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Tecmate makes a 2A DC-DC battery charger/maintainer: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CHCBZN3/ It's a bit pricey, but this isn't a common use case. Most people would wire their lighting to the deep-cycle leisure battery. Starter batteries aren't going to last very long if you're regularly...

This box looks similar, but is physically a bit larger. And there's no inverter so there's probably lots more space in the lid: https://kickassproducts.com/collections/power-12-volt-power-stations-and-trays/products/kickass-portable-battery-box-power-station

I run my Multiplus Compact 2000 from a small Ryobi inverter generator. You just need to use the optional Victron USB adapter to program the Multiplus for your use case. I set the AC input limit at 15amps (1800watts) so it will never overload the generator when inverting/charging.

Instead of a "smart" plug, why not use a mechanical timer outlet? I have some that have been running continuously for years without failure. If your loads are consistent, you can get it dialed in to hit your SOC levels fairly accurately.

Why not use one of the transfer switches that Ecoflow already makes to specifically work with their products? https://us.ecoflow.com/collections/whole-home-backup-power-solutions

The Lycan 5000 use-case is for portable AC power as an alternative to a inverter genset where noise or fumes are undesired. It's great for it's intended purpose, but this would be wildly inflexible for a campervan build. You'll be lugging a 265+ lb box that takes up a massive chunk of space...

I have the MK3-USB, but I only changed the AC input current and the charging amps from the default. I'll turn off storage and see if that helps keep the voltage higher. I made a second thread over in the battery subcategory to see if I could get more specific input on the best battery and...

I have a uncommon use-case where the battery will get hit about a dozen times per minute with a 25-50 amp DC load for less than a second each time. The battery is used with a Victron Multiplus charger/inverter so it switched back to charging between each draw. Currently I'm using a general...

I finished wiring my Multiplus and power panel today then tested it out with the PA gear. Worked great and ran the sound system no problem for a 2 hour show using only a 35Ah AGM battery as the backup battery. The only thing that was strange is the charger went into "Storage" mode after about...

I bought a Multiplus Compact so I'm ready to start wiring this up and testing my plan. But I'm still a little unclear how to properly ground this system since it's not a typical usage scenario. There is a grounding point on the Multiplus, but the Victron manual says it's an alternative for when...

Most UPS batteries are AGM so I assumed that chemistry was better suited for brief, high-amp loads. Do you think lithium would work just as well?

I have a portable PA system that I run off a Honda 3000i inverter generator. When measured with a Kill-a-Watt, the total PA system draws 5-7A continuously, but the load spikes as high as 12.5A for a fraction of a second repeatedly during some songs (primarily because of the subwoofers). This...

This is perfect! An almost exact fit with 1" clearance on all sides.

Thanks for the suggestion! Those might fit, but I just remeasured the compartment and it's exactly 11" high so it would have to be squeezed in there tightly. And I'm not sure if it's safe to have the weight from the floor pushing directly onto the battery box. I know BB is top quality, but my...

Thank you! After several hours of searching and comparing, I found one just now. The Lossigy 200Ah measures 19"x6.7"x9.5" inches which makes it a near perfect fit for my use. Will has reviewed this battery on YouTube and didn't note any issues, but it doesn't have low-temp protection so...

No, a 200AH battery is much larger than a car battery. And I've already found lots of different sizes besides the typical ones. I'm not interested in making a custom fitted battery.

I don't want to build a battery. I want to buy a battery. I posted in this "plug and play" forum because I'm searching for a pre-built battery.

I'm trying to source a leisure battery for a minivan install that is narrower than normal. Most pre-built LifePo4 batteries seem to use similar battery boxes that are 8-9" wide which will not fit in my intended battery location. The available compartment in my Ford Transit Connect is 21" x 7.5"...

Thanks for illustrating; that makes sense now. I was originally thinking you meant use the square tubing in place of the cross bars. I don't love how clunky it'll look being so high above the roof, but this does seem to be the most straightforward way to accomplish my goal.

Excellent find! Looks like I need to figure out how to replace my factory rails with some sort of L-track or strut channel.

Are you suggesting swapping my factory roof rails with strut channels? Any more specific recommendations?

@Rednecktek Thank you for the details. This seems to be a different solution than using the Harbor Freight cross bars you suggested earlier. I'm able to follow up until the point you're connecting the box tubing to the rails. On my van, the cross bars attach to the rails by clamping on the sides...

@Rednecktek Yes, I'm trying to find cross bars that I can bolt to the solar panels. That's the question this thread is attempting to answer. Do you have a solution?

I don't currently have any cross bars, but standard ones from Thule, etc can be fitted to the rails. I'm trying to determine what type of cross bars will connect to solar panels with minimal fabrication (if any). Ideally, I would bolt the solar panels to the cross bars and just clamp them to the...

I'm getting ready to attach two 100W rigid solar panels to the roof of my minivan. My goal is to be able to attach and remove the solar panels each fall/spring since I only live in my van part-time during the winter. One option is using powerful magnets...

Yes, you need a fuse between your battery and the fuse block to protect the 6 AWG cable. The simplest way to remedy this would be to add a MRBF Terminal Fuse to the positive battery terminal. That won't affect any of your wire lengths and the block + two fuses would be under $50. This is almost...

Flexible panels work, but they're fragile and lose performance quickly. I have a 220w flexible panel that is almost three years old and it's output is about half from when it was new. If flexible is your only option, just factor the cost of replacing the panels every few years.

Redarc has a kit that wires starter/house batteries this way. They use a second positive cable and a "smart" isolator. You could use their wiring guide as a template for your own DC charger: https://www.redarcelectronics.com/us/jump-start-dual-battery-kit Sterling has started selling a...

The SOK spec sheet shows that it would not support the continuous output needed for a 2000 watt inverter. But I would ask Current Connected or contact SOK if you want confirmation because I don't have direct experience. I recently ordered a SOK battery for my build, but I'm not planning to draw...

Renogy doesn't make a 200W inverter so I'm guessing you mean the 2000W model? A 2000 watt inverter requires a battery with a high maximum discharge current. The two batteries you selected have different maximum continuous voltage: Renogy 200Ah Battery Maximum Continuous Discharging Current: 200...

The battery Ah choice will come down to what will fit in my tiny space. My battery compartment is similarly-sized to a milk crate build so I know a 50Ah will fit, but the 100Ah is a tight squeeze and it's still unclear if it's safe to have these all these items right next to each other. I'd like...

I tried to detail out everything I was planning and the associated newbie questions, but that was probably too much information for a first post. My questions could be summarized as "What can safety be cut out when there is no inverter desired?" This seems to be an uncommon van wiring...

Thank you for communicating how my presentation comes across. My frustration is not with you and I'm sorry that it was directed poorly in my writing. I mostly feel stuck because I have a researched plan outlined, but no way to know if it's safe to move forward. My preference would be to hire an...

I haven't purchased anything yet so I could switch to a single large panel. 200W is about the max roof-space available and the SCC controller can handle either wiring configuration. I like the idea of 2 smaller panels for redundancy, but that's probably not necessary. It might come down to...

The EcoFlow is $799 (refurbished). My custom build plan shown above totals $855 and doesn't include any monitoring or wiring. I tried to detail what I want to achieve for this thread, but there hasn't been any response. I don't mind getting my hands dirty, but I'm not an electrician so I'm not...