Lithium batteries move the batteries and install the victron shunt.

[WanderBred]

More room alert.

[JeffreyG]

Not being familiar with the 5.0 overall, I'm guessing all this is in the dinette in the rear?


Mainly looking at the wiring in your second image I guess I do have a couple questions.
1) What is the black wire (looks like 6ga or so) that is bypassing the shunt and zip tied in place with it?
2) Are the cables connecting the two batteries together just really long because the batteries used to be located further apart?

[WanderBred]

Yes long cables because they have the batteries at least 12 inches apart.
And I believe the black ground that you were referring to goes over to the GoPro controller.

[WanderBred]

And there's enough room past those two batteries to put two more in there.

[WanderBred]

The black ground is the charging system.

[Jack!]

Originally Posted by WanderBred

And there's enough room past those two batteries to put two more in there.

Nice pics. Is that a recent 5.0?

Surprised to see the ETI battery box under the passenger side bench with the exterior hatch. I've seen the inverter installed alone in that spot. Saw some pics with the ETI battery box under the rear passenger bench in the corner between the exterior battery vent & Lagon brace in the new 5.0's.
Great to see room for 4 Li batteries. I have my 4 ready and waiting for the new trailer delivery in Feb. That's a relief to see the extra space. We got the widened rear bench seat so will have an extra 4" width.

[WanderBred]

Yes we got the trailer less than 2 months ago from ETI.

[Jack!]

Originally Posted by WanderBred

Yes we got the trailer less than 2 months ago from ETI.

Guess they changed things, as yours is a more recent build. Thanks for showing us your work. Very interesting and helpful.

[alanerickson]

Nice. I have a slightly odd question for you. I picked up a new 19 this fall and it has a single 100AH battery, but after using it boondocking once I'm going to add a second battery and a shunt (which I already have ready to install). I was also looking at picking up the cables pre-made so I don't have to mess around with crimping those large connectors/cables. Unfortunately my trailer is in storage and I don't have access to it, but I'd like to get everything now so I have it in the spring to install as soon as I get it out of storage.

My question is on the ring connectors. For the shunt that's definitely going to take a larger 3/8" ring connector. On the batteries will a 5/16" ring connector be a better fit, or should I just go 3/8" on everything. Thanks.

[Centex]

Originally Posted by alanerickson

.... On the batteries will a 5/16" ring connector be a better fit, or should I just go 3/8" on everything.

The spec sheet for the GoPower 'Sun Cycle' 100Ah lithium battery says they use an M8 terminal bolt (that's 5/16" nominal equivalent).

Personally I'd always use a ring lug that's sized to match the stud/bolt in order to get max contact area under the washer / bolt head and reduce the potential for loosening. Extra annular space adds nothing but non-conducting 'wiggle room'. If that means different rings on each end of a cable, so be it. YMMV.

There's several online vendors of custom cables that will make each end to your spec.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by alanerickson

but after using it boondocking once I'm going to add a second battery and a shunt (which I already have ready to install).

Are you going to separate them with a battery selector switch? I've always used two 12s separated with a selector switch. Only time I ever used the switch in the "both" position was using a microwave.

It's nice to have redundancy and a separate fully charged battery.

Ron

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Are you going to separate them with a battery selector switch? I've always used two 12s separated with a selector switch. Only time I ever used the switch in the "both" position was using a microwave.

It's nice to have redundancy and a separate fully charged battery.

I considered purchasing one 100 ah SiO2 battery for cold weather, and a 100 ah LFP battery for when we're out of cold weather, with both sitting in the battery box. With the switch and extra cabling it would have been another $5-600 and would have had 60 less usable amp hours.

In our situation I don't think it would be wise though to use the "both" setting for an inverter though.

Enjoy,

Perry

[alanerickson]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Are you going to separate them with a battery selector switch? I've always used two 12s separated with a selector switch. Only time I ever used the switch in the "both" position was using a microwave.

It's nice to have redundancy and a separate fully charged battery.

Ron

No, I was planning straight parallel. Never thought about keeping them separate, but that would certainly take care of any balance concerns. The batteries are the same model, so hopefully that would take care of any concerns. If they balance though in parallel would seems like it would be simpler.

[alanerickson]

Thanks. I'll just go for the best fit and get some extra ring connectors in case something doesn't fit.

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by alanerickson

No, I was planning straight parallel. Never thought about keeping them separate, but that would certainly take care of any balance concerns. The batteries are the same model, so hopefully that would take care of any concerns. If they balance though in parallel would seems like it would be simpler.

If reasonably close in age then yes, they should be balanced. You can check with your multi-meter to see if one battery is feeding another. I did that with my parallel 12V AGM's and found after a week that there was 5 mA of current from one to the other. That amounts to less than 1 A-H per day and could be replaced by a few minutes of solar. In other words, nothing to worry about.

[Centex]

Originally Posted by alanerickson

No, I was planning straight parallel. Never thought about keeping them separate, but that would certainly take care of any balance concerns. The batteries are the same model, so hopefully that would take care of any concerns. If they balance though in parallel would seems like it would be simpler.

You're probably already on top of this - I'd work to bring the two batteries independently to as close as possible the same SOC/voltage before making the final connection between them (minimize sudden current-flow between them at the moment of connection).

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by alanerickson

No, I was planning straight parallel. Never thought about keeping them separate,

Originally Posted by alanmalk

If reasonably close in age then yes, they should be balanced. .

Originally Posted by Centex

You're probably already on top of this - I'd work to bring the two batteries independently to as close as possible the same SOC/voltage before making the final connection between them (minimize sudden current-flow between them at the moment of connection).

Or just install battery selector switch. It's so easy and always let's you have one battery fully charged in reserve and eliminates that an electrical mis-adventure with one battery will take down the second battery.

Ron

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Or just install battery selector switch. It's so easy and always let's you have one battery fully charged in reserve and eliminates that an electrical mis-adventure with one battery will take down the second battery.

I just installed that Blue Seas switch in reverse: #1 goes to the WFCO, #2 goes to the inverter, and #1 + 2 goes to both the WFCO and inverter. If the inverter decides to crap out we can just switch to #1 and the inverter is disconnected, so we can camp like we did before the inverter install.

Enjoy,


Perry

[John in Santa Cruz]

me, I'd probably stick with 3/8" rings, and use washers as appropriate on any smaller studs. the difference between 3/8 and 5/16 is only 1/16th.

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Or just install battery selector switch. It's so easy and always let's you have one battery fully charged in reserve and eliminates that an electrical mis-adventure with one battery will take down the second battery.

Ron

Interesting.
Now you have a "Both" position which will guarantee a sudden, large current flow from the fully charged battery into the partially discharged battery.