Camping battery setup - change from default setup

[JanThorben]

Hi everyone


We have a VW T6 Transporter, 2016 (75 kW TDI, CXGB engine), and want to convert it for light camping use – nothing fancy, mainly:

• some LED lighting in the back
• charging for laptop and phones
• possibly a diesel air heater later

The van came with a factory dual battery setup (starter in the engine bay, AGM 75Ah Varta under the driver's seat, split-charge relay, factory cable 7H0 915 531 routed underneath the vehicle). The rear AGM is probably end-of-life after ~10 years – on our last cold-weather trip the factory water heater ran a few times overnight, and in the morning the van wouldn't start.


Trying to figure out the best path forward:

1. Just replace the AGM 1:1 (~200 €) – factory system untouched
2. Replace AGM + add proper consumer side (fuse panel, USB-C PD, LEDs) – camping loads on the seat battery
3. Replace AGM under seat directly with LiFePO4 100Ah + DC-DC charger instead of split-charge relay – would need to adapt the factory energy management
4. Add Lithium 100Ah as third battery in the back with DC-DC charger (Votronic 1212-30 or Victron Orion XS) – factory system left completely alone

Questions:

• Has anyone replaced the factory AGM under the seat with Lithium on a T6? How did you deal with the battery sensor / pyrofuse and coding?
• If Lithium goes directly under the seat: does the VW energy management get confused, or can it be coded properly?
• Or better to add a third battery in the back, factory system untouched? How did you route the charge cable?
• Which battery does the factory water heater typically draw from on a T6 – starter or second battery?
• For an AGM 1:1 swap: does it need to be coded, or is it fine without?
• Split-charge relay after 10 years – how do you check if it's stuck closed?

I'm reasonably handy and would do the consumer side myself, but anything touching the factory system I'd rather take to a shop.


Thanks for any tips or experiences!

 

[Dellmassive]

Definitely replaced that old AGM for a 100ah and they DC,-dc charger.

If you have the factory split charge relay then you have all the cables you need to get it up and running.. I done the same thing on my 2018 T6 with factory leisure battery.

Thread 'Stop/start...regen...smart Alternator... Dc-dc Charger For Leisure Battery Or Not?'

30 Apr 2018

So

With all the talk regarding the Bluemotion thing and regen breaking and leisure batteries our T6 has finally arrived.

The first thing we done was to checkout the factory fitted setup,......
Stop/start=check,
Regen Braking=check,
AGM starter battery=check
leisure battery under passenger bench-standard lead acid=oops!
standard relay and fuse holder for charging thge leisure battery=check . . . hmmm?

So the factory standard setup is stop/start/regen with AGM starter battery, ok, so i ask the sales guy why i haven't got a second AGM battery under the passenger seat, (for balanced...

• Dellmassive
• battery sensor dc - dc charger stop/start
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• Forum: Electrics, Lighting, ICE, Security

• 

.

 

[Dellmassive]

More info over here:

Thread 'Dellmassive’s "How I Done It" blogs.'

30 Aug 2018

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@Dellmassive`s - Camper Van...

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[Dellmassive]

• 
  Has anyone replaced the factory AGM under the seat with Lithium on a T6? How did you deal with the battery sensor / pyrofuse and coding? ... ---- There is no sensor on the leisure battery, and you can replace the fuse is with whatever you need.

• If Lithium goes directly under the seat: does the VW energy management get confused, or can it be coded properly?..---- . Nothing to worry about as they found will be already coded to assume a second battery... Only the California has more advanced battery management set up with three batteries but nothing to worry about on a standard T6 with one battery

• Or better to add a third battery in the back, factory system untouched? How did you route the charge cable? --- no just upgrade the AGM and a driver's seat that will give you twice the run time as your standard AGM battery.

• Which battery does the factory water heater typically draw from on a T6 – starter or second battery?.. &-- I'm not sure comma is it an engine preheater?

• For an AGM 1:1 swap: does it need to be coded, or is it fine without?.. the starter battery will need to be coded back in but not the auxiliary battery.

• Split-charge relay after 10 years – how do you check if it's stuck closed? &-- use a multimeter on volt DC so monitor the battery rest in voltage and then start the engine turn the lights on or go for a drive to see if the voltage starts going up for example to 13.6v

 

[t0mb0]

Agree, if you already have a factory leisure you’re in a really good position to just replace that and the relay with a lithium battery and DC-DC charger. All the cables you need are already there under the seat - including the engine run cable that triggers the relay which can be hooked directly into the new DC-DC to tell it when to operate.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Agree, if you already have a factory leisure you’re in a really good position to just replace that and the relay with a lithium battery and DC-DC charger. All the cables you need are already there under the seat - including the engine run cable that triggers the relay which can be hooked directly into the new DC-DC to tell it when to operate.

You can even leave the factory split charge relay in place and put the B2B in series with the relay and battery.