Mid life crisis Cali Swamper!

CamperFam said:
So this past weekend I fitted my new EcoFlow Alternator Charger to the Cali. Absolutely over the moon so thought i'd explain why.

Previously i've fitted a Change-over switch for the EHU (the switchboard thingie you can see). In simple terms, it allows me to choose how the van gets its EHU supply; either via the external socket as standard, OR by the (internally located) EcoFlow.

The joys of an EcoFlow Delta 2 is that they're able to be controlled from your smartphone. By standard, I leave the switch set on 'Ecoflow' rather than the external EHU. By doing this, it means that I can (at any point) simply power on my 3-pin sockets on the Delta 2, and the whole van comes alive as though it were on EHU; plug sockets work, battery gets topped up, which in turn gives me redundancy should my leisure battery die and I lose water pumps, boiler/heating etc.

The additional perk is should the starter battery ever go flat, it can also breathe new life into that too.

But this is where the Alternator Charger really comes into its own!

By standard, the leisure battery sits at about 12.5V with the engine off and ergo the alternator off. However, when the engine is on, most of the time it sits above that at around 13.5V-14.8V. I say 'most of the time', because the Grand Cali has a 'smart alternator' which means that it sents power to the battery at varying currents, and sometimes it doesn't peak past the 13.5V threshold i've set. The way round this is an override button on the GC's dash, which puts the current at full-chat!

The best bit is that when the current goes above 13.5V (engine on/battery button'd), it then charges the Delta 2 (1024Wh capacity) at 800W. Assuming that I dont go through an entire 1024Wh battery in that time, I only need to do brief driving trips on those days and i'll have topped the Delta 2 again (along with the leisure battery).

And as an added perk, I found out today that by connecting it up to an actual EHU point, because of the split charge relay, the EHU increases the voltage of the starter battery and in doing so, then diverts power to the Delta 2! So I never need to move it again! :D And it also means I can run my router and security cameras in perpetuity, all whilst being offgrid!


View attachment 129975
Click to expand...
I've been looking at this for a while, but with the 500W Bluetti version (smaller footprint of the DC/DC charger) and used with solar too.

Can I ask which battery you connected the two cables to? Not the 12V starter I'm guessing, but an internal one in wardrobe or?

Thanks in advance
 
Wannabecamperman said:
I've been looking at this for a while, but with the 500W Bluetti version (smaller footprint of the DC/DC charger) and used with solar too.

Can I ask which battery you connected the two cables to? Not the 12V starter I'm guessing, but an internal one in wardrobe or?

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
12v starter under the passenger seat.
 
Webbah_in_Switzerland said:
Looks great brother! We're expecting a dump of 26-30cm's starting in an hour throughout the night. Will be going up the mountain behind Pilatus to go have some fun myself!
Click to expand...
Enjoy, that’s proper snow! There was around 10-12cm on Dartmoor which is a lot for Southern England. Unlike in Switzerland it causes chaos as it’s so rare people have no clue how to drive in proper winter conditions!

I have to say that the KO2’s are amazing in snow.
 
Last edited:
The Merle said:
Love the upgrades, has to be up there with my fav looking cali (great job). Two tone even wins me over works well.
Can you work your magic on my white ice cream van;)
Click to expand...
At least you have two door mirrors. Some bastard knocked one of mine off driving in the middle of the road in the snow. Didn’t stop either.
 
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