Considering this when calculating cable sizes will avoid voltage drop and overheating complications. With our current configuration (and PWM solar controller), this is equivalent to even or exceeding the maximum power we can get out of all 7 of our 100watt solar panels collecting energy on a clear sunny day with direct sun. The manufacturer knows their product better than anyone else. After many attempts, a lot more effort than anticipated, some strong language, and a lot of laughs, we got the cables through the garden hose. Much like a Solar Controller, the DC-DC Charger needs to know your battery chemistry as well as the recommended voltage range so that it can properly charge. Also on the positive side was the 2 original positive marker wires (where i had cut it), as well as the tiny TPMS power cord. For additional safety, it isolates the input from the output preventing incorrect voltage transmission. Renogy DC-DC On-Board Battery Charger has multiple intelligent protections includes battery isolation, over-voltage protection, battery temperature protection, over-current protection, overheat protection, reverse current protection, solar panel and alternator reverse polarity protection, guaranteeing charging safety and protecting your batteries. Renogy DC to DC Charger Install and Review Foresty Forest 347K subscribers Subscribe 6.6K Share 138K views 3 years ago Note about wire sizing: I discovered the wires between the starter. Required fields are marked *. I appreciate Eddie explaining ( a few times ) , the exact steps Id need to do to finish this one on my own. Question: can I use a smaller gauge wire like a an 18 gauge wire instead of a hes y 4 g cable? How do I set the battery since there is no display screen? Eddie added some scrap wood and drilled it to the floor of the camper, right next to the Inverter. Both ways can be charged at the same time to minimize charging time. Everything was connected up and it just works. Step 2 : contact Eddie ! The D+ Ignition cable is capable of identifying whether the generator is started, to prevent over-discharge of the starting battery and protect the generator. Step 5 : make a nice ring connector on the engine end of the #4 wire. Renogy 20A 12V DC to DC On-Board Battery Charger is designed to charge secondary batteries while driving using the primary battery connected to the alternator. Location Make sure to install the B2B charger in a well vented space, and do not obstruct the hot air exhaust: Wiring and Electrical Exclusively available with the BT-2 Bluetooth Module accessory and Renogy DC Home App available on the IOS and Google Play Stores, you can monitor this device remotely and simply through your phone and stay constantly updated. +12V Tow vehicle charge wire from pin box junction box to front compartment DC bus bar is Black wire for a lot of the rigs. This Renogy DC-DC battery charger is compatible with traditional and smart alternators. With RJ45 communication port featured, you can unlock monitoring features exclusively using theBT-2 Bluetooth Moduleand Renogy DC Home App, control and monitor the device remotely through your phone in real time. 1. If the Alt. I've only got 125 watt solar panel and the best I ever see is about 7 amps. When the generator is started, a signal will be obtained on the D+ Ignition cable, which will light up the indicator light of the charger. As a bonus it can be reduced to half power if full output is not required (like for example the first few minutes after engine start with a timer relay). We dont anticipate using this very often (since our Solar is always on), so we wanted to have a way to connect and charge as needed. Since we had plans to head down to Arizona in late April 2020, I hit up Eddie Glonek of Mobile Homestead Solar Services to see if he was available to do this install for us. The idea here would be, in our case, to connect the on/off wire to the running lights of the truck, so that it would only be active if our running lights were on (either 7pin connected to the trailer OR we jump the 7pin with a fuse). Please note the D+ Ignition Cable is not included. I would like to see the charger use an algorithm when driving, so it measure the solar output which would gain what ever it needs from the alternator. If you have any questions regarding this product, please submit a case ! Renogy's DC to DC MPPT on-board Battery Charger is designed to give you options! Please note the LC cable is not included. What is its purpose? I have dealt with Renogy Customer Service in the past, and they were very responsive. Renogy's DC to DC MPPT on-board Battery Charger is designed to give you options! The DC-DC battery charger is capable of identifying whether the generator is started, to prevent over-discharge of the starting battery and protect the generator. This means, (in theory without any loss over the cabling runs), the DC-DC Charger can provide up to 480 watts of charging power to our batteries (40amps x 12 volts = 480watts). 3. Please allow up to 1 to 2 business days for processing and 3 to 5 business days for shipping. On-board chargers can be installed easily and used on vehicles such as cars, vans, boats, and more. step 11-b : make the run along the frame with the garden hose (two wire #4 cable) secure with plastic anchors which are bolted into the steel frame. So, we really dont need more battery capacity just an alternate backup system to recharge the batteries when there is no sun for the solar setup OR there was to be some sort of problem with our solar setup (such as a malfunctioning solar controller, etc.). The battery temperature sensor for DC-to-DC car battery chargers can be purchased at the Renogy store. We had several days of heavy cloud cover, mist and steady rain while staying at Hartman Rocks near Gunnison, CO. Compatible with a multitude of alternator types, the DCC12 offers correct charging for AGM, Flooded, Gel, and even Lithium deep cycle batteries! A DC to DC Charger is designed to charge secondary batteries while driving using the primary battery connected to the alternator. My search stopped at the Renogy with the DCC50S, not Australian made but, because it was precisely what I wanted and at a sub $350 price (at the time). 2. Please refer to the manual on page 15 for Battery Type LED. I will try and ask Eddie if a smaller gauge wire would work. I used some WAGO connectors for both the positive and negative side of this marker light, because I had multiple things I wanted to connect to this marker light power, now that I had it available. There are two LED lights above the dip switches, and if it was powered on and working properly, we should have seen a green light on the left side. Once you have read up on how we added a Renogy DC-DC charger to our travel trailer, check out a few of our other posts about the other upgrades we have done: better cellular connectivity when you are in the middle of nowhere and need to work, why we chose lithium batteries and why we love them, lots of other upgrades we have done to our travel trailer. When the ignition turns on, it signals your charger that the alternator has engaged, which turns on the charger itself. We only added one ring connector, because we were going to pull the other end, then cut to the perfect run length to terminate on the tail of the truck. If you have any questions regarding this product, pleasesubmit a case. Reinstall seat bolts, dust cover and reconnect the two wiring harnesses and the main battery disconnect.Thats it, not too to bad once you've done it but nerve racking the first time for sure. Been using the 50 amp charger for almost 2 years to charge 2 AGM batteries, No issues to report for these batteries. # 1. 1. Similar to the 7pin connector on a travel trailer or 5th wheel (that runs the camper running lights, brake controllers, and actually can send a little bit of dc power to your camper, but mainly for trickle charging at a low amperage), the idea is to run another high-amp connection from the tow vehicle (on an additional / separate cable to the 7pin towing cable) which is capable of delivering much more power directly to a DC charger which is connected directly to the house batteries of the camper. Easily install the compact yet sturdy DC1212 on RVs, commercial vehicles, boats, yachts and many more applications! That would make a nice durable coating/covering for the 2 #4 wires. Eddie and I thought it was indeed possible that the specific unit we installed could have been faulty, we had no way of knowing. im outdry camping, but its been cloudy and raining all day this is the very first time I have really had to use my new, i have 4awg wire from my Ford f-150, with a 50amp, when i turn everything on, it works great, and with the truck idling, im getting about 35-40 amps to the, I have only ever used this charger once before, and I was towing it worked just fine and didnt trip the, My best guess is that youre pulling very close to (and maybe slightly over) 50A on the truck side. Renogy Dual Input DC-DC On Board MPPT Battery Charger with its built-in VSR allows vehicle owners to enjoy the benefits of fully charged deep cycle service batteries while reliably isolating it to the engine starting battery with one easy-to-install charging system. Great bit ov kit once up a running would Recomend, im running 640 watt renogy panels, 2000w Renogy inverter, Renogy Bluetooth, x2 Renogy smart lithium batteries, and dc50 mppt charge controller. Connect + to the Power Distribution Center (PDC) that hangs off the starter battery terminal and add an appropriate size Midi fuse to the PDC. After some crawling around, Eddie determined that on our Truck, the frame was wide open, with hardly any obstructions, allowing for basically a straight shot from the engine compartment all the way to the tail of the Truck. Question about the 7 pin. This was puzzling to me, since it would seem that a 40amp DC charger wouldnt draw more than 40amps. I picked the 40 amp model . Eddie suggested giving the cables a good lube with dishwashing soap, so the fat rubber cables would slip nicely through the hose. The DC-DC battery charger will charge your house batteries from the starter battery by 3-stage charging (Bulk, Boost, and Float), to make sure it optimally and automatically charge to 100%. The Renogy hides the input cables and uses posts to connect the ca. At this point, the Truck prep and wiring was complete. I use a small fan to help it stop overheating. Offers Over-voltage Protection, Over-temperature Protection, and Reverse Polarity Protection to ensure the operation safety. A typical installation of a DC-DC charger. But in the UK, PV output isn't great. yowza. However, I did find that not supplying the BVS which is required but supplying the ignition detection wire that isnt was odd. The RV came with a mechanical solenoid isolator but I believe it was broken. They are available on Amazon as well as directly from Renogy. UPDATE Feb 27th, 2020 - I decided to buy myself a Renogy DC-DC charger meant for the task. The model range is suitable for 12V or 24V systems, and both lead acid and lithium batteries. The Renogy is $130 less. Easy to install and well made. Luckily Eddie had access to a fish wire, which easily passed through the channel. Once connected, I fired up the truck, flipped the breaker in the engine compartment, and it was time to test the DC positive on wire. Featuring a 3-stage battery charger and multiple electronic protections, users can feel confident that their batteries are being charged optimally and automatically. There are three different locations that we recommend installing fuses or breakers: Between the charge controller and battery bank Between the charge controller and solar panels Between the battery bank and inverter 1-Between the charge controller and battery bank Ensure that the maximum charging current provided by the DC-DC battery charger does not exceed the maximum charging current allowed by the house battery. To change the battery type you will need to press the push button that is located on the PV+ and ALT+ side of the DCDC, then continue to press the button and the LED will display different colors with each representing a single type of battery. 1. This Renogy DC-DC battery charger is compatible with traditional and smart alternators. It's the smart way to keep yourself fully charged and off-grid longer! Also note, I increased the breaker amps in a subsequent edit to this post. Remove the (4) seat bolts at each corner of the base of the seat. That seems to happen regularly on newer alts., so you need the signal wire attached to the D+ wire of the alt. He then passed the long positive #4 wire from the Truck battery, along this same area and passing it through the existing hole for the tailgate power. Renogy DC-DC On-Board Battery Charger is designed to charge service batteries from a starting battery linked to an alternator or by utilizing solar panels connected directly to the unit, offering multiple charging options and ensuring your battery stay fully charged. update 6/12/2020 : sure wish I had found this guys blog sooner ! Thats getting very close to your. step 15 : Fast forward a couple of days. For RV solar panel installation with limited space, we'd recommend going with monocrystalline panels for the most bang for your buck. DCC30S 12V 30A Dual Input DC-DC On-Board Battery Charger with MPPT. (each 100 watt panel can push about 5-6amps of 12 volt power). The DC-DC will not power on or operate until the D+ ignition cable is connected. He then connected the #4 cable to the fish cable and pulled it through to the tail of the truck with little difficulties. It also isolates the input and output to prevent voltage transmission errors and interfere with house battery charging. This is a good quality hose, very pliable and wide. Please note the temperature sensor is not included and it cannot use with Lithium batteries. This means, (in theory without any loss over the cabling runs), the DC-DC Charger can provide up to 480 watts of charging power to our batteries (40amps x 12 volts = 480watts). High-quality DC-DC chargers are three-stage chargers. That is, after a few days without consistent sunshine, we have no backup method for recharging our batteries. CaptainMitch. I solved this problem by installing a switch to isolate the solar when driving and in this way the alternator side produces and charges at 50 amps. Disconnect the main battery - This wasn't so easy, there is a small (5\" x 5\") plastic cover to the right of the accelerator pedal, pull it from the top and then pull up hard, its not easy bu t it comes off. If there's a setting to change how it works then I'd be grateful to know about it. The Terminal fuse protects the wire from the battery to the breaker, then the breaker protects the wire run along the length of the truck. I have some 4AWG that I think I can repurpose, or I'll just buy new wire off Amazon or something. We had followed the instructions as closely as possible. We checked that we had good current coming in to the input side of the unit, that was working properly. Stage 1: Boost- this offers the greatest voltage possible when charging a depleted battery. Make sure that the plug cannot tough the post by pushing it down out of the way. 5. The D+ ignition cable can be purchased at the local store or online, it suits both D+ and LC terminals. I anchored these to the wall so there would be no real stress points and tested all connections. Very happy so far. 18-16AWG copper cable recommended. so would be 45 amps from the alternator and 5 from the solar making up the 50 amps. For boats, the DC to DC charger will be plugged into a dockside outlet for use when the boat is in port. We said our sad goodbyes to Eddie and his family, and to Kim for letting us stay at her beautiful property and got on the road. WIth Built-in Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) technology, this battery charger with MPPT maximizes the solar power when charging from solar panels, and ensures that the loads receive maximum current to be used. Next up was creating a camper-side connector wire, which would run from the tail of the Truck, along the inside of the A-Frame of the trailer, and terminate inside the camper near the battery compartment, existing inverter, and the soon to be installed DC charger. Eddie suggested the Anderson connectors (and boot covers), pictured below, for the connection between the Truck and the Trailer. We thought, how about a section of hose ? However, since standard/traditional alternator has a fixed voltage when charging, while smart alternator has a controlled charging output based on operating conditions, it is required to connect the charger to the smart alternator through the Vehicle Ignition Port by the IGN Signal Wire comes with the package. step 17 : So now that we knew everything was rewired and working properly, it was time to connect the DC ON wire to a 12 volt source, in our case, some running lights so that when the truck is in tow mode you could send power, if desired, to the DC Charger. Make sure that the entire system is a 12V system, 2. 1. Learn more from, 12V 40A DC to DC On-Board Battery Charger, Battery Temperature Sensor for DC to DC on-board Battery Charger, DCC30S 12V 30A Dual Input DC-DC On-Board Battery Charger with MPPT, 12V 60A DC to DC On-Board Battery Charger, 12V 200Ah Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery w/ Bluetooth, Dimensions:8.3 x 6.9 x 2.7 in / 211 x 175 x 68 mm. step 16 : OK, so now that we knew that we were missing Trailer Frame Ground in this whole setups circuit, all we needed to do was get Trailer Frame Ground into the input side of the DC-DC Charger unit. And what the heck does that mean ? 1. What is the D+ Ignition cable? After flying back home, we were not ready to give up our new lifestyle yet, so we bought a minivan, converted it into a DIY minivan camper, and drove across Canada in search of beautiful campsites and stunning mountains to climb. This enables the backup battery's charge to be replenished quickly. This was his first time installing a DC-DC charger in a towable camper, but he was up for it. Please refer to the manual on page 15 for Battery Type LED. Installing a Ductless mini-split on an outdoors rv travel trailer, Installing a Victron 250watt Phoenix inverter, sure wish I had found this guys blog sooner, F-150 Powerboost. I needed a reliable DC to DC charger with solar input which had a maximum battery input of 50 amps. This multi-stage, multi-input battery charger can charge a service battery from a starting battery linked to an alternator or by utilizing solar panels connected directly to the unit. If you have any questions regarding this product, pleasesubmit a case. If you have any questions regarding this product, please, More questions about your off-grid power system? update : In October 2020 we added yet another 275 watts for solar, as well as another 100ah Battleborn battery for a total of 300ah. Also it seems like not alot of folks have the power and heated seats so there wasn't much info on wiring bit. Most default dual battery systems support auxiliary battery charging through an isolator but commonly this does not allow for a full charge of the second battery bank. If you have any questions regarding this product, please submit a case. To be fairthe diagrams, troubleshooting in the Renogy instructions for the DC-DC Charger arereally, really vague, super-specific to drivable RVs only, and in general just kind of suck. Renogy DC-DC Chargers support a variety of battery types and, depending on the charger, it operates while driving or stationary in order to maximize your off-grid lifestyle. Join Date: Aug 2020. 4. I put the question out to Matt of the awesome adventurousway.com, why do you need a fuse on battery and a circuit breaker both? Get about 46A (40 from DC-DC and 6A from 7-pin. DC-to-DC charger. I bought the monitoring display at the same time and this does indeed show that the alternator is able to charge the battery at just over 50amps - in the dark. This Renogy's DC to DC MPPT on-board Battery Charger has a built-in Voltage Sensitive Relay (VSR), thanks to which the charger will Trickle Charge the service battery and maintain its fully charged status, and will also Trickle Charge the starting battery via solar panels. here is a closeup of the anderson connector on the tail of the Truck (source) and the trailer side (load) the garden hose connector. I ordered some more #4 welding cable, some more ring connectors, bought a good linemans cutters from Home Depot (to make a clean cut in the #4 cable), as well as ordered a manual hammer crimp tool to connect the ring connectors to the #4 wire. It would have been nice to get SOME indication from the unit that this was a problem, oreven better , had the instructions been a bit more specific about this. 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