New Victron ORION XS DC-DC Charger Upgrade B2B Installation

[@rogeryates4205]

For use on a motor home. Thanks for your videos. Just installed four hundred watt panels. My gel batteries are seven years old. Looking at roamer lithium. Thanks again.

[@LeisureBit]

Sounds like a great solar panel - I’ve been really pleased with my Roamer battery - thanks very much for watching - all the best, David 👍

[@danielrussell446]

Well done David a really interesting video and good to see the benefits of modernising the electrics in the van!

[@LeisureBit]

Thank you Daniel - it makes such a difference

[@thepeakprowler]

Hi David, I'm currently upgrading to an Orion XS, is your van a Boxer/Relay/Ducato & if so could I ask where you took your D+ feed from?

[@LeisureBit]

Hi, it was already fed through from the converters connection I think to where the previous one was (sorry that’s probably not much help!) - all the best, David 👍

[@davidhancock7377]

Hi David Great video and thanks for taking time out to do it, if you dont mind me asking you a question, Where the earth cable joins to the chassis, is it ok just to join straight to the battery instead of chassis? Thanks again

[@LeisureBit]

There are chassis points near the battery but if you have a modern vehicle with start stop (and some others with sensors) you should not connect direct to the negative terminal of the battery - just to an appropriate point - some don’t have this so fine but usually the battery has a sensor nowadays - hope that helps / makes sense? All the best, David 👍

[@stevehind1825]

Great video David. I will be sticking with the Schaudt WA121525, I did remove its output from the Elldis PCB and put it direct onto the a Battery (Roamer SB230) mega/maxi fuse box i installed. I find 24amps per hour I seem to be getting (tested via Roamer app) OK for our van use.

[@LeisureBit]

Excellent that’s great output and you can tell that you’ve put it direct to your battery 👍 All the best, David 👍

[@GENerationXplorers]

Well done David you look like you know your stuff but it was like you were talking a foreign language to us 😂 went right over our heads! Glad it worked out and great it comes with an app (like everything nowadays) 👍❤️ have a good week x

[@LeisureBit]

I don’t understand it either guys - all I know is that I can use the hairdryer and toaster without being plugged in 🙌 just like magic! 🪄 Rachel & David 💕

[@MoaningGit]

Speak for yourself.. easy to understand. Shane the XS is impossible to buy

[@LeisureBit]

Hopefully it will be available again soon with sufficient production run for everyone who wants one. All the best David 👍

[@johnclarke3527]

Another great video thanks. Quick question>. ...On your original build you had your battery maintainer between the 240v charger and the Schaudt b2b charger. Looks like you have retained the battery maintainer when replacing with the new B2B. Does this just now connect directly to the vehicle battery and still work fine? Many thanks. John

[@LeisureBit]

Hi John, when I removed the Schaudt, I kept the battery maintainer connected to the vehicle battery connection and the other end to the charger which feeds back to the leisure battery so it’s essentially the same as the vehicle battery input just connects to the converter connection and then on to the vehicle battery so it’s connected directly. Hope that makes sense and thank you. All the best, David 👍

[@MrFatknackers]

You mention adding a D+ on the H pin, can I ask a few questions, Would a ignition feed work and I take it you remove the supplied bridging connector cable Thanks

[@LeisureBit]

Yes, it would in theory, however, when you switched the ignition on you would get a draw without the engine running so may inhibit starting or run the battery down if left on, thats why D+ is used to avoid that scenario. Hope that makes sense, All the best, David 👍

[@sccobyste]

My setup is a mixture of renogy and victron but all runs via a hard wired ac200 max Bluetti so a fogstar puts power back into the ac 200 when required giving 240v 24/7 and we have a dedicated solar panel feeding the AC 200 separate to the leisure battery as we have a bifacial panel looking after the lithium we also have a 500w victron booster to take power from the leisure side when needed so a bit of a Frankenstein setup but works amazing wouldn’t change it

[@LeisureBit]

Sounds like a cracking setup - it’s all about finding something which works for you isn’t it - all the very best, David 👍

[@andrzejkwiatos7378]

what size fuse should be used at the input from the alternator to Orion XS?

[@louisputtick]

Hi David, Great video and walk through of the change and you are definitely responsible for giving me ideas which lighten my wallet 🙂. In relation to the VE bus, does it currently utilise the battery reading from the smart shunt to match the charging profile? Just with Solar, B2B and shore charging from Victron it was only the Orion that was not matching. With the new XS does it now match with your other units? I've not gone to the cerbo yet but would be interested in your findings on how all the current battery charging sources work.

[@LeisureBit]

Hi Louis - thank you - it becomes an expensive game doesn’t it - I think it uses the in / out voltages what the ve bus is giving is the visibility and history of what’s happened if that makes sense. All the best, David 👍

[@louisputtick]

I’ve bought one now so can’t wait for it to arrive and get it installed. So I’ll soon have a spare Victron Orion used for 6 months for sale as well 😊

[@peternorwood6360]

Hi David. how did you get your hands on one this early ?. i am having some upgrades to my motorhome and the firm doing the upgrade told me that the 50amp b2b would not be available until late March early April.

[@LeisureBit]

Sorry to hear that - I ordered it when it first went for preorder from Offgrid Power Solutions and was lucky to have been in quick I think before they sold out of the first batch - it was delayed slightly like any of the others due to time to supply - hopefully yours will come sooner. All the best, David 👍

[@andyblake1849]

Well, I’m glad you know what your doing David..🤦🏻‍♂👏

[@LeisureBit]

Let’s hope eh 🤞 All the very best, David 👍

[@goingmouch3753]

Great job David as always…..how much for the 30amp bud?

[@LeisureBit]

Thank you- looking for around £130 if interested drop me a line at; feedback at LeisureBit . Co .uk - all the. Best. David 👍

[@DesmondsDonders]

Thought I had better say Hello. Not sure I need the extra power of the XS but was interested to see if it was as good as folk say. We survived another winter with our current set up of 200Ah of Lithium after I got a deal which was better and lighter than the AGMs I was going to fit. Thanks for sharing.

[@LeisureBit]

Hello 😀 it’s quite a bit extra power isn’t it and in some cases the alternator or other things wouldn’t support it, wonder if they will do a 25/30A version at some point, imagine that could be even smaller! Thanks for dropping by, all the very best, David 👍

[@darrenpardoe]

David, many thanks for yet another great trechnical blog. I'm happy with the standard fit Schaudt WA121525, as it charges my single 95A orginal AGM battery (Elddis CV40) in quick enough time when needed. As i'm very tight with my dosh (saving fuel), I would like to be able to turn off the "Schaudt WA121525" if I know I'm going into a paid campsite with EHU or if I have to move, but know there is plenty of sunshine to charge the battery later. Would having a switch on the D+ line be a good idea? I have asked Schaudt, but await their response. Thank you 👍

[@LeisureBit]

Hi Darren - yes a switch in the D+ line into the Schaudt would achieve that and you’re right the energy comes from somewhere so reducing load = reduced fuel costs 😀 I keep being tempted to try and work out Ah>diesel to see how much it is but imagine over time it would be significant All the best, David 👍

[@darrenpardoe]

@@LeisureBit Thank you David for the response. I think I will fit one of those bluetooth devices from Amazon so I can activate/deactivate remoteliy without running wires around :)

[@LeisureBit]

@@darrenpardoe good idea, just make sure it's volt free contacts to avoid damaging your van electrics, most of them seem to be relay so should be :)

[@benshke]

Quick question, in the dc dc charging from starter battery to living battery if the engine is running and the starter battery gets disconnected does the dcdc charger still works? Could you test this? Been searching for days on info on this on the inter webs and couldn't find any info.

[@LeisureBit]

Why would the starter battery get disconnected? It’s not something I could test unfortunately, if there’s power flowing it would work if there wasn’t it wouldn’t. Not sure if that helps at all?

[@benshke]

@ wel i have a situation where we want a alternator charging lithium battery’s but we dont have a starterbattery. As this is not needed.

[@giovanniterenghi9916]

Hi David, I've just installed an Orion XS with the D+ plugged on H pin, but I'm not sure if the Engine Shutdown Detection must be turned off or not. Thank you for your reply.

[@LeisureBit]

Good afternoon - I switched it off on mine as then it’s driven by the D+ signal to avoid any odd scenarios occurring when you expected it to charge and seems to work well - hope that helps - all the very best, David 👍

[@giovanniterenghi9916]

@@LeisureBit thank you for your quick reply David. I'll do the same. greetings from Italy

[@robingee6884]

where did you connect it to on the cab battery also have you a photo, and what connector/fuse did you use

[@LeisureBit]

Thanks for the comment- I used a 60a mega fuse from the spare terminal on the battery (I think it’s in the video I did in the Orion 12-12-30 as I have reused the wiring from that. I had to use another mega fuse holder to get the bolt etc to fit the fuse to the spare way on the battery. Hope that makes sense, if you can’t find it will try and get a photo - David 👍

[@neildixon6134]

can you please tell me where abouts is the factory fitted one located please david ?

[@LeisureBit]

Hi, on mine it was located on the other side of the washroom wall, near the fuse board and mains / charging unit - in the video it’s the blue Schaudt box on the left. Hope that helps,David 👍

[@stevemcgowan3017]

hi my twin victrons are only giving out 10amps max at moment.18a and 30amp parallel dc chargers.i have 10amps at starter battery my alternator was upgraded couple years ago 140amps i think.i still have my old 12amp charger running agm battery also separate circuit .the victrons supply 105ah lifepo4.have to top up lifepo4 with mains charger every few days but on weekends away need that extra power

[@LeisureBit]

We’re they giving more then 10A previously? Have you checked your cables, fuses and connections to make sure something hasn’t worked loose? Or is the battery almost charged / you have a variable charging profile set? All the best, David 👍

[@stevemcgowan3017]

@@LeisureBit yes were giving up to 30 to 39amps one time .ive recently fitted new victron mppt controller and victron smart shunt.i have victron 100amp battery protect but havnt fitted that yet.at moment with my commute to work and some solar going in its back to 100%.will check my cables again .been having other problem in engine bay lately.gearlinkage .had undo coolant pipes get to it.i have 100amp fuse near battery goes to victrons .thanks for quick reply

[@stevemcgowan3017]

@@LeisureBit usually i try chargers on power supply setting seems to boost amps but it made no difference according to the bms blutooth app on the lifepo4 battery .

[@stevemcgowan3017]

@@LeisureBit just checked main battery cable was loose it’s hidden u see cabin filter tightened up hopefully that was problem 😀🙏

[@stevemcgowan3017]

The battery connections not ideal but get tight as can lots small connections. It’s what manufacture put on never meant to have extra

[@joevavak]

Can this be connected directly to start battery or does it have to go to alternator

[@LeisureBit]

You can connect it to the starter battery - that’s how I have it connected - hope that helps, all the best , David 👍

[@joevavak]

Will it damage alternator by making it work to hard to charge starter and leisure both ? Thank you.

[@LeisureBit]

You would need to check based on what’s fitted and the allowed load - ours allows between 40-50A, anything more would exceed the recommended draw for our alternator, it does depend on the capacity though

[@joevavak]

Thank you. Enjoyed your video.

[@rogeryates4205]

Hi thanks David any news on a isolated xs. Thanks.

[@LeisureBit]

Thank you - there’s no news as yet, I imagine it will be in the pipeline, I know they are popular in marine - you using it on a boat or something like that for the isolated or just wanting isolated?

[@melfolkertsma4344]

Is there an automatic battery isolator in this Orion XS? Does it shut off if there is no charge voltage measured from the alternator? Otherwise it seems from the schematic that the vehicle battery would discharge.

[@melfolkertsma4344]

Nevermind. I should have listened more intently. It's smart! I found this in the manual: "The Orion XS can be set only to supply power when the engine is running. This is possible thanks to the integrated engine shutdown detection. This eliminates the need to adjust in-vehicle wiring or add an engine detection sensor to determine if charging can start. It also prevents the voltage on board the vehicle from getting too low. In addition to this detection, the Orion XS can also be forced on via the remote on/off port.:

[@LeisureBit]

Yes thats right, it’s configurable by the Victron Connect app for auto-engine running detection or you could use the traditional D+ input via the connection - whatever works for your setup. Best Regards, David

[@rskite]

Greetings, I am looking to use one of these to sit between my starter battery and my Anker C1000 via the Solar input. Will this work in this manner?

[@LeisureBit]

I can’t see the input voltage range for the c1000 - I believe you can buy a 12v charging cable for about £25 for that model which is designed for that particular power station - might be worth checking that option out as would be significantly cheaper. All the best, David 👍

[@rskite]

@@LeisureBit Right - I am looking to connect the DC to the XT-60 port on the Anker C1000. Using the Cigarette lighter takes forever to charge (100w vs potentially 600w).

[@luizantoniobravim8303]

Hello! If you connect the 12v alternator and charge a 240 amp 24 amp lithium battery. I can load

[@LeisureBit]

Hello, thanks for the comment, not sure of your question - is it charging 24v battery?

[@Borntobuild87]

Great video, thanks!

[@LeisureBit]

Thank you - appreciated - all the best, David 👍

[@MakeDoAndMend1]

On some vehicles the engine Alternator needs upgraded to a higher capacity type. It can also mean that twin Alternator drive belts need fitting to handle the extra horse power taken from engine as it can be as much as 7.5 horsepower. Plus twin belt pulleys. Remembering if both batteries need charging. George

[@LeisureBit]

You’re absolutely right and you need to make sure the alternator has sufficient capacity to ensure it doesn’t overload.

[@MakeDoAndMend1]

@@LeisureBit A proper job . George

[@LeisureBit]

Thank you George - best do it right

[@Noisycowonline]

Ford has a $640 dual alternator OEM option however I had not seem one, even the Trail, equipped that way yet.

[@niceguy100000]

That would be 5.5 kW before various losses.

[@Noisycowonline]

Anyone have the Transit dual-alternator option ($640) with the second alternator dedicated to feed the Orion?

[@LeisureBit]

Hopefully someone will be along who can help 👍

[@Tb0n3]

It might be better but it's significantly more expensive.

[@LeisureBit]

Well worth the extra money in my book, significantly better, nearly double the capacity and better connectivity. If you want a 30A non-connected though, not worth the extra money of course - I’m super happy with mine and lighter, runs cooler and far more technically advanced. All the best, David 👍

[@sccobyste]

Apparently these get really hot seen some guys testing them on here

[@LeisureBit]

Thanks for the heads up will keep an eye, has been nice and cool so far but will pay more attention to see if it is heating up 👍

[@travelcampervansandmore]

After 1 hour use, 22°c less than the Orion-TR 30A.

[@markbphotography]

Great information but you repeat yourself too many to Ed . . . Get o with it . . . Who cares what they both weigh together 🤯🤯

[@LeisureBit]

Thank you for the feedback - appreciated - all the best, David 👍

[@birdie2202]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2SQeoNje9Grq8U set you a link about your wire size if you havent changed the cable size might help ..........

[@LeisureBit]

Thank you - appreciated. All the very best, David 👍

[@12vLife]

in my short Microcamper the 4' run from my starter into the charger will be 4awg copper, but okay to use existing 8awg copper OUT of the charger to the house lithium for a 7' run?

[@LeisureBit]

You would get more current flow likely through the vehicle battery side so better it’s thicker cable there. Personally I think 6 or 4 would be better especially on a 7ft run - if it’s very good quality cable.it might be ok but I would upgrade it to get the best performance and remove any risk if it’s an Orion XS, just to make sure… all the best, David 👍