Victron Orion XS DC DC Charger Installation/Upgrade Tutorial
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- Опубліковано 8 лип 2024
- In this video, we are replacing the old Victron Orion 12|12 30A with the NEW Orion XS 12|12 50A in our Installers' Transit Camper Van! Visit shop.explorist.life to purchase both the Orion XS and Orion XS DC DC Charger Retrofit Wiring Kit!
This particular video features how to upgrade a 30A Orion to the new 50a Orion XS; but the concepts on how to install this unit in a new system are still relavent.
We have also made 4 different wiring kits surrounding this new Orion XS that will allow for installation in nearly any application:
A 'from scratch' installation using the new Orion XS: shop.explorist.life/shop/all-...
A 'from scratch' installation using 2x Orion XS's for 'twice as fast' charging: shop.explorist.life/shop/all-...
An Installation upgrading from a 30A Orion to the new 50a Orion XS (Most popular): shop.explorist.life/shop/all-...
An installation upgrading dual 30A Orions to dual 50A Orion XSs: shop.explorist.life/shop/all-...
And as far as the actual Orion XS DC DC Unit; If you've already ordered from us; those will be in early this upcoming week. If you HAVEN'T ordered yours yet; we will have about 15 extra ones unspoken for you can grab from here: shop.explorist.life/shop/all-...
➤ Join the EXPLORIST.life Academy: academy.explorist.life
➤ Shop the EXPLORIST.life Store: shop.explorist.life
➤ Shop Batteries: Use Code 'explorist' at checkout for $50 off per battery: battlebornbatteries.com/?afmc=...
Here are some additional resources that you may find helpful with planning and installing your DIY Camper:
FULL ELECTRICAL INSTALLS:
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➤30A Class C Motorhome - Full Electrical Upgrade: • Motorhome RV Solar & L...
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➤ Truck Camper - Full Electrical Upgrade: • How To Upgrade Your Tr...
➤ Ford Transit Camper Van Electrical Install: • DIY CAMPER VAN ELECTRI...
➤ DIY Sprinter Camper Van Electrical Install - Full Tutorial: • DIY Sprinter Camper Va...
➤ Binge the Transit Van Build: • The Ultimate Camper Va...
00:00 Introduction
00:35 Disconnect from Power
00:54 Disconnect Wires
01:05 Remove Old Orion
01:15 Attach Orion XS 12/12 50A To Wall
01:25 Install Junction Stud
01:35 Replace Ferrules with Lugs on Negative Wires
01:51 Make Jumper Wire
02:02 Connect Negative Wires to Junction Stud
02:14 Remove Strain Relief Cover
02:24 Loosen Terminals and Connect Wires
02:53 Replace Strain Relief Cover
03:03 Connect to Cerbo GX
03:18 Turn Power Back On to the System
03:29 Program Orion XS
03:43 Turn on Engine to Test
04:45 Cerbo GX Update Coming Soon
05:55 Final Thoughts - Авто та транспорт
*Wiring Kits & More:*
*A 'from scratch' installation using the new Orion XS:* shop.explorist.life/shop/all-products/victron-orion-xs-12-12-50-dc-to-dc-charger-wiring-kit/
*A 'from scratch' installation using 2x Orion XS's for 'twice as fast' charging:* shop.explorist.life/shop/all-products/dual-victron-orion-xs-12-12-50-dc-to-dc-charger-wiring-kit/
*An Installation upgrading from a 30A Orion to the new 50a Orion XS (Most popular):* shop.explorist.life/shop/all-products/victron-orion-xs-12-12-50-dc-to-dc-charger-retrofit-wiring-kit/
*An installation upgrading dual 30A Orions to dual 50A Orion XSs:* shop.explorist.life/shop/all-products/dual-victron-orion-xs-12-12-50-dc-to-dc-charger-retrofit-wiring-kit/
And as far as the actual Orion XS DC DC Unit; If you've already ordered from us; those will be in early this upcoming week. If you HAVEN'T ordered yours yet; we will have about 15 extra ones unspoken for you can grab from here: shop.explorist.life/shop/all-products/victron-orion-xs-1212-50-dc-dc-charger-non-isolated/
thank you!
Beautiful van diggin the setup
Looking at your UA-cam name, we probably think the same lol
God and liberty.
So helpful. Especially as we have a '24 cirrus 920 that uses the Victron system.
We want to utilize our 410 amp dual alternators on our F350, but going from under the hood to the charger, which is on its way, in the camper I need to use 4 gauge wire for the 75 amps that the charger is expected to draw from the alternators. I'm having trouble finding a good 3 prong 80 amp connector set for penetration into the camper. Unless you have a better way to do this. I began with the project we saw from Stoneyboot, who installed a dc to dc charger in their older Cirrus 920. That is where I get the idea that I need to expect to draw 80 amps from the alternators.
I've worked with electricity as a carpenter and I've also wired houses with my dad as an electrician, so I've got enough knowledge to be a little dangerous if I don't stop to make sure I really understand what I'm working with. Your videos are an excellent goto, so I'll keep exploring your insights.
Thanks for all of your dedication to understanding these systems and components, and making the complicated simple enough to understand. It's the mark of a good communicator.
The pinned comment and video description of this video both has our wiring kits we've made for the installation of this Orion, including Anderson connectors for those of you with towable vehicles.
Note: Since the input of this Orion has a max input AND output of 50A; you won't see anywhere near 80A coming from the starter battery. 55 at MOST if there is a full 10% voltage drop on the input wire in a worst case scenario situation.
Nice, good job
Thank you! Cheers!
Very nice video, I just learned that the new orion XS does not support synchronous charging correct? Is there a way to make it charge synchronous with a victron MPPT over VE smart networking using a smart shunt ? or can a cerbo GX do this? Now often the orion XS goes in to trickle charging with an "empty" LIfepo4 batterie because the MPPT is also charging in bulk for example. They need communication with each other. Thnx a lot
I’m learning so much from your videos and website! I really appreciate all the effort you put into them! Question- where did the other wires on the junction stud go?
Never mind. I just found the diagram on your site. One to the starting battery and the other to the distributor. 🙏
Since the old Orions were limited to 30 amps and the new one is rated for 50 amps, and the wire size apparently can go up to 4awg now - are you limiting the amperage this new Orion pulls to accomodate using the previous 6awg cabling?
The settings sheet you said was going to be below I can’t find am I missing something or can you upload it or?????
Nice job highlighting how smooth the swap can be. It looks from the video that using ferrules that long doesn’t allow the strain relief to properly engage the wire as per the Victron manual and they seem pretty adamant in the manual that the strain relief is very important for long term connection reliability. Thoughts on trimming the ferrules or using shorter one?
It may have just been a weird camera angle that made it look like the strain relief was not engaged. But yeah, in these projects, if you ever need to trim or omit a ferrule, that's fine. Ferrules are there to make your life easier and if they are getting in the way, or making things worse; they can be left off if desired.
Great video as usual. Couple things that are out of your control: Victron flipped the side of IN and OUT wires which now means wires have to cross each other also it would have been nice to be able to you use the existing holes from previous Orion so you don't see the holes.
Ha! Yeah; that's why our wiring diagrams for this unit were incorrect right off the start. 😂🤦♂️
Thanks Nate and team..
Do ye guys have a video that explainswhat amperage you can safely pull from an alternator without damaging it? I have a Renogy 50 A DC - DC MPPT unit and was thinking of adding this Orion XS to get say 100A (total) from my 2016 Ford Transit smart alternator..
(Maybe i should look at this video in full first!)
From some of the forums I have been on they recommend not using more than 50% of it's rating. I talked to my mechanic about it and he mentioned that the engineers who designed the vehicle in the first place designed it with the vehicles components in mind and allowed for some expansion but probably not 50%. I ended up finding a company that was able to upgrade my stock alternator from 130A to 250A. I'll never worry if I'm climbing up a mountain pass on a hot day with the AC on and using 50A for the new XS!
Yep, we follow the 50% of rated alternator capacity as well and seems to work well for all of our customers. So, if your transit has a 250A Alternator, I would recommend to stay below 125A of DC DC Chargers as a rule of thumb.
Forcing the alternator to deliver 50A at idle rpm can damage the alternator. What settings do you use to prevent overheating the alternator? Thanks for the videos, great job.
"Forcing the alternator to deliver 50A at idle rpm can damage the alternator." This statement isn't true given the alternator is big enough.
As long as you keep your DC DC charging demands below 50% of the rated output of the alternator; there should be no overheating issues. The charging rate can be turned down as necessary if you've got a really small (sub 100A) alternator.
Can you possibly put on your video list to explain what the difference is between a DC to DC charger and solar charge controller? I understand they are fundamentally different but what's confusing is when you buy a power bank from one of the major manufactures, why is the same input plug used for solar charging and also charging through your car battery system?
Yep! We made a video about that 2ish months ago. direct link: ua-cam.com/video/65bATtlHbeg/v-deo.html
Great video! What about the VRM portal? Does it show some info there?
For now it just shows a negative DC current.
If you are looking for future topics, one on the Wakespeed WS-500 regulator for a Nations alternator would be nice.
Certainly! That's been on our 'want' list for a while and without looking it up, I'm 92% sure it's already on our content schedule for the 'alternator charging' section of our academy.
@@EXPLORISTlife
Also, there are no video's on the REC-Active BMS either, or any I can find on the actual setup.
Damnit, I just bought the 12-12/30.
should i consider a dc to dc charger to charge my 2 100 Ah travel trailer batteries? at present we are charging just from the 7 pin plug and from looking at the truck harness the 12V lead is pretty small, plus it's bundled into a harness. max charging current that i've measured is around 11-12 amps which is from the truck(ram 1500) alternator.
Question. When you install a dc to dc charger from truck to camper .Do you disconnect the 12 volt at 7 way plug cause you are running lithium batteries..and where is the best place to disconnect if you do the truck or camper side
Can you guys make a comparison between the EcoFlow and the Victron power system?🤔 I hear the EcoFlow is super easy to install.
In short, we have no anticipation of reviewing portable power stations any time soon. That would sorta be like a custom home builder reviewing ‘the best trailer houses’ as the quality, customizability and scalability are vastly different.
Wait what about the remote wire? I want to be able to turn my off and on depending on if I want it on. I already have my hot wire from a previous renogy dc/dc charger. Does it just plug into the port (H)? Thanks in advance. Glad they are working on the display to show it on the screen.
That’s an option, but I’d just toggle it on and off from the app if I wanted to disable it.
@@EXPLORISTlife ok just confirming that is how you have a remote on/off? One swutched wire to the (h)? Looking at page 13 in the manual connect the switched wire to (h) and leave it bridged. Also turn off “engine shutdown detection” in app.
@@Mth308 This may be very helpful for me to understand as I wire in the charger to my camper. I had planned to using an upfitter switch in my Ford truck, but with the app, I may just forget about the extra wire and just go with a 2 prong connector.
Most people never actually turn these off. It's not really necessary to regularly be toggling these on and off; so if you don't already have a wire in place; I definitely wouldn't go through the effort to add one.
Hi Nate, do you recommend this kit for the sprinter? I have the Victron 30A already installed using your diagram and parts. You may remember I had to contact you because my Sprinter battery did'nt match, and I had to manufacture a metal bracket for my starter battery. It worked, btw lol.
Yep! Pretty much recommend this across the board at this point
@@EXPLORISTlife sounds like a new project!
I ordered an Orion XS and the wiring kit from your site. I can't wait to get it. Meanwhile, how would you install this to the Ford ccp, specifically where does the negative go?
Check the ford upfitter manual for their recommendation; but going direct to the negative terminal of the starting battery under the seat is our general recommendation unless the upfitter manual specifically forbids it AND recommends a different location.
Rather than swapping out/upgrading, is it possible to wire in parallel an existing 30amp Orion-Tr with a new 50amp Orion-XS?
Can you explain isolated vs non-isolated? Thanks!
That's on the schedule for later in the year in our Academy. In the meantime, our wiring kits we've made and shared links to in the video description and pinned comment accommodate for both of them.
Sweet, simple & cooler⚡ upgrade!
Cheers!!
Hey I’m loving the content Nate! Binge watching quite a bit and I’m of the impression that you favor 12V installs over 24V even for high wattage inverters.
I was aiming to build a 24V system with a 1500W inverter as a starting point.
I’ve actually gotten hold of two high end inverters, one 24V no shore or solar input and the other 12V with shore and solar input (minimal but better than nothing.
I have a solar charge controller (520W/1040W 12V/24V) 40A max and 2x100Ah LifePo4 so can try out both.
Which is it then for 1500W now, maybe 3000W down the road…
12V or 24V?
Would appreciate your input.
Oh and can Victron 120VAC inverters be software set to output 100VAC?
We recommend 12V for 3000W or less. 24V for 3000W to 5000W. 48V for anything over 5000W.
Is there a way to add additional VE direct spots on the Cerbo? I have all three used and no space for the Orion XS. It would be the least looked at as my system is in a 5th wheel and wouldn’t be able to see it working anyway while towing. Bit still would be nice!!
They have a USB to ve direct cable adapter, so that plus a USB hub will add as many ports as you need
I have a color control gx, which has less ports than the cerbo but does have some USB ports. I'm not sure of the inputs on the cerbo but if you have an unused USB, Victron has an adapter that converts that little white end (sorry I can't remember what that is called) to a USB.
VE.Direct to USB is what you're after: shop.explorist.life/shop/all-products/victron-ve-direct-to-usb-interface-cable/
@@EXPLORISTlife perfect thanks!
@@ticopowell thanks for the info.
Hi, I've installed an Orion XS with the D+ signal plugged on H pin, but I'm not sure if the Engine Shutdown Detection must be turned off. Reading the Manual, think it should be, but I'm still not sure. Thank you for your attention
Thank you for your reply.
We don't recommend using the remote h-pin functionality unless we have a REALLY specific reason to do so (external BMS, mainly; but if you are setting up a system with an external BMS; you should already know the ins and outs of signal wires like this)
@@EXPLORISTlife thank you for your quick reply
I noticed that you only have the non-isolated version for sale but recommend the isolated version in one of your videos. Is there a reason other than lack of availability? (I'm using your diagram with a Lynx dist grounded to the chassis. So the non-isolated that you sell would work, right?)
The 50A only comes in non-isolated. The wiring kit we make for it makes it so it works for 99% of applications.
Can I turn the Orion on/off from the App? If not, I know there is a phyical on/off on the Orion using the H-pin Do you have a video on controlling power to Orion? Thanks!!!
It can indeed be enabled/disabled from the app.
@@EXPLORISTlife thank.. I can always trust you for the correct answer
What needs to happen with the little green plug-in on the old Orion when doing a swap? Anything? Thanks!
Both the old and new Orions have their own jumper pins.
Ok, so I just remove the jumper pin first, and then plug it in after everything is wired? Thanks.
Do you think you can wire these in series to charge a 48V battery bank?
You cannot, no.
Hi Nate. Am attempting to plan a system for our first van build (Promaster 3500 159/ext with the upgrade 220 amp alternator). I have joined the Explorist Life Academy and want to purchase a consultation when I feel like I have the electrical plan in place well enough to look at. I have two questions: 1) Is this Orion XS 50a charger appropriate when it is NOT a "smart" alternator such as with the Promaster? (this is probably a dumb question but this is the depth of my current grasp of off grid electrical) 2) I want to buy almost all of my components (hopefully a "kit") from you guys but will you still entertain doing the consult and trouble-shooting my plan/"diagram" if the ONLY components I am not getting thru Explorist Life are the batteries and panels? (am looking at 4X the LiTime 200ah heated batts and three Bouge 300w panels).
Your vids are Uber-helpful! So appreciate the product you guys put out. Cheers! Dan in the mitten
1: Yep! It will work just fine with a non-smart alternator.
2: Correct. Panel brand doesn't really matter in our system. Our systems are also drop-in compatible with LiTime batteries; we just can't pre-program the multiplus for them, nor provide the charging specs for them; but we've got videos/blog posts to help you get that information from your battery manufacturer of choice.
@@EXPLORISTlife Great! Thanks for the response, Nate. I will be getting in touch with the team for a consult this summer with a plan for review and a list of goodies.for purchase
What about people who sized the wires for 30A and now will be sending 50A through the existing wires and circuit breaker. I've also seen on some other forums that if you need to use 4awg, which is the max allowed, a ferrule won't fit properly. People have been getting creative with a hex crimper to get the 4awg to fit. I think mentioning that they should check their wire size and breakers can handle the upgrade would be important information to include.
We added that information into the retrofit wiring kit product page from this video: shop.explorist.life/shop/all-products/victron-orion-xs-12-12-50-dc-to-dc-charger-retrofit-wiring-kit/
"IMPORTANT NOTE: This retrofit kit is designed for use with the EXPLORIST.life Victron Orion-TR Smart 12-12-30 DC to DC Charger Wiring Kit in lengths of 20ft and 30ft. If you have installed this kit using a 40ft length, you will need to account for voltage drop by limiting the Orion XS to 40A current output."
I think I'll be using 4 AWG to run from my alternators to my camper where the charger is going. I have the new 50 amp charger being shipped to me. I'm curious to see how this ends up working, and what may change in this plan when it's all done. If I can get away with 6 AWG, that may be a huge help.
@@allanmain5666 What is the distance from your alternator to your house battery bank? I have a travel trailer, so I had a long distance compared to a van. The calculations ended up requiring 2awg so I was going to run that to a terminal post and reduce that to 4awg for a few inches to the XS. Long story short I was able to get away with 4awg but getting a ferrule to work was impossible with the square crimper I have. The other day on another forum I saw that someone used a 6awg hex crimp on the 4awg ferrule and had to trim it back a bit as to get the strain relief to fit properly. I hope that information helps.
@@chachi5975 It seems that 25 foot rolls of wire are appropriate, and I may cot about 5 feet off, so I'll call it 20 feet at the moment. Your tips may prove to be useful in my situation.
@@allanmain5666 I couldn't find the 2awg I had purchased so I thought maybe I had done my calculations wrong and was supposed to run 4awg. I did the travel trailer with the 4awg and then found the 2awg so from my vehicle battery to the Anderson connector on my hitch is 2awg and from the tongue to the XS is 4awg. I have gotten 50A input and 48.5A on the output so I got lucky and didn't have to rewire the trailer with the 2awg. It's around 25-30' from my vehicle bettery to the XS. Good luck😁
Not sure retaining or indeed fitting ferrules is a good idea. The terminals in the XS are round, so a square (and to some extent hex) ferrule will have limited surface area connection. Couple this with the greater current thru-put, not a good electrical connection.
Victron’s terminal design is excellent for stranded cable. Their manual describes everything you need: torque settings & technique, cable strain relief, (no mention of ferrules), etc.
The XS is a great unit I’d encourage everyone to upgrade especially those who have two ‘old’ style 360w Orion units.
When are you doing yours! 😊
Re: Ferrules: The whole team here at EXPLORIST.life spent a couple of hours actually trying various combinations of ferrules, ferrule sizes, non-insulated ferrules, and insulated ferrules which ultimately led to including ferrules in the retrofit kits like featured in this video. Obviously, if you feel that omitting the ferrule is better; you can most definitely do that, but based on our own findings, experience, and 1,000's of hours of tech support; we felt that adding the ferrules was better; so we opted to include them so people had the option to use them or not.
Our 'from scratch' Orion XS wiring kits w/ 4 AWG wire do not include ferrules as 4 AWG with a ferrule does not fit into the terminal.
Re: 'When are we doing ours': Our show Transit has a 24V battery bank; and at this time there is not a 24V version of the Orion XS available; so we are still a while out on doing that.
Oh yes I forgot yours was 24v👍
I suspect Victron can’t make the 12v one quick enough atm so I presume the 24v will be a while off just yet.
Your kits sound perfect for your customers - all included.
The terminals on the XS are brilliantly designed - be an interesting exercise to do heat tests on ferrules vs bare strands - a future video perhaps.
Keep up the good work 😊
We actually use ferrules less for the electrical conductivity aspect of it and more for the reason that it helps people get ALL of the fine strands of wire into the terminal into turning it into a birds nest, resulting in poor conductivity, or the wire just falling out of the terminal. More about workmanship than anything. Before we started recommending/including ferrules; people would strip back 1/8" of insulation, jam half the strands into the terminal, and wonder why the terminal burned up.
my sprinter van 2023 work ok ?
Certainly
I'm surprise that there is not any heat dissipator as my Orion DC 12-12 30 Amp, become very hot. why this one with 50 Amps don't become hot ???
It's simply better and more sophisticated internals. The old 30a and new 50a are essentially completely different units in terms of internal design.
Nate, Thank you for the very informative videos. In your van you previously had two 30 Amp DC to DC chargeres. Will you be adding two of the 50 AMP chargers in your Transit? My 2020 Transit has the dual battery, but does not have the dual/second altinator like your Transit does. I run an induction cook top and have 630 Amp hours of lithium, so in winter the extra 50 AMPS would be nice to have. Do you think the additional 50 amp draw would be hard on the single alternator dual battery configuration?
Thanks for the help!
Our transit has a 24V battery bank, so we won't be able to upgrade for a while until Victron releases a 24V version of this. For you, though, the rule of thumb for DC DC Charging is to keep the DC DC charging amperage at or below 50% of the rated output of the alternator.
This thing is a yuge upgrade on previous model. Smaller, cooler, smarter, more efficient, and more power!
I couldn't fit my Ferrule crimped 6 awg wires into the round barrel screw terminals of the Orion-XS. There's no way Ferrule covered 4 awg wire fits. The only way I could get my stranded 6 awg wire in the Orion-XS terminals and keep the strands contained was to put a Ferrule on and not crimp it. That's the only way my 6 awg stranded wire would fit. In my opinion Victron made those round terminals to small.
6 AWG + Ferrule with a hex crimper (orange handle crimper used in this video) fit.
4 AWG + ferrule absolutely does NOT fit; which is why we don't include one in our kits.
4 AWG Wire + 6 AWG ferrule fits into the Orion terminal; but it's REALLY hard getting the wire into the ferrule; so this isn't feasible.
We recommend using pre-existing 6 AWG with a hex ferrule crimper + 6 AWG ferrule (included with our kits) or for new installs, 4 AWG without a ferrule.
whats the difference, really? Just more amperage to charge quicker? Doesnt seem like a must upgrade.
Faster charging is the primary difference, yes; but there are a few additional features regarding size, heat, communications, synchronized charging that we put out in a dedicated video back a few months.
concerning the possibility to "Piggy-Back" for 100 amp total ... I forgot to mention that I have a 2021 Ford Transit with dual alternators ... I think that I should be able to handle the load; unless Ford electronics prohibits it somehow ...
Your transit should have no problem with that. Dual alternator Transits have something like 2x 250A alternators for 500A total. Plenty of overhead to accommodate dual Orion XS's.
Maybe I missed it,... but how is it better... Oh, you just said cooler... is that all...? 🤔
Cool, faster charging, better communications, smaller. Go back in our videos a couple of months and you’ll find 2-3 videos we made about this new model. Let me know if you can’t find them and I’ll get you some links.
50 amps
50amp
Another important quality it has {other than being more efficient and delivering 50 amps vs 30 amps} is that it can be run in parallel with other units just like it. So, if you had two of them, you would have 100A charging capacity, which is very nice for those who have a large battery bank {like this camper has}. It takes a long time to fully charge six or even four 100AH batteries charging at 30A or 50A. And if you have to run your engine to provide that charge {which you often do if solar is inadequate or non-existent} that means a 100A charge capacity would charge the batteries in less than a third of the time compared to a 30A charger.
Downside is they are expensive at about $330 a piece. But, if you think of the gas you would save over time and the convenience, perhaps it's worth it. Especially if you have multiple batteries to charge.
Now Need a cover so things can not go behind battery
If I had a product to guarantee to never lose hardware behind/under something…. Well, let’s just say I could afford to never make videos again. 🤣😂
great video! can you please show a wiring diagram on how it all connects to the LYNX Distributor. Are the negative cables removed from the Lynx? I thought the Lynx already has a common ground in the middle, why not use it?
The diagrams are on the product pages at shop.explorist.life. Links in video description/pinned comment.
Can you "Piggy-Back" the new unit to get 100 amp charging?
You can most definitely wire 2x of them in parallel for twice the alternator charging. I shared the link to the appropriate wiring kit for that in the video description & pinned comment.
Is there some trick to get 4awg to fit into those openings? I'm having a helluva time getting a ferrule to squeeze in those openings. Thanks. Btw, I'm using a crimper similar to what you show on this video.