Leisure battery charging

Steved55

Steved55

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T6 Guru
Happy new year all. I have a 2016 self build camper based on a shuttle. This one is hopefully a keeper so I have installed victron smart controllers for my solar panel and b2 b charger. We have been a week in dull South Wales staying in a cottage so very little use of the van, but drove up to Cheshire yesterday. I checked on the app whilst my wife was driving thinking that the leisure battery would be getting a good blast and the b2b charger was effectively locked out as the main battery was fully charged. We stayed in the van last night and with the diesel heater and fridge running, lb voltage was down to 12.3v.
Am I understanding correctly that this is how the smart alternator and victron b to b charger should work? Is there any way I can boost the charge to the lb when driving in dull conditions when the solar panel is in effective?
Many thanks
 
got a few pics of you kit, battery and install?

and a few screenshots of your victron APP and settings for the mppt and Orion?


pics say 1000 words, and will help to answer some of the below.



assumptions:

you have a victron smart MPPT?

you have a Victr Orion DC-DC?

you dont have an IGN connected to the DC-DC?

you are using the Engine - run run detection - setting on the orion,?

what LB are you using?

where is the orion fitted?
 
Dellmassive said:
got a few pics of you kit, battery and install?

and a few screenshots of your victron APP and settings for the mppt and Orion?


pics say 1000 words, and will help to answer some of the below.



assumptions:

you have a victron smart MPPT?correct

you have a Victr Orion DC-DC?correct

you dont have an IGN connected to the DC-DC?incorrect - ign feed from fusebox

you are using the Engine - run run detection - setting on the orion,?not sure - will check settings

what LB are you using?expedition 104 AGM

where is the orion fitted?
Click to expand...
Hi @Dellmassive - will get some screenshots when underway tomorrow. Install is under driver's seat so difficult to access without unbolting seat - will check if I have pics from my build. Leisure battery and controller both under driver's seat. Other replies attached.
Steve
 
All of those settings look ok for an AGM SLA battery, and all the voltages show that the battery is fully charged.

What battery have you got?

Is it possible that it's knackered and not holding a charge?

AGM battery life span is about 5 yrs if well maintained.

Running them flat just a few times will knacker them . . .
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Battery is expedition 104 AGM, only 10 months old. Thanks for confirming settings. As you say, everything now fully charged after drive home. Will monitor over next few months. Battery voltage has never caused a problem, was just concerned that if starter battery was fully charged, lb would not get charged from alternator but that does not appear to be the case.
Many thanks
 
Steved55 said:
Battery is expedition 104 AGM, only 10 months old. Thanks for confirming settings. As you say, everything now fully charged after drive home. Will monitor over next few months. Battery voltage has never caused a problem, was just concerned that if starter battery was fully charged, lb would not get charged from alternator but that does not appear to be the case.
Many thanks
Click to expand...
If you have a B2B charger (Orion in your case} the charger charges the LB regardless of the SOC of the starter battery, that’s it’s raison d’etre. The B2B will sense that the LB requires charge & will start charging, the alternator will see the load & start outputting. All independent of the main battery. This is assuming that everything is wired & setup correctly.
 
Thanks @Salty Spuds - I believe I wired it correctly, lb and starter battery +ve to the controller terminals (large cables) and an ignition switch fed live signal wire to the controller. Thanks for your explanation- that was my understanding of how it should work
 
@Salty Spuds is there anyway you can config the Orion to prioritise alternator charge of the MB above the VB say using networked battery monitors? I have only recently understood that the Orion was Votage threshold triggered. My start Voltage is at 14.4v and I was contemplating setting it higher to match the alternator on a reduced load?
 
dcpen43 said:
@Salty Spuds is there anyway you can config the Orion to prioritise alternator charge of the MB above the VB say using networked battery monitors? I have only recently understood that the Orion was Votage threshold triggered. My start Voltage is at 14.4v and I was contemplating setting it higher to match the alternator on a reduced load?
Click to expand...
Not quite sure what the question is there, or what you’re trying to achieve. Can you elaborate?
 
If you have an ign live to the Orion I assume you’ve removed the jumper from the H/L jumper and connected the ign live to H. Turn off engine shutdown detection. The Orion will start to charge when 12v is detected and stop when not. Just don’t leave the ignition on without the engine running
 
@Deaky and @Salty Spuds might be my misunderstanding. I had thought that the Orion would only charge the LB if the MB was fully charged but I think that is not the case. Once it senses the 14v threshold it will start charging the LB regardless.
I was looking for a way to always ensure the MB was fully charged before any charging of the LB? I can do it by disabling the B2B for a period of time and then switching it on. Hoping in the advanced settings there might be a more subtle way?

I have not got the jumper removed.
 
dcpen43 said:
@Deaky and @Salty Spuds might be my misunderstanding. I had thought that the Orion would only charge the LB if the MB was fully charged but I think that is not the case. Once it senses the 14v threshold it will start charging the LB regardless.
I was looking for a way to always ensure the MB was fully charged before any charging of the LB? I can do it by disabling the B2B for a period of time and then switching it on. Hoping in the advanced settings there might be a more subtle way?

I have not got the jumper removed.
Click to expand...
You’re overthinking it. The alternator is more than capable of charging both batteries at once. The maximum the Orion will take is 30A, the vehicle battery will take a similar charge. The alternator can deliver between 120-180A depending on spec. There’s plenty to go around.
 
Yes Iam. Reread the manual too. Thanks for the feedback. It’s a learning journey but an enjoyable one
 
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