Hey everyone! I've got an old conversion van that's been running on the same electrical setup since 2003 and I'm looking to upgrade it. I've taken a good look under the hood and here's what I've got:
1. Shore power connects to a main fuse box and then to 120amp sockets for normal use while plugged in. There's also a 30amp converter that manages the 12v distribution box when connected, which charges the house battery.
2. The 12v distribution supplies power for the daily operations in the van like the fridge, lights, and fan.
3. I'm currently using a marine battery for my house battery, which I know isn't lithium.
4. My solar power setup consists of a tiny 15w panel with an old solar charger, but it's mostly useless since the alternator does all the heavy lifting.
I'm planning to upgrade to a 200w solar panel and a modern MPPT solar charge controller, and swap the house battery for a 100ah LiPo battery. However, I'm puzzled about the DC to DC charger. I can't seem to locate it in my setup, but I know it has to be between the solar charge controller and the alternator charger.
My main question is how switching from the marine battery to the LiPo battery might affect that DC to DC charger. Is it crucial for me to dig deeper to find it, or can I get away with the upgrades as long as I have the right charger setup for the solar input?
1 Answer
Sounds like you’re really diving into your electrical system! If your alternator charger is acting as a DC to DC charger, that's a good sign. If it's rated for lithium batteries, you should be fine. Since it’s from 2003, it's likely not optimized for newer battery technologies, so you may want to check its specifications.
Also, I recommend looking into a combo unit like the Renogy DC-DC/MPTT for an efficient upgrade—just note that you might have to deal with some manual toggling if you choose the cheaper version. Overall, it's definitely worth considering a replacement to avoid any potential issues down the line.
Thanks for the insights! The tricky part for me is figuring out the details of my current charging setup from the alternator since it’s hidden. I’d be fine with the lithium battery charging slower, but I just want to make sure it won’t cause any damage or chaos in my system. Sure, I might just go with an AGM battery instead for peace of mind, but I'd love to upgrade to LiPo if I can make it work safely.