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Potential dangerous location of multiplus

moonlitsouls

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Ok so there are some grounding wires and other electrical junctions and connections in this plumbing box, it’s literally the only space I can put this multiplus, should I be concerned about it shorting if it moves around the box and touches anything electrical? How can I protect it?

Also, how important is the chasis ground connection?

edit: disregard the old inverter
 

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I hate to say it but that's not a good setup. The MultiPlus needs to be mounted upright for cooling. It needs proper spacing around both sides and the top (once upright). I also assume the shown wiring is temporary. I hope you plan to get those battery cables routed inside the inverter so you can put the cover on properly.

And no, you do not want the MultiPlus shifting and touching other terminals and connectors.

Yes, it needs to be grounded using the provided case grounding lug. It's so you don't get zapped by the metal case if something unexpected happens inside.

All of the above applies to your SCC (once the smokey one is replaced - bummer).
 
I'm also really worried about all of that electrical stuff right next to the water works. A bad water pump or a leaky water line squirting water all into the electrical components will be a bad thing.

It's one thing to have a few wire runs near water lines but you do not want your inverter or other electrical components filling with water.
 
I'm also really worried about all of that electrical stuff right next to the water works. A bad water pump or a leaky water line squirting water all into the electrical components will be a bad thing.

It's one thing to have a few wire runs near water lines but you do not want your inverter or other electrical components filling with water.


Thanks. I hate it, my truck camper has practically no storage at all, it’s very limited. When I first looked inside this box and saw all this electrical so close to all this plumbing I felt the same, I even shared a photo with the guys on the truck camper forum over an rv.net , they all seemed to agree it was pretty normal for plumbing and electrical to be combined, I was shocked

But this sad box is literally the only place I can put this device, so I need to make it work. I’m going to get some styrophone and place it around the edges. The compartment gets tons of ventilation Bc the battery box is directly under it and there’s open access to the outside.

I also need to add my dc-dc charger and the new SCC to this equation , it’s not easy , but I have some room under the sink
 
You still need to put the inverter upright with sufficient clearance for cooling. When you are connected to shore power charging the batteries, the fan will be roaring and the inverter will get fairly warm. And that's with proper orientation and clearance. It will overheat and shutdown the way you have it now.
 
The Victron install says the Multiplus can be in horizontal or vertical orientation, but I think vertical is preferred. I'm getting this second hand as I was the assistant on a Multiplus install last month and wasn't looking at the manual. It also wants 3" of clearance on all sides, except the back.

Some form of ventilation is in order if the compartment doesn't have it already. The install I helped on was in the basement of a fifth wheel. It was a large compartment. The heat generated by the Multiplus was enough to keep the batteries plenty warm through 22° F nights.
 
I think @rmaddy is giving good general advice.

Things that jumped out at me:
1. Airflow/clearances in that bo
2. Orientation (check Victron documentation or ask on the Victron forum, possibly it's okay as @HRTKD mentioned, maybe with active venting)
3. You mention it sliding around, is it unsecured?
4. Ground it following manufacturer recs/best practices for your context. If unsure, ask someone experienced.
5. The realities of finding space in a truck camper are a bitch.
6. Beyond advice here, confirm in your manual and/or with Victron tech support/authorized dealers
 
The manual for my MultiPlus has the following under the Installation section:
The product must be installed in a dry and well-ventilated area, as close as possible to the batteries. There should be a clear space of at least 10cm around the appliance for cooling.
Excessively high ambient temperature will result in the following:
Reduced service life.
Reduced charging current.
Reduced peak capacity, or shutdown of the inverter.
Never mount the appliance directly above the batteries.
The product is suitable for wall mounting. For mounting see appendix A.
The appliance can be mounted horizontally as well as vertically; vertical mounting is preferable. The vertical position offers optimum cooling.

So it does seems that horizontal mounting is acceptable, just not ideal.
 
You should check with Victron, but I'm guessing you might be able to get away with reduced clearances with sufficient active cooling - e.g. blower fans to move a lot of air around (and then away from) the Multiplus whenever it is on.
 
Move around? Needs to be bolted to something.
Chassis ground? Always and especially next to other hazards.
Review the ventilation and cooling requirements. s/b in the mounting requirements.
 
I think @rmaddy is giving good general advice.

Things that jumped out at me:
1. Airflow/clearances in that bo
2. Orientation (check Victron documentation or ask on the Victron forum, possibly it's okay as @HRTKD mentioned, maybe with active venting)
3. You mention it sliding around, is it unsecured?
4. Ground it following manufacturer recs/best practices for your context. If unsure, ask someone experienced.
5. The realities of finding space in a truck camper are a bitch.
6. Beyond advice here, confirm in your manual and/or with Victron tech support/authorized dealers

hey yeah the back is very well ventilated , its not secured down yet but im not moving the truck anytime soon so i have time to figure that out. Im going to secure it by wedging some panels of wood around the sides , yes i noticed some people ignore the step of grounding the equipment so its a bit confusing as to whether itss actually needed
 
yes i noticed some people ignore the step of grounding the equipment so its a bit confusing as to whether itss actually needed
I would attribute this more to the fact that most DIY'ers have no idea wtf they are doing with respect to grounding outside of a normal household/fixed structure context, it can be quite confusing, so sometimes just get overwhelmed and ignore it completely as the path of least resistance.
 
i will say victron deff chose a great color for their equipment / brand.
I don't have victron, since it didn't have the specifications I needed at time.
But I think they have a high quality product with good features which just look great.

I've opted to mount my inverter right in the living space of my RV. I think it looks cool and everybody asks - what is that?
Then I can ramble on how great solar is for half an hour :p one of my favorite topics.

And cooling is much better then inside any box.

IMG_1579.JPG
 
Me thinks the folks saying 'mount it out in the open' are severely over-estimating the 'people space' available in a slide-in truck camper.

Either that, or they don't have spouses :ROFLMAO:

Maybe it's a personal thing, as I've spent most of my adult life working in generation/transmission companies... having panels/boxes mounted like that, right in the living area, looks tacky as heck to me. In equipment spaces, sure, all day long. Where I'm eating and sleeping? No way.
 
Me thinks the folks saying 'mount it out in the open' are severely over-estimating the 'people space' available in a slide-in truck camper.

Either that, or they don't have spouses :ROFLMAO:

Maybe it's a personal thing, as I've spent most of my adult life working in generation/transmission companies... having panels/boxes mounted like that, right in the living area, looks tacky as heck to me. In equipment spaces, sure, all day long. Where I'm eating and sleeping? No way.

When needs must . . . function over form. My bumper pull toy hauler is poorly laid out for storage near the electric center of the RV. I considered repurposing kitchen cabinets with drawers into battery storage. In the end, I did repurpose a drawer area under a closet in the bathroom to become the compartment where all my components and batteries were placed. The compartment had almost as much dead/unused space as the drawer was using.

In the end, a truck camper is much smaller than a trailer and there just isn't as much available space. Creative use of space will take you only so far.
 
Me thinks the folks saying 'mount it out in the open' are severely over-estimating the 'people space' available in a slide-in truck camper.

Either that, or they don't have spouses
On the initial picture in this thread was an unused wall displayed next to the box where the victron is. No idea if that is in the way of something else.

My wife is fine with the inverter in the living space. Maybe I got lucky ?

After I finished the installation all the wires will be cleaned up and the whole thing will be less industrial looking.

But like always "the beauty lays in the eye of the beholder. "
You can have a different opinion then I have. No offense taken :)
 
On the initial picture in this thread was an unused wall displayed next to the box where the victron is.

I can't say for certain regarding someone else's camper, but that looks like that's the wall between the main 'hallway' and the bathroom. If it's anything like mine, that 'wall' is probably more akin to a hollow-core door - two thin plywood skins with nothing between them but air. Actually, a hollow-core door is probably more stoutly built, structurally. Little bit of soft pine solid wood around the edges or other spots where there might be fasteners, but not much to actually anchor anything to. Especially not an inverter/charger that weighs 40+ lbs. And before someone says 'use wall anchors or toggle bolts', generally the wall skins are too close together for most of those. Ask me how I know...

Even putting the various bits in 'hidden' spaces in my TC, I spent an inordinate amount of time reinforcing vertical surfaces by either sandwiching them between layers of 3/4" baltic birch or cabinet plywood, and/or using pocket screws around the perimeter of said reinforcing boards to tie them to the few bits of 'solid' wood (most likely white pine, which is very light - and very soft).

Maybe it's different in TTs and 5vers... I never really got into the walls of our TT's when we had them. I know some of the interior walls were hollow, but no idea whether it was to this extent.
 
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