Routing the Cable to install a EcoFlow 800w Alternator Charger

[Feggers]

Ok thanks for the feed back … I did the same but it seems to certainly takes it out on the leisure batteries at least in my van… it does work though…

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Because out of the factory, all the negative connections to the leisure battery flow via the shunt which provides the battery monitor in the overhead screen. If you bypass the shunt (by connecting directly and not via chassis/ground), you bypass the reporting, and then the screen and battery are no longer in sync.

I have a Victron charger connected to my leisure AND the Alternator charger… both ground to chassis, and the overhead screen properly reflects the flow in and out.

Has anyone got a bright idea on routing a cable from a Victron behind the wardrobe top shelf and an EF Delta under the bed extension (on a pull out rear tray).

The wire is currently just dangling out of the wardrobe door. Which looks messy, snags and means it doesn’t shut properly.

 

[5i1ver8ack]

Ok thanks for the feed back … I did the same but it seems to certainly takes it out on the leisure batteries at least in my van… it does work though…

Isn’t the point that the front leisure battery (at the elusive point “R”) has a direct feed from the alternator so the alternator is charging the “whatever-it-is-you-have-attached”? It’s not a matter of connecting to a battery (which will be drained very quickly), it’s a matter of being connected to the feed direct from the alternator? The rear leisure battery has no such feed. Point R is essential, I think.

 

[Kayleigh]

Isn’t the point that the front leisure battery (at the elusive point “R”) has a direct feed from the alternator so the alternator is charging the “whatever-it-is-you-have-attached”? It’s not a matter of connecting to a battery (which will be drained very quickly), it’s a matter of being connected to the feed direct from the alternator? The rear leisure battery has no such feed. Point R is essential, I think.

Does that mean Point R is feeding the split charger and the Ecoflow alternator charger?

 

[jaydisc]

Ok thanks for the feed back … I did the same but it seems to certainly takes it out on the leisure batteries at least in my van… it does work though…

What do you mean "takes it out on the leisure batteries"?

What is your voltage set to in the Alternator Charger settings? It should not be less than 13V. They recently added 0.5 increments, and I'm using 13.5V now. If this voltage is set correctly, the Alternator Charger should NEVER drain the battery it's attached to. It only takes the surplus available when the alternator is running (which means the voltage should be over the user-set threshold).

 

[Kayleigh]

What do you mean "takes it out on the leisure batteries"?

What is your voltage set to in the Alternator Charger settings? It should not be less than 13V. They recently added 0.5 increments, and I'm using 13.5V now. If this voltage is set correctly, the Alternator Charger should NEVER drain the battery it's attached to. It only takes the surplus available when the alternator is running (which means the voltage should be over the user-set threshold).

That’s the key, to set the voltage at 13v. I think the EAC does drain the leisure battery quicker than it is charged though. Although that’s only anecdotal.

 

[JMStockholm]

I ended up attaching mine to the rear leisure battery in my ocean as I couldn’t work out "R" either, works well apart from excess cable and the rear cupboards look a bit messy now

I also have an Ocean planning to have the Ecoflow at the back. Do you have a picture of how you connected your EAC and does it reverse charge both or only the rear house battery?

 

[JMStockholm]

This is how I installed it as a test today to the rear hose battery in a Cali Ocean T6.1 2023. You how know this, does it look ok? Everything seems to work fine, charges with 800W at 13.5 V (after update of EF and EAC) and reverse charges as well. I guess it will only charge the rear AGM battery? I wonder if Calis battery management system will get confused?
Yes, and the smalll electronic thing on the -pole connected with a cable to the +pole as well had the marking in the last picture, just as information.

 

[WelshGas]

This is how I installed it as a test today to the rear hose battery in a Cali Ocean T6.1 2023. You how know this, does it look ok? Everything seems to work fine, charges with 800W at 13.5 V (after update of EF and EAC) and reverse charges as well. I guess it will only charge the rear AGM battery? I wonder if Calis battery management system will get confused?
Yes, and the smalll electronic thing on the -pole connected with a cable to the +pole as well had the marking in the last picture, just as information.
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The California Leisure Batteries are wired in Parallel and so treated as one large 150 amp battery.

 

[JMStockholm]

The California Leisure Batteries are wired in Parallel and so treated as one large 150 amp battery.

Thanks! Do I have to worry about the earth point?

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks! Do I have to worry about the earth point?

Earth point to Chassis otherwise you bypass the battery monitoring module on the leisure batteries and the Control Panel won't know what's going on.

 

[JMStockholm]

Earth point to Chassis otherwise you bypass the battery monitoring module on the leisure batteries and the Control Panel won't know what's going on.

Thanks, did that to the bolt holding the battery, but not to an vw earth point

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks, did that to the bolt holding the battery, but not to an vw earth point

That's fine.

 

[JMStockholm]

Whoops. I missed that you had a Beach. I ended up connecting mine to the an open connector behind a 100 fuse on the positive bus bar, also under the passenger seat.

Like you, I have it set to the default 13V, and it's been working PERFECTLY. Expectations exceeded! When the smart alternator rolls back the current (if the leisure battery is already topped up), I can just invoke Max. Charge (a T6.1 feature, but I think there are tricks to impose this on a T6?) and the alternator goes back to pushing 14.4+ volts, and charges the EF in a jiffy. HOWEVER, I really haven't needed to do that at all. It's all just self-managed perfectly. I also have been getting the full 800W (in both directions!), but have scaled it back to 400W for day-to-day, and can crank it up if/when needed. I figure the car has a built in 300W inverter, so pulling 400W from the EcoFlow (while not using the inverter) should be keeping the alternator load within VW expectations.

Adding this has also added an amazingly fast and useful electricity hookup to my Beach. When camping this weekend, I plugged in the EF Delta to AC, and set the Alternator Charger to Reverse Charge, and both the EF Delta and Leisure AGM were topped up in just a bit over an hour (the Delta was down to 20%, and the AGM ~ 50% _usable_)

Does it automatically switch charging to both batteries when hooked up to 230,?

 

[jaydisc]

Does it automatically switch charging to both batteries when hooked up to 230,?

No, if your Alternator Charger is not currently set to Reverse Charge, you need to change it to that mode. AND… remember to change it back (or make inactive) once you unplug the AC from the Delta, or the Delta will continue to trickle-charge whatever battery you connected to the Alternator Charger.

 

[Feggers]

Thanks everyone for the awesome responses, having removed passenger seat (2 bolts & 2 nuts) balanced seat at an angle, I have connected the EAC live to the relay, earthed -black cable to closest bolt at the base of the seat/chassis to the right of the relay, tested all good after a few problem with the EAC and EcoFlow Battery, both required firmware updating to current version, then all worked perfectly

Thanks everyone for the awesome responses, having removed passenger seat (2 bolts & 2 nuts) balanced seat at an angle, I have connected the EAC live to the relay, earthed -black cable to closest bolt at the base of the seat/chassis to the right of the relay, tested all good after a few problem with the EAC and EcoFlow Battery, both required firmware updating to current version, then all worked perfectly

Hi...you connected yours to the split charger right?! ... I've checked where mine is ...Under the drivers seat with the 2nd leisure battery !!! left hand drive Cali 2009...I live in switzerland ....did you connect it with/to where the big red wire connects to the Split charger?
you would'nt have a photo would you? Cheers
David

 

[Kidz147]

This is how I installed it as a test today to the rear hose battery in a Cali Ocean T6.1 2023. You how know this, does it look ok? Everything seems to work fine, charges with 800W at 13.5 V (after update of EF and EAC) and reverse charges as well. I guess it will only charge the rear AGM battery? I wonder if Calis battery management system will get confused?
Yes, and the smalll electronic thing on the -pole connected with a cable to the +pole as well had the marking in the last picture, just as information.
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Where did you position your ecoflow, the 800w alternator charger and how did you roure the cabling?

 

[Aspire4969]

Installed mine today (2024 UK Ocean). Found a pretty decent mounting point under the drivers seat and routed the cable under the carpet to the passenger seat for connecting to to the van.









Nothing drilled. Made use of existing holes to mount. The power switch is nicely located by popping off the rear seat frame cover and the ecoflow cable routes nicely through the front opening and to a delta2 between the seats.

 

[Corradobrit]

Installed mine today (2024 UK Ocean). Found a pretty decent mounting point under the drivers seat and routed the cable under the carpet to the passenger seat for connecting to to the van.

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Nothing drilled. Made use of existing holes to mount. The power switch is nicely located by popping off the rear seat frame cover and the ecoflow cable routes nicely through the front opening and to a delta2 between the seats.

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Ver tidy. Do you have any images of the mounting points to the Cali's electrical system. Maybe obvious but did you disconnect all the batteries before connecting the cables? What hanging wattage are you seeing at the Delta 2?

 

[JMStockholm]

Where did you position your ecoflow, the 800w alternator charger and how did you roure the cabling?

Ah, it was kind of temporary so I just had the charger as well as Ecoflow at the back behind the seats. However, subsequently sold it, it worked well enough but, the fan came on and of quite loudly even in idle and the capacity wasn't enough for my needs. Going to bite the bullet and install lifepo4...

 

[Aspire4969]

Ver tidy. Do you have any images of the mounting points to the Cali's electrical system. Maybe obvious but did you disconnect all the batteries before connecting the cables? What hanging wattage are you seeing at the Delta 2?

Yes here you go…




Might be tricky to see but I mounted the positive upside down underneath the 200amp fused connection on the battery positive (this is shared with the short lead that connects to the leisure battery side of the split charge relay. The 100amp fused connection connects to the second leisure battery in the rear (so this connection is live even when you remove from battery so I taped it up while working on the install). I removed the leisure battery under the seat to allow more room to feed the wires through but did not disconnect the rear (just taped up the wire as mentioned). The front starter battery connection is not live unless you connect EHU or start the engine.

You could alternatively connect directly onto the split charge relay (left is leisure side, right is starter battery side). I’ve obviously opted to use the EAC with the leisure batteries.

Negative is connected to one of the mount points for the seat frame (had to open the eyelet of the negative cable a bit to get it to fit).

I have not run the engine to test yet as I have not reinstalled the seats yet and don’t want to trigger air bag warning. But everything working fine in my tests (charge, reverse charge, battery maintenance). I didn’t test maximum power in the EF app higher than 300w.

 

[jaydisc]

I still have the AC cable going alongside the driver’s side to the Delta in the boot. Wish I could figure out, or be shown a way to get it from passenger leisure battery to the boot. I hope to get the van up on stilts soon to have a look.

 

[Kayleigh]

Can someone please advise on the steps and tools needed to remove the drivers seat? My main concern is to do with disconnecting and reconnecting the airbag.
Thanks.

 

[jaydisc]

Can someone please advise on the steps and tools needed to remove the drivers seat? My main concern is to do with disconnecting and reconnecting the airbag.
Thanks.

I used these instructions for getting under the seat. I found them to be fine.:

How-To install DC-DC charger to replace VW Split Charge relay

This guide takes you step by step through fitting the Travelvolts DC-DC charging kit for California leisure battery charging. Why fit this kit: VW are still installing their standard split charge relay on vehicles fitted with leisure batteries, however, the latest Bluemotion technology has a...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

I found disconnecting the airbag plug to be quite tricky. I was just patient, and tried different things gently, until I got it to release.

 

[Kayleigh]

I used these instructions for getting under the seat. I found them to be fine.:

How-To install DC-DC charger to replace VW Split Charge relay

This guide takes you step by step through fitting the Travelvolts DC-DC charging kit for California leisure battery charging. Why fit this kit: VW are still installing their standard split charge relay on vehicles fitted with leisure batteries, however, the latest Bluemotion technology has a...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

I found disconnecting the airbag plug to be quite tricky. I was just patient, and tried different things gently, until I got it to release.

Perfect, thank you!