Ecoflow Delta 2

[DonGraham]

Those of you who have an Ecoflow Delta 2 in your GC 680, I'm interested to know where you installed it?
If I decide to buy one, ideally I'd like to install it in the electric cabinet, but having a look with my inch tape it looks very tight, and if it can fit in there, it will be difficult to connect anything to it. So the alternative is the next door cupboard beside the rear door which I'm sure will be big enough, but I keep my leveller blocks, hook up lead, water fill hose etc in there.
Any advice appreciated, and I've got to say this is a great forum! As a newby GC owner I've picked up loads of advice just by reading through posts, and no doubt there is a post with the answer to my quiery but I havent found it yet...
Thanks...

 

[Carryon Cali Camping]

i have a Delta Max, so a bit bigger than yours, but have it stored under the external shower shelf by the rear door, that way it can be plugged in to the 240v or 12v socket located there and also plenty of room to run an extension in to the main area etc. I also have a 5m EHU that I can plug in to it and run it to the EHU point when required (I have zero diy skills to even attempt to hardwirecto the vans electrics like some have, very jealous! )….

 

[GordonH]

The Delta 2 stores pretty neatly under the shower shelf. See pic. I also have the extra battery. The stand in the picture is made from 12mm ply with a false back to allow the battery cable to be run from one to another. I’ve just updated it all using HPL instead of ply but no picture as yet with that in place. The 230Vac outlet connects to the van via a changeover arrangement on the GC 13A outlet circuit allowing selection of hookup or ecoflow. I can also select if I want the GCs 230Vac mains charger to be supplied by the Ecoflow. You can find details of that changeover system and a simpler version on the Grand Cali UK facebook group in the files section.

 

[IsThisNameLongEnough]

So we fitted our Ecoflow delta 2 into the electrical cupboard - just removed the vertical wall (since we don't store anything else in there - bikes make it hard to get into.

(Reused the 'table securing strap' to hold the delta down)

One of the pain in the ass things - you need bluetooth and the app to start/stop the AC inverter, otherwise its a reach around the back - I understand the delta pro (?) has a wired remote you can use.

Also added a 12V battery protection relay - Ecoflow charges (slowly) from the house battery when the house battery voltage is over 13V


@GordonH - thank you for the direction around the part numbers for the wago connectors.
The other change I did - was just put it inline with the AC output, so no changeover switch, and using the Ecoflow inbuilt protection.

 

[DonGraham]

Thanks guys, really good info!

 

[Calimili]

i have a Delta Max, so a bit bigger than yours, but have it stored under the external shower shelf by the rear door, that way it can be plugged in to the 240v or 12v socket located there and also plenty of room to run an extension in to the main area etc. I also have a 5m EHU that I can plug in to it and run it to the EHU point when required (I have zero diy skills to even attempt to hardwirecto the vans electrics like some have, very jealous! )….

Careful with that. You have no earth, i.e.no protection if you use more than one device or appliance. When plugged into your EHU there is already the battery charger and possibly the fridge. Anything you plug into any 230V socket will not be earthed. Stay safe!

 

[Carryon Cali Camping]

Careful with that. You have no earth, i.e.no protection if you use more than one device or appliance. When plugged into your EHU there is already the battery charger and possibly the fridge. Anything you plug into any 230V socket will not be earthed. Stay safe!

Thanks, I believe this has been discussed at length and no reported issues. I have been a member of the Motorhome forum, where again there are pages and pages of this topic, again with no reported issues. But I do appreciate you raising it.

 

[Calimili]

Thanks, I believe this has been discussed at length and no reported issues. I have been a member of the Motorhome forum, where gain there are pages and pages of this topic, again with no reported issues. But I do appreciate you raising it.

Perfect, if you are aware of it , that's all.

 

[Benh76]

Hi all, just collected my GC600 this weekend and wanted to ensure I can go off grid and still have fridge and heating working after 2 days. Am I right in thinking you can use the 12v outlet on the delta into the 12v socket in the GC boot area and it will prevent you losing leisure power?
Cheers Ben

 

[Carryon Cali Camping]

Hi all, just collected my GC600 this weekend and wanted to ensure I can go off grid and still have fridge and heating working after 2 days. Am I right in thinking you can use the 12v outlet on the delta into the 12v socket in the GC boot area and it will prevent you losing leisure power?
Cheers Ben

I could be completely wrong, but I do not think that will allow you to draw 12V power from the ecoflow. @GordonH has done a great job in wiring his ecoflow’s into the main electric unit of the van with a switchover etc. We just have a short EHU cable and charge the leisure battery up as required from the ecoflow. I have also ran a standard extension lead plugged in to the EcoFlow to the living area and run any appliances from that.

 

[GordonH]

Hi all, just collected my GC600 this weekend and wanted to ensure I can go off grid and still have fridge and heating working after 2 days. Am I right in thinking you can use the 12v outlet on the delta into the 12v socket in the GC boot area and it will prevent you losing leisure power?
Cheers Ben

Unfortunately not, The 12V output on the Ecoflow D2 is not designed as a battery charger so there is no backflow protection and no active current limit so at best it will just trip out but you risk damaging it. There are other approaches. There is lot of discussion and info on the VW Grand California UK facebook group on this topic. Have a read through this post and a look through the files section for more info on a changeover switch. https://www.facebook.com/groups/833942000874865/permalink/1418346045767788/

 

[@5coob5%]

I could be completely wrong, but I do not think that will allow you to draw 12V power from the ecoflow. @GordonH has done a great job in wiring his ecoflow’s into the main electric unit of the van with a switchover etc. We just have a short EHU cable and charge the leisure battery up as required from the ecoflow. I have also ran a standard extension lead plugged in to the EcoFlow to the living area and run any appliances from that.

Hi there, realise you're post is from Feb last year but how effective do you find plugging Ecoflow into EHU? Ie how much extra leisure battery does it really give you? Keen to pursue Ecoflow and whilst aware of all the options for changeover switches etc really want to keep it simple and easily removable. Final Q do you charge your Ecoflow from 12v in garage when driving? ( Again is that effective)? TIA

 

[GordonH]

Hi there, realise you're post is from Feb last year but how effective do you find plugging Ecoflow into EHU? Ie how much extra leisure battery does it really give you? Keen to pursue Ecoflow and whilst aware of all the options for changeover switches etc really want to keep it simple and easily removable. Final Q do you charge your Ecoflow from 12v in garage when driving? ( Again is that effective)? TIA

A Delta 2 plugged into the EHU will give you around 80% more off grid ‘run-time’, the actual run-time being a function of your GC setup and what you are doing, so if you get just over one day off-grid before hitting 50%, you can fully recharge the battery using most of the Delta 2s capacity giving you another day before you arrive back at 50 %. Using the 230Vac output on the Delta 2 to charge the leisure battery is not a particularly efficient way of using the Delta 2's energy store but it is an easy one. I've attached a file on an alternative method that I use in my van that is about 50% more efficient and avoids the float charge issue automatically but needs a few soldering iron and assembly skills. The document also explains a little bit about the pros and cons of using the Ecoflow's 230Vac. EDIT - Sorry also meant to say - Yes, you can charge from the GCs 12V system (while driving is best to ensure you don't flatten the leisure battery but you don't 'need' the engine running to charge the Ecoflow). If using the GCs cigarette socket outlet in the garage limit the charge to 4A as that connector will overheat much beyond that figure. If it's something you want to do then in theory you can go up to 15A with a simple trick but that really does need a new connection to the GCs 12V system. The UK Facebook group covers all this in detail.

 

[colintfcolintf]

Ecoflow also sell an alternator charger that can charge an ecoflow directly when driving. It might also work with other units eg Anker etc

 

[GordonH]

Ecoflow also sell an alternator charger that can charge an ecoflow directly when driving. It might also work with other units eg Anker etc

The Ecoflow Alternator Charger connects to the battery port of the power station (or extra battery) so likely to be specific to Ecoflow. There are a few alternator chargers from the likes of Bluetti and others that connect to the solar input so will be compatible with most makes of lithium generators depending on the spec of the solar input.

 

[Carryon Cali Camping]

Hi there, realise you're post is from Feb last year but how effective do you find plugging Ecoflow into EHU? Ie how much extra leisure battery does it really give you? Keen to pursue Ecoflow and whilst aware of all the options for changeover switches etc really want to keep it simple and easily removable. Final Q do you charge your Ecoflow from 12v in garage when driving? ( Again is that effective)? TIA

Hi - we have sold our GC now, but we used a Delta Max and Delta Max spare battery, so had way more power than we ever needed, we only charged the leisure once or twice from the EcoFlow, otherwise we just ran what we needed (air fryer etc) direct from the EcoFlow. Worked a treat for us, as I can only do simple! We had +4000wh available with our 2 ecoflows, so that gave way more than we ever used and if needed allowed us to charge the leisure battery a few times.

 

[@5coob5%]

A Delta 2 plugged into the EHU will give you around 80% more off grid ‘run-time’, the actual run-time being a function of your GC setup and what you are doing, so if you get just over one day off-grid before hitting 50%, you can fully recharge the battery using most of the Delta 2s capacity giving you another day before you arrive back at 50 %. Using the 230Vac output on the Delta 2 to charge the leisure battery is not a particularly efficient way of using the Delta 2's energy store but it is an easy one. I've attached a file on an alternative method that I use in my van that is about 50% more efficient and avoids the float charge issue automatically but needs a few soldering iron and assembly skills. The document also explains a little bit about the pros and cons of using the Ecoflow's 230Vac. EDIT - Sorry also meant to say - Yes, you can charge from the GCs 12V system (while driving is best to ensure you don't flatten the leisure battery but you don't 'need' the engine running to charge the Ecoflow). If using the GCs cigarette socket outlet in the garage limit the charge to 4A as that connector will overheat much beyond that figure. If it's something you want to do then in theory you can go up to 15A with a simple trick but that really does need a new connection to the GCs 12V system. The UK Facebook group covers all this in detail.

Hi Gordon, only just seen your message, thanks. I am on the GC Facebook group so have seen some of your posts re this topic. TBH we are not massive off grid folks hence the path of least resistenace being the ECOFLOW plugged into EHU to recharge leisure battery on the odd occasion that we want a little more time. Id never seen anything that gave a view on how much longer this would extend it by until now. I reckon the extra day would make it worth while but will need to convince SWMBO! I'm actually pretty handy with soldering iron and happy working with 240v house electrics but just a little nervous about 12v vehicle electrics if that make sense. Have read about the ECOFLOW 800W ALTERNATOR charger but a couple of folks seemed to have fitted it and it coaused problems with GC Smart ALternator, or have I misread that? Anyway, many thaks for the reply. I think my firs step would be to source the ECOFLOW and just run as plug in, ten step two be to install the changeover switch as per your design, step 3 the connect to 12v using the USBc output and finally the Alternator... taking a view with each step if the next one was worth the investment in risk and time. Once again thanyou for taking the time to reply.