Victron DC/DC charger install ARB Drawers

[RKRUGER]

I have been running my ARB 50L and other electronics off of an X2 Power 27F for a couple of years now with great results. A 4 awg cable runs from the breaker thru the firewall and terminated at the Blue Sea fuse pack mounted to the face of the ARB drawers. Recently the 27F maintained the fridge full of beer at 42 F while my buddies and I canoed away for 4 days. I set the LVD on HI and the battery still showed 12.4 when we returned. Obviously no one was opening and closing it, and it was full of cold beer, but impressive performance nonetheless.

Recently on Prime Days this battery showed up for $133. https://a.co/d/abxKEp7

So, I decided to give it a try. It isn’t here yet, so I am not certain the form factor, but at roughly 9x8.5x5 it won’t take up much space in the side wing area of my ARB drawer set.
Today I took a stab at preparing for the battery. And I’d appreciate a set of eyes on the wiring.

4 AWG from the start AGM through breaker to the cabin ( this was existing and powered the fridge).

Copper ring terminal is for the house loads and will attach to a Blue Sea 40 amp breaker. Terminated 6 AWG plugs into the Victron DC/DC charger.
Now this is where it gets real.

Neg terminal from Victron and current house loads go to shunt. POS output goes to 40amp breaker and to POS lead to the battery. NEG battery lead goes to shunt. I need to make one more ground wire from the charger and that will go to chassis ground.

I relied heavily on 2022 KISS Dual Battery as well as Travis’s House Battery for inspiration. The Blue Sea fused terminal will hold a 40amp fuse directly connected to the battery. The POS lead will attach to that terminal. Once the battery shows up I will be able to determine cable length. And it all will tuck away under the fixed portion of the DS drawer wing.

 

[spressomon]

Looks good from here! I added the Orion XS to my Escape trailer charging circuit this spring, after finding a 20% dealio on same, and have been seeing typically 35-ish amps being generated into the LFP at idle off my UZJ100 and 48-49A(!) off idle from the '07 LBZ Duramax Silverado!

I also, after years of using Bussman resettable circuit breakers, discovered these MP resettable breakers: Mechanical Products - 70 Amp Surface Mount Circuit Breaker Type 3 Manual Reset DC - Series 17 - https://industrialtecsupply.com/collections/circuit-breakers/products/mechanical-products-70-amp-surface-mount-circuit-breaker-type-3-manual-reset-dc

They are noticeably smoother in operation than any of my Bussman equivalents and USA made. Just an FYI.

 

[RKRUGER]

I also, after years of using Bussman resettable circuit breakers, discovered these MP resettable breakers: Mechanical Products - 70 Amp Surface Mount Circuit Breaker Type 3 Manual Reset DC - Series 17 - https://industrialtecsupply.com/collections/circuit-breakers/products/mechanical-products-70-amp-surface-mount-circuit-breaker-type-3-manual-reset-dc

Oooooo. I like that. Do you find these to be better than the Blue Sea offerings? I have found that the Blue Sea 2850 60amp that lives under the hood gets a bit sticky over time, especially after dusty conditions, but a little WD-40 and compressed air seems to perk it up.

I looked at the Orion XS and really like the smaller form factor but the cost and the larger heat sink on the TR 12/12-18 swayed my decision in the end.

Thanks for the comments! It really means alot coming from you with your experience.

 

[e9999]

Nice! Very neat!

IIRC, the Orions have a manual on/off feature where you put a small switch between the 2 tiny connectors on the side. Might be worth having the switch out in front in case you need to stop the thing in a hurry and you don't want to dig in through the luggage pile to get to the breaker. It can be done with Vconnect too, I imagine, but that is a lot of fumbling.

If this is going to be buried deep, I would also consider putting a dimple on the ferrules to help ensure they won't slip out under vibration.

 

[RKRUGER]

Thanks @e9999 Now that you mention it, it may be a good idea to secure the panel with Velcro strips rather than the supplied hex fasteners. If there is an issue, I can just rip and go.

The ferrule crimps are sawtoothed and I never considered that may indeed help them stay secure.

I am still at odds as to which side of the breaker I should put the dc/dc output. The way I have it now I can disconnect the loads from the battery and charger, but it also isolates the loads completely from the starter battery. The dc/dc does have a power supply mode (converter) so I could, in theory, power the fridge from the starter battery through the charger in the event of a battery failure if the charger was on the load side of the breaker. That is the KISS way (see above).

Provided it isn't catastrophic and burns the rig down. But these LiFePo are supposed to be so much more stable than Lithium Ion, right. This is the battery I am using.

I won’t even be close to testing its limits like this guy.

 

[spressomon]

@RKRUGER, I have not tried the Mechanical Products in an engine bay; only the Bussmans/Minnkota units which still function in the engine bay of my 100 albeit a bit sluggish when using as an on/off switch. But, the MP units along with Bussmans reside in the metal nose box of the Escape trailer and it has hit 120ºF inside the box, more than a few times but doesn't see dust or water.

Have not tried the BlueSea units.

 

[RKRUGER]

It’s getting there. Victron DCDC charger wired to starter AGM via 6 awg. Charger is isolated type so grounded to frame through the bolt that secured the drawer system. The theads treated with dialectric grease. I’ve connected the battery to the system via Anderson connectors to ease in and out and allow for quickly disconnecting it from the truck should something go awry.

What’s not shown is the NEG from the Blue Sea fuse box is now connected to the load side of the shunt. I need to finish the install of the meter/ gauge.

Drove it to work today to work out the app interface and test the charging and everything seems to working just fine.

 

[RKRUGER]

Adding a few photos from the battery product manual.

 

[e9999]

very professional-looking job!
Maybe worth keeping in mind: IIANM, Victron says that the Orion (well, at least mine) should be installed vertically with 10cm spacing above and under them to ensure good cooling and also that they should not be placed on a flammable surface. They do get quite hot indeed. YMMV.

 

[FrazzledHunter]

very professional-looking job!
Maybe worth keeping in mind: IIANM, Victron says that the Orion (well, at least mine) should be installed vertically with 10cm spacing above and under them to ensure good cooling and also that they should not be placed on a flammable surface. They do get quite hot indeed. YMMV.

The chargers also de-rate when they get hot, which they do even if mounted vertically. Adding a blower to cool them gets them to run at their rated output at all times.

 

[RKRUGER]

Thanks @e9999 I surely don’t know everything here yet, and likely never will. And I appreciate the feedback as the kudos. I NEED it to be neat. A bit of OCD in the blood or synapses. It is also easier to diagnose which I think everyone would agree. In my younger years I spent time driving not that old at the time over the road tractors as farm trucks hauling grain and the wiring was always a rats nest. I can not abide.

On the heat… I have been looking and reading quite a bit on this and while YMMV, it seems most of the ones that talk about heat are the higher amperage units. This is the 18amp unit, which I believe will be sufficient for my usage and also won’t be overtaxed generating a bunch of heat. After commuting 25 miles one way several times this week, it hasn’t even been warm to the touch. I am not dismissing your advice and have thought that I could add an aluminum sheet to the entire bottom side of the ARB panel and then mount the devices to the sheet. I don’t like that for conductivity purposes but it would also act like a heat sink.

Finished up wiring the shunt and the BM712 gauge this evening. I may need to rethink this as I cannot locate the breaker with the panel secure. The wiring for the shunt is in the way. I bought the BM712 set from a guy on ExPo that was going all in on Redarc, so I don’t have much in it, but I am not convinced I need it. A simple buss bar would be cleaner. If the battery had BT connectivity I would simplify.

The battery… with its Anderson connection and its NOCO charging connector. That is a 60amp fused terminal. It’s all stashed away and then I got to thinking, “dang, Kruger, that’s not gonna work!”

Anyone guess what I realized?

 

[e9999]

how hot your Orion will get is a function of the load. It will be hotter when it's charging at a full clip, of course. You could check its temperature under that condition, if you haven't already. IIRC, the 18A does have fins in the back so having an aluminum backing sheet would probably not do very much unless you could ensure very good contact with the thin fin tips, which may not be obvious. And even then, thin sheet metal, especially horizontal and with a backing is not a great heat sink.

 

[RKRUGER]

The 12/12-18 does have deep fins but they do not extend beyond the depth of the metal frame of the device.

In Travis’ House Battery build, he mounts the charger in the same spot, and I asked if he has noticed problems with heat. My comment about adding an aluminum sheet was more for fire proofing than a heat sink. I thought you were most concerned that I’d burn down my rig.
BMV-712 is an interesting toy to play with. Lots of settings and modes to discover.

 

[RKRUGER]

BMV-712 gauge fitted. ExPo!

 

[lembowski]

Have any shots of how you secured the battery down? See the battery is on its side and a nylon strap.

 

[RKRUGER]

There is a footmans loop bolted to the drawer frame that the nylon strap runs through. If the drawer was empty, and there was a head on collision, the battery “could theoretically” slide out from around the strap. The way it sits, the battery isn’t going anywhere when the drawer is packed.

 

[lembowski]

Cool, I didn’t know if you used the open seat bolts in the floorboard somehow. Thanks!

 

[RKRUGER]

No, nothing that sophisticated. I was hopeful to find a rubberized strap I could cinch down to prevent sliding but I’ve noticed no movement at all when I’ve been out and about. It’s really like it was all meant to be there.

 

[peesalot]

I like simple, if that X2 did the canoe trip why not put 100w of solar to it and it would dam near be stand alone unlimited given sun ?
Does that LIFEPO batt have a bms ?

 

[RKRUGER]

@peesalot I get that. The difference is having a cold beer and having the security of an isolated starting battery. Plus, it was a fun project where I learned some new skills and increased the usability of the rig at the same time.

Yes, the BattCycle includes a BMS. I wouldn’t recommend installing a LiPOFe that does not have one.