LVD and converter connection

[chin_k]

How does the converter connects to the LVD? If I understand it correctly, the converter connects to the DC panel via the CONV posts, and the DC panel connects to the LVD via the BATT posts. Then the LVD connect to the batteries. So when we have shore power, the charger/converter charges the batteries via the path: Charger -> DC Panel -> LVD -> 50A fuse -> batteries. Let me know if I miss anything.

The reason I want to confirm is because some LVD does not allow reverse voltage from the V-out to V-in, so I assume the Surepower LVD we all have have no issue with that?

[chin_k]

bump and I should write the second paragraph better: "The reason I want to confirm is because some LVD does not allow reverse voltage from the V-out to V-in, so I assume the Surepower LVD we all have does not have that issue if it allows reverse voltage from the charger to the battery."

[Blue~Go]

I may be misunderstanding your question (especially since I am famished and should go make dinner), but at least in my era, it went like this:

Brown box ---> single 8AWG positive wire to LVD ---> single 8 AWG positive wire to house battery bank.

So as you will notice, there is not a separate wire for loads and charging. Hence why you have to have the "store" button in "not store" position in order to charge. In other words, as built, you can't have the rig in storage, turn everything off, and still charge (except by solar).

From the house battery bank ---> single 4AWG positive to Surepower ----> single 4AWG positive to Ford start battery.

The LVD is a bit of a "roundhouse" of small wires, but there are just the one in and out in terms of large cables.

1998 drawing; the LVD is in the red square:

1999 LVD (now gone in my case):

[chin_k]

Thank you, Blue. You got my question correctly. You confirmed that the connectivity that I mentioned is correct. I guess I will need to wire it differently if I went to the Smart BatteryProtect 65A LVD, which will be damaged if you try to charge the battery thru it.

[Blue~Go]

Personally, I like to keep charging and load wires separate. Then you don't have to have reminder buzzers and confusion. That said, the brown box terminals kind of roped them into doing it that way.

[chin_k]

My plan is to add two 4 AWG wires from the charger to the battery, to lessen the voltage drop that existing 8 AWG wire has. I will use the existing wiring for the connection between the LVD to the DC panel for now. I don't think anything there will mind the smaller wires, and none of them is using that much current, other than the fridge in DC mode, which I usually do not use. The "converter" aspect of the brown box will just need to make a round trip like the trailer wiring, going all the way to the batteries, and back to the DC panel a few inches away over 30 ft of wires, and good 15 lb of copper.

I actually have a slightly larger converter, at 55 Amp, but the existing wiring should be fine at 8AWG. I willl put a 45 A fuse on it and see if it will ever get blown.

I should take care of the solar controller first, however, but it is kind of related to the LVD, since I have been trying to get a dual-battery solar controller with load control. Unfortunately, they only have either a dual-battery controller, or a single battery controller with load control If I am retired, I should make one myself.

[Blue~Go]

I took care of the occassional starting battery from solar a different way. Actually, it is just a byproduct of how I set things up, as I only need to send any juice to the starter battery if I am parked over a month, and that rarely happens.

But at any rate, my "combiner" can be activated manually (actually my combiner is just a switch, so it is always activated manually, but that's not the point ), so if I'm parked in one spot for over two weeks (rare because most places I camp have a 14-day limit), I will just pick a day when I can see my house bank is happy as a clam and it's sunny, and then I "combine" for the day. That way my start battery gets a full round of bulk/absorb (I have lead acid batteries in both places, AGM in my case).

Since I have a manual switch (my preference, as I go long periods without combining since my solar controller gives a much more intelligent charge than the alternator), I used a switch with two sets of contacts and on the second set I wired two small LED lights, both of which are lit when I'm combined. One is a green "solid" light that shows up by the dash, and the other is a red flashing light that shows in the coach (but is not bothersome if driving combined at night). That pretty much guarantees that I won't forget to uncombine after my start bank gets its spa day. (No big crisis if I did forget, but I like to keep start sacred regardless.)

Just one way.

[chin_k]

Blue, currently I am doing something very similar. Usually, my rig is not use for months at a time, so after I got the coach ones done, I have a switch in the battery compartment that will let me disconnect to the coach batteries, and connect to the chassis one, and I just leave it there under the sun. However, the solar controller is old one, and I really need to update it to more advance one, but that maybe for another day.

If I want to use the existing route (8 AWG wire) for connecting between the converter and the LVD, it goes around the window, then down the driver pillar, correct? I assume it is not easily accessible even if I remove the pillar, since it is between the fiberglass and the interior wall? Have not really look, but what confused me is there is a mentioning of routing under the floor.

[BobW9]

On my 2000 Concourse, that 8 AWG main wire is routed with a number of others that go up that pillar, along the back of the cabinet above the window, all the way to the back corner wall (where the vent pipe comes down from the roof), down to the floor and then forward again to under the sink area and the distribution panel and charger. Blew me away, it must be like 25 or even 30 feet total.

It is accessible via removing the pillar going up. Then still accessible by removing the carpet interior backing inside the cabinet (I think I had to remove some wood dividers, then the flooring, before I could pull out that back). But once it goes past the cabinet, I found no way to get to it as it runs along the roof line to the back... maybe if you cut a hole in the shower, perhaps behind the mirror? Going down the back and running forward along the floor you can get to it, more or less, from the back compartment (after removing the plywood-type interior panels).

Me, I left it and put in a new thick wire along the back of the couch area, in a protective conduit. Much shorter.

[chin_k]

Me, I left it and put in a new thick wire along the back of the couch area, in a protective conduit. Much shorter.

That sounds like the smart thing to do. I think mine is identical to yours. Do they clamp the wire onto the wall every few feet, or you think I can fish out the 8 AWG where is it not accessible, and then use it to pull the new wiring in? Maybe too much hassle, but I really should put the wire in a conduit like you if it goes along the floor via the direct route.

But then when I read your respond the third time, I got confused... are you saying the wire actually goes behind the shower? Isn't that the wrong direction to the battery by going toward the *back* of the rig? I was assuming all along that the wire go up above the big window, across the top of toward the front, then down the driver pillar to the LVD. I guess in order to be 25+ ft, it must be going some weird direction since I can't see how it can be more than 20 ft if it just goes around the window.