I ran into this after I did my upgrade / install, and I went a different route.
Removed the factory battery isolator set wiring between alternator and van battery to a direct connection instead of through the isolator. Per my equipment MFG directions added a
60 amp breaker between battery and feed line to the electrical cabinet.
Next I made the DC in connection from the feed line / ground that pre existed and into an
AtemPower 40 amp DC to DC charger / MPPT charge controller. There seem to be at least a half dozen different rebrandings of this same device, housing / trim color and branding is all that seems to change.
I added a pair of
Dokio 300w portable solar panels, long SAE cables, and made a cutom parellel SAE to 50 amp Anderson connector to bring it into the van, and in turn through a cable pass through and into the AtemPower charger. I also went with the Dokio kickstands for support. I just move them when the sun moves so I can keep them in the sun.
I do not yet have breaker on the feed from the panels but will likely be adding it.
I am charging into a
Chins 400 amp hour bluetooth smart LiFePo4 battery. This has a smart BMS and gives me all the battery data I could possibly want or be able to use, no need for a separate battery monitor.
The battery feeds into the stock fuse panel the same way the original lead acid deep cycle did, no real wiring changes there.
For a while I omitted the converter, Just diconnected it from 12v, unplugged the 110v feed and left it to its own devices. Well I have just this past weekend installed, and this upcoming weekend will be relocating in the same cabinet just in a different spot, a
PowerMax PM3-45 LiFePo4 compatible 110v AC to 12v DC converter charger.
I see in the many diagrams a LOT of fuses, including fuses on lines that are already fused. Not sure why you would do that. To each their own though.
The converter charger is fused, no need to put one externally. The DC to DC charger lists fuse or breaker as optional on the DC output. The unit is fused against internal failure, I would think should there be an internal failure of the battery itself, I have bigger problems than what a fuse can provide so what's the point?
I did not go anywhere near the most expensive route, nor did I go the cheapest, I went with equipment I have heard of before or better yet, had friends that used it.
My best friend from college has been running the Chins batteries for the last several years and is super happy with them.
My brother has the older AtemPower unit in his RV with AGMs and it works well, so as I brand I was willing to take the risk on the new model and am very pleased with the output.
The PowerMax was admittedly a complete gamble, but the online chatter about them is above average so might as well give that a shot.
My remaining piece of work is, being a 93 my van came OEM with a small frame 3G alternator, at some point, most likely when Sportsmobile had their hands on it, they swapped the bracket AND alternator out for a large frame 3G, so when I ordered by 140 amp alternator, it wouldn't fit, I worked with Summit to figure out WTF and found it was a large frame and swapped them out. No problem. I still need to install the new alternator. I believe the alternator that is installed is a 95 or 100 amp unit. So considering it is internally regulated, the 140 should cover all the charging I need going down the road...
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