drivers seat beside the 1st one. looks like Ford put some kind of a buss bar in there and hoped you could direct all of us the best way to wire in the 2nd battery. 2) there does not seem to be any great content on 12 volt wiring solutions like the actual connectors for running 5 lights on one string or a good fuse box with on/off switches or just good on/off switches; hope you can address.
Nice video well explained. Is the 2 DC to DC chargers 60ah not gonna overload the sprinter alternator? What is the output of the alternator and the engine is it 2.1 l or 3.0? I have installed 1 30ah victron Dc to Dc charger but it’s not fast enough to change 400ah of lithium. So I was thinking if I could do the same .. my van is Mercedes’ sprinter 2.1 L 2018 model. Can I install 2x 30ah Dc to Dc without damaging the alternator? Looking forward to your answer Keep going with the amazing videos 👌👍
I'm really enjoying all of the videos I've seen of yours so far! Instead of p-clips, and since you have a 3d printer, have you considered making your own cable holds? Can make them to hold however many cables you need.
Really terrific tutorial and nice, clean install. But shouldn't the distribution panel and fuse panel be more accessible? Seems they should be on the outside (where all the Victron components are). Or am I missing something?
I like the idea of having the Linx distributor set with the connections coming out the side. Would it be possible to connect the batteries to the "bottom" of the distributor in this orientation? I want to mount my components above the battery tray and the battery is on the right side of the area. To keep the main wires as short as possible, I need to "flip" the distributor
You could probably 'arts and crafts' it to make it work like that. May need to use our Lynx Adapters to extend the posts out the other end to actually connect them.
I watched your video and installed all of the same victron parts. My system works beautifully. The only exception I have the Orion non isolating DC charger. I have a 2021 sprinter. Can I make the positive input connection under the drivers seat and the ground and output wires to the lynxs distributor? I bought the wiring kit for the install but I don’t have the fuse you installed in the fuse box under the drivers seat. Maybe I could pick up the fuse at a local auto parts.
I recommend using the Isolated Orion DC DC charger with the positive input side connected to the fuse box under the seat of the sprinter (if there is room on the busbar) and the negative to the OEM grounding point under the seat like shown at 52:47 in this video: ua-cam.com/video/01F4QDVJUq0/v-deo.html Here is the fuse shown in that video for the under-seat connection: shop.explorist.life/shop/all-products/fuses-breakers/50a-midi-fuse/
Great videos; thank you for sharing your knowledge. I have a question about the two positive wires from the battery; one going to the Lynx and one to the Multiplus. Is this setup the same as using a wire from the battery to Lynx and then from the Lynx to the Multiplus? Thank you
It's electrically the same but not physically the same. It's to give the current going to the multiplus (3000W@12V is over 200 amps) it's own dedicated path to take. If you connect them in series battery>lynx>multiplus that first wire jump needs to be able to handle enough current for both the multiplus and the lynx combined. Splitting it means you only need to worry about one device at a time. Similar to what he did with splitting the current between the 6AWG wiring to the alternator chargers. Big wire is expensive and harder to work with so you can save some money and hassle rearranging things without compromising safety.
Hi Nate. Great.videos, I enjoy them and learn something from each that I watch. I’m not sure if you are planning on it or have already but, I wondered if you would consider making a more detailed video on VE BMSystems? I haven’t really been able to find much out there on all the different equipment that VE offers for that. I did read through most all the comments on this video and saw the one about it not being required for your Battle Born batt systems but I would still like hearing about them.
Great suggestion! I will get into that eventually, but admittedly... that's pretty far down the list of 'things I want to make a video about' since I struggle to make that topic interesting/useful; but it's definitely on the list.
I think an important point with this setup and the smart lithium victron batteries is that they don't have a built in BMS to protect them. I think a lot of folks new to this stuff will see the cool bluetooth feature and think that is the way to go, but it requires so much other stuff. They are great if you need to do more complex setups, but I would argue that a camper van does not require all this stuff. It is a lot of extra gear and wire to worry about. (but a good option if you need to put batteries in series or do complex things)
As I mentioned in the video, this is an intermediate/advanced level install and I covered pretty fully that these batteries require a BMS in both the video AND the diagram. Waypoint wanted to use the Victron SmartLiFePO4 batteries because they are nearly half the physical dimension of LiFePO4 batteries with integrated BMS, which is why this system requires all of the 'other stuff'. As of writing this, ALL other systems found on EXPLORIST.life/solarwiringdiagrams feature batteries with internal BMS's because they are indeed easier to wire; so if you haven't stumbled across those yet; I recommend checking those out.
@@EXPLORISTlife that is a really good point about the physical dimensions and the BMS. I am about to install a couple renogy 170AH in my LR4. I primarily chose them based on sizing. They are 6.1" wide which barely fit under my rear drawer system. I wish it were possible to get a wider variety of sizes. I would have liked to get something with built-in heat for example. Most decent 100+ AH batteries are much larger than 6.1" in one more more dimension.
Hey Nate, love your videos very informative and helpful. I see you have used multiplus distributors on several builds. Wondering if you could recommend which one i should use on my build. I have a 24 volt battery system using LifePo4 320Ah and 50Amp incoming shore power AC electrical. And also would you recommend using the Lynx Distributor(which one)? At this point i do not have any Solar but would like to add something in the future.
Victron has a video showing an alternator being fried because it just keeps outputting. With this setup, what protects the alternator? Is it simply because you are limiting alternator output to 60 amps (30 per DC-DC charge controller)? Thanks Nate; you're a great educator!
Exactly! We are limiting what we are asking for from the alternator, which keeps it happy. In that video you are referencing, they are using an isolator, which doesn't limit the alternator and the alternator is just trying to put out as much power as it possible can, pedal-to-the-medal style.
What's that power supply box for the breakers off the solar charge controller? The one linked in your blog post is not the same one as in the video - the linked one is a fair bit wider. Thanks!
I don't have a good 'source for the end consumer' for that specific one. That one was hard to get. Waypoint said they will be sourcing them in bulk for their kits; but I don't have a good source for that specific one I can share, unfortunately.
That's unfortunate! I can see how some products might be available wholesale or bulk-only. That smaller housing would come in handy with tight quarters.
Another question on this setup - in the diagrams on your site, you have the inverter wired up to the Lynx - in this case, you say you wired the inverter straight across to the shunt and master cutoff - no fusing on that? Why not go through the Lynx? (Guessing it's the second Orion taking up that spot?)
Hi Nate Great Video, I was wondering why you bypass the 1000 links distributor with your wiring straight from your disconnect switch to the inverter? What’s the draw going to be higher than what the links distributor could handle. Minute 21.
That was more of a space savings consideration and not an electrical consideration and I wouldn’t do that again for a standard DIYer friendly system. Check shop.explorist.life for our current recommended systems.
Hey! Maybe I missed something but as a Crosstrek owner myself, I would love to see how you built the interior of your Crosstrek. Are you planning on making more Crosstrek videos? Thanks a ton, your content is extremely helpful. Cheers.
Great video - very useful. Just to clarify the battery protect will cut the positive battery output but usually it is recommended to disconnect PV input before disconnecting the battery output to avoid damaging the controller. Could I add the battery protect to the PV input instead?
Hey Nate, thanks for the informative video. Can you run a single positive/negative wire pair of larger gauge from the front instead of two and split that to the two Orions at the back.
Hey Nate, excellent video. Your training and teaching style is awesome and it has definitely helped me to have a good start off in this DIY industry. Really appreciated. I do have a question about the DC-DC convertors. Why would you prefer to connect to the starting battery and no directly to the alternator? Is it because of what VictronConnect professionals have said about potentially overheating the alternator since lithium batteries have less resistance as they charge back up and you are trying to avoid taking any chances?
Sorry, one last question, how would you make sure that the lithium batteries won’t draw power from the starter battery when the vehicle is off to avoid draining it? Is that something that can be programed in the DC-DC convertors or the BMS takes care of that? Thanks for your help bud!
Great video. 2 Questions: Why not use the Lynx Power In and the Lynx Smart BMS in the system ?; European installs all seem to use wire racks/ rectangular slotted open conduit to organise/route/contain all wires in a very controlled manner.. how come this method is not typically used in the USA ?
Power-In: We did not have enough space to install the Lynx Power in + Smart BMS + Lynx Distributor. For the Smart BMS, it wasn't available to the market yet when we did this build. Wire duct. I'm not sure why it's not common. I've used it on this channel a few times, but it didn't work out for this build. It's a good tool, though.
Hey Nate, I purchased a couple of your wiring diagrams. I am installing the system in a pop up travel trailer. If I connect the battery disconnect in the battery box with a short bus bar, do I need a fuse before the disconnect, or can I just put one immediately after the disconnect before running into the trailer? I want to connect the trail tongue jack and the winch to open the pop up camper after the disconnect with separate inline fuses. This will allow me to disconnect ALL the power draws from the battery. Also, thanks for all your videos, they are very informative.
Could you video all 7 of the Victron installers classes? I was scheduled for Ashland but work got in the way. Attempting to make it to LA in 2 weeks, but who knows.
Oof, probably not; to be honest. I'm not really set up for filming 8 hours of presentations & teaching at the same time (On the plane to Reno as we speak and I didn't even bring my camera). I'll suggest it to Victron though and see if they would hire somebody to come video. That is indeed a good idea.
Nifty video, i have been watching your builds since the start. Curious as to why you used the isolated Orlons? If your grounds are all common across the chassis, why not use the cheaper non isolated versions?
Isolated Orions have been historically easier to source. The supply chain is getting better though. Either will work fine in this case though since we have dedicated chassis grounds for the house battery bank.
If it were all fused properly, sure. A single 2ga wire is more expensive than 2x 6ga wire, though, so I would never personally do it like that, though.
Could I just run my negative cable to the negative battery terminal for the Orion tr smart? Have you figured out a better way to connect negative cable? Thanks!
A question Nate, at 21:10 you said you connected the positive from the battery disconnect switch to the Lynx AND (secondly) to the Multiplus. So am I correct, you BYPASSED the Lynx and went straight to the Multiplus from the battery? That's not how you've done it before. please clarify, maybe I heard you wrong.
Hey Nate, Why did you run the ground for the DC/DC chargers to the front for the van and ground near the battery to the chassis? Why not just ground on a bus bar near the dc/dc chargers? Is it strictly because you did not use a bus bar in this build and did not want to ground to the end of the links distributor? Thanks!
watching and listening to your plan on the truck battery, I just heard the oh no tik tok music playing in my head. I ran into the exact same ("this is new/different") issue when I was installing the kits we got from you about a year ago. I opted to put the breaker under the pedestal and run a lead to the truck battery. not a lot of headroom under that battery lid.
Oof, I know... I was 100% expecting the 'other' busbar with all of the MIDI fuses all in a line where there is usually 2-3 spare spaces. That really put me in a bind for time. lol You're right, there's not much room at all under there; but we made it work.
For some reason my phone doesn’t allow me to see all solar array’s on your website. I was wondering if you have any diagram for 2,400watts of solar (6 400watt panels)
hello thank you for the informative videos you share. is it necessary to have same cable length for positive and negative wires from the batteries to the combiner box?
Hi nate great video and build as well i just dont understand why there have to be 2x orions i have simillar set up but i have only one orion so just wandering if i dont do some mistake thank you
Very nice, but I have several concerns, mostly about cooling. The Orions WILL overheat without airflow. The clearances provided don't appear to allow for this. Forced air might be needed. The clearances above the Orions and the Smart Solar are too small. You're mounting on a wooden substrate, which Victron says not to do (but many of us do anyway). Is it in operation yet, and how is it working out? Thanks for a great video.
Valid concerns for sure. Here was my though process as we were planning the system: Waypoint already had the dimensions of the exterior enclosure dialed in, so I had a pre-set parameter to work with there. They also prioritize alternator charging over solar, so with only 180W of solar; as much alternator charging as possible was required. This meant either dual Orion 30's or a Victron Buck Boost 50A or 100A (none of which run cool). So, I did the best within the parameters I was given... BUT... I'm okay with it because... The top of the 'skeleton' doesn't touch the top of the actual enclosure, so there is about an inch of 100% free horizontal air above the MPPT's and the Orions with venting on all other sides of the big exterior enclosure. If this amount of non-powered airflow is not enough; Waypoint will drill some big holes immediately behind the Orions and install computer fans on the back side of the Orions (in the space with the wheel well) to blow air directly on the heat sinks. This will 100% fix any overheating issues in the event they come up. Same story with the Multiplus. So far, so good, though. No overheating issues as of yet (and I truly don't anticipate any, but if we do... we have a plan) Although Victron has specific recommendations for space tolerances, in mobile applications, sometimes we have to do the best we can, and plan for added cooling as necessary. Even the Victron Training trailer that is currently on tour that I designed and built the system for has 'too small' of clearances for heat, but one of the joys of being a Victron Ambassador is that I get to 'try' some of this stuff and give feedback to the engineers at Victron to what happens in the real world. Lastly, regarding mounting on wood. Although wood is indeed technically a Class A Combustible material, it's auto-ignition temperature (the temperature at which it will catch on fire without an external source of flame/spark) is just north of 400 degrees F. If temperatures are high enough to get the wood to 400 degrees, something else has gone terribly wrong and there will also be other things in the immediate vicinity that will be catching on fire. **Not too often I get to use my degree in Fire Science. Thanks for that. :)
@@EXPLORISTlife Great answer. Always love your videos! We spent a week boondocking in 100 degree Wyoming heat over the summer, and our two Smart Solar charge controllers overheated multiple times. They completely shut down. I would like to see them make a fan-cooling kit, or high temp heat sink option, available. In cool climates, they're great! Meanwhile, I have seen the Orion heat up and fold back below its rated output, in an ambient temperature in the 70's - in free space (sitting unmounted and outside of any enclosure.)
All Lithium batteries need a BMS. Batteries like Battle Born Batteries have their BMS inside of them, so we don't have to do anything to wire or set up the BMS. The Victron SmartLiFePO4 batteries do not have one inside, so we have to set one up outside of the battery like shown in this video.
How did you manage to use 6AWG wire to your Orion DC-DC charger? I've got our installation laid out just as yours - but all of my calculations point to using a larger guage of wire... You mentioned that your alternator wire/battery wire goes under van... I'm assuming you routed above muffler (safely?). I truely wish you gave more detail in regards to your wire routing techniques as I feel some would benefit from that info.
Very nice build. I have a similar setup with dual orions and a cerbo, multiplus, etc., but with DIY batteries with internal BMS's. With the external victron BMS, I'm curious to why the battery protect isn't used to cut connection to the battery bank further upstream. It seems like a lot of complication and extra points of failure to send "shutoff" signals to each device individually and use the 2 battery protects so far downstream. It also seems like you potentially aren't killing all loads. I would think the only thing you want to remain connected with a BMS shut down is the BMS itself. If an orion (or cerbo, muliplus etc.) failed in a strange way and was draining the battery, I don't see how the BMS would be able to kill that load at low voltage disconnect. All that said, I know very little about systems with external BMS, so just curious to learn. Also, FYI - there is another fuse block under the drivers seat on new sprinters that provides 2 open lugs for connections. Easy exit to under the van there also. It's a bit of a pain to access and hard to swap out fuses, but another option to consider. I ran a single wire from under seat to the back and then split it right before the orions from a 100A breaker/switch. Thanks for all your videos. Your lynx "LED hack" trick was great, super easy/cheap way to enable the LED's. You also got me using ferrels all over the place, so much cleaner than raw wire connections.
With the Victron BMS, anyway... it talks to the Multiplus and the Orions via VE.Bus connection and the remote input, respectively. The MPPT and the 12V DC Loads are the only connections that the VE.Bus BMS can't communicate with natively and therefore needs the smart battery protect.
Using batteries with an internal bms, I m surmising you didnt use the external bms. Also does this change which dc to dc charger you use? Also, I like the idea of running one wire to the 100A breaker then splitting to the orions.
@@EXPLORISTlife does the sprinter you were building have a second alternator installed? if not what was the output of the factory alt? thanks again for all you do!
Hi Nate, Firstly I want to thank you for all your awesome videos and information! I'm a grateful subscriber. You're amazing. I'm installing a renogy system but rewired the lynx distributor to work with it (per your video). I have a question you may or may not be able to answer. I'm installing a 400 amp hour 12V system in my 2018 sprinter. Question: Grounding to chassis. Uh oh, a nasty topic I'm finding out about lol. I saw your ground to chassis (chassis --- lynx distributor) for your setup and I'm curious if you know of any issues doing this with a sprinter van vs the van you grounded to chassis in your video. I know MB recommends not to ground to chassis. Thoughts? Mixed opinions online for this but I can't find any instances that it has interfered with any ECU function. Thank you very much.
Hi Nate - quick question - you are mounting this all to a wood skeleton - curious if there is any concern as items like the DC-DC charger state that they should be mounted to a non-flammable surface.
Good question! Victron components shut down at around 130 degrees F. Wood will start to char if exposed to 200 degree temps for an extended period of time (days), which is about the same temperature that the insulation will melt off of high quality marine wire. Wood will not auto combust until ~500 degrees (depending on species, moisture, and other environmental factors.) So no, that's not an issue.
Looks amazing! Could you elaborate on how to create a chassis ground stud? What if I only have access to one side of the metal? How do I create a stud in that case?
Hi great video. Quick question. If I am using raw cells with a external 3rd party bms can I give the victron a signal for permission to discharge and charge via some sort of interface. Presumably a hard wired input from one to the other?
The thing with Victron software is that most of it is open source and highly programmable. So, if you are a software developer and have an extensive programming skillset, that opens up all kinds of options.
@@EXPLORISTlife Yeah i'd say I tick that box. Electrician / automation engineer. More wondering if there was a hardwired input on this system anywhere that if activated or deactivated could allow or dissalow charge and discharge. So for example my BMS can turn on a relay that could be used to say yes you can discharge. This could be connected to the inverter / charger etc. If this makes sense. I would of expected something like that to be provided.
Yeah, tough to say since that's not how I design systems. If you can't get your BMS to communicate directly with the components, investigating introducing battery protects into the system is a good idea.
thanks for the Video. my 2020 sprinter has the aux battery option. The battery is under the van in the area under the driver's seat. Is this a problem? Can I follow this tutorial for hooking up my 2 dc/dc Orion chargers? same connection points?
Thanks alot for that great video. May I ask you this question: you used the manufacturers chassis point below the drivers seat for the negative dcdc connection, but which chassis point did you use in the back of the car? Thank you!
Very good tutorial, but I have a comment regarding the battery pack. As you use a solid copperbar between the batteries, it is essential that the batteries is fixed properly, otherwise there is a risk that a battery terminal could break off or loosen when driving in rough terrain..... Wonder why you didn't use the Lynx Smart BMS, but I'm sure there is a good reason which I don't know....
It is essential to make sure that the batteries are properly secured in a moving vehicle regardless of connection method. The Lynx Smart BMS is not readily available in the US market, for the most part, at this time of making this video. It is also about $700 MORE expensive than the VE.Bus BMS. It also would not have fit in the location we needed it to. It's a great product, but just not for this particular project.
Wondered if you realized you could flip the Lynx distributor's positive and negative buss bars so you could have one come out on each side for a more compact system? You do have to shimmy the holes a little since they are not centered on each side.
Consider wiring your shunt's positive lead to the battery positive bus bar or before the rotary switch. This will keep your shunt from resetting when you remove DC from the system. I can't quit tell if you are doing this as you show the + shunt lead going to the top of the rotary switch. Are running shore power directly to the Mutiplus or did your install a breaker in the panel above your install?
The SmartShunt power wire is on the 'downstream' side of the master disconnect switch because I want EVERYTHING disconnected when that switch is turned off; but feel free to put it on the other side in your own setup. Shore power directly to Multiplus AC In. The shore power wire will be protected by the breaker in the shore power pedestal.
Hey Nate, do you have a video on how on running the wires from the Orion DC charger to the battery/alternator? Is the cable running under the van floor on the outside, or on the inside? Through what hole portal, etc? Thanks!!
@@EXPLORISTlife Thanks Nate! Do you have a recommendation for running the cable on the inside of the van? Would you run it against the floor or against the wall? Thanks a lot!
It’s odd that all the components are data cable connected, and yet you need a battery protect to prevent the solar from charging the batteries when there’s an error on the bms. A “stop charging” command should be within the ability of the data connection, right? Is the bms not connected to the cerbo gx?
The communications protocols are just different between the various devices. Victron is working very hard going forward to get all of the components on the same page from a coding and programming standpoint, and they've already made big strides by introducing DVCC, for example, but when I made this video; some of those communications methods just weren't there yet.
Biggest reason is so that GFCI outlets will properly function and so that in the event that a positive wire comes in contact with the frame of the van, there will be a good path back to negative so that fuses will trip appropriately.
Any problems with the copper bar corroding? Some use silver or tin plated copper. Also.... any plans to do a video/blog on the Victron Multiplus II in a 50A system?
1: There should be no issues there. If this were a boat exposed to salty air all of the time, it would indeed be important to used tinned copper. Keep in mind that in a vehicle, none of the OEM wiring is tinned, so using un-tinned copper is matching OEM equipment. 2: I don't have that video on the schedule, yet, but I do have a blog post for how to wire one of those: www.explorist.life/50a-camper-inverter-with-solar-alternator-charging-wiring-diagram/
Blog Post for this Video w/ Wiring Diagram, Wiring Kit & Parts List: www.explorist.life/waypoint-vehicles-x-explorist-life-camper-electrical-install/
Excellent video Nate! You explained the need for 6 gauge triplex wire leaving the multi plus to the ac distribution box very well. Quite amazing the multiplus has that transforming ability. But what puzzles me is the recommendation to use 10 gauge wire coming into the van, aka shore power. I used 12 gauge wire coming into the van as my extension cords and my home ac duplex outlets are not bigger than 12 gauge. Do really need to upgrade the shore power to 10 gauge? If so why? Thanks !
@@tammietimmion6994 ⁶6666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666
Wonderful! Thank you!!
Like the 10th time watching this!
As a geek, I find this more exciting than any box office movie out there! Nate, you did an INCREDIBLE job and a great service to all us geeks/newbs out there. Thanks so much for this exhaustive video tutorial. Customer/subscriber for life!
Hey, Mike! I appreciate that. Thanks for watching! 🙂😀
It gets no better than Nate's explanations, videos, and diagrams for DIY electrical needs! Thanks for what you do, Nate!
Awesome! Glad it helped. Thanks for watching!
Copper bars are awesome beautiful job
Nate, talk about crafting a bunch of information in a manner that makes it understandable. Thank you for your skillset!!
Awesome! Glad it helped. Thanks for watching!
I love love love your videos. Inspiring. I am very thankful. Amazes me how clear you make things look. Without your videos I would never ever have dreamed of buying a van and turning it into a camper. I am eternally grateful. 👏🏻
Awesome! Glad it helped. Thanks for watching!
WOW!! That is an IMPRESSIVE system. Love the flowing non cluttered layout. I could see some ducting needed behind the MPPT, and the DC-DC Controllers with fans venting to the Battery compartment ( helping to keep them warm ) , or out via the wheel well. Awesome job !!!
Thanks! Your idea is indeed what we plan in the event that we have overheating issues with the Orions. We aren't anticipating problems, but if we do, that's what we'll do.
was thinking the same....if the plan is to encase everything after it's finished then seems like things could get hot...although I hear more worry about things being too cold for lith batt so perhaps exit heat vent directly at the batteries....?
DC to DC chargers, yeah those are going to get hot. 30 amp charge controller being fed by 150 watts of solar is never going to overheat.
thanks Nate, glad you covered a double dc-dc Victron Orion install, just wish they would offer an larger Orion model like a 40 or 50, I think most Lithium phosphate s can handle this charge load. another amazing install bud.
A larger Orion is definitely needed. It's on Victron's list of 'things to make', but I don't have any kind of official date for it's release. They have the larger "Buck Boost" models; but they, admittedly, aren't as user friendly nor have as good as a charging profile as the Orion Smart DC DC Charger.
I agree - I'm looking at using 2 * Sterling BB1260 60A units instead of the Victron Orion units for this reason.
@ChrisDepends on your alternator. You can order Ford Transits with dual high powered alternators rated for 500A total, or install aftermarket high powered alternators.
Wow, this is exactly what I needed. Can’t wait for your ready made kits to come out. Thank you from Jersey (UK)
Hey Manuel Gomes, No problem! Glad it helped! :)
I a little confused but it was great video for setting up an electrical system. I just need to watch it a few more times
Glad it was helpful!
Wow! A super impressive and most informative video of a great system! I am about to install a similar system, but with non-Victron batteries and your video, well, all your videos are MOST helpful. Thank you for all your videos, from Backpack to Victron!
Awesome! Glad it helped. Thanks for watching!
Glad to see you're back after a break!!
Thanks! Thanks for watching!
Nate, that video was informative, glad I purchased a wiring diagram and bus bar from you in hopes of supporting your channel. Well done!
Hey RuffKutmedia, Thanks so much! Cheers!
I love the video series that you've been posting. They're a big help. Any plans to do one explaining DC-DC chargers a little more? We have a diesel truck with dual alternators and dual batteries and I can't figure out how to wire in the chargers to the truck and feed back to a 5th wheel camper.
Truck Battery -> High AWG Wire -> Breaker -> High AWG wire -> To Anderson Connector mounted near trailer light connections -> Anderson Connector -> High AWG Wire -> Anderson Connector -> Anderson Connector passthrough to camper -> High AWG Wire -> DC to DC Charger -> RV Batteries / Bus Bars
@@the_wildberrys Thank you for replying Austin - I understand that part though. I assume since each alternator is 125A, I can install 2 of the Victron 30A DC-DC chargers? If yes, do I wire one to each battery or both to the same battery? It's the dual alt's and dual batt's that messes me up.
@@johnm4550 I bet you could do more than two; while victron does make a great product there are other higher amp dc. To dc charging options out there that could simplify for you. The alternators are charging both batteries at the same time so doesn't matter. Hook pos+ & neg- up to whichever battery is easier (I hooked to the one that had other 12v accessories factory) and once you run those into camper run them to small bus bars then to as many dc to dc chargers as you want / as many as your alternators can handle.
Never crossed my mind to use two Orion dc to dc chargers. That is a great idea. I have a Class A coach with 400 ah of lithium batteries and 700 watts of solar on my system.
Yup! Double the charging with 2x Orion's.
@@EXPLORISTlife Why two 30A Orions instead of one 60A?
Awesome video! You are a good instructor. Curious about the 60a draw from the alternator, how do you determine how much "extra" capacity the OEM alternator can provide?
Your work is extremely clean!! Great job
Hey Richard Ragon, Thanks so much! Cheers!
I missed you Nate. Another smashing video. BTW all your wonderful advise has been put to use in my friends setup which is up and running! Video with due credit coming soon.
Awesome! Glad it helped. Thanks for watching!
Nate, great meeting you yesterday at Victron training. Your knowledge and training is appreciated. Let me know if you wanna do the enclosed utility trailer idea together that I shared with you. It would make for another great DIY video. Jon
Thanks nate. For your next video on this can you try using those all in one devices like the "mpp solar" inverter that also has a built in solar charge controller. Solar generators have been around for sometime already there should already be existing all in one devices that help keep cost and used space down.
Good too see you back on… and nice install. I have learned so much (everything) from your videos and installed a nice system in my motorhome, posted a couple videos on my UA-cam, thank you again!
Thanks! Glad everything has helped. Will have to check your videos out. Thanks for watching!
another great video. share these all the time. packed full of information
Awesome! Glad it helped. Thanks for watching!
Great build, Nate! Super interesting video.
Hey caddyzig-John, Thanks so much! Cheers!
13:54 So the newer Sprinters have that spot for the 2nd battery or something as it says "2" on it and those 2 posts where that fuse was going to go is not connected to the main battery. I ran into the same problem. Always surprises!
👍😁
I've missed ya bud!! haha Glad to see you still rockin' out the vids!🤘
Hey mike briney, Thanks so much! Cheers!
Thanks Nate, would love to see Victron combine DCDC+MPPT in one unit to simplify and save realestate.
No problem! We've talked about that internally w/ Victron but we struggled to find a way to size it because there are so many different factors to sizing a solar array and simply adding a DC DC charger to each size of MPPT would get a bit unreasonable in terms of cost. So... Question for you...
As an end user, how many amps of DC DC Charging would you like to see? How many output amps and input volts from solar would you like to see?
@@EXPLORISTlife 40-50A is popular down here in Oz especially if 200AH is the std LiPo. eg: Redarc has the BCDC1240D and BCDC1250D 32V solar input and Enerdrive has the EN3DC40+ 45VOC 800W max solar input. Attractive alternatives to 2-3 seperate Victron units.
@@EXPLORISTlife One 12/12-60A would be nice
you do some crazy work
Good Morning. Thank you again for doing a Great Job. Jack
Hey Jack Mason, No problem! Glad it helped! :)
this videos are very helpful. I just got all the components I need to wire my system up. my build has its own set of challenges compared to vans. I'm currently converting an old ambulance into a camper and the ambulance has its own electrical system already. I have to figure out how to tie everything into the existing system.
Awesome! Glad it helped. Thanks for watching!
Tampa Florida check in love your video
Love your work , thanks mate NATE :)
Glad it was helpful. Cheers!
As always, amazing tutorial. Thanks for providing such great details.
No problem. Happy to help! Thanks for watching!
Have you thought about doing a battery/solar trailer that could be towed and supply power to a RV or charge an EV?
I've thought about doing a trailer that could power events and food trucks.
@@EXPLORISTlife If it met my specks, I would buy it. Reach out if you think you would have time or be interested.
That's one neat install! Thanks for sharing theses great vids! Keep them coming!
Awesome! Glad it helped. Thanks for watching!
best tutorial yet! thanks Nate!
Glad it was helpful. Cheers!
Nice clean job! I’m glad you ran into the issue with the DC chargers. I had the same issue on my coach and ended up running one 2awg wire to single bar and then to separate breakers then to the dual dc chargers. I wasn’t sure if that was the right decision at first because one charger was reading about 20% less input voltage than the other. After leaving them both disconnected for about a week while I did more research, I turned them both back on and their input/output voltage was the same. At 24v I get about 50amps in while driving. I might add two more😃
Awesome! Glad it helped. Thanks for watching!
Exceptional video, like everything you do! 🤯
Awesome! Glad it helped. Thanks for watching!
Thank u Sir Look Great and thank u for your Teaching to, Be safe & Take Care
Thanks, you too!
Great Video! You connected both negative ports of the Orion to the chassis ground. why not using the non-isolated Version of the Orion and just use one negative to chassis cable? Am I thinking the wrong way? Thank you
Great video, very much thanks, I learned much. Can you give a little more detail on the Blue Sea AC/DC 360 panel, i.e., a link to the panel site, thanks and I look forward to your next video
Sure! I just added it to the parts list on the blog posts. It's listed as the Blue Sea 360 panels: www.explorist.life/waypoint-vehicles-x-explorist-life-camper-electrical-install/
Great Merci
Great Video. Thank You!
No problem. Happy to help!
Brilliant and very well presented
Thanks so much!
@@EXPLORISTlife would this have been a bettewr option,BMS110022000 Victron Smart BMS CL 12/100
IMO, no. Its not an actual charger, so it would never actually charge the batteries to 100%. Its good, for sure, but not better IMO.
@@EXPLORISTlife thank you just what i need to know,just a thought on this system which am installing a very similar system, the battery disconnect on the solar charger,if this cut out it would disconnect the 12 volt but leave the solar pv power still coming in or does the bms also disconnect this,thanks love your channel and stay safe
ps on the orion tr remote cable does it mater which way this wired into the plug as my wiring shows the wire opposite the yellow going into the right hand side of the orion tr
thanks again
anyone their
Love how well organized you are, I have a question. I want to do a build down the road for a Mobile Barbershop, if I do this I need a setup that will allow me to be in one spot for 8+ hours while running my A/C and charging clippers and using a hairdryer, in addition I need to also have a bathroom and sink. Which one of your videos do you recommend I follow to support what I’m looking at doing, thanks in advance
I'd recommend starting with a power audit: ua-cam.com/video/a406IxiU-Xg/v-deo.html
Hey Nate, I love your channel. I got your wiring diagram for my van with 400watts, watched your video a dozen times and with no electrical experience, the installation went perfect. It's been running for 4 months now and no problems. I was hoping you could address 2 more areas. 1) I want to add a 2nd starter battery to my 2021 Transit and there is room for it under the drivers seat beside the 1st one. looks like Ford put some kind of a buss bar in there and hoped you could direct all of us the best way to wire in the 2nd battery. 2) there does not seem to be any great content on 12 volt wiring solutions like the actual connectors for running 5 lights on one string or a good fuse box with on/off switches or just good on/off switches; hope you can address.
Nice video well explained.
Is the 2 DC to DC chargers 60ah not gonna overload the sprinter alternator?
What is the output of the alternator and the engine is it 2.1 l or 3.0?
I have installed 1 30ah victron Dc to Dc charger but it’s not fast enough to change 400ah of lithium. So I was thinking if I could do the same ..
my van is Mercedes’ sprinter 2.1 L 2018 model.
Can I install 2x 30ah Dc to Dc without damaging the alternator?
Looking forward to your answer
Keep going with the amazing videos 👌👍
Upfitting guide for Sprinters is 40 amps max and must be current limiting. May void warranty.
I'm really enjoying all of the videos I've seen of yours so far!
Instead of p-clips, and since you have a 3d printer, have you considered making your own cable holds? Can make them to hold however many cables you need.
Really terrific tutorial and nice, clean install. But shouldn't the distribution panel and fuse panel be more accessible? Seems they should be on the outside (where all the Victron components are). Or am I missing something?
Not sure... but all fuses/breakers/panels are plenty accessible.
I like the idea of having the Linx distributor set with the connections coming out the side. Would it be possible to connect the batteries to the "bottom" of the distributor in this orientation? I want to mount my components above the battery tray and the battery is on the right side of the area. To keep the main wires as short as possible, I need to "flip" the distributor
You could probably 'arts and crafts' it to make it work like that. May need to use our Lynx Adapters to extend the posts out the other end to actually connect them.
Hey Nate , love the videos . im relatively new to camper van wiring builds. Why the need for the dual dc/dc chargers ?
many thanks Benny.
just read the Blog post , and see the answer there ..
I watched your video and installed all of the same victron parts. My system works beautifully. The only exception I have the Orion non isolating DC charger. I have a 2021 sprinter. Can I make the positive input connection under the drivers seat and the ground and output wires to the lynxs distributor? I bought the wiring kit for the install but I don’t have the fuse you installed in the fuse box under the drivers seat. Maybe I could pick up the fuse at a local auto parts.
I recommend using the Isolated Orion DC DC charger with the positive input side connected to the fuse box under the seat of the sprinter (if there is room on the busbar) and the negative to the OEM grounding point under the seat like shown at 52:47 in this video: ua-cam.com/video/01F4QDVJUq0/v-deo.html
Here is the fuse shown in that video for the under-seat connection: shop.explorist.life/shop/all-products/fuses-breakers/50a-midi-fuse/
Great videos; thank you for sharing your knowledge. I have a question about the two positive wires from the battery; one going to the Lynx and one to the Multiplus. Is this setup the same as using a wire from the battery to Lynx and then from the Lynx to the Multiplus? Thank you
It's not the exact same setup, necessarily; but it's a similar concept. This method is more atypical, but it is still up to ABYC Standards.
It's electrically the same but not physically the same. It's to give the current going to the multiplus (3000W@12V is over 200 amps) it's own dedicated path to take. If you connect them in series battery>lynx>multiplus that first wire jump needs to be able to handle enough current for both the multiplus and the lynx combined. Splitting it means you only need to worry about one device at a time. Similar to what he did with splitting the current between the 6AWG wiring to the alternator chargers. Big wire is expensive and harder to work with so you can save some money and hassle rearranging things without compromising safety.
@@EXPLORISTlife Thank you for the great work and sharing you do!
Hi Nate. Great.videos, I enjoy them and learn something from each that I watch. I’m not sure if you are planning on it or have already but, I wondered if you would consider making a more detailed video on VE BMSystems? I haven’t really been able to find much out there on all the different equipment that VE offers for that. I did read through most all the comments on this video and saw the one about it not being required for your Battle Born batt systems but I would still like hearing about them.
Great suggestion! I will get into that eventually, but admittedly... that's pretty far down the list of 'things I want to make a video about' since I struggle to make that topic interesting/useful; but it's definitely on the list.
I think an important point with this setup and the smart lithium victron batteries is that they don't have a built in BMS to protect them. I think a lot of folks new to this stuff will see the cool bluetooth feature and think that is the way to go, but it requires so much other stuff. They are great if you need to do more complex setups, but I would argue that a camper van does not require all this stuff. It is a lot of extra gear and wire to worry about. (but a good option if you need to put batteries in series or do complex things)
As I mentioned in the video, this is an intermediate/advanced level install and I covered pretty fully that these batteries require a BMS in both the video AND the diagram. Waypoint wanted to use the Victron SmartLiFePO4 batteries because they are nearly half the physical dimension of LiFePO4 batteries with integrated BMS, which is why this system requires all of the 'other stuff'. As of writing this, ALL other systems found on EXPLORIST.life/solarwiringdiagrams feature batteries with internal BMS's because they are indeed easier to wire; so if you haven't stumbled across those yet; I recommend checking those out.
@@EXPLORISTlife that is a really good point about the physical dimensions and the BMS. I am about to install a couple renogy 170AH in my LR4. I primarily chose them based on sizing. They are 6.1" wide which barely fit under my rear drawer system. I wish it were possible to get a wider variety of sizes. I would have liked to get something with built-in heat for example. Most decent 100+ AH batteries are much larger than 6.1" in one more more dimension.
Hey Nate, love your videos very informative and helpful. I see you have used multiplus distributors on several builds. Wondering if you could recommend which one i should use on my build. I have a 24 volt battery system using LifePo4 320Ah and 50Amp incoming shore power AC electrical. And also would you recommend using the Lynx Distributor(which one)? At this point i do not have any Solar but would like to add something in the future.
Victron has a video showing an alternator being fried because it just keeps outputting. With this setup, what protects the alternator? Is it simply because you are limiting alternator output to 60 amps (30 per DC-DC charge controller)? Thanks Nate; you're a great educator!
Exactly! We are limiting what we are asking for from the alternator, which keeps it happy. In that video you are referencing, they are using an isolator, which doesn't limit the alternator and the alternator is just trying to put out as much power as it possible can, pedal-to-the-medal style.
Nate, could you actually show where you connected the negative wire under the seat to the DC to DC battery charger? There is a lot under there.
What's that power supply box for the breakers off the solar charge controller? The one linked in your blog post is not the same one as in the video - the linked one is a fair bit wider. Thanks!
I don't have a good 'source for the end consumer' for that specific one. That one was hard to get. Waypoint said they will be sourcing them in bulk for their kits; but I don't have a good source for that specific one I can share, unfortunately.
That's unfortunate! I can see how some products might be available wholesale or bulk-only. That smaller housing would come in handy with tight quarters.
Another question on this setup - in the diagrams on your site, you have the inverter wired up to the Lynx - in this case, you say you wired the inverter straight across to the shunt and master cutoff - no fusing on that? Why not go through the Lynx? (Guessing it's the second Orion taking up that spot?)
Hi Nate Great Video, I was wondering why you bypass the 1000 links distributor with your wiring straight from your disconnect switch to the inverter? What’s the draw going to be higher than what the links distributor could handle. Minute 21.
That was more of a space savings consideration and not an electrical consideration and I wouldn’t do that again for a standard DIYer friendly system. Check shop.explorist.life for our current recommended systems.
Hey! Maybe I missed something but as a Crosstrek owner myself, I would love to see how you built the interior of your Crosstrek. Are you planning on making more Crosstrek videos? Thanks a ton, your content is extremely helpful. Cheers.
Great video - very useful. Just to clarify the battery protect will cut the positive battery output but usually it is recommended to disconnect PV input before disconnecting the battery output to avoid damaging the controller. Could I add the battery protect to the PV input instead?
Nope. Pv voltage is too high for a battery protect. The way I showed is how I'd recommend wiring this system.
Hey Nate, thanks for the informative video. Can you run a single positive/negative wire pair of larger gauge from the front instead of two and split that to the two Orions at the back.
Sure! That is indeed another way to do that given it is all fused properly with proper connections.
Hey Nate, excellent video. Your training and teaching style is awesome and it has definitely helped me to have a good start off in this DIY industry. Really appreciated.
I do have a question about the DC-DC convertors. Why would you prefer to connect to the starting battery and no directly to the alternator? Is it because of what VictronConnect professionals have said about potentially overheating the alternator since lithium batteries have less resistance as they charge back up and you are trying to avoid taking any chances?
It's just an easier and perfectly adequate solution given the amps are low enough (and most of the time they are).
Sorry, one last question, how would you make sure that the lithium batteries won’t draw power from the starter battery when the vehicle is off to avoid draining it? Is that something that can be programed in the DC-DC convertors or the BMS takes care of that?
Thanks for your help bud!
A DC DC Charger does that natively.
Cool thanks man!
Great video. 2 Questions: Why not use the Lynx Power In and the Lynx Smart BMS in the system ?; European installs all seem to use wire racks/ rectangular slotted open conduit to organise/route/contain all wires in a very controlled manner.. how come this method is not typically used in the USA ?
Power-In: We did not have enough space to install the Lynx Power in + Smart BMS + Lynx Distributor. For the Smart BMS, it wasn't available to the market yet when we did this build.
Wire duct. I'm not sure why it's not common. I've used it on this channel a few times, but it didn't work out for this build. It's a good tool, though.
Hey Nate, I purchased a couple of your wiring diagrams. I am installing the system in a pop up travel trailer. If I connect the battery disconnect in the battery box with a short bus bar, do I need a fuse before the disconnect, or can I just put one immediately after the disconnect before running into the trailer? I want to connect the trail tongue jack and the winch to open the pop up camper after the disconnect with separate inline fuses. This will allow me to disconnect ALL the power draws from the battery. Also, thanks for all your videos, they are very informative.
Is there a reason to not run one wire (higher gauge) from the van battery to the dc-dc controllers, and split at the dc-dc controllers end?
Could you video all 7 of the Victron installers classes? I was scheduled for Ashland but work got in the way. Attempting to make it to LA in 2 weeks, but who knows.
Oof, probably not; to be honest. I'm not really set up for filming 8 hours of presentations & teaching at the same time (On the plane to Reno as we speak and I didn't even bring my camera). I'll suggest it to Victron though and see if they would hire somebody to come video. That is indeed a good idea.
Do you offer 12v lighting and items/recourses to systems like firefly, gamin for tank lights whole Rv systems that would come in most higher end RV’s
Nifty video, i have been watching your builds since the start. Curious as to why you used the isolated Orlons? If your grounds are all common across the chassis, why not use the cheaper non isolated versions?
Isolated Orions have been historically easier to source. The supply chain is getting better though. Either will work fine in this case though since we have dedicated chassis grounds for the house battery bank.
Could you have just run one larger positive cable from the battery to a bus bar then run to both orion chargers?
If it were all fused properly, sure. A single 2ga wire is more expensive than 2x 6ga wire, though, so I would never personally do it like that, though.
Could I just run my negative cable to the negative battery terminal for the Orion tr smart? Have you figured out a better way to connect negative cable?
Thanks!
A question Nate, at 21:10 you said you connected the positive from the battery disconnect switch to the Lynx AND (secondly) to the Multiplus. So am I correct, you BYPASSED the Lynx and went straight to the Multiplus from the battery? That's not how you've done it before. please clarify, maybe I heard you wrong.
That is indeed how I did it in this specific design. The switch to multiplus positive wire is fused directly from the main system fuse.
Hey Nate, Why did you run the ground for the DC/DC chargers to the front for the van and ground near the battery to the chassis? Why not just ground on a bus bar near the dc/dc chargers? Is it strictly because you did not use a bus bar in this build and did not want to ground to the end of the links distributor? Thanks!
It's a more reliable circuit when you use the factory grounding points as close to or on the starting battery as possible.
watching and listening to your plan on the truck battery, I just heard the oh no tik tok music playing in my head. I ran into the exact same ("this is new/different") issue when I was installing the kits we got from you about a year ago. I opted to put the breaker under the pedestal and run a lead to the truck battery. not a lot of headroom under that battery lid.
Oof, I know... I was 100% expecting the 'other' busbar with all of the MIDI fuses all in a line where there is usually 2-3 spare spaces. That really put me in a bind for time. lol You're right, there's not much room at all under there; but we made it work.
For some reason my phone doesn’t allow me to see all solar array’s on your website. I was wondering if you have any diagram for 2,400watts of solar (6 400watt panels)
Very nice work
Glad it was helpful. Cheers!
hello thank you for the informative videos you share. is it necessary to have same cable length for positive and negative wires from the batteries to the combiner box?
Hi nate great video and build as well i just dont understand why there have to be 2x orions i have simillar set up but i have only one orion so just wandering if i dont do some mistake thank you
Very nice, but I have several concerns, mostly about cooling. The Orions WILL overheat without airflow. The clearances provided don't appear to allow for this. Forced air might be needed. The clearances above the Orions and the Smart Solar are too small. You're mounting on a wooden substrate, which Victron says not to do (but many of us do anyway). Is it in operation yet, and how is it working out? Thanks for a great video.
Valid concerns for sure. Here was my though process as we were planning the system:
Waypoint already had the dimensions of the exterior enclosure dialed in, so I had a pre-set parameter to work with there.
They also prioritize alternator charging over solar, so with only 180W of solar; as much alternator charging as possible was required. This meant either dual Orion 30's or a Victron Buck Boost 50A or 100A (none of which run cool).
So, I did the best within the parameters I was given... BUT... I'm okay with it because...
The top of the 'skeleton' doesn't touch the top of the actual enclosure, so there is about an inch of 100% free horizontal air above the MPPT's and the Orions with venting on all other sides of the big exterior enclosure.
If this amount of non-powered airflow is not enough; Waypoint will drill some big holes immediately behind the Orions and install computer fans on the back side of the Orions (in the space with the wheel well) to blow air directly on the heat sinks. This will 100% fix any overheating issues in the event they come up. Same story with the Multiplus.
So far, so good, though. No overheating issues as of yet (and I truly don't anticipate any, but if we do... we have a plan)
Although Victron has specific recommendations for space tolerances, in mobile applications, sometimes we have to do the best we can, and plan for added cooling as necessary. Even the Victron Training trailer that is currently on tour that I designed and built the system for has 'too small' of clearances for heat, but one of the joys of being a Victron Ambassador is that I get to 'try' some of this stuff and give feedback to the engineers at Victron to what happens in the real world.
Lastly, regarding mounting on wood. Although wood is indeed technically a Class A Combustible material, it's auto-ignition temperature (the temperature at which it will catch on fire without an external source of flame/spark) is just north of 400 degrees F. If temperatures are high enough to get the wood to 400 degrees, something else has gone terribly wrong and there will also be other things in the immediate vicinity that will be catching on fire. **Not too often I get to use my degree in Fire Science. Thanks for that. :)
@@EXPLORISTlife Great answer. Always love your videos! We spent a week boondocking in 100 degree Wyoming heat over the summer, and our two Smart Solar charge controllers overheated multiple times. They completely shut down. I would like to see them make a fan-cooling kit, or high temp heat sink option, available. In cool climates, they're great! Meanwhile, I have seen the Orion heat up and fold back below its rated output, in an ambient temperature in the 70's - in free space (sitting unmounted and outside of any enclosure.)
Well Done .....thank you
Hey kkz2dgz, No problem! Glad it helped! :)
What is the deciding factor of when to use a BMS or should we always have one?
All Lithium batteries need a BMS. Batteries like Battle Born Batteries have their BMS inside of them, so we don't have to do anything to wire or set up the BMS. The Victron SmartLiFePO4 batteries do not have one inside, so we have to set one up outside of the battery like shown in this video.
How did you manage to use 6AWG wire to your Orion DC-DC charger? I've got our installation laid out just as yours - but all of my calculations point to using a larger guage of wire... You mentioned that your alternator wire/battery wire goes under van... I'm assuming you routed above muffler (safely?). I truely wish you gave more detail in regards to your wire routing techniques as I feel some would benefit from that info.
Very nice build. I have a similar setup with dual orions and a cerbo, multiplus, etc., but with DIY batteries with internal BMS's. With the external victron BMS, I'm curious to why the battery protect isn't used to cut connection to the battery bank further upstream. It seems like a lot of complication and extra points of failure to send "shutoff" signals to each device individually and use the 2 battery protects so far downstream. It also seems like you potentially aren't killing all loads. I would think the only thing you want to remain connected with a BMS shut down is the BMS itself. If an orion (or cerbo, muliplus etc.) failed in a strange way and was draining the battery, I don't see how the BMS would be able to kill that load at low voltage disconnect. All that said, I know very little about systems with external BMS, so just curious to learn. Also, FYI - there is another fuse block under the drivers seat on new sprinters that provides 2 open lugs for connections. Easy exit to under the van there also. It's a bit of a pain to access and hard to swap out fuses, but another option to consider. I ran a single wire from under seat to the back and then split it right before the orions from a 100A breaker/switch. Thanks for all your videos. Your lynx "LED hack" trick was great, super easy/cheap way to enable the LED's. You also got me using ferrels all over the place, so much cleaner than raw wire connections.
With the Victron BMS, anyway... it talks to the Multiplus and the Orions via VE.Bus connection and the remote input, respectively. The MPPT and the 12V DC Loads are the only connections that the VE.Bus BMS can't communicate with natively and therefore needs the smart battery protect.
Using batteries with an internal bms, I m surmising you didnt use the external bms. Also does this change which dc to dc charger you use? Also, I like the idea of running one wire to the 100A breaker then splitting to the orions.
Great tutorial Nate! my only question is why 2- 30 amp DC to DC chargers, why not use just 1 60 amp unit? Thanks for all the great Info!!
Don’t believe Victron makes a 60 amp unit.
Exactly. 👍
@@EXPLORISTlife does the sprinter you were building have a second alternator installed? if not what was the output of the factory alt? thanks again for all you do!
Hi Nate,
Firstly I want to thank you for all your awesome videos and information! I'm a grateful subscriber. You're amazing. I'm installing a renogy system but rewired the lynx distributor to work with it (per your video).
I have a question you may or may not be able to answer. I'm installing a 400 amp hour 12V system in my 2018 sprinter.
Question: Grounding to chassis. Uh oh, a nasty topic I'm finding out about lol.
I saw your ground to chassis (chassis --- lynx distributor) for your setup and I'm curious if you know of any issues doing this with a sprinter van vs the van you grounded to chassis in your video.
I know MB recommends not to ground to chassis. Thoughts?
Mixed opinions online for this but I can't find any instances that it has interfered with any ECU function. Thank you very much.
Hi Nate - quick question - you are mounting this all to a wood skeleton - curious if there is any concern as items like the DC-DC charger state that they should be mounted to a non-flammable surface.
Good question! Victron components shut down at around 130 degrees F.
Wood will start to char if exposed to 200 degree temps for an extended period of time (days), which is about the same temperature that the insulation will melt off of high quality marine wire.
Wood will not auto combust until ~500 degrees (depending on species, moisture, and other environmental factors.)
So no, that's not an issue.
Looks amazing! Could you elaborate on how to create a chassis ground stud? What if I only have access to one side of the metal? How do I create a stud in that case?
Consider using something like a plus-nut. That should be sufficient.
Hi great video. Quick question. If I am using raw cells with a external 3rd party bms can I give the victron a signal for permission to discharge and charge via some sort of interface. Presumably a hard wired input from one to the other?
The thing with Victron software is that most of it is open source and highly programmable. So, if you are a software developer and have an extensive programming skillset, that opens up all kinds of options.
@@EXPLORISTlife Yeah i'd say I tick that box. Electrician / automation engineer. More wondering if there was a hardwired input on this system anywhere that if activated or deactivated could allow or dissalow charge and discharge. So for example my BMS can turn on a relay that could be used to say yes you can discharge. This could be connected to the inverter / charger etc. If this makes sense. I would of expected something like that to be provided.
@@EXPLORISTlife Maybe I need that battery protect in this situation?
Was looking at a batrium bms. Might be able to do something over CAN programming as you suggest. So much to figure out 🤔
Yeah, tough to say since that's not how I design systems. If you can't get your BMS to communicate directly with the components, investigating introducing battery protects into the system is a good idea.
Superb info. Curious if you have or plan to explore the RedArc platform for vehicles?
Not an active plan, no. I've heard good stuff about it though!
Hi Nate. DC-DC charger question. Why can’t you just ground cable on wheel well body rather than run up under seat or dash area?
A dedicated wire is more reliable.
thanks for the Video. my 2020 sprinter has the aux battery option. The battery is under the van in the area under the driver's seat. Is this a problem? Can I follow this tutorial for hooking up my 2 dc/dc Orion chargers? same connection points?
Thanks alot for that great video.
May I ask you this question:
you used the manufacturers chassis point below the drivers seat for the negative dcdc connection, but which chassis point did you use in the back of the car?
Thank you!
Very good tutorial, but I have a comment regarding the battery pack. As you use a solid copperbar between the batteries, it is essential that the batteries is fixed properly, otherwise there is a risk that a battery terminal could break off or loosen when driving in rough terrain.....
Wonder why you didn't use the Lynx Smart BMS, but I'm sure there is a good reason which I don't know....
It is essential to make sure that the batteries are properly secured in a moving vehicle regardless of connection method.
The Lynx Smart BMS is not readily available in the US market, for the most part, at this time of making this video. It is also about $700 MORE expensive than the VE.Bus BMS. It also would not have fit in the location we needed it to. It's a great product, but just not for this particular project.
Wondered if you realized you could flip the Lynx distributor's positive and negative buss bars so you could have one come out on each side for a more compact system? You do have to shimmy the holes a little since they are not centered on each side.
I haven't messed with that, no.
Consider wiring your shunt's positive lead to the battery positive bus bar or before the rotary switch. This will keep your shunt from resetting when you remove DC from the system. I can't quit tell if you are doing this as you show the + shunt lead going to the top of the rotary switch. Are running shore power directly to the Mutiplus or did your install a breaker in the panel above your install?
The SmartShunt power wire is on the 'downstream' side of the master disconnect switch because I want EVERYTHING disconnected when that switch is turned off; but feel free to put it on the other side in your own setup.
Shore power directly to Multiplus AC In. The shore power wire will be protected by the breaker in the shore power pedestal.
Any down side of using the copper bar over over wire (2wg)?
Not really, no. Drilling copper bar is more difficult than crimping lugs; but that's about it.
Hey Nate, do you have a video on how on running the wires from the Orion DC charger to the battery/alternator? Is the cable running under the van floor on the outside, or on the inside? Through what hole portal, etc? Thanks!!
In this particular build, it went under the floor on the outside of the van; but I didn't get that on video as I had waypoint do that ahead of time.
@@EXPLORISTlife Thanks Nate! Do you have a recommendation for running the cable on the inside of the van? Would you run it against the floor or against the wall? Thanks a lot!
Why is the multiplus plusside connected to the masterswitch instead the distributor?
It's easier and simpler this way.
It’s odd that all the components are data cable connected, and yet you need a battery protect to prevent the solar from charging the batteries when there’s an error on the bms. A “stop charging” command should be within the ability of the data connection, right? Is the bms not connected to the cerbo gx?
The communications protocols are just different between the various devices. Victron is working very hard going forward to get all of the components on the same page from a coding and programming standpoint, and they've already made big strides by introducing DVCC, for example, but when I made this video; some of those communications methods just weren't there yet.
Why do you tie the Lithium batteries ground to the chasis ground of the vehicle?
Biggest reason is so that GFCI outlets will properly function and so that in the event that a positive wire comes in contact with the frame of the van, there will be a good path back to negative so that fuses will trip appropriately.
Any problems with the copper bar corroding? Some use silver or tin plated copper. Also.... any plans to do a video/blog on the Victron Multiplus II in a 50A system?
1: There should be no issues there. If this were a boat exposed to salty air all of the time, it would indeed be important to used tinned copper. Keep in mind that in a vehicle, none of the OEM wiring is tinned, so using un-tinned copper is matching OEM equipment.
2: I don't have that video on the schedule, yet, but I do have a blog post for how to wire one of those: www.explorist.life/50a-camper-inverter-with-solar-alternator-charging-wiring-diagram/