Fabulous that people are sharing their experience with the projects they tackle. As already mentioned cable protective device fuse/circuit breaker as close to the source as practicable as seen the fuse doesn't provide protection for the first part of the cable run. Also I would be adding mechanical protection for any wire passing though metal frame especially if the wire is single insulated as these are. Third point is I have installed these dual input solar / alternator chargers and they have limitations of input voltage value 25v if you have a solar array in series this could be an issue as it doesn't take too many panels to add up to more than the rated input. Though our content producer does say read the manual👍 Thanks for the content always great to see a female approach keep up the good work 🌞
nope, your positive cable from starting battery should be fused at the battery main positive post! In your case, you have unprotected positive wire with single insulation under drivers seat (don't forget that van body is grounded to negative pole of the battery) and that is fire hazard. You have to re-locate your main fuse to fix that @@VanLifeDesigner
Bit of advice. Always keep the fuze as close to the power supply (battery in your situation) as you can. If the cable rubs and grounds out from the battery to the fuse it will cause a fire. Great work and amazing job on the install!
I have no idea where you get that.. As the fuses can be anywhere inline with the line\load side... You put it where you can get at it...Only thing you should do is keep 120 volt away from 12\24 volt.. I prefer people put a divider between them. As that is what electrical code calls for..
@Up2NoGood picture this! So you hook a large gauge wire direct to a battery positive... you run 8ft of wire to the back of a van and put a fuse right next to the item you want to power...now, what happens when that 8ft wire starts rubbing on the edge of the sheet metal and grounds it self 3ft from the battery...that wire is going to ark and start getting hot. That fuse all the way at the back of the van isn't doing you any good. Do you understand now? If that fuse is at the beginning of that 8ft run of wire, you are protecting all 8ft. This is also incase you get into an accident and that wire gets pinched or cut off. Safety 1st always 👌👍
@@Twistedshot101 I'm an Electrical engineer. It makes no difference where the fuse or breaker is. You simply put them where you can get at them. And I have no idea why you think different. As the Electrical code and NFPA70 spells it out for you...And they been at it for way longer then you have.. Have a nice day...
@Up2NoGood and I have been installing 12v electronics for 15 years. This is why we don't listen to engineers, especially in automotive applications. Inline fuses don't work like breakers. You can short a wire before a fuse. You're missing the point. Why do you think cars have fuses mounted at the battery in modern applications from the original manufacturer. 🤔
Thank you! I've been wondering where the D+ terminal was on my sprinter too. Getting ready to install our DC/DC charger this weekend, and I appreciate the help.
You can use Blue Sea terminal block 5191. That can take fuses up to 300 amps. This makes attaching to car battery simple... Just order the fuse for what you need. And buy two of them. That way if one blows. You got it on hand...
Great video, just installed mine too but just wondering, how many amps are you getting when the car is just on idle, I'm getting only about 24-25 amps just idling. Do you have to drive the car to get the full 50 amps from the alternator?
Great instructional video, I don't have a Sprinter but Relay/Jumper so I'll have to do a little research myself regards the sensor location on my van.thanks for sharing 👍🏻
Most vans today do not use an alternator with D+ id suspect this point is only Live when ign is turned on or controled from the acu. I would also fit an over ride switch to be able to turn it of while driving if need be. Next point is this is a 12v system and gloves are over the top unless you want them. You will not be in danger from a 12v system. Only time iv ever felt current was with a faulty alternator with faulty diode pushing high voltage when engine was running and that was mild not a danger.
The whole idea is that it only starts pulling charge from the alternator after the ignition is turned on, so that the vans battery doesn't get drained inadvertently. That would be a bad situation if you find yourself remote and then unable to drive the van to safety. No need for an override switch as this device stops pulling charge when my house batteries are full. On gloves, it's to protect my hands from scratches as much as electrical malfunction.
Thank you very much. I am now more confident in installing mine. Cheers! BTW, what is the size of your solar panel(s). Renogy said I have to limit my total voltage to 50V (That's tiny => I have arrange my solar panels in parallel)
Great tutorial! Several posts on Sprinter Source forum recommend grounding the negative lead from the dc-dc charger to the frame or engine block because if it connected to the negative side of the vehicle battery circuit it could create a path for the vehicle battery to remain connected even when the power disconnect by the gas peddle is pulled. So my question is, if you did ground the dc-dc charger to the frame or engine block, where did you make that connection? I’m having difficulty finding a good place to make the ground to body/frame for this large of a power draw.
I did via the negative bus bar, which should already be grounded to the chassis, and mine is. You shouldn't need to have a separate grounding line, this one will ground the unit.
The battery disconnect for the mercedes sprinter van is designed to disconnect the service battery from the vehicle chassis (ground). In other words, it isolates the service battery from the vehicle. This is why you should ground all electrical you are adding to the chassis and not directly to the battery post of the vehicles battery.
Hmm I don't have a negative bus bar, should the negative of the solar connect to the MPPT, or the leisure battery? Also, the reason for the switch on that solar panel positive wire. Is that so you can prioritise charging by the alternator when needing more charge or something else?
So why did you choose battle born batteries over renogy lithium, seem like lots of people choosing battle born batteries, i have 2 200ah lithium Bluetooth batteries from renogy i love them as well my intire power system is renogy except the victron lynx distributor i think people spend way to much on a off the grid system maybe me too 😊
The alternator and solar panels will still be generating current to charge, but the MPPT only allows it to charge to the capacity of your battery bank. So, if they're full they're full!
Thanks so much for this. I am going to install my DC to DC charger next week. Does it matter which of the 3 auxillary batteries the pos and neg wires go to?
Well I connected it to my main battery which is positioned beneath the drivers seat. The main thing is to follow the exact instructions as to how to connect your DC - DC charge wire to the right terminal beneath the drivers seat.... It's in the video, but this is to ensure that your charger is only drawing from the vans alternator when you're driving. You don't want to be draining the vans battery!
Hello, I bought a DCC30S, like the DCC50S the maximum input voltage of solar panel is 25V. The VOC of the most solar panel is between 20V and 23,5V at 77°F. But a 14 °F the VOC increase above 25V. Is there a protection against overvoltage or a limitation on Renogy DC DC MPPT ? Thank you. Regards
Mercedes only allow 30A from alternator... this thing is rated 50A... does it allow you to limit the input to 30A so you could match Mercedes specs? Thx!
Am I right in understanding that when you are attaching any extra wires to the mains battery that red button should be removed, the one behind the drivers pedals area? Does that throw any faults on the dash at all or do you need to then reset your stereo unit?
Hi Elizabeth. Great question. The button is removed to disconnect everything in the cabin from the mains (service) battery. Follow my instruction on the video as to waiting 10 mins for things to fully shut down before doing any electrical work. Then make sure to reconnect it!
Fabulous that people are sharing their experience with the projects they tackle.
As already mentioned cable protective device fuse/circuit breaker as close to the source as practicable as seen the fuse doesn't provide protection for the first part of the cable run. Also I would be adding mechanical protection for any wire passing though metal frame especially if the wire is single insulated as these are.
Third point is I have installed these dual input solar / alternator chargers and they have limitations of input voltage value 25v if you have a solar array in series this could be an issue as it doesn't take too many panels to add up to more than the rated input. Though our content producer does say read the manual👍
Thanks for the content always great to see a female approach keep up the good work 🌞
Yes... All my cables that run behind cabinets are inside plastic conduit.
nope, your positive cable from starting battery should be fused at the battery main positive post! In your case, you have unprotected positive wire with single insulation under drivers seat (don't forget that van body is grounded to negative pole of the battery) and that is fire hazard. You have to re-locate your main fuse to fix that
@@VanLifeDesigner
Where is the negative to the main starter battery to the renogy charger
Amazing video. Great explanations and very easy to follow. This has helped me a lot. 💯🙌
wonderful!
Hey thanks for this video. Simple and easy to follow. Appreciate your generosity
Glad it was helpful!
THANK YOU!!!!!!!! so so happy I came across this video !
Glad I could help!
Thank you so much. This was so helpful and exactly what I needed to know. Thanks for doing the hard research for us...
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks been after a video for that ignition sensor for days now :-)
Well done, nicely worked out.
Thank you! Cheers!
Bit of advice. Always keep the fuze as close to the power supply (battery in your situation) as you can. If the cable rubs and grounds out from the battery to the fuse it will cause a fire. Great work and amazing job on the install!
Good advice, thank you!
I have no idea where you get that.. As the fuses can be anywhere inline with the line\load side... You put it where you can get at it...Only thing you should do is keep 120 volt away from 12\24 volt.. I prefer people put a divider between them. As that is what electrical code calls for..
@Up2NoGood picture this! So you hook a large gauge wire direct to a battery positive... you run 8ft of wire to the back of a van and put a fuse right next to the item you want to power...now, what happens when that 8ft wire starts rubbing on the edge of the sheet metal and grounds it self 3ft from the battery...that wire is going to ark and start getting hot. That fuse all the way at the back of the van isn't doing you any good. Do you understand now? If that fuse is at the beginning of that 8ft run of wire, you are protecting all 8ft. This is also incase you get into an accident and that wire gets pinched or cut off. Safety 1st always 👌👍
@@Twistedshot101 I'm an Electrical engineer. It makes no difference where the fuse or breaker is. You simply put them where you can get at them.
And I have no idea why you think different. As the Electrical code and NFPA70 spells it out for you...And they been at it for way longer then you have..
Have a nice day...
@Up2NoGood and I have been installing 12v electronics for 15 years. This is why we don't listen to engineers, especially in automotive applications. Inline fuses don't work like breakers. You can short a wire before a fuse. You're missing the point. Why do you think cars have fuses mounted at the battery in modern applications from the original manufacturer. 🤔
Thank you! I've been wondering where the D+ terminal was on my sprinter too. Getting ready to install our DC/DC charger this weekend, and I appreciate the help.
Oh cool Jordan! The DC - DC Charger is fantastic. I get 25a + whatever my 300W solar panels are putting out when I'm driving. I love it!
You can use Blue Sea terminal block 5191. That can take fuses up to 300 amps. This makes attaching to car battery simple... Just order the fuse for what you need. And buy two of them. That way if one blows. You got it on hand...
Thanks for the info.
Great video! Appreciate all your research!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video, just installed mine too but just wondering, how many amps are you getting when the car is just on idle, I'm getting only about 24-25 amps just idling. Do you have to drive the car to get the full 50 amps from the alternator?
Great instructional video, I don't have a Sprinter but Relay/Jumper so I'll have to do a little research myself regards the sensor location on my van.thanks for sharing 👍🏻
My pleasure!
Fantastic video! But still a side note. The fuse should be as close to the battery as possible.
Great info! Thank you.
Thanks for the advices, it really help me:)
Most vans today do not use an alternator with D+ id suspect this point is only Live when ign is turned on or controled from the acu. I would also fit an over ride switch to be able to turn it of while driving if need be. Next point is this is a 12v system and gloves are over the top unless you want them. You will not be in danger from a 12v system. Only time iv ever felt current was with a faulty alternator with faulty diode pushing high voltage when engine was running and that was mild not a danger.
The whole idea is that it only starts pulling charge from the alternator after the ignition is turned on, so that the vans battery doesn't get drained inadvertently. That would be a bad situation if you find yourself remote and then unable to drive the van to safety. No need for an override switch as this device stops pulling charge when my house batteries are full. On gloves, it's to protect my hands from scratches as much as electrical malfunction.
Thank you very much. I am now more confident in installing mine. Cheers!
BTW, what is the size of your solar panel(s). Renogy said I have to limit my total voltage to 50V (That's tiny => I have arrange my solar panels in parallel)
I have 3 X 100W solar panels also mounted in parallel. It will work fine in that formation.
So you used 65amp anl fuses? I was going to get 60amp but wasn't sure. I think it comes with 1 60 amp fuse.
Hello, Thansk for that amazing video. How many Amps has the fuse between the van start battery and the Renogy DC?? Many thanks....
I'm sure it's in the video.... Can't remember now.
Hello, thanks for that amazing video. Wnat size of fuse fid you fit between the starter battery and the Dc to Dc charger? Thanks
I'm sorry I can't remember. It's in the video though!
Great tutorial! Several posts on Sprinter Source forum recommend grounding the negative lead from the dc-dc charger to the frame or engine block because if it connected to the negative side of the vehicle battery circuit it could create a path for the vehicle battery to remain connected even when the power disconnect by the gas peddle is pulled. So my question is, if you did ground the dc-dc charger to the frame or engine block, where did you make that connection? I’m having difficulty finding a good place to make the ground to body/frame for this large of a power draw.
I did via the negative bus bar, which should already be grounded to the chassis, and mine is. You shouldn't need to have a separate grounding line, this one will ground the unit.
The battery disconnect for the mercedes sprinter van is designed to disconnect the service battery from the vehicle chassis (ground). In other words, it isolates the service battery from the vehicle. This is why you should ground all electrical you are adding to the chassis and not directly to the battery post of the vehicles battery.
great install. one thing I am confused of.
where do I connect my negative solar cable to? any help would be great Merry Christmas 👍
Thanks, you too! It's detailed all in the video! Watch it in full.
Hmm I don't have a negative bus bar, should the negative of the solar connect to the MPPT, or the leisure battery? Also, the reason for the switch on that solar panel positive wire. Is that so you can prioritise charging by the alternator when needing more charge or something else?
I connect negatives to battery, if solar is off then alternators can charge 50a
So why did you choose battle born batteries over renogy lithium, seem like lots of people choosing battle born batteries, i have 2 200ah lithium Bluetooth batteries from renogy i love them as well my intire power system is renogy except the victron lynx distributor i think people spend way to much on a off the grid system maybe me too 😊
I chose them because they have a watertight 100% return and support policy.
Does you charger keep charging when battery monitor shows battery is full? That's what happens to me. I have the same van and charger. Thank you.
The alternator and solar panels will still be generating current to charge, but the MPPT only allows it to charge to the capacity of your battery bank. So, if they're full they're full!
Thanks so much for this. I am going to install my DC to DC charger next week. Does it matter which of the 3 auxillary batteries the pos and neg wires go to?
Well I connected it to my main battery which is positioned beneath the drivers seat. The main thing is to follow the exact instructions as to how to connect your DC - DC charge wire to the right terminal beneath the drivers seat.... It's in the video, but this is to ensure that your charger is only drawing from the vans alternator when you're driving. You don't want to be draining the vans battery!
I’m still trying to find out if I can use this DCDC unit/MPPT unit with an inverter charger is opposed to just an inverter?
There should be no reason why not as the inverter charger will plug into shore power.
Hello, I bought a DCC30S, like the DCC50S the maximum input voltage of solar panel is 25V. The VOC of the most solar panel is between 20V and 23,5V at 77°F. But a 14 °F the VOC increase above 25V. Is there a protection against overvoltage or a limitation on Renogy DC DC MPPT ? Thank you. Regards
This device shares the input voltage with the alternator.
Mercedes only allow 30A from alternator... this thing is rated 50A... does it allow you to limit the input to 30A so you could match Mercedes specs? Thx!
they do a 30a version
It has been working a dream in my van!
What is the nut size for the starter battery bus bar you used for the positive wire?
I'm sorry I don't remember, and you'd need to check that against your own starter battery.
Am I right in understanding that when you are attaching any extra wires to the mains battery that red button should be removed, the one behind the drivers pedals area? Does that throw any faults on the dash at all or do you need to then reset your stereo unit?
Hi Elizabeth. Great question. The button is removed to disconnect everything in the cabin from the mains (service) battery. Follow my instruction on the video as to waiting 10 mins for things to fully shut down before doing any electrical work. Then make sure to reconnect it!
How do I access that ignition wire from under the seat .
Does the seat have to be removed
Hi @Jason W, yes, you'll see all of that when you watch through the whole video! Glad it's helpful.
What year sprinter do you have? I didn't see it listed in the bio
Hi Tony. It's a 2020.
Awesome video but you lost me when you mention "bus bar" out of no where.
Google it.... It's simply a way to extend your battery connections away from the battery when you have a lot of things to connect to it.
Wearing gloves for 12v DC?
The gloves are for getting pricked by wires and bumping into things during installation.
Great video. Awful background music @5 minutes in!
Im looking for the location of where to connect ignition signal cable in my 2016 crafter ..cant find it anywhere so stressful 🤣🤣
Are you on Instagram?