Nice clean job. I am planning the same for my 5th wheel. One different component I am considering is either a circuit breaker (rather than fuse fuse) in the engine bay or a contactor controlled by an upfitter switch. I am not sure I want the Anderson power connector to be 'hot' all the time. Flipping it off when I am not towing would allay this concern.

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks. That’s a great idea. I keep the cover on the Andersen connectors and I’ve never had an issue but it sure couldn’t hurt. For me just having it fused keeps me from forgetting to turn it on before leaving. I know how I am and I would remember it 10 minutes before getting to the campground. Good luck on your install and thanks for watching.

Great video! Getting ready to install one for my 5th wheel. You did a great job showing the entire install (including the cable route). Thanks for the great video!

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

8 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching! Good luck on the install.

On my long todo list for my bus, great video, specs super helpful.

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

Ай бұрын

Thanks! Good luck with your to do list. They can get out of control!

I had it in my mind how I would install this for our truck camper and you verified that I have it correct in my mind, thank you for posting this.

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

2 ай бұрын

You are welcome. Thank you for watching.

Thank You Sir. Very helpful. Doing the same thing using a truck camper. Held off ordering parts after seeing your video which helped me save some money.

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

Жыл бұрын

No problem. So glad it was helpful! Good luck with the install and thanks for watching!

Thanks for the awesome video. wiring Looks AMAZING

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching! I’m glad you enjoyed it!

Very clean install. Your Renogy charger has a nice feature on it that you aren't using. The D+ wire (red one in video that goes to lights) is necessary to let the charger know that the vehicle is turned on and the alternator is working. There is a second connection point on the charger for an optional CL wire. When current is going to both D+ and CL the output is cut in half (20 amps to 10 amps). This is useful because there are times when you only need 10 amps and your alternator won't have to work as hard thus improving fuel economy and reducing heat. I have a Renogy 60 amp charger and ran two 16 ga wires from the charger to a DPDT three way toggle switch that I mounted in my dashboard. I also have separate connectors for these wires between the truck and trailer. The switch is powered through a fuse that is only active when the ignition is turned on. With this setup I can switch between 60 amps, off, and 30 amps. The 4 gauge wire that you ran will easily accomodate a Renogy 40 or 60 amp charger but you may need to upgrade your alternator. My truck tow package came with a 250 amp alternator that can handle 60 amps but I anticipate that I will make use of the CL feature most of the time.

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the awesome comment! I had no idea the CL connection did this. I could see how this would be useful, especially on long trips. Our truck came with dual alternators totaling 397 amps, so we should be good to go if we decide to go with a larger converter. I would love to do that if we ever upgrade our battery bank. Thanks for watching!

Thanks for your great information

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

7 ай бұрын

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!

I use welding wire really flexible and can handle lots of juice and great insulation . EWCS 6 gauge

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

Жыл бұрын

Awesome! Welding cable is always a great option. I planned to use 6 gauge at first but decided to go with 4 because I’m familiar with the company and their products. It can be tough to find wire that is the true gauge that is advertised.

Not sure if this has been mentioned but you can use an "add a circuit" to the ignition fuse which will run to the charger to tell it to turn on as soon as the ignition is turned on. That way you don't need to have the driving lights on for that to work. But clean setup and thanks for making this, I'm adding one of these chargers and this was helpful.

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

Жыл бұрын

I have not heard of the add a circuit, but I'll look into it. The most annoying part of the system is trying to remember to turn the running lights on when towing. We just came back from a trip where I drove an hour before realizing my running lights were off! Thanks for the comment and I'm glad the video was helpful.

Awesome video! Very informative and educational. I'm wondering how I can make this work for a tow-behind. Maybe have the plug/jack come out of the bumper near the 7pin connection?

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

7 ай бұрын

Thanks! Yes. I plan to add this to a tow behind soon. I’ve thought of adding a connector under or behind the bumper, near the 7 pin connector.

Thank you

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

2 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome.

I assume you have since upgraded the size of your battery but in case you haven't LiTime makes an excellent battery at a reasonable cost. The LiTime 12V 100Ah Self Heating LiFePO4 Lithium Battery With 100A BMS, Low Temperature Protection is now running around $370 and uaully grab a coupon for up ro 30% off. They also have a 200Ah for $719. Keep an eye on them and you can snag some pretty good discounts. They also have a new model with lighted on/off/wake push button....the battery does have low temp charge protection but no heater. However, there is a force charge feature for emergencies. It runs around $279.00. Good video.

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

5 ай бұрын

I actually haven’t upgraded my battery bank. I keep an eye on lithium batteries and have been happy to see the prices dropping. I haven’t seen the new option with the push button. I’ll check it out, especially with that price! Thank you for watching!

For my trailer, i just installed a 700 watt inverter in my tow vehicle. Then I ran 120 vac 14 gauge extension cord. At the trailer coupler i put a plug. Then close to trailer batteries i got an 15 amp battery charger. Smaller wires, higher voltage, less voltage drop. Added plus, i have 120volts for camera batteries or other 120volt equipment. I tried the inverter in the engine compartment, but it was just too hot. So my inverter lives under the passenger seat now.

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

9 ай бұрын

Cool! That’s a good idea as well!

Question: what size fuse are you using in the Knukonceptz Fuse Holder? Thanks and great video.

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

Жыл бұрын

I’m using a 50 amp fuse.

Can you explain the small red conductor going into the renogy? Where does it go? To the camper driving lamps?

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

Ай бұрын

That’s correct. It goes to the marker lights on the camper. It’s a signal wire that turns the unit on with your driving lights from the tow vehicle.

@97fdexp

Ай бұрын

@@BuildYourOwnAdventure Thanks!

Hey men. I only realised there's two version of this charger 30 and 50 amp. I bought 50 amp and now I worry it will be too much for my old 1992 Ducato motorhome :/ what you think

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

5 ай бұрын

It will more than likely depend on your battery bank. I would reach out to Renogy. I’m sure they could help.

does this dc to dc charger get hot ? Does it have an app so you can control everything ?

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

Жыл бұрын

I’ve never checked to see how hot it gets. I know as soon as it starts charging, the cooling fans turn on. I’ll have to check the temp on our next trip. It does not have an app or a Bluetooth module to control it. I normally check my voltage gauge inside the trailer when we get to our destination to be sure we’re fully charged. I’ve had no issues yet!

can you use the battery while its charging. while the dc to dc charger is on do I need to turn off for example the fridge?

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

Жыл бұрын

We use our Inverter while traveling to run our fridge. It causes no issues and keeps the battery topped off.

@MeTube0190

Жыл бұрын

@@BuildYourOwnAdventure perfect ok thank you

I added the same one to my van. Been waiting for parts for 2 weeks now. End of july, china was hit by a typhoon, massive flooding, earthquakes, another typhoon and their economy is collapsing like their construction disrupting the supy chain.

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

11 ай бұрын

Oh wow. I didn’t know it had effected shipping. Hopefully things will get worked out soon. Thanks for watching.

@frederick6008

11 ай бұрын

@@BuildYourOwnAdventure more on the supply side.

Question: Why go directly to the battery instead of the alternator?

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

Ай бұрын

When connecting accessories to vehicles, you normally connect to the battery or a fuse panel. In a 12V system the alternator is connected to the battery as well, so you are basically connecting the two.

What did you call the wire loom again? I know you said it but now I can't remember when.

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

10 ай бұрын

Expandable wire loom. There’s a link to it in the description of the video. Thanks for watching!

@TheRoadTaken

3 ай бұрын

@@BuildYourOwnAdventure Finally have the time to pursue this - I've had your video bookmarked for what, 6 months now? LOL Thanks again!

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

3 ай бұрын

@@TheRoadTaken That's awesome!! Hope the install went well! Thanks for supporting the channel.

Did your ground to body have any issues?? Trying to find a good ground in rear of 2021 SD instead of running negative all the way back..

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

11 ай бұрын

No issues at all.

@user-dk9mz8dq9n

10 ай бұрын

I have a flashing red light.. everything ohms out but the ground wire.. it’s at 75 so not going to work. Either need a better spot in the rear or getting another 30’ of 4 awg welding wire and run it to the front..

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

10 ай бұрын

@@user-dk9mz8dq9n try grounding to the frame. That was my backup plan.

@user-dk9mz8dq9n

10 ай бұрын

Frame did the trick! Thanks! Got wrapped in the weeds thinking body would work. I did use my upfitter switches (2) so I can do 20 or 40 amps. Figured a steep grade or sitting still 20 would be nice and driving 40. Thanks again for your videos!

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

10 ай бұрын

@@user-dk9mz8dq9n that’s awesome! Glad it worked! I like the two stage/upfitter idea. Might have to try that in the future. Thanks for watching!!

4AWG is thick enough to use the 40amp version

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

Ай бұрын

Yes it is. I wanted to be sure we had a large enough gauge if we choose to upgrade our charger size later.

How many feet of wire did you get and how much did you use?

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

5 ай бұрын

I ordered 50 feet of positive and 30 feet of ground cable. I had very little left of each.

Who makes those red connectors?

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

Жыл бұрын

I purchased them from Amazon. If you open the description of the video, there's a link that takes you straight to them. They are Anchi 50 amp connectors.

Follow-up question: is there any risk to replacing my lead acid battery with a lithium without using a DC-DC charger? I've confirmed that my converter and solar charge controller are compatible. Just wondering if not using a DC-DC charger can put the lithium battery or alternator at risk.

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

7 ай бұрын

I’m honestly not sure. I’ve heard that it can damage your alternator but I never had issues before adding the dc to dc charger. My problem was the alternator not sending enough juice to keep the battery charged while running my Inverter.

@WayneTheSeine

5 ай бұрын

I vote no as well. LiFepo batteries have very little internal resistance, unlike lead acid. Therefore, the batteries will take all the current an alternator can produce. If your batteries are significantly discharged it will most likely fry your alternator.

@1gesteban

5 ай бұрын

@@WayneTheSeine - Well, not according to Todd. I put this question out there and he actually answered it as one of his featured videos. I would be curious if you find anything erroneous with his explanation. kzread.info/dash/bejne/p6J3z5qGXZOsYNI.htmlsi=ceOri9q5Q7khbWpZ

@1gesteban

5 ай бұрын

@@WayneTheSeine - Well, I replied, but apparently that post got deleted. 😞 Anyway, based on info I received in my research, the "frying alternator" scenario would only happen if you upgraded the wiring from the trailer to the tow vehicle to a thicker gauged wiring. Otherwise, it's less likely given the smaller gauged wiring used in the 7pin connector AND the distance, etc. Would you agree with that?

Hi, may i use the battery while it is charging?

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

Жыл бұрын

Yes you can. We leave our Inverter on while traveling. This runs our refrigerator non stop. Thanks for the comment!

@lucrisdelarosa

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for your answer. Im gonna be now your new suscriptor. 🤝

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

Жыл бұрын

@@lucrisdelarosa thank you!!

I find Victron over rated..Same as some of the BlueSea products. Cost vs Application.. The only thing I don't skimp on is Wire\Fuses and sizing... I would make a habit of checking under the frame for wear and tear too. As wire can be damaged from road debris..

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

Жыл бұрын

I would love to have a Victron system, but it would be overkill for the amount of time we use it. Good call on checking the wiring! I clean the frame of the truck all along. That will be a good time to check on the wires. Thanks for watching!

Wood bounes lol

@BuildYourOwnAdventure

2 жыл бұрын

lol. It sure does. All the other ends crimped perfectly, but those two were not having it!