16 replies to this topic

[howtomountaingoat]

Thanks everyone. I am all kitted out with 4awg wire, 175amp anderson plugs, two 50amp blue sea breakers, and two 150ah batteries for 300ah LiFePO4 storage total. I also added a 1000watt inverter with a 150amp blue sea breaker. I am planning on adding a vent similar to the vent that covers the IOTA to the interior battery box wall the give even more ventilation (it has small circular vents to the tiedown area, but id like the interior wall to also have venitalation). I've also installed a temperature monitor so I can monitor battery box temp from the truck drivers seat for longer drives where the Victron may get hot. If temperature is a constant issue I will add a barrel latch to keep the battery box hatch open during drives.

 

So far, so good. The existing Zamp PWM controller + 160 watt panel tops off the batteries to around 98%. The Victron 30amp DCtoDC charges the batteries FAST. Both batteries were at 80% and after a run to the grocery store both batteries were topped off. Inverter charges phone, laptop, and runs Starlink router without kicking the internal fan on.

 

Thanks again.

[maurzog]

@howtomountaingoat

 

Thanks for posting this! I am approaching this exact scenario with my 2018 Hawk, I just purchased a 200AH lithium battery locally, It came with a 20a DC-DC Renogy charger but thinking of replacing it with the Orion 30A to get a little more current and to go with my Victron Smart Monitor and Smartsolar with 400 watts of panels.

 

Do you just wire in the DC-DC next to the battery for the wiring coming from the alternator? I do not have the camper with me so do not have photos of the wiring. Should I leave the IOTA DLS-30 as is? I thought the alternator current came through the IOTA as well but I must be wrong.

 

Any help is appreciated so I can get ordered what I need.

 

Also thanks KP for breaking this stuff down, I just need it even further spelled out

 

[Jon R]

In a stock Hawk with an electrical system, the positive wire from the truck goes to the Blue Sea ACR, then to the fuse panel hot bus. It does not go “through” the DLS30. The DLS30 output positive is also connected to the fuse panel hot bus. Finally, the battery positive is connected to the fuse panel hot bus via the silver push/pull switch.

If you install a dc to dc converter, you will change the truck positive wire to go straight to the dc to dc converter (and nowhere else) and the dc to dc converter output goes directly to the battery or your battery bus bar. You would disconnect the truck power wire from the ACR and disable the ACR by disconnecting it or pulling the inline fuse. Appropriate fusing was discussed above.

You can leave the DLS30 as is to use as a shore power 120vac to 12vdc converter.

Edited by Jon R, 23 March 2023 - 03:41 AM.

[Jon R]

Thanks everyone. I am all kitted out with 4awg wire, 175amp anderson plugs, two 50amp blue sea breakers, and two 150ah batteries for 300ah LiFePO4 storage total. I also added a 1000watt inverter with a 150amp blue sea breaker. I am planning on adding a vent similar to the vent that covers the IOTA to the interior battery box wall the give even more ventilation (it has small circular vents to the tiedown area, but id like the interior wall to also have venitalation). I've also installed a temperature monitor so I can monitor battery box temp from the truck drivers seat for longer drives where the Victron may get hot. If temperature is a constant issue I will add a barrel latch to keep the battery box hatch open during drives.

So far, so good. The existing Zamp PWM controller + 160 watt panel tops off the batteries to around 98%. The Victron 30amp DCtoDC charges the batteries FAST. Both batteries were at 80% and after a run to the grocery store both batteries were topped off. Inverter charges phone, laptop, and runs Starlink router without kicking the internal fan on.

Thanks again.

The Orion produces heat, but I have not found it to be a problem in my closed Grandby battery compartment. I’ve stopped and checked it at rest stops. The only vents in my compartment are the two 2 inch round exterior vents. Mount it low and per the instructions.

[maurzog]

Thanks Jon super helpful. I started the teardown today and seems straightforward, 200 AH battery barely drops in, few hiccups like the anderson plug I ordered but at least should have all the wiring done tomorrow.

 

One question I had was I got the non-isolated Orion and was just going to run the single ground back to the bus bar, no reason for the isolated version I assume, correct?

Edited by maurzog, 26 March 2023 - 02:19 AM.

[Jon R]

Thanks Jon super helpful. I started the teardown today and seems straightforward, 200 AH battery barely drops in, few hiccups like the anderson plug I ordered but at least should have all the wiring done tomorrow.

One question I had was I got the non-isolated Orion and was just going to run the single ground back to the bus bar, no reason for the isolated version I assume, correct?

Non-isolated will work fine, and is what most people use.

I bought the isolated version because I originally intended to keep my camper ground isolated from the truck ground. I was unable to do that because the running lights, which are supposed to have a separate ground wire to the camper negative bus bar, had the ground wire for one of the rear spot lights connected to the running light ground. This produced some very odd behavior as I tried to isolate the running light ground and wire it to the truck, but I eventually figured it out. My two choices were to take the rear wall apart to fix the wiring or just tie the truck and camper grounds together. So my system is non-isolated.

[maurzog]

Got it will just be tying it all back into the bus bar so hopefully GTG.