Hey Shaun! Whats size extruded aluminum did you use for your bed frame? Also, I just watched your insulation vid. Do you find the floor leeches any heat being that it has no insulation?
Sean Arbour My aluminum extrusions are about 1.5 inches thick. The floor isn’t a major source of heat loss. My espar heater keeps the van at a pretty consistent temperature and if I want to keep the floors warm I direct it to blow on the floor.
Hey ZacAss! I used an l-bracket from the hardware store with a hole the bolt could fit through. Since it was attached to wood I wasn't worried about electrical conduction. I think this bracket off eBay would work as well. I ordered the 350 amp version and should get it in a couple of weeks. www.ebay.com/itm/100A-350A-Base-Holder-Coulomb-Meter-Sampler-Crystal-TF01-TK15-TY01-Accessories/192901276820?hash=item2ce9cfe494:m:mDFHRiM18nfYdpmyjeY8icA
I’ll be honest, I understood very little, which is entirely because of my own ignorance/incompetence and not because of your detailed explanation. It was incredibly thorough, so thank you! I look forward to simply hiring you to do this for me though :)
That's what I'm going to do to get the most out it , it's not hooked up at the moment but all it's going to do is fans and lights and other smaller load's , I'm putting the inputs on A switch for the solar so I can pull the 50 amps and the same on the alternator , with a backup 2000 watt inverter , all big loads will be on a separate system .
I have lots of renogy products for my van build what i don't get or understand why people build a power system so complicated some people build looks better buit than most people homes i feel most people over build and then issues begin , i do watch what people build it looks like most buy victron over renogy for me i started with renogy everything not starting over but i do have a victron lynk distributor im not hating just not jumping ships a van power system should not be over buit or too large because fire can happen happy travels 😊
Great video! It would be nice to get some more detail into the Renogy DC-to-DC charger "randomly shutting off" to see what the symptoms are and how much of a hassle it is.
A 'normally on' relay on the solar input that cuts off power when ignition is on will be a good substitute for a switch to automatically cut off solar when engine is running. Just bought one of these for my boat, not worried about the 25A cutoff as it only has a 35A alternator but can understand why this is causing issues for campers with 70A alternators.
I run one battery bank for solar and the other from alternator keep them separated then one gets low to switch over to the other as backup. Like your system isn't complicated already this would mean more parts and wiring
You have a shunt coming out of the negative side of your leisure battery bank which is correct. You said, though, that you have a shunt coming out of the mppt contoler which seems to be wrong. The shunt should be the first thing coming out of neg side of leisure battery bank with all load coming off of that. Not sure what you are doing there?
It is what I’m doing there. Must be some confusion in the editing. Basically the shunt is between the negative battery terminal and the ground bus bar of the system
Great video! Currently building out my own van. I’m curious how you learned how to set up your alternator. I added a second alternator to my van and I’m not sure how to set up the electrical!
Incredible video. You nailed the install. I have a question for you. When you are using shore power with your set up are you having to kill the inputs to your dc to dc mppt controller? I have a similar setup but I want to add shore power but unsure of the transition process.
Thanks! I didn’t have any way to kill the connection with the dcdc/mppt. The max power input my battery bank could handle is 100 amps and the max I could get from dc:dc charger + solar + shore power would have been 80 amps (assuming the vehicle was running) and the max for solar + shore power would be about 40 amps.
Great video! Thanks for sharing. Do you have a wiring diagram that you followed. I have all of the same stuff but haven’t been as lucky as you with getting in touch with Renogy.
Really great videos? A question about your floor? Did you install the vinyl directly on top of the “rubber” mat that came in the van? That would really simplify things! How is it holding up? Thanks!
Awesome videos dude. For the wire that you ran from the battery under the van, did you have to drill a hole in the van for that, or was there already a hole in the van? I have a Promaster and have been holding off on this part because i wasn't sure where i wanted to run the wire.
Great video! What size is your Inverter Charger and how did you figure out what size of wires/fuses you needed to safely connect it? I bought the Renogy 3000W Inverter charger and am having trouble figuring out what size wires and fuses I need (mainly because of the 9000W peak surge capability). There doesn't seem to be wiring recommendations in the manual like there was with the other renogy products I ordered.
Hey shawn I somehow am doing almost the exact set up. And came across this amazing video. Super help. Ive watched it handful of times. Quick question: Under the driver seat is smart alternator plug in for renogy dc-dc. There is a + pos and neg - cord the comes with it. You pointed to one part of where this small cord w red and black is supposed to go. In the middle is red and the one you pointed to is black w small yellow strip. Im guessing red goes with red and black goes with black for this small cord. Not the same one correct?
Hey Chadd! Im assuming you are installing this in a 2007-2018 sprinter? First I’d confirm with MB if your van has the smart alternator. If it doesn’t you can disregard the cord. Call the service department and have them look up your vin to confirm. If you need to use the cable, attach the pos (red) wire to a terminal that becomes live when the engine is running. In my van that little box has three terminals. 1 always has power, 1 is powered when the key is turned on but engine is off, and 1 is live when the engine is running. Use that one. Attach the negative (black) wire to a point where other ground wires are attached. In the sprinter it’s usually brown wires that represent negative (ground) wires. Hope this helps!
Thanks! I originally was going to use mc wire from the 30 amp outlet to the inverter/charger then I decided to go with stranded wire. No real reason just decided to follow what AM Solar did on their installations.
Thanks! I sold the van with the dc/dc mppt combo but I liked it for the most part. In my current van I’m putting in the inverter/charger again but I’m using the victron cyrix Li ct to charge from my alternator.
Hi thanks for the video. I want to know what year your sprinter van is? I have a 2006 sprinter and think the alternator is not smart via test. I also have the Renogy DCC50S charger and the alternator light is on at times when the engine is not running.(tech support can not figure out why)Also for the smart alternator connection for the IGN signal wire, where you under the driver seat where you made the connection for 12V switch power?
Hey Shaun, hope you still answer some questions on here as the video is now 2 years old, but would you happen to know where the ignition/alternator wire is on later sprinter models (like a 2017)? Thanks and nice build!
I just ordered the dc to dc charger, did Renergy ever tell you what happened with your first one? I seen a girl in the UK that put a cut off switch to her solar and when she cut the panels she started pulling way more from the alternator (Like you said).
Yes, it does charge the batteries. It will charge them to 100 then allow the batteries to cycle down to around 20% before charging back up to 100. This is the best way for a lithium battery to cycle
Please tell what size gauge wires that were used everywhere. As a novice I wish it were a little more simplified. In some areas I had a hard time following. Thanks.
Can u just get another from the charge controller that dosent split the charge 50/50 and instead does 100/100 or receives the full charge from both the panels and the Alt.?
Hi Shaun... I just bought the Kisae 2000 Watt Inverter/Charger. What length and gauge of an extension cord would you recommend for a 2000 watt inverter charger when I want to charge up from a pedestal at a campground or an outlet at friend's house? This is for my minivan.
Thanks for the video- quite helpful and I appreciate they way you present information. Question for you, since I plan to use the same spot for my ground wire connection to chassis: isn't the lug for the ground wire supposed to directly contact the metal of your van chassis? From the video, it looked like you placed both the plastic item and a washer between the metal of your van and the lug of your round wire. Is that correct/what I saw and do you have any comments about that? Thank you!
He obviously doesn’t respond to comments so I’ll answer your question. First off, yes he did the chassis ground incorrectly. Does it work? Probably/maybe but was also probably why his dc-dc got cooked. Second, he did a lot of questionable things on this electrical build. I wouldn’t recommend following this build if you want a safe reliable setup. No hate towards the dude, just sucks that all these amateurs put out videos and mislead people like this. - professional van builder
@@SamCohan Howdy thanks for the info! Indeed I did not follow his methods and have been enjoying my top-notch system all year with no problems. I made sure to grind away the paint and got excellent metal-to-metal contact for my ground. Cheers!
Thanks for your video . Is Renogy DC to DC Charger work with your sprinter van ? because the Renogy DC to DC charger is 50A.. Mercedes not recommend to hook up over 40A charger to Alternator..
The charger has been working well with my alternator. I’ve heard that some people are concerned about putting too much stress on the alternator using a dc:dc charger or isolator. There’s different sized alternators in the sprinters and mine came with a 220 amp alternator which should handle passing off the extra 50 amps just fine. Another option is to add a second alternator if you’re worried about your main alternator.
Hello Shaun: I would like to know if you have to ground your solar system to the body of the van. This would use the same ground as your car battery. OR did you actually keep the solar system ground independent/not connected to your car battery ground? hope this made sense. Thank you:)
Yes you do.. Everything needs a #8 ground to chassis..As I seen people not do that.. It's required by the manufacture and NEC code for RV installations..Just install a stud to make all the ground connections too..Then use dielectric grease to prevent corrosion..
It was around 3 feet and I think I used 8 gauge wire. I’d defining recommend using the wire size calculator over at www.explorist.life/wire-sizing-calculator/
Hey Shaun great video. I am aboot to attempt my first wiring on my first build and pretty much have the exact set up as you do. One difference I think is that I have a BT-2 Module that shows me everything. Where did you get the Shunt??? It is not listed in your parts description??
@@shaunwilkens HHHmmmmmm well I dont think that I will have the battery monitor as I opted for the BT-2 Bluetooth Module that I assum,ed is also going to be my battery monitor. Do i also need a battery monitor on top of the Bluetooth module???
Have you had any issues with the draw off the batteries? we have the same setup but with the 3000w inverter charger being installed today and my auto electritian mentioned that we wont be able to run a microwave because the batteries only draw max 100amp and a microwave draws around 130.
I haven’t had issues but I believe it’s because I have sized the battery setup to the inverter. Renogy recommends a minimum of 2 100 ah lithium batteries for the 2000W inverter/charger and 3 100 ah lithium batteries for a 3000W inverter charger. I consistently pull 130 amps when running my induction cooktop without issue. I would definitely go with your electricians advise over mine though.
I have a “smart” alternator which varies the voltage. The wires came with the dc to dc charger and when the engine is running they open a relay in the charger that tells it it’s time to pull power from the power distribution center on the battery.
I'm going to be buying renogy 200 watt 12V solar panels and 12V batteries to store energy. All I'm going to be running is a phone charger when needed. A 28" smart tv for a couple hours a day TOPS, and a two 16 quart small alpinecool portable refrigerators almost around the clock.(They turn off when cool temperature is reached and turn on when starts getting to far above selected temperature). Will this be sufficient power to run these items, and is it safe to have 12V batteries inside the van while the solar panels are charging them, or while you are using them? Are there any fumes or any other safety hazards?
It really depends on how much sun your panels are getting. I’d definitely try to power your batteries from the alternator as well. If you have an AGM or Lithium battery they are safe inside the van. If you have a flooded lead acid battery, you should either put them outside the van or build a box inside that is vented to the outside. There’s a lot of good resources that go thought how to size your battery bank and solar array. You’ll need to look at the specifications on all the items you want to power and figure out how many amp hours they will use and make sure your battery bank can support that amount. Then you’ll need to figure out how much solar/alternator charging will be required to keep your batteries charged.
Wait you 100 percent sure the renogy DC to DC doesn't prioritize the alternator over the solar panels when driving? If so have you worked out if you can add a switch to do that?
Yes, I’m sure. At night it will pull only from the alternator since there isn’t any power coming from the solar panels. You can put a cutoff switch on the positive line coming from the solar panels to manually make the charger prioritize the alternator.
Hey Shawn, I am curious to where you hooked up your negative input wire on your DC to DC charger. I am also going to use the power distribution block to hook up the positive . Im gonna use a renogy dc to dc 20 amp
I ran the negative wire from the dc charger to the negative bus bar which is attached to the shunt. There is a wire that runs from the negative bus bar to the chassi (van frame) to ground the electrical system.
@@shaunwilkens The charger I have has a negative port on both the input and output side. Does yours and are they both attached to the same bus bar? I currently have the output negative wire attached to my negative bus bar, bus wasn't sure where the input one should go. Thanks for your input
Looks like they want you to run a negative wire from the starter battery to the input of your charge controller. I’m not sure this is necessary since your starter battery and house battery should be both grounded to the chassi. I’d recommend confirming that with Renogy. My charger only has one negative terminal. Page 9 in the manual lays out what each port is for : www.renogy.com/content/RNG-DCC1212-20-BC/DCC1212-204060-Manual.pdf
Is the battery voltage sensor wire BVS connected to the starter battery or the service batteries? I have the same battery charger but I does not specify to which battery connect it.
Hey Shaun, another quick question for you... did you ever end up figuring out a solar cutoff switch in order to get those 50amps from the alternator on cloudy days?
@@shaunwilkens Ah good to know--I have the DCC50S on hand, but haven't started my install yet. Perhaps I should think about returning it and going with a separate charger/MPPT as you've suggested, huh?
Just wondering why you only used a 70amp fuse from the dc output? I am trying to figure up my setting and I found it weird you didn't use a higher amp for that. Would a higher amp fuse cause any damage to the batteries or dc-dc charger?
You generally want to size your fuse to about 125% of your load and since it puts out a little over 50 amps I put a 70 amp fuse. It’s also what renogy recommended to me when I called them up about it.
Shaun Wilkens thanks I went to look at explorist life. It’s all a bit overwhelming and I just want to be prepared with the intensity of price and time.
what size wire do you use to bring in power on the dc side? I started with 2gauge but I think its way to big! The only other wires I have are 8 and 10. Will I need another gauge?
the link to the charge controller isn"t working (or my computer isn't working - could be either :-) Could you tell us the make /model? am i right its the same charge controller for the alternator and the solar? thanks!
@@shaunwilkens thanks for the reply Shaun. And a question? do you have a generator in your rig also? and if so does it use the same charge controller? or do you have a seperate one, and if so what? Thanks a million!
Bajavoodoo. Didn’t have the best experience. Had to call them 10+ times to get them to send my rack but overall I’m fairly happy with the finished product.
I desperately need your advice! Everyone, feel free to advise me as well. I had 2 men working on the solar system in van. They replaced the batteries with a LiFePO4 12.8V 78Ah and a 12.8V 35Ah 448Wh. They installed a Pure Sine Wave Inverter 12V Input, Power 2500W, Output 120V. I also have a Victron Smart Solar Charge Controller, MPPT 100/30. When the electrician hooked up everything sparks began flying, the system got hot, and he has given up trying to set it up. I have no solar power now in my van, which is my home. Please help! I can't waste any more money and I have no idea what I need. Thank you.
It could be a number of issues. Including improper wire sizing and connections. What really jumps out to me is the battery bank is too small for that size inverter (I would probably have at least 300 ah of batteries to support a 2500w inverter. Also, I wouldn’t put different sized batteries together like that. Sounds like these guys didn’t really know what they were doing. Sorry you’re having issues.
I read part of the instructions today for my new inverter and it says not to connect it to solar panels nor a solar charge controller. The men working on my van and installing the new batteries and inverter must not have known what they were doing.
I used 4 gauge wire. It does depend on how many amps you plan to send through it and the distance you cover. Nate at exploring.life has a great wire size calculator I keep bookmarked. www.explorist.life/wire-sizing-calculator/
I have and it’s a breeze. On these sprinters you remove three screws and pop out the entire light assembly to access the bulbs. To access the screws you open the back doors.
An expensive van. Expensive electrical equipment. Expensive batteries. A cheap $20 hammer lug crimper :(. So much of the electrical, thermal perf. and safety relies on solid and reliable crimps that a good quality hydraulic crimping tool should have been the first investment.
I got it from a company called Baja Voodoo. I’m hesitant to give them a recommendation because they didn’t deliver on the timeline we agreed then kept saying they would ship it out in the next couple of days and wouldn’t keep their word. Good rack, poor customer service.
@@shaunwilkens I had the same issue with the company. We asked for a hole to be cut for our fan and brackets for our solar and light bar but they forgot, they also forgot to send the brackets to install it. They don't really respond to emails or texts lol. But our rack looks great! (scratched easily though)
Timestamps in the description!
Hey Shaun! Whats size extruded aluminum did you use for your bed frame? Also, I just watched your insulation vid. Do you find the floor leeches any heat being that it has no insulation?
Sean Arbour My aluminum extrusions are about 1.5 inches thick. The floor isn’t a major source of heat loss. My espar heater keeps the van at a pretty consistent temperature and if I want to keep the floors warm I direct it to blow on the floor.
Hey mate, just curious to how you mounted the renogy battery shunt since it has no mount with it?
Hey ZacAss! I used an l-bracket from the hardware store with a hole the bolt could fit through. Since it was attached to wood I wasn't worried about electrical conduction. I think this bracket off eBay would work as well. I ordered the 350 amp version and should get it in a couple of weeks. www.ebay.com/itm/100A-350A-Base-Holder-Coulomb-Meter-Sampler-Crystal-TF01-TK15-TY01-Accessories/192901276820?hash=item2ce9cfe494:m:mDFHRiM18nfYdpmyjeY8icA
Hello,
Is your battery still grounded to the chassis , when also connected to shunt ? Thanks, Peacefrom510 .
This looks like a firefighters nightmare and is anything but simple
No firefighters were harmed in the making of this video
The tent on top of the roof rack sounds epic! We need to see this thing in action
I’ll be honest, I understood very little, which is entirely because of my own ignorance/incompetence and not because of your detailed explanation. It was incredibly thorough, so thank you! I look forward to simply hiring you to do this for me though :)
Haha, I know you understand more than you’re admitting
Thanks Shaun. Progress is looking good! We visited Yuka Hospital two days ago and were thinking of your parents and their time in Zambia.
very nice/great advice/thanks much
The Harbor Freight hydraulic crimper is about $40 . It does an awesome job on making up battery cables.
That renogy DC 50/50 split really seems counter efficient. Good to know.
Hopefully they fixed the issue at this point
That's what I'm going to do to get the most out it , it's not hooked up at the moment but all it's going to do is fans and lights and other smaller load's , I'm putting the inputs on A switch for the solar so I can pull the 50 amps and the same on the alternator , with a backup 2000 watt inverter , all big loads will be on a separate system .
Awesome! Thanks for sharing this informative video. Please keep us posted.
love the way you go step by step of your van journey, ill keep watching ;)
Nice job. Thanks, your system is very close to what I have planned.
I have lots of renogy products for my van build what i don't get or understand why people build a power system so complicated some people build looks better buit than most people homes i feel most people over build and then issues begin , i do watch what people build it looks like most buy victron over renogy for me i started with renogy everything not starting over but i do have a victron lynk distributor im not hating just not jumping ships a van power system should not be over buit or too large because fire can happen happy travels 😊
Great video! It would be nice to get some more detail into the Renogy DC-to-DC charger "randomly shutting off" to see what the symptoms are and how much of a hassle it is.
A 'normally on' relay on the solar input that cuts off power when ignition is on will be a good substitute for a switch to automatically cut off solar when engine is running. Just bought one of these for my boat, not worried about the 25A cutoff as it only has a 35A alternator but can understand why this is causing issues for campers with 70A alternators.
Yeah, hopefully they fixed this issue
I run one battery bank for solar and the other from alternator keep them separated then one gets low to switch over to the other as backup. Like your system isn't complicated already this would mean more parts and wiring
Thanks for the share Shaun...that was a lot of work! Well done!!
Thanks! It really was a ton of work
Another brilliant video! Thank you! Loving your build
when I get my van- there's no way in hell that i'm gonna be able to do this wiring! It would be easier learning how to fly the space shuttle!
Well done shaun great works
Thanks Bwar! 🙏🏻
You're incredibly handy. Everything so far looks professionally installed. What is your trade?
I appreciate the kind words! I’m a jack of all trades. Haven’t settled on one yet.
Great work and smooth install
You have a shunt coming out of the negative side of your leisure battery bank which is correct. You said, though, that you have a shunt coming out of the mppt contoler which seems to be wrong. The shunt should be the first thing coming out of neg side of leisure battery bank with all load coming off of that. Not sure what you are doing there?
It is what I’m doing there. Must be some confusion in the editing. Basically the shunt is between the negative battery terminal and the ground bus bar of the system
Where do you get all the money for your build?
what capacity batteries are you using here? Great video man
Great video! Currently building out my own van. I’m curious how you learned how to set up your alternator. I added a second alternator to my van and I’m not sure how to set up the electrical!
Brent Housley you ever find an answer to this?
Incredible video. You nailed the install. I have a question for you. When you are using shore power with your set up are you having to kill the inputs to your dc to dc mppt controller? I have a similar setup but I want to add shore power but unsure of the transition process.
Thanks! I didn’t have any way to kill the connection with the dcdc/mppt. The max power input my battery bank could handle is 100 amps and the max I could get from dc:dc charger + solar + shore power would have been 80 amps (assuming the vehicle was running) and the max for solar + shore power would be about 40 amps.
How is it running thinking of buying one?
wildly improved video!!
Thanks dude!
I can't tell if you have or can run a AC with that setup
Great video! Thanks for sharing. Do you have a wiring diagram that you followed. I have all of the same stuff but haven’t been as lucky as you with getting in touch with Renogy.
Hi mate, could really do with your help! Where do I wire the ignition wires???
@White van man - did you work this out? Struggling to find this out too. cheers
Really great videos? A question about your floor? Did you install the vinyl directly on top of the “rubber” mat that came in the van? That would really simplify things! How is it holding up? Thanks!
Nice job on the van so far. Thanks for sharing. Is the roof rack made of aluminum or steel?
Thanks! It’s steel. I was surprised how light it ended up being. I want to say it’s around 160 lbs
Awesome videos dude. For the wire that you ran from the battery under the van, did you have to drill a hole in the van for that, or was there already a hole in the van? I have a Promaster and have been holding off on this part because i wasn't sure where i wanted to run the wire.
Buen vídeo, gracias.
Great video! What size is your Inverter Charger and how did you figure out what size of wires/fuses you needed to safely connect it? I bought the Renogy 3000W Inverter charger and am having trouble figuring out what size wires and fuses I need (mainly because of the 9000W peak surge capability). There doesn't seem to be wiring recommendations in the manual like there was with the other renogy products I ordered.
Hey shawn I somehow am doing almost the exact set up. And came across this amazing video. Super help. Ive watched it handful of times.
Quick question:
Under the driver seat is smart alternator plug in for renogy dc-dc. There is a + pos and neg - cord the comes with it. You pointed to one part of where this small cord w red and black is supposed to go. In the middle is red and the one you pointed to is black w small yellow strip. Im guessing red goes with red and black goes with black for this small cord. Not the same one correct?
Hey Chadd! Im assuming you are installing this in a 2007-2018 sprinter? First I’d confirm with MB if your van has the smart alternator. If it doesn’t you can disregard the cord. Call the service department and have them look up your vin to confirm. If you need to use the cable, attach the pos (red) wire to a terminal that becomes live when the engine is running. In my van that little box has three terminals. 1 always has power, 1 is powered when the key is turned on but engine is off, and 1 is live when the engine is running. Use that one. Attach the negative (black) wire to a point where other ground wires are attached. In the sprinter it’s usually brown wires that represent negative (ground) wires. Hope this helps!
How do you program the inverter to pull 15A or 30A?
You have to adjust the settings. Probably best to follow your inverter’s the manual
grande
👌
🙏🏻
Awesome video and music my friend. Did I see you were using MC cable for some applications? If so, which and why?
Thanks! I originally was going to use mc wire from the 30 amp outlet to the inverter/charger then I decided to go with stranded wire. No real reason just decided to follow what AM Solar did on their installations.
Shaun Wilkens awesome and thanks!!
great video! Are you still happy with the Renogy dc / dc mppt combo? and are u still liking the renogy inverter charger combo?
Thanks! I sold the van with the dc/dc mppt combo but I liked it for the most part. In my current van I’m putting in the inverter/charger again but I’m using the victron cyrix Li ct to charge from my alternator.
@@shaunwilkens thanks excited to see the new build!
Where did you get your supplies.....The Ohm Depot😉
🙄
Hi thanks for the video. I want to know what year your sprinter van is? I have a 2006 sprinter and think the alternator is not smart via test. I also have the Renogy DCC50S charger and the alternator light is on at times when the engine is not running.(tech support can not figure out why)Also for the smart alternator connection for the IGN signal wire, where you under the driver seat where you made the connection for 12V switch power?
Hey Shaun, hope you still answer some questions on here as the video is now 2 years old, but would you happen to know where the ignition/alternator wire is on later sprinter models (like a 2017)?
Thanks and nice build!
On a 2017 is should be the same as the van in the video. Go to 3:46 and that should show you where to hook it up. Thanks!
I just ordered the dc to dc charger, did Renergy ever tell you what happened with your first one?
I seen a girl in the UK that put a cut off switch to her solar and when she cut the panels she started pulling way more from the alternator (Like you said).
Great video! When you're connected to shore power, does this charge the batteries in any way? Couldn't see that covered but might be missing something
Yes, it does charge the batteries. It will charge them to 100 then allow the batteries to cycle down to around 20% before charging back up to 100. This is the best way for a lithium battery to cycle
Could you explain how the shore power charges the batteries?
Please tell what size gauge wires that were used everywhere. As a novice I wish it were a little more simplified. In some areas I had a hard time following. Thanks.
Can u just get another from the charge controller that dosent split the charge 50/50 and instead does 100/100 or receives the full charge from both the panels and the Alt.?
Were you living in the van whilst building it?
Have you tried the Bluetooth adapter (BT2) on the solar dc to dc charger? Looking to add this setup to my Jeep for my accessories battery.
Hi Shaun... I just bought the Kisae 2000 Watt Inverter/Charger. What length and gauge of an extension cord would you recommend for a 2000 watt inverter charger when I want to charge up from a pedestal at a campground or an outlet at friend's house? This is for my minivan.
Thanks for the video- quite helpful and I appreciate they way you present information. Question for you, since I plan to use the same spot for my ground wire connection to chassis: isn't the lug for the ground wire supposed to directly contact the metal of your van chassis? From the video, it looked like you placed both the plastic item and a washer between the metal of your van and the lug of your round wire. Is that correct/what I saw and do you have any comments about that? Thank you!
He obviously doesn’t respond to comments so I’ll answer your question.
First off, yes he did the chassis ground incorrectly. Does it work? Probably/maybe but was also probably why his dc-dc got cooked.
Second, he did a lot of questionable things on this electrical build. I wouldn’t recommend following this build if you want a safe reliable setup.
No hate towards the dude, just sucks that all these amateurs put out videos and mislead people like this.
- professional van builder
@@SamCohan Howdy thanks for the info! Indeed I did not follow his methods and have been enjoying my top-notch system all year with no problems. I made sure to grind away the paint and got excellent metal-to-metal contact for my ground. Cheers!
What amp was your DC to DC charger???
I had a 30 amp that did the samething to me and just had a 20 amp Rover Elite do it too.
It was the 50 amp
How did you deal with the three inputs. Solar, alt I get , but where does the charger from shore go when you are plugged into shore power
The inverter is a charger combo that has AC inputs as well as outputs
How do you charge lithium with the inverter/charger? Is that one from Renogy lithium compatible?
Yea it is
Did you add a diode on the positive line from the alternator? I've read it's supposed to prevent back-charging and overcharging your engine battery.
I did not. This charger is designed to trickle charge the starting battery when the house battery is near full.
Thanks for your video . Is Renogy DC to DC Charger work with your sprinter van ? because the Renogy DC to DC charger is 50A.. Mercedes not recommend to hook up over 40A charger to Alternator..
The charger has been working well with my alternator. I’ve heard that some people are concerned about putting too much stress on the alternator using a dc:dc charger or isolator.
There’s different sized alternators in the sprinters and mine came with a 220 amp alternator which should handle passing off the extra 50 amps just fine. Another option is to add a second alternator if you’re worried about your main alternator.
Hello Shaun:
I would like to know if you have to ground your solar system to the body of the van. This would use the same ground as your car battery. OR did you actually keep the solar system ground independent/not connected to your car battery ground? hope this made sense. Thank you:)
Yes you do.. Everything needs a #8 ground to chassis..As I seen people not do that.. It's required by the manufacture and NEC code for RV installations..Just install a stud to make all the ground connections too..Then use dielectric grease to prevent corrosion..
Hey Shaun, do you remember how long your wire run from van battery to the charge controller was? What gauge did you end up going with for that cable?
It was around 3 feet and I think I used 8 gauge wire. I’d defining recommend using the wire size calculator over at www.explorist.life/wire-sizing-calculator/
Hey Shaun great video. I am aboot to attempt my first wiring on my first build and pretty much have the exact set up as you do. One difference I think is that I have a BT-2 Module that shows me everything. Where did you get the Shunt??? It is not listed in your parts description??
The 500 amp shunt came with the batterie monitor
@@shaunwilkens HHHmmmmmm well I dont think that I will have the battery monitor as I opted for the BT-2 Bluetooth Module that I assum,ed is also going to be my battery monitor. Do i also need a battery monitor on top of the Bluetooth module???
The battery monitor is helpful but not necessary. The shunt is a must have
Where did you get the roof rack and ladder from?
I have the same question ..
Hi Shaun , do you have the wiring diagram for this setup?
GReetings,
Have you had any issues with the draw off the batteries? we have the same setup but with the 3000w inverter charger being installed today and my auto electritian mentioned that we wont be able to run a microwave because the batteries only draw max 100amp and a microwave draws around 130.
I haven’t had issues but I believe it’s because I have sized the battery setup to the inverter. Renogy recommends a minimum of 2 100 ah lithium batteries for the 2000W inverter/charger and 3 100 ah lithium batteries for a 3000W inverter charger. I consistently pull 130 amps when running my induction cooktop without issue. I would definitely go with your electricians advise over mine though.
You mentioned you have a smaller alternator, what size alternator do you have that made you need to pass the wires to your ignition?
I have a “smart” alternator which varies the voltage. The wires came with the dc to dc charger and when the engine is running they open a relay in the charger that tells it it’s time to pull power from the power distribution center on the battery.
I sure hope you only plan on using your van in winter or cold weather. Black is hot!!!!
You might be surprised with how much the spray foam insulation made a difference
I'm going to be buying renogy 200 watt 12V solar panels and 12V batteries to store energy. All I'm going to be running is a phone charger when needed. A 28" smart tv for a couple hours a day TOPS, and a two 16 quart small alpinecool portable refrigerators almost around the clock.(They turn off when cool temperature is reached and turn on when starts getting to far above selected temperature). Will this be sufficient power to run these items, and is it safe to have 12V batteries inside the van while the solar panels are charging them, or while you are using them? Are there any fumes or any other safety hazards?
It really depends on how much sun your panels are getting. I’d definitely try to power your batteries from the alternator as well. If you have an AGM or Lithium battery they are safe inside the van. If you have a flooded lead acid battery, you should either put them outside the van or build a box inside that is vented to the outside.
There’s a lot of good resources that go thought how to size your battery bank and solar array. You’ll need to look at the specifications on all the items you want to power and figure out how many amp hours they will use and make sure your battery bank can support that amount. Then you’ll need to figure out how much solar/alternator charging will be required to keep your batteries charged.
Do you have to connect the alternator to the charge controller or can it be something you decide to add later?
You can decide later. It just helps to get your cable run before you build everything out
Wait you 100 percent sure the renogy DC to DC doesn't prioritize the alternator over the solar panels when driving?
If so have you worked out if you can add a switch to do that?
Yes, I’m sure. At night it will pull only from the alternator since there isn’t any power coming from the solar panels. You can put a cutoff switch on the positive line coming from the solar panels to manually make the charger prioritize the alternator.
Hey Shawn, I am curious to where you hooked up your negative input wire on your DC to DC charger. I am also going to use the power distribution block to hook up the positive . Im gonna use a renogy dc to dc 20 amp
I ran the negative wire from the dc charger to the negative bus bar which is attached to the shunt. There is a wire that runs from the negative bus bar to the chassi (van frame) to ground the electrical system.
@@shaunwilkens The charger I have has a negative port on both the input and output side. Does yours and are they both attached to the same bus bar? I currently have the output negative wire attached to my negative bus bar, bus wasn't sure where the input one should go. Thanks for your input
Looks like they want you to run a negative wire from the starter battery to the input of your charge controller. I’m not sure this is necessary since your starter battery and house battery should be both grounded to the chassi. I’d recommend confirming that with Renogy. My charger only has one negative terminal. Page 9 in the manual lays out what each port is for : www.renogy.com/content/RNG-DCC1212-20-BC/DCC1212-204060-Manual.pdf
Is the battery voltage sensor wire BVS connected to the starter battery or the service batteries? I have the same battery charger but I does not specify to which battery connect it.
It connects to the service batteries
Where did you get the roof rack?
Hey Shaun, another quick question for you... did you ever end up figuring out a solar cutoff switch in order to get those 50amps from the alternator on cloudy days?
Hey! I haven’t gone through and found a solution yet. I’m starting to consider having the 60 amp dc charger and a separate solar controller.
@@shaunwilkens Ah good to know--I have the DCC50S on hand, but haven't started my install yet. Perhaps I should think about returning it and going with a separate charger/MPPT as you've suggested, huh?
@@shaunwilkens 40A NC relay connected to the ignition on, would cut off the solar
Just wondering why you only used a 70amp fuse from the dc output? I am trying to figure up my setting and I found it weird you didn't use a higher amp for that. Would a higher amp fuse cause any damage to the batteries or dc-dc charger?
You generally want to size your fuse to about 125% of your load and since it puts out a little over 50 amps I put a 70 amp fuse. It’s also what renogy recommended to me when I called them up about it.
Shaun Wilkens thanks I went to look at explorist life. It’s all a bit overwhelming and I just want to be prepared with the intensity of price and time.
what size wire do you use to bring in power on the dc side? I started with 2gauge but I think its way to big! The only other wires I have are 8 and 10. Will I need another gauge?
Which wire run are you talking about? From the Alternator to the DC:DC charger?
the link to the charge controller isn"t working (or my computer isn't working - could be either :-) Could you tell us the make /model? am i right its the same charge controller for the alternator and the solar? thanks!
It’s the Renogy DCC50S. Thanks for letting me know about the link!
@@shaunwilkens thanks for the reply Shaun. And a question? do you have a generator in your rig also? and if so does it use the same charge controller? or do you have a seperate one, and if so what? Thanks a million!
Nope, no generator. I do have the renogy inverter charger to attack shore power. You could attach a generator to that I suppose.
Thanks!
where did you get that bed platform? or is it custom fabrication?
I made it from aluminum extrusion and ikea bed slats. You can check it out in one of my other videos
what did you replace the zip ties with? Currently trying to figure out how to mount solar panels to a roof rack
I used riv nuts with washers! Will try to highlight it with a video but might be a while
@@shaunwilkens ohhh good idea! I've already been using them for things on the interior, and didn't even think to use them here. Thanks dude!
I’m curious what rack that is? I’m looking to save $1000 😂
It’s from Baja voodoo. It was made of steel. A decent rack but I would recommend something made of aluminum.
How much did everything cost?
A little over 3k. I purchased most of it during a sale.
What roof rack did you use?
Bajavoodoo. Didn’t have the best experience. Had to call them 10+ times to get them to send my rack but overall I’m fairly happy with the finished product.
等你更新！
I desperately need your advice! Everyone, feel free to advise me as well.
I had 2 men working on the solar system in van.
They replaced the batteries with a LiFePO4 12.8V 78Ah and a 12.8V 35Ah 448Wh.
They installed a Pure Sine Wave Inverter 12V Input, Power 2500W, Output 120V.
I also have a Victron Smart Solar Charge Controller, MPPT 100/30.
When the electrician hooked up everything sparks began flying, the system got hot, and he has given up trying to set it up. I have no solar power now in my van, which is my home.
Please help! I can't waste any more money and I have no idea what I need. Thank you.
It could be a number of issues. Including improper wire sizing and connections. What really jumps out to me is the battery bank is too small for that size inverter (I would probably have at least 300 ah of batteries to support a 2500w inverter. Also, I wouldn’t put different sized batteries together like that. Sounds like these guys didn’t really know what they were doing. Sorry you’re having issues.
I read part of the instructions today for my new inverter and it says not to connect it to solar panels nor a solar charge controller. The men working on my van and installing the new batteries and inverter must not have known what they were doing.
Are you an Electrician by trade? The ordinary Tom, Dick, & Harry couldn't hook that all up. Plus, the carpentry that you done.
Just learning from others. Still have a lot to learn. Thanks!
@@shaunwilkens You're awesome I do know that. Probably a quick learner too at that.
Just curious what gauge wire did you use from the engine battery back to your house battery in the van? I'm getting ready to do this in our van.
I used 4 gauge wire. It does depend on how many amps you plan to send through it and the distance you cover. Nate at exploring.life has a great wire size calculator I keep bookmarked. www.explorist.life/wire-sizing-calculator/
Cant do the music. Sorry
Hope you never have to replace a tail light on the van🥴
I have and it’s a breeze. On these sprinters you remove three screws and pop out the entire light assembly to access the bulbs. To access the screws you open the back doors.
wow must be nice to have 65000 on hand haha
An expensive van. Expensive electrical equipment. Expensive batteries. A cheap $20 hammer lug crimper :(. So much of the electrical, thermal perf. and safety relies on solid and reliable crimps that a good quality hydraulic crimping tool should have been the first investment.
Renogy is a joke
Where did you get the roof rack from?
I got it from a company called Baja Voodoo. I’m hesitant to give them a recommendation because they didn’t deliver on the timeline we agreed then kept saying they would ship it out in the next couple of days and wouldn’t keep their word. Good rack, poor customer service.
@@shaunwilkens I had the same issue with the company. We asked for a hole to be cut for our fan and brackets for our solar and light bar but they forgot, they also forgot to send the brackets to install it. They don't really respond to emails or texts lol. But our rack looks great! (scratched easily though)