Help please with Victron Orion tr smart 12-12-30 dc-dc charger

[Northbynortheast]

Hello,

Need a little electrical/electronics help please.
I have installed a Victron tr smart isolated 12-12-30 dc-dc charger in my camper. I have used 6awg throughout, I’m using two Life Blue 100AH batteries. The input voltage at the charger is constantly varying with the truck running 7ish volts up to 13+ then back down again, no output voltage because of lockout. I had the same setup in my last rig which was a 2015 Tacoma with a Four Wheel Fleet and it worked very well. The new truck is a 2024 F350, the only other variable is that I used a 30A blue sea breaker at the truck battery in the new Ford, in the Toyota I had used a 60A breaker. Victron replaced the charger thinking it defective, the replacement is doing the same thing.

Please help!

 

[Jack]

The Victron DC-DC draws more than 30 A from the alternator - you need a 50 A thermal fuse or breaker at the battery. Note: Be sure your negative line is connected to the chassis where the battery negative is attached (so as to not bypass the battery control module).

 

[Northbynortheast]

Hi Jack,

Thanks for the reply. When you mention connecting the negative “line” to chassis ground, are you referring to connecting the negative 6g lead from the truck battery leading to the charger to chassis ground? Or negative line(s) from victron unit in the camper to truck chassis?

 

[Vic Harder]

Have you tried to adjust the lockout values? Since my Optima Yellow Top truck batteries rest at around 12.7, I use a 13.4V input to start the charging system of the Orion. If that doesn't work, you could hook up the remote start on the Orion to a switch in the cab. Or am I missing your point?

 

[Jon R]

Can we verify the configuration of both the positive and negative connections between the truck electrical system and the Orion charger?

I think I read a 6 awg positive wire from the positive post of the truck battery to the Orion positive input via a Blue Sea 30 amp breaker. Which model number breaker? Manual reset only I hope (I don’t know if Blue Sea makes any auto-reset breakers). As Jack said above the Orion draws around 35 amps so you should use a 50 amp breaker, but if it’s not tripping that’s not causing the Orion’s behavior.

I’m not clear about the negative connection. Is it a 6 awg wire all the way from the truck battery’s adjacent chassis connection to the Orion negative input? If you are relying on the chassis for much of the run rather than a dedicated negative wire, or relying on a small OEM camper ground wire, that could cause the cycling due to voltage drop.

 

[Bobbybrown111]

Based on my experience, inconsistent input voltage can indicate issues with the truck's electrical system. Check the connections and the new 30A breaker; it may not be sufficient. Try a higher-rated breaker, like the 60A from your Tacoma setup. If not you can contact AC repair in Fair Oaks https://alphamechanicals.com/service-area/fair-oaks-hvac-service for reliable advice.

 

[Jack]

NNE, I'm referring to the truck battery for the negative chassis ground.

As Vic points out, getting a good lockout value for your particular smart alternator can be tricky. I have disabled Input Voltage Lockout and am still tweaking Engine Shutdown Detection. I did run a 14 gauge wire along with the 6 gauge wire that I ran from the truck to the FWC and I'm still tempted to just use a fuse tap for a direct connect for engine on detection.