Upgrading the inverter

[stim]

There are a few threads on here about this but no one seems to have actually taken out the standard 300w (for a T6.1) inverter and swapped it for something bigger, between say 500-1000W and re-used the existing plug in the seat base. On my LH drive T6.1 beach, the plug is on the RH side of the driver's seat but the actual inverter is under the passenger seat. The wires coming out of the back of the plug are very thin so I guess these would need to be upgraded too.

Does anyone have any idea if this would be possible and whether it would be difficult? I have only found an upgrade that adds an additional, huge 2000W inverter under the RH seat and keeps the existing inverter in place. This means an extra plug socket in the back of the RH seat base trim.

FYI, I don't want to buy an Ecoflow (which seemed to be the suggested solution on another thread) and I would like a pure sign wave inverter with a higher capacity to charge an ebike. I intend to upgrade my standard 75Ah leisure battery to a 110Ah LiFePo4.

Thanks!

 

[yossarian]

A (say) 1200W inverter is going to require around 100A which is a challenge to wire and would drain your new battery at almost 1C. The nuts and bolts of a 12V system get ugly pretty fast.

 

[flying banana]

Why?

 

[stim]

I don't think charging an ebike needs 1000W, I think actually the 300W inverter can already charge some, but not all (i.e. Bosch are more picky about the quality of the current, at least that is what I read) so really the aim is to see if the current none pure sign wave inverter can be swapped out with a higher quality pure sign wave one of a bit higher capacity to have some headroom. A 500W inverter would pull 42A and only if running at full 500W. My Bosch ebike charger has a rated input of 230v at 1.4A = 322W which is 27A. Seems more reasonable?

Despite being an engineer, electronics is not my strong point, please advise if this is incorrect!

 

[yossarian]

<A 12v> ---- <B Inv> ---- <C charger> ---- <D Bike>

B is not really required.

 

[m10chkcalifornia]

<A 12v> ---- <B Inv> ---- <C charger> ---- <D Bike>

B is not really required.

Well the alternative (given that the Bike must be more than 12V) would be a DC to DC boost converter but that becomes problematic since charging bike batteries requires current limiting and a charging algorithm. So using the provided charger seems a better route. I would be surprised if it needs a true sine wave source however. OP - have you tried just running it off the standard inverter?

 

[yossarian]

Well the alternative (given that the Bike must be more than 12V) would be a DC to DC boost converter

Close. Given that C is already some form of smps one could replace it with another designed to operate with 12V input and the correct charging profile for D. These appear to be available quite widely.

 

[Goldi]

There are a few threads on here about this but no one seems to have actually taken out the standard 300w (for a T6.1) inverter and swapped it for something bigger, between say 500-1000W and re-used the existing plug in the seat base. On my LH drive T6.1 beach, the plug is on the RH side of the driver's seat but the actual inverter is under the passenger seat. The wires coming out of the back of the plug are very thin so I guess these would need to be upgraded too.

Does anyone have any idea if this would be possible and whether it would be difficult? I have only found an upgrade that adds an additional, huge 2000W inverter under the RH seat and keeps the existing inverter in place. This means an extra plug socket in the back of the RH seat base trim.

FYI, I don't want to buy an Ecoflow (which seemed to be the suggested solution on another thread) and I would like a pure sign wave inverter with a higher capacity to charge an ebike. I intend to upgrade my standard 75Ah leisure battery to a 110Ah LiFePo4.

Thanks!

I bought a 300W pure sine wave inv' & got rid of it because of the fan noise. Then I bought this one through Amazon which is rated 1000w but because I only use it for very low power items, under 30W, the fans never operate so it's silent. Sits on the floor between left seat & kitchen unit, & plugs in to 12v above. Iv'e not tried charging my (low power) electric bike yet but will be in a couple of weeks. Just looked at bike charger spec, it draws 2.5 amps. I shall try it at home & see what happens, re: batteries etc.

NOVOPAL 1000W Pure Sine Wave Inverter 12V to 230V 240V Car Converter Power Inverter with LCD Display 2AC Outlets And Usb Port-Remote Control for motorhomes

UPDATE: Using my BELKIN inline mains socket wattage meter, Iv'e found that my e-bike charger draws 160w. And looking at my T6 manual, the maximum I can draw from any/all 12V socket/s is 120w. The Cali inverter goes to 150w but even if it could handle the extra 10w, I wouldn't trust it with my e-bike charger. Which means I can only charge my e-bike when on electric hookup.

 

[szczota81]

I have a 1000w inverter installed, but I left the old one. Inverters 1000w are much larger and do not go under the shroud of the post.
The cables are routed under the floor and none is visible.
Only that in my car is installed Ctek system and 300w panels.

 

[Wilcali]

I looked at upgrading the inverter also but instead got a BLUETTI AC180P (1800W) in the back for charging e-bikes - also use it for a nice espresso during short stops or during stays with no hookup (just connect it to the hookup to have 220V on the regular socket in the van)

 

[Adno]

I installed a 100 Ah battery under the passenger seat and a 3000 W sinus inverter on the side, I charge it with solar or a regular charger, it can handle a few days' trip without charging, I most often use it to brew Nespresso, my wife's hair dryer

 

[Noxville]

This can be a solution

 

[stim]

This can be a solution

Thats very interesting, thanks a lot!

Would still be nice to upgrade the inverter to a pure sign wave one though.

 

[stim]

This can be a solution

I looked into this a bit further. Currently it is only for Bosch type 2 plugs (the older generation) but all new Bosch ebikes will come with their Smart System plug which has twice as many pins (and presumably far more complicated for a third party to make a charger for). I emailed them to ask...

 

[arcadelt]

I started down this road…but ended up buying an EcoFlow battery plus their alternator thingy. Yet to fit the latter though.

 

[stim]

I started down this road…but ended up buying an EcoFlow battery plus their alternator thingy. Yet to fit the latter though.

I don't want to do this because I don't have space to carry an ecoflow. I want to upgrade the current house battery so that the extra battery capacity can also be used for the heater (which is limited with the standard house battery and the ecoflow cannot help with).

 

[arcadelt]

I don't want to do this because I don't have space to carry an ecoflow. I want to upgrade the current house battery so that the extra battery capacity can also be used for the heater (which is limited with the standard house battery and the ecoflow cannot help with).

The space issue is valid, but the EcoFlow solution certainly can help with the heater and all other cabin power requirements, because the EcoFlow solution can charge the house battery.

 

[stim]

The space issue is valid, but the EcoFlow solution certainly can help with the heater and all other cabin power requirements, because the EcoFlow solution can charge the house battery.

yeah via the built in inverter and plugging it into the EHU? That's quite inefficient and a bit of a faff so I disregarded it (along with the space issue).

 

[WelshGas]

yeah via the built in inverter and plugging it into the EHU? That's quite inefficient and a bit of a faff so I disregarded it (along with the space issue).

But you can take it with you if you change vehicles and leaves the base vehicle OEM which could be a + when selling.

 

[pluc99]

There are 300W pure sine inverters that should fit in the same space as the current inverter. Except for possibly the noise issue someone mentioned above, it should be ok to power a 150W charger for a single bike. You'll need some mods to allow the smooth functioning of the alternator to charge the lifepo4 battery in place of the agm.

 

[secret lemonade drinker]

You will need to change the split charge relay for a DC to DC one, this can work off of the D+ signal from a start stop alternator, it also has dip switch settings for different batteries including Lithium.
I have done this in a caddy using a Votronic 1212-30. I would recommend measuring the inverter space and getting the biggest (capacity) that fits in the same form factor. Don't limit yourself to 300w if 1000w will fit.
The votronic also allows EHU charge back to the starter battery once leisure batteries are charged

 

[arcadelt]

yeah via the built in inverter and plugging it into the EHU? That's quite inefficient and a bit of a faff so I disregarded it (along with the space issue).

No, not using the inverter at all. You can use their alternator charger for the most elegant two-way solution:

EcoFlow 800W Alternator Charger - EcoFlow UK

- Charge while you drive, and stay powered up on the road.- 800W turbo alternator, 8× faster than traditional in-vehicle auxiliary power outlets. Top up 1kWh in only 1.3 hours. - A 3-in-1 fast charger, maintainer, and jump starter keeps your battery in mint condition.- Easy installation-...

uk.ecoflow.com

or just attach the EcoFlow using their car charger to the battery for an even more portable solution:

EcoFlow Smart Auto Battery Charger - EcoFlow UK

- Start up your car battery when it's low without causing damage. - Compatible with both 12V and 24V vehicle batteries. - Must be used in conjunction with RIVER and DELTA Series portable power stations. - Features 5 intelligent controls with automatic adjustments. - Extend your battery's life...

uk.ecoflow.com

 

[arcadelt]

There are a few threads on here about this but no one seems to have actually taken out the standard 300w (for a T6.1) inverter and swapped it for something bigger, between say 500-1000W and re-used the existing plug in the seat base. On my LH drive T6.1 beach, the plug is on the RH side of the driver's seat but the actual inverter is under the passenger seat. The wires coming out of the back of the plug are very thin so I guess these would need to be upgraded too.

Does anyone have any idea if this would be possible and whether it would be difficult? I have only found an upgrade that adds an additional, huge 2000W inverter under the RH seat and keeps the existing inverter in place. This means an extra plug socket in the back of the RH seat base trim.

FYI, I don't want to buy an Ecoflow (which seemed to be the suggested solution on another thread) and I would like a pure sign wave inverter with a higher capacity to charge an ebike. I intend to upgrade my standard 75Ah leisure battery to a 110Ah LiFePo4.

Thanks!

Oh, and it is much more technically complicated to change the AGM house battery for a lithium-based one than just plonking one in there in its place. You need to consider the charging profile differences so you don’t destroy your alternator.

 

[stim]

I am aware of the requirements to replace the house battery with a lithium (especially on my T6.1 with the smart alternator). I have done some extensive research on this to find a solution and found that the VW dealer here in Switzerland offers an install for a 110Ah lithium battery with Voltronic DC-DC charger including vehicle software change and "pin change" for the built in EHU charger to make it compatible with lithium all for a "reasonable" price. This seems to be a bit of a unicorn offering (other than a ridiculously priced one in Germany).

Having said that, I did not know the Ecoflow alternator charger allowed the Ecoflow battery to kind of be an extension to the house battery (i.e. if the heater takes juice from the house battery, the ecoflow tops it up). It doesn't fix the space issue and I had also previously looked for California installation guides for the ecoflow alternator charger and did not find any. Anyone know how to do it?

Presumably you can also have an ecoflow permanently linked to a roof top solar panel via a victron MPPT controller?

 

[arcadelt]

I am aware of the requirements to replace the house battery with a lithium (especially on my T6.1 with the smart alternator). I have done some extensive research on this to find a solution and found that the VW dealer here in Switzerland offers an install for a 110Ah lithium battery with Voltronic DC-DC charger including vehicle software change and "pin change" for the built in EHU charger to make it compatible with lithium all for a "reasonable" price. This seems to be a bit of a unicorn offering (other than a ridiculously priced one in Germany).

Having said that, I did not know the Ecoflow alternator charger allowed the Ecoflow battery to kind of be an extension to the house battery (i.e. if the heater takes juice from the house battery, the ecoflow tops it up). It doesn't fix the space issue and I had also previously looked for California installation guides for the ecoflow alternator charger and did not find any. Anyone know how to do it?

Presumably you can also have an ecoflow permanently linked to a roof top solar panel via a victron MPPT controller?

Most guides for the EcoFlow alternator charger connect it to the main battery terminals, but I’m betting that it could more easily be connected to the house battery, so that is what I will try first.

The EcoFlow batteries have a built in MPPT controller, and solar panels connect using an XT60i connector. The smaller Delta 2 has one input, but the Delta 2 Max has 2, which provides flexibility to have permanent panels on the roof, and also portable panels. In practice, I have found roof panels to be less useful, as we usually situate the van in the shade (I’m in Australia, so you can imagine why), but the portable panels with a long cable can be moved several times a day to chase the sun. That said, solar panels might now be redundant due to the alternator charger, which promises to provide more input on a short drive than chasing sun all day. I guess time will tell.