TheSamba.com :: View topic

Mon Nov 20, 2023 4:29 pm

With space a premium in these vans it was was my goal to add a house battery using as little "new" space as possible. To accomplish this goal, I removed the factory rear heater assembly under the bench (it was already bypassed anyway) and replaced it with a 100 amp/hour Renogy Lithium battery turned on it's side.

By laying the battery on it's side I was able to re-attach the original heater cover without modifications (I did modify the cover slightly to make room of the SafetyHub and wiring). I made a simple plywood "L-shaped" bracket/shelf to position the battery and provide a spot to mount the DC-DC charger. This bracket is screwed down to the floor of the van and a strap is wrapped around it and the battery.

Placing the DC-DC charger in this location allows me to monitor the status indicator lights through the original heater vent opening. I added a piece of hardware cloth (painted black) to protect the charger from accidentally being kicked.

One thing yet to be added is a battery disconnect switch/breaker. Right now I'm using the included Renogy switch to put the battery in "sleep" mode when needed. This works, but is cumbersome. I'm also relying on the Safteyhub and built-in battery overload protection in the event of a short.

To save time (and since I do not have heavy duty cable crimp tools), I ordered custom battery cables from batterycablesusa.com Custom for length, gauge and ends. I'm super impressed with their quality and delivery speed. Reasonably priced. Highly recommend!

Overall I'm super happy with how everything turned out. I'm happy to answer any specific questions.

Items in the build:
Renogy Smart Lithium Iron Phosphate 100 amp/hr w/self heater
Renogy 30 amp DC-DC-MMPT charger
Renogy hub
Renogy BT-2 (bluetooth module)
Noco Genius dual battery AC charger
Blue Sea SafetyHub 150
Blue Sea 50 amp switch/breaker
12v power port and dual USB outlet in the passenger side "B" pillar
Uniwerks Fridge Powerpod

Build sequence:

Rear heater removed:

Testing battery placement options:

SafetyHub, Battery location and "L-shaped" plywood battery and DC-DC charger mount finalized:

Additional AC outlet added to inside of cabinet for the Noco onboard AC charger:

Pass though hole drilled for routing wires:

Noco AC charger placement:

SafetyHub mounted and wiring begun:

Added a dual power port panel to the passenger side "B" pillar:

Uniwerks Fridge Powerpod installed:

Custom battery cables:

View of the DC-DC charger through the original heater vent area:

Mon Nov 20, 2023 6:03 pm

Very clean install, I like it! 8)

- Dave
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PS: How old is your fire extinguisher? Asking for a friend…

Sun Dec 03, 2023 7:38 pm

Very cool. Are you running wires from the battery in the front all the way to the DC-DC charger that's in the back? I'm trying to figure out how to avoid running wires front to back from the main battery to aux and instead connect the alternator to the aux battery.

Mon Dec 04, 2023 8:56 am

galpio05 wrote: Very cool. Are you running wires from the battery in the front all the way to the DC-DC charger that's in the back? I'm trying to figure out how to avoid running wires front to back from the main battery to aux and instead connect the alternator to the aux battery.

I did not run a new line up to the starter battery. Rather I ran a wire (6AWG - through one of the existing heater line holes) from the DC-DC charger to the starter (with a Blue Sea circuit breaker/switch in between). Way simpler and cleaner. Hope this helps!

Mon Dec 04, 2023 10:29 am

Very clean!

Tue Dec 05, 2023 4:23 am

MI-Bug wrote: galpio05 wrote: Very cool. Are you running wires from the battery in the front all the way to the DC-DC charger that's in the back? I'm trying to figure out how to avoid running wires front to back from the main battery to aux and instead connect the alternator to the aux battery.

I did not run a new line up to the starter battery. Rather I ran a wire (6AWG - through one of the existing heater line holes) from the DC-DC charger to the starter (with a Blue Sea circuit breaker/switch in between). Way simpler and cleaner. Hope this helps!

Thanks for confirming, very much appreciated. Very clean!