Lithium leisure setup

[EAN]

Another, more general, comment - you've got a pretty premium setup planned here with a huge leisure battery and a bunch of premium components. However, the only thing you appear to be actually powering is a fridge, some lights and a handful of usb outputs? Usually, people run setups like because they're trying to power inverters with induction hobs and the like. As a counterpoint, I'm running a similar bunch of loads with a nine year old 75Ah factory AGM...

A very good point. It’s easy to overspec.

Amplifiers - Are these really a 80A draw?? If they're drawing anything like that in normal operation, I wouldn't put them on the leisure battery circuit. The reason is that if you're using these solidly whilst driving your DC-DC charger could be spending a big chunk of its 50A just keeping the amplifiers going, your leisure battery charging will be heavily impacted and you might even be draining your leisure battery whilst driving (depending on just how thumping you like your music!). If the draw really is going to be anything like that heavy, I'd put them on your starter such that the alternator is effectively powering them.

Another very good point regarding the amplifiers.

 

[lukethompson86]

Any of you guys want to just install this all for me ?



I thought it would be a simple job!

Right so I’ve digested all of the above info from you guys and I can’t thank you enough!!! Worth its weight in gold!

So I’ve done a couple of sketches ( sorry)

And hoping this may make some final sense now .

So points I have noted are

I’ve hopefully sized cables accordingly and fuses to match.

I’ve uprated the inline midi fuse from the starter battery to the Orion as per there spec .80a

I’ve noted about the 35mm2 cable from both the negi terminal ok battery and busbar to chassis earth

Solar cables I’ve dropped to 10mm2 and 30a fuses

I’ve Checked the victron 30a battery charger and gone for a 16mm2 cable with a 40a midi fuse

I’ve done a closer up drawing of the 5 way distribution board for the midis and Megas and got the following ;


Midis ;

Solar - 30a
12v bladed fuse board - 30a
Victron Orion dc charger -60a as per instructions
Victron 30a battery charger - 40a as per charger


I’m happy with the blade fuses fr the little 12v board and I’ve attached a picture of what I’m going to get . It’s rated to 100amp total but if I’m removing the amps from this I shouldn’t be anywhere near that.
I just assume if I do add anything substantial in the future i can just uprate the fuse in the midi section.

The mega fuse although I know we said this could be irrelevant with the t fuse im
Going to leave in anyway . Mainly as I already have it. I’ve gone for 125ah on this.

I’ve the taken your advice and added another pic of what I’ve found in regards to an additional busbar for the amp outlets . So out from the other post on the mega fuse with 16mm2 cable
2 x 50a midi fuses
And then 10mm2 cable to my amps .


So the last 2 points I guess I have questions on are

1. T fuse rating ?

2. And lastly without complicating everything but in the hopes of making it simpler . They do a 7 way mega/ midi board .
Should I maybe consider this with the same format and that way reduce the need for the additional busbar.


Thanks all once again

 

[lukethompson86]

Oh and just a quick follow on before I forget

I’ll sack off the isolator for now.

And lastlt the main reason for the quality components and large battery is just to do with the steal I got on them.
Had a few vouchers , combined with a coupon code and a work discount.
Just meant the too good to turn down!

 

[EAN]

Yes a 7 way fuse holder will make it neater and simpler: Have you considered what @t0mb0 said about possibly taking more power out of your leisure battery whilst driving than you can put back in due to the high current draw of the amplifiers and whether they would be better fed from the alternator? Loud music isn’t my thing so I don’t know your usage requirement: Stationary at a show or blasting it out whilst driving? Leisure connection is better for the former, but maybe not for the latter.

‘T’ fuse rating just needs to be above megafuse rating and within the cable rating. 150A or 175A will be fine.

What you’ve sketched looks ok to me.

 

[lukethompson86]

Thank you for this .

So I done a little more digging into the amplifiers last night , after catching up on the points noted.

So I was planning on 2 amps,

1 to service the 4 speakers and 1 for the small subwoofer.
Have non intention of running these with the van static at all. And the input should only allow them
To power on when the radio is on. Ie engine on.

The main amplifier has a rated fuse of 20a and surprisingly a cable rating of 12mm2

The mono amplifier for the subwoofer has a rating of 40amp with a 10mm2 cable.

I cannot seem to find anywhere a rough draw for either of them and this seems to be max and suggests progressively lower than these figures.

So yes this does concern me but should it be a proboem
When only used via driving ?

Or should I just run these 2 to the starter battery itself .

Or alternatively just a thought , I need to run a new 16mm2 cable from the starter battery to the Orion itself .
Should I just change to 20mm2 and go to a small post bus bar and split - 2 feeds to the amp and then 1 to the Orion and onot
My original plan?

Thank you guys

 

[EAN]

Or should I just run these 2 to the starter battery itself .

Or alternatively just a thought , I need to run a new 16mm2 cable from the starter battery to the Orion itself .
Should I just change to 20mm2 and go to a small post bus bar and split - 2 feeds to the amp and then 1 to the Orion and onot
My original plan?

If you're running a new cable anyway you could do the above (25mm2).
You'd need a larger fuse at the starter battery end then have fuse distribution for the Orion feed and for your amps.

 

[lukethompson86]

Yes this is my most logical thinking on this .
That way it kind of keeps it separate as such and the right side of the leisure battery.

I think I’m going to go for that.
Failing that if it doesn’t work I will just run both of them off the starter . Valid points from both of you on this so cannot thank you enough guys!!!

Fingers crossed from here on!

 

[t0mb0]

Where is the battery actually going to go? I wouldn't think a 300Ah would fit under the passenger seat which is the most popular location?

 

[lukethompson86]

Yeah that’s correct
Definitely won’t fit under there so I’ve sacrificed a cupboard in the back

Approx 950 x 400 x 350 total space so should be bundled

 

[t0mb0]

Yeah that’s correct
Definitely won’t fit under there so I’ve sacrificed a cupboard in the back

Approx 950 x 400 x 350 total space so should be bundled

How far back though? Are the various chargers going close to the battery? Assuming so, how long is the cable run from the starter to the DC-DC?

 

[lukethompson86]

So literally the next unit behind the seat
I’d say approx 400 mm longer than if they were under the seat.

Approx run to starter battery around 3m?

What ya thinking ?

Thank you

 

[t0mb0]

So literally the next unit behind the seat
I’d say approx 400 mm longer than if they were under the seat.

Approx run to starter battery around 3m?

What ya thinking ?

Thank you

Ok, should be fine then. If you do need to check any voltage drops for longer cable runs, you can use the calculator below.

Voltage Drop Calculator | 12 Volt Planet Cable Calculator

Use our Voltage Drop Calculator to select the correct Cable for your campervan, motorhome or boat wiring application. Cable Calculator for Auto and Marine Electrical Components from 12 Volt Planet - Cable Size Calculator

www.12voltplanet.co.uk

 

[lukethompson86]

That’s a real handy little calculator :

Thank you

So I
Done 16mm2 cable

12v

50a draw

And 3 meter run. And came back under 3% in green so should be good ??

 

[t0mb0]

That’s a real handy little calculator :

Thank you

So I
Done 16mm2 cable

12v

50a draw

And 3 meter run. And came back under 3% in green so should be good ??

Yeah, for the input side of the DC-DC that should be ok. It would be less ok if it was the output side as there the voltages matter more.

Also, I think it doubles that 3m to 6m on the assumption that you'll be running an equal length 16mm negative back again, however if you're going straight to chassis with the negative you can pretty much halve that number. You can always up that 16mm if you do end up feeding the amps off that same cable run too.

 

[lukethompson86]

Thank you mate !!!

I got ya ! So I ordered a load more cable this morning and still undecided on these amps as one of them has some negative reviews !
I think rather than holding me up any further im
Gonna go ahead with it all.

And throw some extra cables from the starter battery to under the dash anyway.
That way I can just go Straight to it if need be .

Thanks again for all your help

 

[lukethompson86]

Hi guys


I hope you are well , wanted to possibly pick up your Brains one last time ! Hopefully !
I’ve cracked on nicely with the install and think im
Pretty much there !!

For now I have sacked off the whole
Amplifier idea so this doesn’t even need to come into play now !!

My question is just in regards to the neutrals / chassis earth connection.

So I have a small threaded stud drilled into one of the Columns on the side of the van from the previous install.
This was going to be my earth.

I stupidly only opened up the negative busbar I bought today and it seems to only have 4 x M8 studs.

Im
Right in saying I should be running the 35mm2 neutral cable from the leisure battery to the bus bar which should also connect the ;

Mppt solar
Orion dc
Batt charger
12v bladed fuse board

And then a 35mm2 out to the chassis point ???

So in turn I’d ideally need a 6way neutral bar ? With 6 studs ?



And lastly the chassis stud currently has an earth connection from
My consumer unit that’s running with my 16amp hook up.
Assume it’s ok to have 2 ground points on the 1 stud ?



Thanks all