Power advice please...

[Mad Manny]

I have a fused cable running to the rear of Fearless.
When I do take a fridge I just plug it in directly.
So, the fridge runs direct from the main battery.
No Solenoid etc.
I've had the vehicle off & the fridge on for up to 24 hours - no problem.
It's never affected the cranking battery.

However, I now want to fit a battery in the rear.

As I see it, I have 2 options:

1. Fit a DC-DC Charger with int MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking)/Solar (1st prize option)
The vehicle will charge while driving & I can plug in the Solar panel (which I already have) while standing for extended periods.

2. Just get an MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking)/Solar for when standing & use my current 'Direct from battery' system while driving.

I've been looking at DC-DC chargers with MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking)/Solar - Must be minimum 20A.

WRND is cheapest (R2500 from 4x4 Direct) - but the founder passed away & I hear this has affected back up.

C-Tek 250SE (does Litium) - R6200 from Bush Power - but I hear they are not as reliable as their price suggests.

National Luna NLDC25A - Andreas has one, works well for him. But NL has gotten expensive - R8200.

Victron - unless I'm missing something, Victron don't seem to sell a combined DC-DC with MPPT/Solar - you need to buy a DC to DC & then a MPPT/Solar charger.

I assume there are other brands I'm not aware of.

Ideally I'd like to spend around R4500 to R6000

What do you guys suggest?

[Mad Manny]

1. Victron Orion 30A DC to DC (R3200) plus Victron MPPT (R1200) (R 4400) ~ IanDVL
Two devices. Bluetooth functionality.
Onree & Bushwacker agree (sort of).

2.

[ZR6SGN]

I have the old CTEK 250 Dual in the back of my vehicle (it doesn’t handle lithium). I bought it in April 2014 - so ten years of flawless use. It does exactly what I need it to do. I can’t see how you would be unhappy with the newer CTEK.

[Samaya]

If the cable to the rear is thick enough, there should be little voltage drop. Measure this by plugging in a warm fridge so it draws power from the main battery - measure at the battery and at the fridge. Less than 0,3V ~ 0,4V difference then you dont need any DC-DC booster. More than that, get a booster.

Not sure about reliability reports but CTek has always been good from what I remember. I have heard many good and bad stories about WRND.

[AndreasR]

You mention you want to install a”battery” in the back.

Which “ battery”.

[Mad Manny]

Andreas, ideally, eventually, it'll be a 12v 100A Lifepo4, but I have a 100A Deep Cycle Probe battery that is/was my TV Loadshedding back up, I'll use that until/if Eskom falls over again.

[Mad Manny]

Samaya, the cables to the back is fused and are the same thickness as the OEM battery cables.

I have used that cable to run the fridge in the back AND charge the battery in the trailer (with a fully packed NL fridge) on trips.
No issues....

[AndreasR]

The possibilities are endless!

Forgetting about brand names for a minute, I would set up my system up according to current and future needs. So, set it up with the possibility of expansion/improvement. Starting off you need to get the best capacity/output MPPT and dc to dc you can afford, whether a combined unit or two separate units. For your current battery this may seem overkill, but if you do go over to Lifepo you will not neeed to repurchase the other components.

You mention you want to use the battery for your home backup system so it has to be portable.

Would a Ecoflow, or similar not be more suitable? Very portable, everything in one unit.

Personally I don’t want to spend my time continually checking battery capacity and charging status, so I went overkill. Do it once, do it right, even if that means doing it over a period of time as finances allow.

[Outlaw Shaun]

Ecoflow system
They portable , easy to move around and lithium.
Dual battery systems are and will become obsolete

[HenriSteyn]

Manny I don't pick up any mention of Solar.

If you don't intend to do so now, you just need a DC-DC charger and later when you want to fit solar, do the MPPT.

I would go Victron.

[BushWacker]

A simple solar charge controller is way cheaper than
an MPPT which is however dynamic and deemed a bit more efficient esp for changing cloud cover etc.
and
Get the Victron DC-DC which is called Orion or something.

IMO

( … not sure if depicted example works with Lithium Battery )

[BushWacker]

.

[Mad Manny]

Manny I don't pick up any mention of Solar.

If you don't intend to do so now, you just need a DC-DC charger and later when you want to fit solar, do the MPPT.

I would go Victron.

Read my post again, I refer to MPPT....

[HenriSteyn]

Yeah but you did not say SOLAR.
Skryf deeglik boet.
But if you want to ignore my advise then just delete it?

[Mad Manny]

Yeah but you did not say SOLAR.
Skryf deeglik boet.
But if you want to ignore my advise then just delete it?

My apologies, I have edited the first post to say MPPT/Solar... rather than just MPPT.