Dumb question but did you plug in your tow vehicle and turn on the engine to provide power to the Victron?
No such thing as dumb questions. I have been guilty of worse but in this case yes I had the truck plugged in. Got some more detailed info from Escape today (thanks Dustin). It provided more clarity on wire runs and fuses. Will try these changes and see how it goes. Thanks all
Thanks again for taking the time to help work through this. I have since looked closely at the 7 pin junction box. As pointed out the wiring diagram provided by tdf-Texas is more accurate. Since I bought my trailer used, I wanted to make sure no wiring changes had been made - no changes. So hopefully someone at Escape can tell me exactly where and how they terminate the 10 AWG positive wire from the DC to DC outlet side. I would think they would have contemplated this as part of their $420 lithium ready option. Cheers.
Jim: The diagram from tdf-texas is only telling part of the story since there is no DC-DC charger. The charger creates a new complication depending on the trailer model and access to wiring points. Since you have a 21C this gets a little complicated because to provide power to your breakaway switch and power tongue jack (if you have one) you'll need to route a new wire from the rear of the trailer forward to the 7 pin junction box. I know what you need to do but it is a little tricky to explain. We need to rope Jon Vermilye into this conversation who did this on his 21C. He brought a new 8 AWG forward from the post on his battery disconnect switch to the 7 pin junction box where he connected the breakaway switch and tongue jack power. He used the unused yellow pin in the junction box to make his connections. The yellow from the 7 pin umbilical is unused on Escapes as it is for reverse lights. Splice Box - Escape Trailer Owners Community (escapeforum.org)
Jim: For what it's worth here is a diagram showing how a 7-pin junction box can be wired to work with the addition of a DC-DC charger. In a 21 if you are placing the Victron unit near the front under the bed and double back from the Victron output with a 12V + line to the junction box then you wouldn't need the line all the way from the rear of the trailer as I stated above. I see now that is what Escape is doing from your picture in post #1 (notwithstanding the fact that Victron is made for one 6AWG max under the screw terminals). Jon needed to run a new 12V + wire the full length of the trailer because his unit was installed at the rear of the trailer.
If you study this in detail you will see that 12V + power runs out to the breakaway switch and the return wire comes back and lands on the blue terminal. This puts the breakaway switch in parallel with the brake line from the tow vehicle. This switch is not in series as shown in the diagram Escape sent you.
What I show incorporating ETI's 12V line doubling back from the output of the Victron to the junction box for breakaway switch power will work. The only debatable part of the design is that the breakaway switch is on a fused 12V+ line. Some would argue this line should be unfused to reduce the risk of a blown fuse or tripped auto reset fuse from allowing brake actuation in an emergency situation.
This diagram is extremely helpful for those of us with a new trailer. Was going to be working on changing out my DC to Dc charger and was lucky I found this. Interesting that what ETI has labelled as the "battery disconnect" (literally the label on the switch in the trailer) doesn't actually disconnect everything from the postive of the battery.
Dumb question here. We're taking three weeks off from camping and I've moved our camper to covered storage for that time. Even though the battery disconnect is off, if you look at the diagram you can see that the battery is still connected to the output of the two chargers. Do I have to worry about any sort of small current leakage that would drain the battery over a period of three weeks, or is all good? Thanks.
If you wired your trailer as shown in the diagram your battery would be totally drained because the brakes would be on full force all the time. Post #23 shows a better way.
The Atlas breakaway switch keeps the circuit open.
Yes, but as shown the brakes don't work at all until the breakaway switch is pulled. The switch needs to be between the trailer battery and the brake circuit, not in the brake circuit.
Just a follow-up to my own question, I measured the current with 12v hooked up to the output. It's not much, but there's a solid 1.0 mA of current that the power supply draws when only the output is connected to voltage. So not bad, but maybe 1 AH per month. Not sure about the solar charger, but hopefully it's in the same range.
This is the drawing that Samuel from Escape posted on TheEscapeForum as a verified drawing. I see what they did with the second positive wire in the output side (goes back to the trailer brakes terminal in the 7 pin junction box). This would seem to address the ability to keep power on for breakaway brakes?
And this is a "verified" electrical drawing! Escape technical ability continues to amaze me. Brian B-P is correct - a trailer wired per the Escape verified drawing would have NO brakes unless the emergency brake switch was activated.
Besides the brake circuit being wrong, the negative return to the battery is through the frame ground using 8 awg wire. The frame grounds that Escape uses are notorious for corrosion and failed connections.
Escape really needs to hire someone with electrical design ability. Between mounting the DC/DC charger flat on the floor creating a fire hazard, and now this. Really?
I feel bad beating on Escape repeatedly but they just keep screwing things up.
__________________
Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Engineers believe in fixing it so that it never breaks.
This is subsequent info from Dustin at Escape. Different from drawing they had on their forum in some key details. In my installation I did not butt join the power wire as they do - I used ring connectors to the unused terminal ( for the non existent back up lights) in the 7 pin junction box. I also mounted the charger on brackets vertically as Victron recommends. I also did not jam an 8 and 10 gauge wire into a single positive connector slot which Victron designed for one 6 gauge max - ran single wires to a small terminal block. The final challenge was overcome when I discovered in a new Ford that having running truck in drive with foot on the brake was not enough to activate power to the charger. In a 2021 at least you actually have to be moving in Drive to start transferring power to the power wire. Now, finally all is well. I still don’t understand why Escape uses an isolated charger and then wires it in a manner that converts it to a non-isolated but in any event I am moving on
... I still don’t understand why Escape uses an isolated charger and then wires it in a manner that converts it to a non-isolated but in any event I am moving on
There is no Victron 12/12-18 Smart Charger thats not isolated. the input and output grounds HAVE to be tied together, as the tow vehicle power is grounded to the frame, same as the trailer battery.
Yes I had asked Victron and they confirmed product could be wired with common ground. What I meant was why not start with a non isolated unit if that was what was going to be used. I know Victron makes them but I think you are saying they don’t make them as small as the 18. As in the picture lowest out put seems to be a 30 (which would be too much). Thanks for your help. I’ve learned a lot through all of this lithium adventure!
I know this is an older thread but Victron states the 12/12-18 should be mounted vertically (so the heat sink works) AND mounted on a noncombustible surface...............hard to tell which way is up in the pics in this thread. MVA pointed that out way back.................Believe ETI changed mounting to comply recently.
But, the Victron solar controller should also be mounted in the same fashion, which mine from 9/2022 build time frame was not..............
I don’t know how much validity that diagram has. If you wired your trailer as shown in the diagram your battery would be totally drained because the brakes would be on full force all the time. Post #23 shows a better way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by alanerickson
The Atlas breakaway switch keeps the circuit open.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian B-P
Yes, but as shown the brakes don't work at all until the breakaway switch is pulled. The switch needs to be between the trailer battery and the brake circuit, not in the brake circuit.
For anyone looking for the correct breakaway switch wiring I posted that in post #23 correcting Escape's diagram
Linear Mode
