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rock2ya avatar image
rock2ya asked

Orion for Campertrailer

Hi, i'm planning to add the possibility to my campertrailer to load the 2nd battery while driving.

Solar Mppt , Bluesmart 230V chargers from Victron are already in use.

Do i need to use the orion smart or is the orion converter enough to load the battery while driving ? As we are not driving to far i assume the 3 stage loading of the orion smart will most likely not be used

Orion DC-DC Converters not smart
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3 Answers
anthony-d avatar image
anthony-d answered ·

I'm assuming that you intend to use the vehicle's alternator to charge the 2nd battery. If both batteries are the same voltage, why not use a voltage sensitive relay or a diode to charge the 2nd battery?

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rock2ya avatar image
rock2ya answered ·

because one battery is in the front of the car, the other one 10m behind in the trailer. and the trailer plug has only a 10A socket. i have corrected the heading

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Kevin Windrem avatar image
Kevin Windrem answered ·

The Orion charger is the correct choice for this application. It will insure the batteries are properly charged and not overcharged. Driving distance really doesn't justify not having proper charging profile in effect. For example, if the batteries are already fully charged, you don't want to apply bulk charging current to them.

With the typical wiring provided in tow vehicles to the 7-pin plug, you may not get the expected charging current even with the Orion. This is due to voltage drop in the wiring to the 7-pin receptacle. But the Orion will improve this situation over simply connecting the batteries in parallel through the 7-pin connector or through a relay/diode as suggested above.

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rock2ya avatar image rock2ya commented ·

i guess you are right, that was the point of view i needed. thank you

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