Victron Orion DC-DC mounting position

[bborzell]

Read in the Victron manual that the Orion DC-DC charger should be mounted on a vertical surface (not clear on why the device wants to stand up rather than lie down, maybe esthetics?). Also read somewhere that such chargers should be placed as close as possible to the batteries they are intended to charge.

The unit in our ‘22 21C is mounted at the front of the trailer under the bed on the floor. Anyone with an ETI mounted Orion that is mounted vertically or close to the batteries?

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by bborzell

Read in the Victron manual that the Orion DC-DC charger should be mounted on a vertical surface (not clear on why the device wants to stand up rather than lie down, maybe esthetics?). Also read somewhere that such chargers should be placed as close as possible to the batteries they are intended to charge.

The unit in our ‘22 21C is mounted at the front of the trailer under the bed on the floor. Anyone with an ETI mounted Orion that is mounted vertically or close to the batteries?

The Orion DC-DC charger should be always mounted on a vertical surface - the cooling fins on the back require a vertical mounting to be able to allow the heat generated by the DC-DC charger to dissipate. Hot air rises through the cooling fins allowing cooler air to enter.

Escape may have mounted it flat to the floor but that is not the way it should be mounted. Of course, that is just one more thing that they do electrical that is wrong - I could give you a long list but...

First chance you get - remount the DC-DC charger vertically so it can properly cool.

Mounting the charger close to the battery would be a good idea as well. The charger monitors the battery voltage to determine the battery status. The farther the charge is located from the battery - the more voltage drop across the wiring and that has the charger seeing a voltage different than the actual battery voltage.

[Centex]

Originally Posted by tdf-texas

The Orion DC-DC charger should be always mounted on a vertical surface - the cooling fins on the back require a vertical mounting to be able to allow the heat generated by the DC-DC charger to dissipate. Hot air rises through the cooling fins allowing cooler air to enter.

[tdf-texas]

Sometimes I wonder if Escape even thinks about the stuff they do.

There was a good discussion on this forum a while back about whither the Victron should be mounted directly to a plywood backing as it could be a fire hazard due the heat generated. Victron states that the device should be mounted vertically to a nonflammable support due to the heat.

So Escape mounts the DC-DC charger flat to the vinyl flooring under the bed? I'm sure that the charger wouldn't catch the vinyl on fire under the bed as Escape "surely" considered this before deciding to go against the manufacturers requirements for mounting.

[bborzell]

The Orion DC-DC charger is mounted both horizontally as well as directly to the vinyl floor.

Time to build a vertical bracket.

Also appears to be no shortage of construction saw dust available as potential fuel.

[Vermilye]

It also notes that Victron devices should be mounted with the connector side down. Makes it a bit less convenient for connecting the wiring, but I suspect the position is for circuit board component cooling. While I added standoffs & an aluminum shield when I mounted my 100/50, I have never felt any significant heat from the cooling fins, and have seen many installations where the Victron device was mounted directly to wood. They did all mount them with the cooling fins in the correct (vertical) orientation.

[bborzell]

Guessing the charger creates more heat than a solar controller.

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

It also notes that Victron devices should be mounted with the connector side down. Makes it a bit less convenient for connecting the wiring, but I suspect the position is for circuit board component cooling. While I added standoffs & an aluminum shield when I mounted my 100/50, I have never felt any significant heat from the cooling fins, and have seen many installations where the Victron device was mounted directly to wood. They did all mount them with the cooling fins in the correct (vertical) orientation.

I suspect that the Victron recommendation to mount on a nonflammable surface is more due to the heat generated if an internal failure of the device happens than with normal heat generated during operation. Product liability and all that.

But mounting the charger horizontal on a vinyl surface can't be a good idea - both from a safety aspect was well as service life of the charger.

I was once told by a friend (and I have to agree) that I don't have enough patience for the fools of this world. Escape engineering needs to get with the program and think before they do stuff like this.

[MVA]

Most controller & converters have heat dissipation fins on the back. I remained surprised how many controller installations I see online where the controller is mounted horizontally.

2 cents

[bborzell]

I read a Victron reference regarding mounting with cables down as necessary in order to maintain the IP rating.

[bborzell]

I removed the charger in order to draw a template for an vertical aluminum bracket. The charger had been affixed to the floor over a bed of saw dust and trimming debris.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by bborzell

I removed the charger in order to draw a template for an vertical aluminum bracket. The charger had been affixed to the floor over a bed of saw dust and trimming debris.

Please send those pictures to Escape. That is ridiculous. Please educate them that they should be mounted vertical too based on Victron’s installation requirements.

[bborzell]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Please send those pictures to Escape. That is ridiculous. Please educate them that they should be mounted vertical too based on Victron’s installation requirements.

I sent photos and descriptions to Samuel. He said he will raise the matter when they reopen on Tuesday.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by bborzell

I removed the charger in order to draw a template for an vertical aluminum bracket. The charger had been affixed to the floor over a bed of saw dust and trimming debris.

I had the same thing with the converter in a non-Escape trailer. After a particularly long time running once, smoke came out! I removed the converter, cleaned the area, and installed a new converter... but the old converter turned out to be okay, and it was the very dry sawdust smoking.

[bborzell]

I can’t envision caring so little about a job that I would leave such a mess and still install an electrical device that operates at a high temperature over the top of saw dust.

[brroberts]

Originally Posted by bborzell

I can’t envision caring so little about a job that I would leave such a mess and still install an electrical device that operates at a high temperature over the top of saw dust.

It could be the employee or quality inspector cares little, or it may be an employee who desperately needs the job, but is being pushed by management to do so much in a time period that it is impossible to do anything except meet management’s minimum acceptable goal.

There could also be other issues that we don’t know anything about in an employee’s life.

Whatever the cause, it’s still better built than most RV’s. It’s not an Oliver, but other than that, it’s as good as anything I’ve seen including my Bigfoot. Every RV I’ve owned has needed maintenance, repair, and modification / upgrades - sometimes just because I wanted it to meet my particular need. The FGRV’s just seem to need less maintenance and repair.

Are there issues with my Escape, sure, but I’m sure Olivers have issues too. There are no problems in my Escape that keep me from using it. Many repairs are easier at home, but sitting unused, not much breaks, so mostly I have to figure it out on the road. If you want a higher standard of quality; however you perceive the value, I think you have to pay more.

[MVA]

Originally Posted by brroberts

It could be the employee or quality inspector cares little, or it may be an employee who desperately needs the job, but is being pushed by management to do so much in a time period that it is impossible to do anything except meet management’s minimum acceptable goal.

There could also be other issues that we don’t know anything about in an employee’s life.

Whatever the cause, it’s still better built than most RV’s. It’s not an Oliver, but other than that, it’s as good as anything I’ve seen including my Bigfoot. Every RV I’ve owned has needed maintenance, repair, and modification / upgrades - sometimes just because I wanted it to meet my particular need. The FGRV’s just seem to need less maintenance and repair.

Are there issues with my Escape, sure, but I’m sure Olivers have issues too. There are no problems in my Escape that keep me from using it. Many repairs are easier at home, but sitting unused, not much breaks, so mostly I have to figure it out on the road. If you want a higher standard of quality; however you perceive the value, I think you have to pay more.

We toured the Oliver Plant while traveling through TN last summer. We were not impressed with the employee safety environment or fabrication quality.

2 cents

[John in Santa Cruz]

on the 21C, with the battery in back, if/when you relocate the Orion to be near your battery, you will need to add a 10 AWG wire from the back to the front to supply the power to the emergency breakaway switch as the existing 8 AWG wire will only have tow vehicle power on it.

I'm seeing a rather large voltage drop, my F250 diesel longbed truck has a system voltage in the 13.6-14.0 range, but the Orion in the very back of my 21C is only seeing like 9.5 volt input. I need to better clean my RV plug, I'm sure that will add back in another volt.

anyways, the Orion 12/12-18 seems perfectly happy taking 9.5 V at 25 amps or so and turning it into 14 volts at 16-18 amps for my lithium batts. I had to disable the engine detect and low voltage shutoff, but my F250 tow power is switched via a relay with my engine running, stop engine and ti cuts off the power to the trailer hitch.

[bborzell]

I could not disagree more. One of the reasons why sloppy work on a new $50,000 camper is common is that so many people are willing to roll with that standard of performance.

[bborzell]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

on the 21C, with the battery in back, if/when you relocate the Orion to be near your battery, you will need to add a 10 AWG wire from the back to the front to supply the power to the emergency breakaway switch as the existing 8 AWG wire will only have tow vehicle power on it.

I'm seeing a rather large voltage drop, my F250 diesel longbed truck has a system voltage in the 13.6-14.0 range, but the Orion in the very back of my 21C is only seeing like 9.5 volt input. I need to better clean my RV plug, I'm sure that will add back in another volt.

anyways, the Orion 12/12-18 seems perfectly happy taking 9.5 V at 25 amps or so and turning it into 14 volts at 16-18 amps for my lithium batts. I had to disable the engine detect and low voltage shutoff, but my F250 tow power is switched via a relay with my engine running, stop engine and ti cuts off the power to the trailer hitch.

Good to know. I need to think through the potential benefit of relocating the charger vs. just letting it be.