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.