I need more power Scotty!

If the DC-DC charger sees that it is getting too hot it will start dialing back ("throttling") how much current it passes on to the battery(ies). This may be an active part of it's programing or it could simply be a function of increased resistance due to the conductors inside it getting hot.
 
Wallowa
Ambient temps were 87F. I couldn’t touch the charger for more than a count of 5 after it started charging within 5 minutes. It had started at just under 30a, was in bulk, throttled to 24amps pretty quick. I think it’s something to be aware of and check if charging bulk, if you see it throttled, it’s doing its job, but not as efficient and hot.

Also, I camp in NFs a lot with no sun to speak of, so mostly rely on a Honda1K or truck for charging. If I do have sun, I keep things topped off with a 200w solar suitcase that seems to do the job.
 
I did the Victron Orion DCDC upgrade along with 6AWG wiring to the camper.

I terminated the 6AWG on an Anderson SB-50 connector inside a Trailer Vision flush mount in the truck bed. As with Vic, I also wired my OEM BlueSea ACR (#7611) in parallel with the DCDC.

I control the mutually exclusive devices using an ignition signal from my truck and a relay for the ACR. As a companion mod, I am swapping out the FWC OEM Iota DLS-30 with internal IQ4 ACDC converter for a programmable Victron IP-22 12/30 (1) model.

The IGN signal is passed via the FWC OEM 10/2 cable terminated on the Attwood connector in the bed. In other words, I kept the FWC engine bay to camper 10 AWG wiring and re-purposed it for signaling instead of power.

IMG_0483.jpeg
 
thank you for your write up.....I have come to the conclusion after three years of hard use on my AGM's that I need to be doing somthing in the charging system to get the full benefit of battery life. I have learned alot thank you hoopy
 
I haven't carried my portable solar panel for years now. Probably will when I start going taking longer trips.
 
I wish there were an easy tutorial on how to keep the ACR when upgrading to lithium batteries. What's written up here is good but I'll not be attempting it. Messing with ignition signals, heaters, remembering to flip switches, etc. and dealing with expensive consequences if/when I forget something is more complication than I'm going to go for. I suspect that vendors will develop a DC-DC/ACR if there isn't something of the sort already. Something relatively easy to DIY. In the mean time I'll upgrade to lithium, remove the ACR that came with my FWC, install the 12-30 DC-DC and call it good. In winter when truck and camper are in storage (for most part) I'll trickle charge the battery in my 2025 Silverado with a separate AC/DC charger.

Thanks much to Vic and others for sharing all the expertise though!! Some of which I grasp quite readily. Some.... well, not.
 
It is true that a DC-DC charger is a one-way device, so using the solar via a dual sensing ACR/VSR to also keep the starting battery(ies) up isn't going to work. In pondering my move to LPF I have considered the possible options. In all cases I can use solar to keep the LPF battery up maybe 70% of the time, the rest of the time I'll be relying on the second paragraph below.
It is unfortunate that all of the known options with LPF batteries are one-way. In the early days of ACR/VSR's that was also the case. I hope and expect that the mfg's will see the need for bi-directional charging and will soon make products to address this need.

For maint. charging I've been using NOCO chargers and each of my vehicles likely to be put on such a charger gets one of their QD pigtails added to the battery terminals so that I don't even need to open the hood to make the connection.
 
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I have a battery selector switch on mine - in one position you use the ACR and in the other it uses the DC-DC. I have enough solar that I rarely use the DC-DC, so 95% of the time I am in the ACR position and the solar keeps the lithium house battery and AGM starter battery charged.
 
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rando said:
I have a battery selector switch on mine - in one position you use the ACR and in the other it uses the DC-DC. I have enough solar that I rarely use the DC-DC, so 95% of the time I am in the SCR position and the solar keeps the lithium house battery and AGM started battery charged.
Click to expand...
Where is your selector switch located?
 
rando said:
I have a battery selector switch on mine - in one position you use the ACR and in the other it uses the DC-DC. I have enough solar that I rarely use the DC-DC, so 95% of the time I am in the ACR position and the solar keeps the lithium house battery and AGM starter battery charged.
Click to expand...
Ditto
 
J D said:
Did you relocate the ACR there as well? Sorry for all the questions. But thanks for the replys!
Click to expand...
My system is kind of non-standard. The ACR is under the hood by the truck battery, it feeds the selector switch in the camper battery box, and the outputs of the switch either go direct to the LiFePO4 battery, or to my DC-DC charger. My DC-DC charger is actually a 12 - 24V DC-DC booster that feeds the input to my MPPT solar controller, not a standalone unit.
 
I have a battery selector switch in the battery box, and a 100A breaker. If the selector switch is OFF, i can turn on the breaker and it feeds my dcdc charger. Or if I turn off the breaker i can move the battery selector switch so that the two batteries are directly connected to the truck batteries (through more breakers). Works well
 
All good info. Thanks!

Of course my setup will be different if for no other reason than available space in the battery box. I already have solar charge controller, breaker for it, and shunt in there. Adding the DC-DC is doable it appears. A selector switch? Maybe. Actually seeing much of anything in there once the 230Ah battery goes in is a different story. My ACR (came with camper) is in a different area (small cabinet toward cab from heater). Upgrading the ACR to the Blue Sea 7622 looks like it would take more space than available (the one I have is BS 7611). Part of this whole upgrade is 6ga wire with BS 50A breakers near each battery. That's pretty strait forward when only considering the DC-DC but keeping the ACR?? I don't know...

The cost (time, $$, aggravation) to benefit (potentially helpful) analysis has me scratching my head. And the potential to mess things up when linking lifpo4 to AGM and smart alternator keeps me skeptical.

I'm not giving up but maybe will just go with DC-DC initially. :confused:
 
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