Advice needed for Designing a Solar / Shore Power / Auto power box for my recently created battery.

[jbnalley]

Ok. Been reading and designing a box that I can use in multiple vehicles. I didn't want to setup a dual battery on any of the other automobiles after setting up the first one. I am looking for any advice as well as any material you can send me to read. I appreciate both as I am learning but have little experiance in this area.

• I know that electricity does not necessarily flow how I have the arrows drawn but I added them anyway for intent. :/
• I also know that this diagram is not super, I am limited on the software available for diagraming so this is best as I could do for now.
• I know just enough to know that I don't know enough. (which is why I am posting here)

I have been reading what I can and watching a lot of videos. I had a friend help me with building my battery (he had done several) but admittedly has not done much in terms of wiring up multiple components like what I want to attempt. I have not put any of this together completely I have only powered on each compoennt and tested them to be sure they are working and have current firmware updates.

Ok.. on to the setup:

I have an 80 watt panel permanently attached to one vehicle and a 100 watt suitcase panel I swap between my other two vehicles. I do plan on installing 2 100 watt panels on my popup trailer. (in that case I would charge the battery while driving and then put the box and battery in the camper) If it needed charge I would depend on 200 Watt panels and a gas generator to charge using the shore power option.

I have not yet installed the battery cables in each vehicle, but Plan on attaching wires from battery to a DC 2 DC charger using anderson connectors.
I have also not yet build the box to put all the components in but my current wire lengths are close. I plan to fit it all into a 21 X21X 7 box with a couple of internal temp controlled fans to allow airflow.

I have been bargain shopping victron equipment for a while now so while its not all perfect size I think its close enough for my usage.

Items I am putting together in this build/box ** I did try to get good quality parts for this build.

• ** I have a home built 160 AH battery (will be separate from the box and connected with an appropriate 6' cable(s))
• Vicrton Smart 12 |12 -18 DC 2 DC charger (isolated)
• Victron Smart 100 | 20 MPPT
• Victron Smart 15 / 30 charger/powersupply
• VIctron 12 | 800 with bt dongle
• Blue Sea ST Blade Split Bus Fuse Block 30A / circut max 100 amp bus.
• all wiring is good copper welding cable or marine grade copper wires (as I have seen recommended here and on Will's site)
• all connectors are good qualtiy UL listed tinned copper or good ferrel connectors.

***Note on the photo. That is just a design layout look for the fittament. I do plan on redoing the wiring I put those there to just get an idea of spacing. Also the MPPT and DC2DC chargers are sitting up about an 1.5 in on some left over extruded aluminum I had laying around so that should help airflow under the heatsinks.

 

[jbnalley]

Wow.. not even an RTFM smart remark from anyone? I figured someone would have feedback or comment on what I am working through. Any thoughts or advice? (Bueller.... Bueller.... anyone?)

Should I change anything up to make it more efficient?
Do you see anything that might cause a ground loop? (the auto battery is isolated but I do have a few different grounds that come from the battery, should I just run them all to the BlueSea Split Bus?)

 

[jbnalley]

As I look at other diagrams I notice others are using very large (100A) + with the 12/800 inverters. Am I misreading something? These should not pull more than the contiuous rated max correct? (at least that is my plan) i.e. ~ 61 A should be the max continuous I pull with that phoenix 12 / 800 inverter correct? How much should I be concerned about surge?

 

[jbnalley]

I didn't really get much feedback, and at the end of the day it was not that difficult. Just took a little time. Attached is a quick pass on the system. I built a box for it and then found a sweet deal on a pellican case so I went that route instead. Wiring layout is slightly different, but it works.

I have a few more tests, primarily solar, its been too cold to get outside (-8 F) and I was waiting for my connectors to arrive. But the short video should give you an idea. I think it turned out well. The Inverter works like a champ and is connected to a GFCI outlet, the 15/30 amp shore charger works perfect.