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Help me build an Aux battery system
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Jd56
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 10:20 am    Post subject: Re: Help me build an Aux battery system Reply with quote

So I thought was fairly straight forward but seem to be having issues. 1. With the victron cyrix-li-ct do you know those other external monitor if the lithium battery your using has internal bms. 2. To wiring the victron you go + battery fuse battery side of the victron, then from the lithium side of the victron to fuse to lithium battery correct? Cause I did that and blew my fuse when the wire touched the terminal.
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crazyvwvanman
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 10:38 am    Post subject: Re: Help me build an Aux battery system Reply with quote

What size fuse blew?
Where was the fuse located?
Mark
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Jd56
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 10:58 am    Post subject: Re: Help me build an Aux battery system Reply with quote

250 amp. I don’t think anything touched metal and I don’t have any loads even hooked up yet. It wasn’t even connected to my lithium battery. When I was making sure the length was good it touched and arc a lil I was like that’s odd so I touched it and blew the fuse.
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Jd56
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 8:12 pm    Post subject: Re: Help me build an Aux battery system Reply with quote

So now I am even more confused, cause I wired up solar, my inverter/charger, fuse block, and everything is working no fuse issue or anything. I haven’t tried to reattempt a fuse in the victron setup yet. Only thing I can think now is one of the wires I made for it touched metal, so I’ll go through it and check that piece of the systems.
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DuncanS
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2019 2:59 am    Post subject: Re: Help me build an Aux battery system Reply with quote

A 250 amp failure--serious welding current--didn't happen because of some component failure. Even an internal failure of that magnitude would fry the guts of anything, so you must have a dead short to ground post fuse somewhere. However, that is such a massive current flow, it most likely destroyed and or seriously compromised any terminals between the fuse and where the short occurred. Careful inspection and replacement should be the work order for the day.
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Jd56
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2019 7:23 am    Post subject: Re: Help me build an Aux battery system Reply with quote

There is no damage anywhere. Drove the van multiple times to get odds and ends for the solar panel and other things wired up. Everything worked and functioned. That’s what I don’t understand nothing was hooked up. I had two wires to the victron the one side wasn’t even connected yet and it touched the start battery and arced. I wonder if I should hook aux battery-fuse-victron-fuse-start battery instead of the reverse order. I wouldn’t think it’d matter.
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DuncanS
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2019 4:20 pm    Post subject: Re: Help me build an Aux battery system Reply with quote

Are you sure the wires from the batteries didn't get confused so you were actually touching a positive lead to a negative one? Check polarity.
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Paulbeard
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2019 5:11 pm    Post subject: Re: Help me build an Aux battery system Reply with quote

thatvwbusguy wrote:
I have yet to find a better solution to installing a portable panel than the Powerwerx PanelPole. Very secure and can handle 45A.

https://powerwerx.com/panelpole-panel-mount-powerpole-housing


Alas, I found these to be terrible in use, unreliable connections/poor latching. I went with the old SAE connector and never looked back. The PowerPoles are too shallow to provide any strain relief on their own (like a 110v household plug) and any useful gauge of wire will be too heavy. Maybe a flush mount like this was a bad idea…
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kamzcab86
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2019 6:35 pm    Post subject: Re: Help me build an Aux battery system Reply with quote

Paulbeard wrote:
Alas, I found these to be terrible in use, unreliable connections/poor latching. I went with the old SAE connector and never looked back. The PowerPoles are too shallow to provide any strain relief on their own (like a 110v household plug) and any useful gauge of wire will be too heavy.


Five years with mine, without issue.

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Paulbeard
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2019 6:50 pm    Post subject: Re: Help me build an Aux battery system Reply with quote

kamzcab86 wrote:

Five years with mine, without issue.

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¯\_(ツ)_/¯

All I know is what I experienced.
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izzydog
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2019 7:21 pm    Post subject: Re: Help me build an Aux battery system Reply with quote

Can I make a suggestion for anyone needing to get their solar cables outside of their van?

My battery, solar controller and other stuff is under my rear seat. I ran the cables from the solar controller through the firewall, around the engine compartment and out the license plate door. The cable connectors live just behind the license plate door when I'm driving around. Never had an issue.

Why not use a "hole" in your van that's already there, instead of making a new one?

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Jd56
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2019 7:31 pm    Post subject: Re: Help me build an Aux battery system Reply with quote

The other didn’t even make it to a battery. It only went battery fuse combiner. From combiner had a wire just hanging.
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DuncanS
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2019 9:05 pm    Post subject: Re: Help me build an Aux battery system Reply with quote

Jd56 wrote:
The other didn’t even make it to a battery. It only went battery fuse combiner. From combiner had a wire just hanging.


Don't know what you mean here. The other? Battery fuse combiner? Do you mean the fuse for the battery combiner? From combiner had a wire just hanging. Wire from where--which polarity and where was it supposed to go and what was it's function. Draw a crude sketch of the circuit and where the short occurred and post that so we can make helpful comments.
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Jd56
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2019 9:45 pm    Post subject: Re: Help me build an Aux battery system Reply with quote

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PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2019 9:46 pm    Post subject: Re: Help me build an Aux battery system Reply with quote

The wire running under the mat was just a cut end touching nothing. The top of the inline fuse went to the battery terminal accidentally touched and that’s when it arced and popped the fuse
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DuncanS
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2019 10:09 pm    Post subject: Re: Help me build an Aux battery system Reply with quote

Those terminals are way too close to the body to be unprotected. Slip a piece of 1/4" plexiglass under the Cyrix and extend it out to the ends of the terminals. But also get some boots on then as having a welding cable hanging out where stuff can touch then is a fire waiting to happen. With the fuse out, do you have continuity to ground by touching the Cyrix feed? And then the supply or the line you claim is under the mat and touching nothing? Is that cut end all taped up?
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dionski
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 11:20 am    Post subject: Re: Help me build an Aux battery system Reply with quote

I'm putting an AGM auxiliary under the rear seat which I will connect to the nearby alternator. Initially I'll probably only be using it to run an inverter so that I can plug in my computer and use a blender to make my morning smoothie. I am assuming that the battery will need it's own voltage regulator because of the different charging requirements of the AGM vs lead acid. Can somebody tell me what regulator I should get and how to wire it up? Thanks....
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Paulbeard
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 6:42 pm    Post subject: Re: Help me build an Aux battery system Reply with quote

dionski wrote:
I can plug in my computer and use a blender to make my morning smoothie.


almost anything you want is available in 12V and does away with the inefficiencies/complications of an inverter.
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Steve M.
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 7:08 pm    Post subject: Re: Help me build an Aux battery system Reply with quote

Jd56 wrote:
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This just my thinking, but this is an awkward place to mount these. One reason is they are taking up a valuable location space for when your loading up for a trip and you have something you want to shove up against the back of the passenger seat.
Another reason is that it is a vunerable spot where they are subject to getting hit by anything and everything that gets close to them...that would include your legs as you go from front to back.

There is room under the passenger seat. It is not really clear here because I have a swivel seat, but underneath the battery hold down bracket there is plenty of room to safely get this located. I would mount this on a thin board cut to fit and laying flat on the bottom of the space all the way to the rear up against the battery.
You have to take the battery out to fit it, but there is plenty of room and taking the battery out is safer because you had to disconnect the battery before you start working on the electrics!
You also really need to get some shrink wrap over this bare naked positive cable ends. This is a major accident/fire waiting to happen.

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I even have the Rocky Mountain Westy locking drawer installed and there is room down in the space where I slipped a light into the space to show you.
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While you have the battery out you can clean the battery Ground and also seal the battery cable hole in the bottom to keep the mice out...there are pages & pages written about the mice!
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Last edited by Steve M. on Sat Jul 20, 2019 7:25 pm; edited 1 time in total
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dionski
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 7:14 pm    Post subject: Re: Help me build an Aux battery system Reply with quote

Paulbeard wrote:
dionski wrote:
I can plug in my computer and use a blender to make my morning smoothie.


almost anything you want is available in 12V and does away with the inefficiencies/complications of an inverter.


I've never seen a 12v blender that does what a Vitamix does. And I already have the vitamix. And the inverter. And it's pretty simple to clip the inverter leads to the battery. I just want to make sure that I'm not going to damage the battery when charging from the alternator.
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