This is what will connect to the newly installed truck Source side Anderson plug. Question: can I use a smaller gauge wire like a an 18 gauge wire instead of a hes y 4 g cable? Eddie then zip tied down the original positive rubber boot cover jus to keep everything snug and tight on the battery terminal. This guy Matt at Adventurousway.com has some great info ok on with the show ! For even more flexibility, we added a portable 100 watt panel in the fall of 2018. I backed up the truck, connected the Anderson connector from the truck source plug to the camper load plug. But in the UK, PV output isn't great. Its a great MPPT Solar controller/DC to DC battery charger. 3. Remove the closed cell foam dust cover.6. It's the smart way to keep yourself fully charged and off-grid longer! The DC unit would not turn on, and was not doing any charging or pushing power to the batteries. Things are starting to come together, but we still have a looooong way to go in this build.Now, time to get some painting done and get the insulation covered with our new, beautiful 1/4\" Maple wall and ceiling panels!________________We are a couple of full-time travel dreamers who decided to pack up our lives to explore the world - and then 2020 happened. Anybody got an idea? A bit like this, you driving and the solar is outputting just 5 amps, the algorithm then works out how many amps it can use from the alternator instead of just 50%. The DC-DC battery charger adopts the design of the DIP switch and it provides 6 charging voltage settings through five gears. Nowadays, they are getting cheaper and more reliable. This side of the DC Charger is the outgoing power, which connects to the camper batteries. update 6/12/2020 : sure wish I had found this guys blog sooner ! The general quiet and tranquility of being out camping is part of the magic. Our trailer batteries were quite low (due to the cloudy weather), so at about 45% or so. When connecting the charger and the battery, make sure the battery poles are clean when connecting the terminals, select a sufficient cross-section for the connection cable, tighten the nuts and bolts with proper torque as loose connections may cause overheating. Lift off the seat, its heavy, I just sat it on a crate positioned between the two seats.5. With RJ45 communication port featured, you can unlock monitoring features exclusively using theBT-2 Bluetooth Moduleand Renogy DC Home App, control and monitor the device remotely through your phone in real time. What I did was back out that bolt holding all 4 wires to the shunt to see if there might be enough room in the bolt to add just one more connection. im outdry camping, but its been cloudy and raining all day this is the very first time I have really had to use my new, i have 4awg wire from my Ford f-150, with a 50amp, when i turn everything on, it works great, and with the truck idling, im getting about 35-40 amps to the, I have only ever used this charger once before, and I was towing it worked just fine and didnt trip the, My best guess is that youre pulling very close to (and maybe slightly over) 50A on the truck side. With Built-in Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT), Renogy DC-DC On-Board Battery Charger will charge your service batteries with maximized solar power, providing 3-phase charging (Bulk, Boost and Float) to regulate the whole charging and ensure the batteries will be accurately charged at the correct voltage levels to 100%. What types of battery does the charger support? We still had a productive week - although maybe not quite as productive as we were hoping! After install I received a dash light for . 3-phase MPPT Charging Technology Is it necessary to connect? How do I set the battery since there is no display screen? The DC-DC Battery Chargers are the most effective way to charge your house batteries from the starter battery. See photo 6.9. Therefore, Eddie asked me to do a quick test : take a jumper cable, and make a direct attachment from the Frame Ground on the trailer (which we have one easy to get to right under the A Frame of the trailer), and then take that same polarity of the jumper cable and attach it to the Frame Ground on the Truck. When connecting the charger and the battery, make sure the battery poles are clean when connecting the terminals, select a sufficient cross-section for the connection cable, tighten the nuts and bolts with proper torque as loose connections may cause overheating. However, since standard/traditional alternator has a fixed voltage when charging, while smart alternator has a controlled charging output based on operating conditions, it is required to connect the charger to the smart alternator through the Vehicle Ignition Port by the IGN Signal Wire comes with the package. The DC-DC battery charger isolates the input and output to prevent voltage transmission errors and interfere with house battery charging. Eddie added some scrap wood and drilled it to the floor of the camper, right next to the Inverter. Of course, this step got repeated a few times on the cabling on the Truck and inside the camper, just showing his current method. step 9 : terminate the positive and negative #4 wires with the Anderson connector ends, add Anderson plug and rubber boot. 1. Make sure that the plug cannot tough the post by pushing it down out of the way. 3-phase MPPT Charging Technology While we were on the road, and waiting for Renogy to return our call (which they tried to call a few times, but we were always in a no-cell zone when they did) , Eddie called up Ray from Love Your RV to get some troubleshooting advice, as well as doing some research on forums and on the web to see what we might have missed, just in case it wasnt a defective converter that caused the issue. Location Make sure to install the B2B charger in a well vented space, and do not obstruct the hot air exhaust: Wiring and Electrical We had the opportunity to test our setup yesterday. If you get that working let me know so I can post an update. With RJ45 communication port featured, you can unlock monitoring features exclusively using the BT-2 Bluetooth Moduleand Renogy DC Home App, control and monitor the device remotely through your phone in real time. Featuring a 3-stage battery charger and multiple electronic protections, users can feel confident that their batteries are being charged optimally and automatically. What is its purpose? Links to all products Cahn uses below. I'll post a video of this on my Youtube channel, just google youtube vangonow, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqYGzyL-IjKkQRi2IDnbGIw. When the ignition turns on, it signals your charger that the alternator has engaged, which turns on the charger itself. B2B chargers are hands down the best way to charge if you drive regularly IMO. The Renogy DC-DC Battery Charger is multi-certified to CE, FCC, and PoHs. And finally, connect the a DC positive wire to switch ON the converter and see if it works. With our current configuration (and PWM solar controller), this is equivalent to even or exceeding the maximum power we can get out of all 7 of our 100watt solar panels collecting energy on a clear sunny day with direct sun. The D+ Ignition cable is a design method used to identify whether the generator is started. There are two LED lights above the dip switches, and if it was powered on and working properly, we should have seen a green light on the left side. WIth Built-in Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) technology, this battery charger with MPPT maximizes the solar power when charging from solar panels, and ensures that the loads receive maximum current to be used. Eddie recommended the following gear, which we mostly bought from Northern Arizona Wind and Sun (highly recommended retailer!) How do I set the battery since there is no display screen? So driving in full sun and an empty battery the best the charger would put in is 32 amps. The D+ Ignition cable is capable of identifying whether the generator is started, to prevent over-discharge of the starting battery and protect the generator. Its a pretty crude tool, which you need to smash the crimper with a heavy hammer (i used an 8# sledge) onto a very hard surface like concrete. To change the battery type you will need to press the push button that is located on the PV+ and ALT+ side of the DCDC, then continue to press the button and the LED will display different colors with each representing a single type of battery. Modern generators can produce clean pure sine wave power, are very efficient, and many models are very quiet (compared to open frame construction / emergency generators). Both ways can be charged at the same time to minimize charging time. Its possible that setup would work, but in our case the 7-pin isnt connected to our trailer battery. Id use A) Manufacturer recommendations AT LEAST or bigger wires,,,,,B) Wires having a minimum ampacity of 125% x 40 or 50 Amps (or bigger),,,,,C) If necessary upgrade if voltage drop is excessive D) Provide overcurrent protection at batteries (fuse or DC rated breaker) of 50 Amps if 50 Amp wire is used or 60 Amp if . 50A DC DC Board Battery Charger with MPPT Renogy 20/40/60A DC to DC Battery Charger Rover 20/30/40/60/100 Amp MPPT Charge Controller Rover Elite 20/40A MPPT Solar Charge Controller 40A Set w Holder ANL Fuse, 40 amp (40A ANL Fuse Set w/Fuse) Renogy One All-in-One Smart Panel System Energy Monitoring ; Nominal System Voltage : 12V DC : 12V DC Question about the 7 pin. I have also read some strong feelings against Renogy. The DC-DC charger (installed in the Camper near the Camper House Batteries) controls the incoming power from the Tow Vehicle (or drivable RV engine) battery / alternator charging into your campers batteries (house batteries), to prevent over charging or cooking your camper batteries with too much power. Bought a 170 lithium battery from renogy 4 months ago and one major issue shows up every-time. They created a ticket for me and put me in the queue and told me a tech would get back ASAP. Thanks. We had several days of heavy cloud cover, mist and steady rain while staying at Hartman Rocks near Gunnison, CO. Please allow up to 1 to 2 business days for processing and 3 to 5 business days for shipping. The DC-DC battery charger is installed between the starter battery and the house battery. Get about 46A (40 from DC-DC and 6A from 7-pin. 3. I use a small fan to help it stop overheating. If the battery charger is connected to the starting battery and solar panels at the same time, the maximum input current will be 15A for each; if the battery charger only connects one of the two DC inputs, the maximum input current will be 30A. Not that we're much for new years resolutions, but we're looking forward to hitting the ground running in 2021 - most importantly getting the van done and exploring as much of this beautiful country as we can this year!Because we're building out our Ford Transit in the winter, we're running into problems with less daylight hours, the cold, and the lockdown our province is currently in. The VSR also ensures reliable isolation between the starting battery and service battery, avoiding charging interference. 480 watts solar, more than will fit on your small compact roof. Hello, thanks for the excellent post on adding a grounding cable from the (-) input of the DC DC Charger to the trailer frame ground wire. This high-quality battery charger has multiple intelligent protections including battery isolation, over-voltage protection, battery temperature protection, over-current protection, overheat protection, reverse current protection, solar panel and alternator reverse polarity protection, guaranteeing charging safety and protecting your batteries. 18-16AWG copper cable recommended. The VSR also ensures reliable isolation between the starting battery and service battery, avoiding charging interference. I put the question out to Matt of the awesome adventurousway.com, why do you need a fuse on battery and a circuit breaker both? Also would like an option to dual charge [from PV] both starter battery and leisure battery (eg before leisure battery is full) in case static for some time to keep starter battery topped off, but would need dual charging logic (lead acid vs LiFePO4) so maybe a bit much to ask. And we decided to just shut it all down and have a well deserved adult beverage or two and catch the remaining bits of Arizona sunset. Protect Your Starter Battery Please refer to the manual on page 15 for Battery Type LED. What types of battery does the charger support? Eddie suggested giving the cables a good lube with dishwashing soap, so the fat rubber cables would slip nicely through the hose. Check out Rays video on this subject at this point of the video linke : https://youtu.be/ww_4yhQPGwY?t=643 . We looked at the instructions a few more times, even searched for a more recently updated version of the instructions as a pdf (in case ours were out of date). These types of systems are not new, and actually quite common in drivable RVs, but I will be describing this in terms of a towable camper. Pre-Drilled Holes for Easy Installation - Renogy solar panels are equipped with back frame and ground mounting holes, ready for installation. SW5 switch is the selection switch for switching between lead-acid batteries and lithium batteries. 4. However, these batteries cost about $900 each ! If the solar is producing any power at all - it splits the charging capability equally between the two sources. I have some 4AWG that I think I can repurpose, or I'll just buy new wire off Amazon or something. The DC-DC battery charger isolates the input and output to prevent voltage transmission errors and interfere with house battery charging. This is a great piece of kit that is very easy to wire up. Very happy so far. Connect the - to a factory ground point under the drivers seat. What is the D+ Ignition cable? What will happen if the service battery is fully charged? DC-DC Chargers are essential components for properly charging and maintaining your second battery bank in your dual battery bank system. With Pandemic shipping times, I didnt want to wait too long and had it shipped to a future destination a few days into our future itinerary. In countries like the U where the sun is low or never out at all, you need to add a solar power cut off switch, this will fool the charger in thinking its nigh so will go from 50% 25 amps per 50 mode to 100% mode. Unfortunately, I was now back in Denver by this time, so having Eddie finish the job wasnt in the cards as he was still down in Arizona. This is how Ray at Love Your RV did his install, and it seemed to work just fine for him. With multi-stage charging and multi-chemistry Ensure that the maximum charging current provided by the DC-DC battery charger does not exceed the maximum charging current allowed by the house battery. By utilizing the DC-DC temperature sensor, this charger is able to protect your battery from high or low temperature by giving -3mV/C/2V compensation so that the charger recognizes the voltage more accurately and assures stable and constant charging to the battery. Much like a Solar Controller, the DC-DC Charger needs to know your battery chemistry as well as the recommended voltage range so that it can properly charge. Remove the (4) seat bolts at each corner of the base of the seat. Why it does this, the lithium battery will take the full 50 amps until it reaches 14.4 volts. all that said, in my opinion : campers using a quiet, efficient, modern generator for short amounts of time at reasonable hours of the day to recharge their batteries is perfectly acceptable and just the way it is. If you have any questions regarding this product, please submit a case. Great bit ov kit once up a running would Recomend, im running 640 watt renogy panels, 2000w Renogy inverter, Renogy Bluetooth, x2 Renogy smart lithium batteries, and dc50 mppt charge controller. 1. The DC-DC battery charger adopts the design of the DIP switch and it provides 6 charging voltage settings through five gears. See photo 3.4. This diagram shows the whole connection of the DC-DC On-Board Battery Charger. and.. As you can see, the green light above the dip switch was on, indicating the DC unit was charging the batteries, and below, in my TM-2030 Wifi output to the Battery Monitor, it was showing 40amps coming in from the truck, into our camper batteries !! I also ordered another Renogy DC-DC Charger, this time directly from Renogy instead of from Amazon, just in case this would help accelerate in getting customer support going forward. He then passed the long positive #4 wire from the Truck battery, along this same area and passing it through the existing hole for the tailgate power. Note: Our product department found that there are some errors in the paper manual attached to the battery charger sold before March , and now the manual on the website has been updated. See photo 5.8. The DC-DC battery charger is capable of identifying whether the generator is started, to prevent over-discharge of the starting battery and protect the generator. With this in mind, the NLDC-40 features a 600W MPPT solar regulator, unlike the NLDC-25's 375W MPPT. I anchored these to the wall so there would be no real stress points and tested all connections. The compact and robust design makes it suitable for all conditions. This is a good quality hose, very pliable and wide. After flying back home, we were not ready to give up our new lifestyle yet, so we bought a minivan, converted it into a DIY minivan camper, and drove across Canada in search of beautiful campsites and stunning mountains to climb. 1. Meaning your panel array can be much larger when using the NLDC-40. This Renogy's DC to DC MPPT on-board Battery Charger has a built-in Voltage Sensitive Relay (VSR), thanks to which the charger will Trickle Charge the service battery and maintain its fully charged status, and will also Trickle Charge the starting battery via solar panels. I mounted the Tire Minder to the cabinet (it had been just floating around on the floor of the battery compartment). What is the D+ Ignition cable? If you have any questions regarding this product, pleasesubmit a case. However, I did find that not supplying the BVS which is required but supplying the ignition detection wire that isnt was odd. 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