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Tech Deep Dive - Wakespeed WS500 Regulator
This post includes an extensive deep dive video with Wakespeed founders, Al Thomason and Rick Jones facilitated by Zach from Vanlife Outfitters and Jesse from Valley Hi vans. In addition, we’ve summarized some of the common questions we get about this amazing product in this post. We feature the Wakespeed in our secondary alternator example wiring diagram and best price product bundle. How is the Wakespeed WS500 regulator superior to something like a Balmar regulator? What really sets the Wakespeed apart is its ability to use voltage, current, and temperature signals to regulate charging rather than only voltage compared to something like a Balmar regulator. Additionally, the Wakespeed can monitor these signals digitally when used with CAN-connected batteries such as Lithonics and Victron Smart batteries. There are many other unique features but this foundational difference is key! What is a CAN bus and how does it work in a system with a secondary alternator with a Wakespeed regulator? CAN stands for “controller area network“. It is a highly reliable standard that uses messages to allow many “devices” inside a system to communicate with each other. CAN is used extensively in the automotive industry and has various implementations in the mobile world including RV-C for RVs and NMEA 2000 in the marine world. If you have lithium batteries that have a CAN connection that the Wakespeed can read (or a “language” that it can “translate”), the Wakespeed will use the data available digitally on the CAN bus such as voltage, current, and temperature to very accurately control charging. It can also monitor other messages from the batteries such as disconnect warnings to prevent situations like load dumps. At Vanlife Outfitters, the CAN-enabled batteries we use in secondary alternator camper van electrical systems are Blog update 2025: Victron NG batteries (paired with a BMS and Cerbo GX). There are two versions of the Wakespeed WS500 regulator. What is the difference between the “white box” and “black box” versions of the regulator? The white box Wakespeed WS500 has RJ45 CAN bus connection ports and the black box does not. In both cases, the wiring harness used with the Wakespeed has a standard CAN connection. So, if you have the white box, you have two options for CAN connectivity whereas the black box simplifies this to only one. Which version you use is typically determined by which type of CAN-connected battery you have in your system. If you’re using Lithonics batteries, you would normally use the black box version since you don’t need the RJ45 connections. In a Victron system with a Lynx Smart BMS and a Cerbo GX, you’d normally use the white box since the Victron equipment communicates CAN through the Victron VE.Can standard which uses RJ45 connections. Note: in early 2024, the formerly “white box” version of the Wakespeed regulator starting shipping with a black, plastic case. Blog update 2025: all of our secondary alternator kits include the latest generation WS500 Pro regulator. When using Victron Smart NG batteries with the Wakespeed, you’ll need the “Wakespeed to Victron” crossover cable to adapt the pin configuration that Wakespeed uses on their RJ45 connections to those used by Victron Energy on theirs. In Victron systems, you’ll want to be sure the Wakespeed is running firmware version 2.5.0 (or higher) and the Cerbo GX has Venus OS 2.90 (or higher). The Wakespeed guide for Victron systems is a great resource to check out. When using Lithonics batteries with the “black box” version of the Wakespeed, you’ll need a few adapter cables. The image above shows a 2x battery set up with the Wakespeed “CAN Bus Y Adapter cable” and a Litihonics “Wakespeed/Iongauge Integration Harness”. What brands of lithium batteries have been qualified to work correctly (and safely) with the Wakespeed WS500 regulator and why are only certain brands supported? You can visit the “technical” tab on the Wakespeed product page to see which battery brands are qualified for safe and effective use. Each of the qualified battery types has a corresponding configuration file available. In order to be considered for qualification, the manufactuer must provide batteries to Wakespeed for testing and engage in “engineer-to-engineer” level conversations with the Wakespeed team. These measures are to ensure that installers can have the highest level of confidence in the functionality and safety of their systems. How do you use the Wakespeed WS500 regulator with “legacy” batteries that don’t have a CAN bus connection including “drop-in replacement” batteries with internal BMS like Battleborn lithium batteries? Unlike CAN-connected batteries where the voltage, temperature, and current are available digitally, systems that use internal BMS batteries without CAN connections like Battleborn need an analog shunt for current monitoring and a battery temperature sensor so that these signals, along with voltage can be used by the regulator for optimal charging. Currently, Battleborn is the only brand of this type of battery that is qualified by Wakespeed. In addition to using a qualified battery, you should be sure to design your system with at least 3x batteries so that if the BMS in one or more of the batteries disconnects from charging there is at least one or two remaining online to absorb the charging current so there isn’t a “load dump” situation. What is the difference between the standard wiring harness and the “van harness”? The Wakespeed WS500 regulator has various wiring harnesses that plug into the large port on the bottom of the regulator. These variations are designed to accommodate different types of installations. The most commonly used harnesses are described below. The standard harness is most often used in marine environments where the regulator is placed near the engine. It includes all of the connections/wires detailed in the quick start guide. The so-called, van harness is designed for, you guessed it, vans! It assumes that the Wakespeed will be placed near the rest of the van’s electrical system components in the rear area of the van so it has a long (approximately 27′) leg that runs up to the alternator location and another long (approximately 17′) leg that runs to the vehicle’s ignition switch circuit (brown wire). Check out our other blog post/video that details every connection on the Wakespeed WS500 van harness. FREE Camper Van Power System Resources & Wiring Diagrams If you’re confused about your DIY camper van electrical or solar system, you’ve come to the right place. We have tons of resources including blog posts, videos and detailed example wiring diagrams (see below), Our “choosing a system” page offers some additional advice and includes an example load calculation that you can use. Please consider purchasing your power system equipment from our store. Our bundles offer great pricing (yeah, better than Amazon), free shipping and you’ll have access to expert support and you’ll be supporting our ability to create more content! Finally, there are a few things that we don’t sell in our store (yet!) that you might need so we keep a list of these products in this Google Sheet of recommended camper van products.
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Vanlife Electrical System Tour Video - Victron Energy Components with External BMS
In this short video we go over the components of a camper van electrical system that we installed into a customer’s van. She brought us the cabinet and we filled it up with a bunch of blue boxes from Victron Energy to create a powerful, off-grid capable power system for her van that charges with three sources: solar, from the vehicle alternator when driving and when connected to shore power. This system uses Victron Energy Smart Lithium batteries with an external BMS (Lynx Smart BMS). We have another blog post that is a deep dive on an example system like this including a free example wiring diagram and we have best price product bundle in our store if you want to install a system like this into your van! FREE Camper Van Power System Resources & Wiring Diagrams If you’re confused about your DIY camper van electrical or solar system, you’ve come to the right place. We have tons of resources including blog posts, videos and detailed example wiring diagrams (see below). Our “choosing a system” page offers some additional advice and includes an example load calculation that you can use. Below are some of our example power systems for camper vans/RVs. The Victron-based systems all have a corresponding blog post, free detailed PDF example wiring diagram, and a corresponding best price product bundle. Ultimately, you’ll probably customize your system to your particular needs and perhaps combine ideas from one or more of the example systems. A baseline camper van electrical system that uses lithium batteries with internal battery management systems (BMS) such as a Victron SuperPack, Battleborn, SOK, etc. This is our most affordable and simple system as well as the most DIY friendly. A more advanced camper van electrical system that uses Victron Smart lithium batteries with an external BMS and a Cerbo GX for monitoring. This system is a bit more complex and more costly, but adds features and allows for more battery storage in the same physical footprint. If you use the Victron Lynx Smart BMS you can upgrade to a dedicated secondary alternator with a Wakespeed regulator in the future. A super powerful (fast-charging) system that uses a dedicated secondary alternator. This system is the most expensive but also the most off-grid capable. We also have a 48-volt version of this system! We also have a power system accessories bundle that has all the circuit protection, shore power, distribution, and wiring you’ll likely need. Please consider purchasing your power system equipment from our store. Our bundles offer great pricing (yeah, better than Amazon), free shipping and you’ll have access to expert support and you’ll be supporting our ability to create more content! Finally, there are a few things that we don’t sell in our store (yet!) that you might need so we keep a list of these products in this Google Sheet of recommended camper van products.
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Camper Van Electrical System with Victron Smart Batteries and External BMS
Jump To Wiring Diagram Download Best Price Product Bundle Overview In this post we’re going to dive into how to wire up a Victron Energy based camper van electrical system that uses their Smart lithium batteries which require an external BMS and provide two free wiring diagrams. The Smart lithium batteries are available in a variety of sizes/capacities but we prefer the 200 amp hour and 330 amp hour versions. Update 2025: Victron how offers NG battery systems that have replaced the Smart systems. You might also want to check out this video tour of a system based off this design. FREE Camper Van Power System Resources & Wiring Diagrams If you’re confused about your DIY camper van electrical or solar system, you’ve come to the right place. We have tons of resources including blog posts, videos and detailed example wiring diagrams (see below), Our “choosing a system” page offers some additional advice and includes an example load calculation that you can use. First, what is a BMS? In short, Battery Management Systems (BMS) listen to the batteries and are the device in charge of protecting them from being overly charged (over voltage), too discharged (under voltage), too hot or too cold. Want to know more? Check out this deep dive video – but then remember to come back! External BMS Trade Offs In contrast to Victron’s SuperPack batteries or other popular battery brands like SOK that have built-in BMS systems, Victron’s Smart batteries use an external BMS. Advantages 1) You can fit more power into a smaller space. The footprint of a Smart battery is about half that of an internal BMS SuperPack battery. So, you can fit 200 amp hours of storage into the same physical space as a 100 amp hour battery. 2) Higher current. The external BMS Smart batteries have substantially higher maximum continuous charging and discharging specifications. The SuperPack batteries (internal BMS) are rated at 100 amps continuous for charging and discharging whereas the Smart batteries (external BMS) can handle twice that (200 amps continuous). This allows the batteries to be charged rapidly if you have a high-current charging source (like a secondary alternator) and, probably more importantly in the context of vans, it allows you to run large loads, like a MultiPlus inverter/charger, off fewer batteries. Consider that the most popular Victron inverter/charger (the MultiPlus 12/3000/120) pulls well over 200 amps when outputting 3000 watts of AC and can go over 400 amps briefly when surging to 6000 of inverted AC. Often these inverters are tasked with running an induction cooktop and a microwave plus other loads simultaneously. If you are using batteries that max out at 100 amps continuous discharge, you would need 4x of them, wired in parallel to support that load. Switch to the external BMS, Smart lithium batteries and you only need 2x. 3) More finite control. Externalizing the BMS and using the types of devices that we discuss in this post enable much more control on how your power system will respond to the battery state. Here again, this adds complexity, but also adds features. For some folks this will be an advantage and for others, well, not so much. 4) If your BMS dies, you don’t have to replace the battery. As you probably know already, batteries are one of the most expensive parts of a power system. Externalizing the BMS allows you to replace that single part if it dies/breaks. If the BMS is built into the batteries you may have to replace the entire battery. 5) Higher voltage systems. Most of our customers prefer the simplicity of a 12 volt system. But, if you want to install a 48 volt (or higher) system, an external BMS can accommodate that in a way the built-in batteries may not. VE.Bus BMS vs. Lynx Smart BMS When using Victron Energy’s Smart Lithium batteries that require an external BMS, we typically use either the “simple” and affordable VE.Bus BMS or, in some cases, the more expensive but “fancier” (more feature-rich) Lynx Smart BMS. This post covers both and includes a free wiring diagram for both as well. Both BMS options accomplish the main goal of protecting the battery. The Lynx Smart BMS has the following advanced features: It has an integrated shunt for battery monitoring so you don’t need a BMV-712 or SmartShunt in the system. It has a built-in 500 amp “contactor” that can disconnect charging/discharging when triggered by the batteries (temp/voltage) to anything that is wired up downstream (wired to the Lynx Distributor that is electrically connected to the “output” of this contactor”. I’ll explain how this is beneficial toward the end of the post. As suggested by its name, the Lynx Smart BMS is part of the Lynx “system”. If you take a look at the photo below you can see how the Lynx Smart BMS bolts onto the Lynx Distributor(s) to create a smart and tidy approach to your entire 12 volt DC bus. By using a Lynx Smart BMS with a Lynx Distributor you can “turn on” the features on the Lynx Distributor that you don’t get without it. There is a RJ10 (phone style) cable included with the Lynx Distributor that you can connect between it and the Lynx Smart BMS. When you do so, the Lynx Distributor will communicate if there is a blown fuse on any of its connections. Bluetooth connectivity. Anything made by Victron Energy with the word “Smart” in the name means that it has a Bluetooth connection that you can use with their VictronConnect app. You get a ton of info and configuration ability from the VictronConnect app with the Lynx Smart BMS including the ability to name each connection on the Lynx Distributor(s) (i.e.: “MultiPlus” or “Solar”) and notifications sent to the app and Cerbo GX if a fuse blows, etc. It has VE.Can connectivity to a Cerbo GX so that you can add CAN bus communication for things like DVCC (more on that below) or secondary alternator charging with something like a Wakespeed WS500 regulator. Wiring Up The Batteries Victron Energy’s Smart lithium batteries have two short, black wires attached to them with 3-conductor M8 connectors. You’ll begin by wiring them together (daisy chained) with these short wires and then use an extension cord (available in various lengths) to wire the string of batteries to the BMS you are using. VE.Bus BMS – Controlling Charging/Discharging On Behalf of the Battery The VE.Bus BMS can control a MultiPlus inverter/charger – which is both a charging and discharging device – through the VE.Bus. There is a VE.Bus connector on the BMS and also on the MultiPlus. This is an RJ45 (ethernet-style) connection. The BMS also has so-called “allow to charge (ATC)” and “allow to discharge (ATD)” connections. These are basically relays that are “normally closed” allowing voltage to flow to the device they are connected to as a sort of “signal”. When the batteries “tell” the BMS they should not be charged or discharged the respective relay “opens” which stops the flow of electricity through the relay. In a van power system, the allow to charge (ATC) is typically used for Orion DC-DC chargers and MPPT solar charge controllers. In the case of the Orion’s, they have something called “engine shutdown detection” which is a feature where they monitor the voltage of the vehicle battery (that they are wired to for charging). When it rises to a certain threshold (around 14 volts but can be adjusted in the settings), it assumes the vehicle is running and, therefore, the vehicle alternator is providing current to the vehicle battery which would mean that it’s safe to charge the “house” batteries without depleting the vehicle battery. When they sense this, the Orion’s turn themselves on and start charging your house batteries. This is awesome, easy and reliable “most of the time”, but suppose the BMS is “told” by the batteries that they shouldn’t be charged (perhaps it’s too cold)? In that scenario we’d want to override this automatic detection. Well, the Orion DC-DC chargers have remote terminals that can be wired up to a toggle switch in order to manually switch them on or off. The BMS can use this remote switch to turn off the unit when necessary – you simply wire up the ATC relay to the remote “H” (high) terminal. In normal circumstances this relay is “closed” (providing signal voltage) and when the BMS (on behalf of the batteries) decides the batteries should not be charged (too cold in our example), that relay “opens” which acts like the toggle switch being turned off thus disabling charging. Below is a photo of two 30 amp Orion DC-DC chargers used in a system. They are wired in parallel for charging at 60 amps total as shown in the example wiring diagrams. The ATC wiring is circled in yellow. Allow To Charge (ATC) With Victron SmartSolar MPPT Controllers There are two ways for the BMS to control the charging output of a Victron Energy SmartSolar controller (such as this 100/50 model shown in our example wiring diagram). They typically come with a VE.Direct port. In systems where using a GX device such as the Cerbo GX paired up with a GX Touch 50 screen, you’ll want to use this VE.Direct port to connect the controller up to the Cerbo GX so that its data can flow into that system. If you’re not using a GX device, you can instead use that VE.Direct port on the solar charge controller similar to the “remote” terminals on an Orion DC-DC charger with the so-called “Victron Energy VE.Direct Non-Inverting Remote On-Off Cable“. One side of that cable is wired to the allow to charge relay on the BMS and the other side has a VE.Direct style plug that can connect up to the solar charge controllers. If you are using a GX device (like our example wiring diagram), you can use something called a Smart BatteryProtect. These are basically high current relays that can turn off the power flowing through them when triggered by something such a BMS (or wired to a switch, etc.). They come in various current ratings but we typically use the 100 amp version. These Smart BatteryProtects (SBPs) have the same kind of remote switch terminals that the Orion DC-DC chargers do which allows you to wire the allow to charge (ATC) relay on the BMS to a similar “H” connection on the SBP’s remote terminals to disable any charging sources connected to/through it. So, in our VE.Bus BMS sample wiring diagram, we show the charging outputs from the solar charge controllers wired up to a SBP and then to the positive bus (Lynx Distributor). Other Loads – Allow to Discharge (ATD) If your charging device doesn’t have anything that can respond to an ATC signal or some other “fancier” mechanism such as the other Victron communication protocols (VE.Bus, VE.Can, etc.), you can use something called a Smart BatteryProtect. These are basically high current relays that can turn off power flowing through them when triggered by a BMS. They come in various current ratings but we typically use the 100 amp version. These Smart BatteryProtects (SBPs) have the same kind of remote switch terminals. So, just like an Orion DC-DC charger, where you could wire up a toggle switch to control their on/off state (allowing current to flow or not), you can also use wire their “H” (high) remote terminal to a BMS ATC (allow to charge) relay. Other Loads – Allow to Discharge (ATD) As mentioned earlier, there are also times where the battery “tells” the BMS that it shouldn’t be discharged as well – typically when the battery is deeply discharged (low voltage) and would be damaged if the loads continue to discharge the battery (if you keep running your refrigerator/lights/fan). The Smart BatteryProtects (SBPs) are useful in this scenario as well. In our example system we show a SBP wired between the Lynx Distributor (DC positive and negative bus bar) and the 12 volt DC load center/fuse box. Then the BMS’ allow to discharge (ATC) relay signal wire is connected to the “H” (high) side of the SBP remote terminal. In this way, the BMS (again, on behalf of the batteries) can disconnect these loads when necessary. Note, if you’re using a Cerbo GX in a system with a VE.Bus BMS, connect the power supply (12VDC positive) to the ower in V+ on the Cerbo GX to the “load disconnect” (ATD) terminal on the VE.Bus BMS. Then, for the VE.Bus connection, use the port “MultiPlus/Quattro” on the VE.Bus BMS – don’t use the “remote panel” port. Using a Lynx Smart BMS We’ve already discussed some of the advantages (extra features) of the Lynx Smart BMS. Now let’s dive into how using it in a power system differs from the VE.Bus BMS. Again, we’re providing an example wiring diagram of a system using both BMS options! The first important thing is that a Lynx Smart BMS needs to be paired up with a “GX Device”. In almost all cases, that GX device would be Victron’s Cerbo GX (we’re working on another blog post about that!). The Lynx SmartBMS is connected via a VE.Can connection to the Cerbo GX which enables some new magic: DVCC… DVCC – Distributed Voltage and Current Control In short, DVCC allows the Lynx Smart BMS to control charging and discharging (as well as charging parameters) through the Cerbo GX on the DVCC capable devices. In a typical van power system those would be a MultiPlus inverter/charger, Victron MPPT solar charge controllers and, perhaps a Wakespeed regulator used with a secondary alternator. In Victron’s words:“Enabling DVCC changes a GX device from a passive monitor into an active controller. The available features and effects of enabling DVCC depend on the type of battery used. The effect also depends on the installed Victron components and their configuration.” With DVCC enabled, the Lynx Smart BMS will automatically configure the “charging profile” for the batteries (adjusts the discharge current, charge current, charge voltage, etc.). Without DVCC, the installer must manually configure all the charging sources in their system. A typical van system will have at least a few charging sources: an inverter/charger, DC-DC chargers and solar charge controllers. Most Victron charging devices can be configured using VictronConnect via Bluetooth. However, MultiPlus inverter/chargers cannot be configured with Bluetooth – instead you must configure via the “VE.Bus” by using a MK3-USB adapter. To further complicate matters, when using a VE.Bus BMS, MultiPlus inverter/charges must be configured using VE.Configure including adding an “assistant” (detailed in this blog post). More about DVCC:https://www.victronenergy.com/media/pg/CCGX/en/dvcc—distributed-voltage-and-current-control.html So, DVCC simplifies the configuration of DVCC compatible chargers (“smart things”). But we still need to consider the “dumb things” that don’t have communication ports (VE.Direct/VE.Can/VE.Bus, etc.). In a van power system, that is stuff like our 12 volt DC loads (fuse box/load center) that were run through the Smart BatteryProtect when using the VE.Bus BMS. The Orion DC-DC charges are also “dumb” in this sense. Remember that one of the features of the Lynx Smart BMS was a 500 amp “contactor”? Here’s where that comes into play. Below (again) is the same illustration we showed earlier detailing how you might wire a system where your batteries are wired in parallel by connecting each to a Lynx Power In (far left). This allows up to 4x batteries to be connected to a combination DC positive and DC negative bus bars. In the middle of the illustration is the Lynx Smart BMS which is electrically connected to the Lynx Distributor on the left (battery connections) and passes their current onto the BMS. Inside the Lynx Smart BMS is the shunt that will monitor your electrical use and report on the state of your battery. Also inside there is that 500 amp “contactor”. Then, on the right side a second Lynx Distributor used for the loads and charging sources. This is also electrically connected to the Lynx Smart BMS and it’s where you’d wire up your inverter/charger, solar controller output, DC-DC charger output, etc. So, if the contactor in the Lynx Smart BMS “opens” the power cannot flow to the right-side Lynx Distributor (loads and charging sources). Keen readers may be realizing something important: both “smart” and “dumb” loads/charging sources are wired to that Lynx Distributor. Since the contactor is controlled by the BMS (well, it is the BMS), it can, therefore (by itself), disconnect charging and loads when the battery “tells” it to. Does this mean you don’t need to use a Smart BatteryProtect for your 12 volt DC loads (wired to the ATD relay) or to wire up the Orion DC-DC chargers to the ATC relay through their remote terminals? Yes, technically it does if you want to keep things as simple as possible. However, the Lynx Smart BMS does have the same kind of ATC and ATD relays that the VE.Bus BMS does but the reason you might want to use them is somewhat nuanced… The contactor in the BMS is triggered to open (cut off power) when the battery cell voltage (there are many cells in each battery that generate the nominal 12 volts) reaches 2.6 volts (a deeply discharged battery bank). Meanwhile the ATD relay would open at the slightly higher battery cell voltage of 2.8 volts. Thus, by wiring up your ATD to something like a Smart BatteryProtect, you can stagger the system shutdown so that you can turn off many of your “non-essential” loads (those connected via a Smart BatteryProtect) prior to the entire system being disabled. So, perhaps you cut off your loads like a fridge/fan/etc. but want to keep monitoring like the Cerbo GX running longer. Or, in marine applications, the use case is a bit more clear – it’s fine to disable the fridge or some lights in a situation where the batteries are dangerously low, but the navigation equipment should continue to operate while we figure out how to get some charge into these batteries! Example Wiring Diagrams One thing we always tell our customers is that there are MANY ways to wire up an electrical system that is safe and functional. Even when you use most of the same or similar components, you can approach the configuration slightly differently. There are a ton of considerations that lead to these small differences – everything from preference to space constraints to budget. Follow this link to gain access to our library of FREE Camper Van Electrical System Wiring Diagrams. Use the PDF files to print/zoom in. After following the link, open the Vanlife Outfitters 12V External BMS Wiring Diagram for our example wiring corresponding with this blog post.
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Programming a Victron MultiPlus Inverter/Charger With a VE.Bus BMS
UPDATE – in October of 2021, Victron Energy released version 489 (xxxx489) of the firmware for MultiPlus inverter/chargers. According the release notes, if you use this firmware, “there is no need to use the VE.Bus BMS assistant anymore.” Below, in italics, are the notes regarding this, taken from the changelog file from Victron Energy. Using this new firmware results in practically the same behaviour as previously when using the Assistant. As soon as the Multi (or Quattro) sees the VE.Bus BMS, and the (new) checkbox called “Configured for VE.Bus BMS” is not checked yet, it will automatically configure itself. The settings then auto-configured are: The (new) ”Configured for VE.Bus BMS” setting is set, meaning that it will no longer charge in case it doesn’t see the VE.Bus BMS anymore. In more detail: it will go through passthrough when AC is present, and switches off if there is no AC BMS. This is a safety feature. Battery type is set to lithium Absorption voltage is set to 14.2V, Float to 13.5 Maximum absorption time to 60 minutes Charge curve fixed (but reduced float is disabled, the settings “repeated absorption time” and “repeated absorption interval” are changed but ignored) Storage mode is unchecked State of charge when bulk is finished: 95% Charge efficiency: 95% Temperature compensation is disabled. The recommended way to commission such system is to: update the firmware install and connect the VE.Bus BMS unplug the VE.Bus BMS and wait for the Multi to switch to passthrough/switch off. This step ensures that the Multi has properly detected the VE.Bus BMS. Reinsert the VE.Bus BMS. Finished, or optionally connect with VictronConnect and make the rest of the configuration. Related changes: The VE.Bus BMS Assistant, when installed on this new firmware, will issue a warning, that it needs no longer to be installed. (It will be harmless if it is). The ESS Assistant as well as some others, with integrated VE.Bus BMS functionality are updated and will work with both old firmware & new firmware. I recommending using the VictronConnect app to program/configure your Victron MultiPlus inverter/charger. We detail how to do that in this post. So, you can go through that process and then come back here for one additional step required when using a VE.Bus BMS – the addition of an “assistant” for the BMS. This BMS “assistant” is specifically for Victron lithium batteries using the VE.Bus BMS. It allows the BMS to control the MultiPlus inverting and charging. If you have a remote control panel it will work like normal but can be “overridden” by the BMS. Unfortunately, at this time, you cannot add assistants with VictronConnect. Instead you’ll need to use the older, VEConfigure app for Windows. However, just like configuring with VictronConnect, you’ll use the same MK3 to USB interface for connecting your computer to the MultiPlus. This video from Victron is a great overview to using VEConfigure and setting it up with your computer. I recommend checking it out before proceeding. Once you’re connected to your MultiPlus with VEConfigure you’ll want to navigate to the “assistants” tab and then click on the “add assistant” button which will open a menu of available assistants. Choose the “VE.Bus BMS” assistant from the menu. Next, you can press on the “start assistant” button and use the “next arrow” button to proceed through the screens as they are shown below. Once you receive that final confirmation screen you can dismiss it with the “OK” button and you’re done! Note, after you’ve added the BMS “assistant”, the red “low battery” led will flash when the unit is powered on and won’t work until it “sees” the VE.BMS on the VE.Bus. Also, you will not be able to use VictronConnect after you’ve added the “assistant” – instead you’ll have to use VEConfigure. Please consider purchasing your power system equipment from our store. Our bundles offer great pricing (yeah, better than Amazon), free shipping and you’ll have access to expert support and you’ll be supporting our ability to create more content!
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Configuring a Victron MultiPlus Inverter/Charger
This post was originally published in 2021. We think that the content in this blog is still useful, but some things have changed just a little bit: new GUI, new features, same great powerful capability! Check out our refreshed blogs like Setting up Victron's Remote Monitoring, and inviting Vanlife Outfitters to your system and Configuring your Victron system with VRM for a updated take on these important features. Why Program? In most cases you’ll need (or want) to program/configure your Victron MultiPlus inverter/charger after it’s installed into your van. For instance, since the MultiPlus comes from the factory setup to charge AGM type batteries, if you have lithium batteries, you’ll want to, at least, change the charger functionality to charge your batteries correctly. If you have a system that uses Victron Energy Smart or NG lithium batteries with a Lynx Smart or NG BMS, such as ones like our secondary alternator kit example, DVCC will take over and make sure your batteries are charged correctly from the MultiPlus and any other Victron charger that is digitally connected to a Cerbo GX/BMS such as a Smart Solar MPPT charge controller that is connected via VE.Direct. This includes Let’s Start With The Defaults The table below shows how the settings are configured by default when you get the unit. Inverter frequency 60Hz Input frequency range 45-65Hz Input voltage range 94-143VAC Inverter voltage 120VAC Stand-alone/parallel/3-phase stand-alone AES (Automatic Economy Switch) OFF Ground relay ON Charger ON/OFF ON Battery charge curve four-stage adaptive with BatterySafe mode Charging current 75% of the maximum charging current Battery type Gel deep discharge Automatic equalization charging OFF Absorption voltage 14.4V Absorption time up to 8 hours Float voltage 13.8V Storage voltage 13.2V Repeated absorption time 1 hour Absorption repeat interval 7 days Bulk protection ON AC input current limit 50A Dynamic current limiter OFF WeakAC OFF BoostFactor 2 Programmable relay alarm function PowerAssist ON What You’ll Need 1) A Victron MK3-USB interface. This small device allows you to connect to the VE.Bus on the MultiPlus with your computer (or compatible mobile device) using USB. You’ll (of course) need the computer or mobile device. I recommend a computer if you have it. You’ll connect a standard ethernet cable with RJ45 connectors (must be a “straight-through” not “crossover” type cable which most are) from either of the two VE.Bus connections on your MultiPlus to the corresponding connection on the MK3-USB interface and then connect the USB connection on the MK3-USB to your computer/mobile device. One small tip, it’s really difficult to remove the RJ45 connection on the ethernet cable from the VE.Bus connection on the inverter/charger. So, you might consider breaking off the “clip” on that connector so it can pull out without releasing the clip. Chances are you have a broken one laying around anyway! Another thing to know is that you’ll want to be sure that the MK3-USB connected to computer/device you’re using for the configuration is the ONLY device on the VE.Bus. If you have your MultiPlus connected to a remote panel or Cerbo GX you’ll want to disconnect those during the configuration. Windows ships with a compatible driver for both the MK3-USB interface so you typically don’t need to install a driver. In case you do have issues connecting via USB, we recommend manually installing the device with the driver you can download from their software downloads page. 2) VictronConnect software which you can either download from the Victron website or install from the Play Store for Android or Apple App Store for iOS. Note: iDevices does not support USB OTG (On The Go), so you must use either a Windows PC or an Android device with the MK3-USB interface. Other Bluetooth devices work well using iDevices using VictronConnect. Note: Victron also makes a VE.Bus Smart Dongle that basically adds Bluetooth connectivity/control to the MultiPlus interter/chargers. It connects to the same VE.Bus with an ethernet cable. When you connect to the inverter with VictronConnect via Bluetooth using this dongle you can see all of the same reporting information as well as control the state of the inverter (on/off/charger only mode, etc.) but the advanced settings (configuration) is not available unless. Because of this, you need the Mk3-USB interface for the kind of programming this post discusses. However, you might want the Smart Dongle to control and monitor your inverter/charger when you’re using your van on a day-to-day basis. Are these dongles and interfaces confusing? Check out our blog post for Victron Energy Dongles: Explained! Alternatively, if you have a Cerbo device such as the Cerbo GX that is connected to Victron’s cloud service (VRM) and it’s configured correctly, you can actually use VRM’s remote configure option as shown in this video. (2026) And here's a newer blog post covering how to remotely Configure your Victron system with VRM The following screenshot from Victron shows the 3x ways to connect to a Victron product (including the MultiPlus) If You’re Configuring an old-version (“compact”) MultiPlus 12/2000/80… There are some “dip switch quirks” when configuring the older-style “compact” MultiPlus 12/2000/80 unit. You must make sure that the #2 dip switch is “on” (switched to the right) and the others are off (switched to the left). The switches are located under the cover toward the top right of the circuit board. They are numbered from the top down. So the #2 dip switch is the second from the top as shown in the photo. You don’t need to bother with this on newer MultiPlus units including the newer version of the 12/2000/80 that begins with part number PMP (the older, “compact” version part number begins with CMP). Using VictronConnect & Updating Settings Now that everything is connected, be sure that your MultiPlus is powered on using it’s DC power connection to your battery bank and in “inverting” mode. Next launch the VictronConnect app. It should search the VE.Bus for devices and find your MultiPlus. When it does, you can click on it to open up the reporting. From there you click on the “gear” (settings) icon in the very top right part of the interface. A message will appear telling you that the settings are disabled with what amounts to a warning not to screw things up. It’s good advice… proceed with caution and be sure to reach out to a qualified electrician/engineer or your distributor/dealer with any questions or if you don’t feel confident programming the device. If you’d like to proceed, you can click on the “enable settings” link and enter the password zzz. If you’ve made it this far you’ll see five main “sections” of settings: general, grid, inverter, charger and AC input control. In the video below, we’ll go through some of the settings we normally change/set in our installations. You can refer to the built in “help” inside the VictronConnect for details on all the settings and what they do. Firmware Updates While you’re in these settings, you can click on the “three dots” menu at the very top right and then click on “product info” this will display the unit’s firmware version with a link to “update” if you’re not on the latest version. Lithionics or SOK Batteries The video shows the charging parameters recommended for Victron Energy SuperPack or Smart lithium batteries. Each battery maker has slightly different recommendations for charging their specific batteries. Additional Configuration Required When Using Victron Smart Lithium Batteries If you’re using Victron’s Smart batteries that do not have built in BMS, you need to have an external, VE.Bus BMS and, more than likely, some type of Smart BatteryProtect device on your “dumb” loads which are those 12 volt DC loads that don’t have any kind of “data bus” (no VE.Bus) or way to be “triggered” by the BMS to turn on/off discharging/charging. You can check out this blog post that details an example power system that uses the Smart batteries. In addition, you’re MultiPlus needs to be “aware” that it’s in a system that is using a VE.Bus BMS which requires the addition of what Victron calls an “assistant”. At the time I’m writing this post (April 2021), this additional programming/addition of “assistants” cannot be done with VictronConnect. Instead, you need to use the older VEConfigure software with the same MK3-USB interface. You can download VEConfigure as part of the VE Configuration Tools package (Windows only) on this page of Victron Energy’s website. I detail this extra programming for Victron batteries in another post. Using batteries that require an external BMS adds complexity so many DIY van builders prefer so-called “drop in replacement” type lithium batteries such as SOK or Epoch. This blog post details an example of a system using batteries with a built-in BMS. There are some pros and cons to the Victron approach vs. the “drop in replacement”/built-in BMS approach that I write about in this post.
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DIY Camper Van Electrical System Example (12V Internal BMS Batteries)
Example DIY Camper Van Electrical System Jump To Example Wiring Diagram Product Bundle For This System This post was originally published in September 2020 and is great for a system up to about 300-400 amp hours of battery storage. We update it occasionally. We highly recommend starting at this page to get a orientation on how to plan and design a mobile power system. You can also reach out to us at service@vanlifeoutfitters.com or call us at 754-444-8704 x2. This post includes a detailed wiring diagram and complete list of materials needed to put together a very reliable and robust electrical system for your camper van that is capable of extended off-grid adventures and powering just about anything you throw at it. FREE Camper Van Power System Resources & Wiring Diagrams If you’re confused about your DIY camper van electrical or solar system, you’ve come to the right place. We have tons of resources including blog posts, videos and detailed example wiring diagrams (see below). Our “choosing a system” page offers some additional advice and includes an example load calculation that you can use. Below are some of our example power systems for camper vans/RVs. The Victron-based systems all have a corresponding blog post, free detailed PDF example wiring diagram, and a corresponding best price product bundle. Ultimately, you’ll probably customize your system to your particular needs and perhaps combine ideas from one or more of the example systems. A baseline camper van electrical system (this blog!) that uses lithium batteries with internal battery management systems (BMS) such as Victron SuperPack, SOK, Epoch, Battleborn, etc. This is our most affordable and simple system as well as the most DIY friendly. A more advanced camper van electrical system that uses Victron Smart lithium batteries with an external BMS and a Cerbo GX for monitoring. This system is a bit more complex and more costly, but adds features and allows for more battery storage in the same physical footprint. If you use the Victron Lynx Smart BMS you can upgrade to a dedicated secondary alternator with a Wakespeed regulator in the future. A super powerful (fast-charging) system that uses a dedicated secondary alternator. This system is the most expensive but also the most off-grid capable. We also have 24-volt and 48-volt versions of this system! We also have a electrical system accessories bundle that has all the circuit protection, shore power, distribution, and wiring you’ll likely need, Please consider purchasing your power system equipment from our store. Our bundles offer great pricing (yeah, better than Amazon), free shipping and you’ll have access to expert support and you’ll be supporting our ability to create more content! Finally, there are a few things that we don’t sell in our store (yet!) that you might need so we keep a list of these products in this Google Sheet of recommended camper van products. Overview: 400 amp hours of lithium battery storage with built-in BMS 400 watts of rooftop solar 2400 watt inverter (up to 6000 watts surge) with 120 amp shore power charging capacity Integrated 12 volt DC and 120 volt AC load center 60 amps of alternator charging when driving/engine is running Optional pre-inverter shore power outlets Battery monitoring with Bluetooth It’s super important to realize that there are hundreds of ways of skinning this cat. How awful. We won’t be skinning cats and neither should you. Anyway, the point is that this information should be considered a guide not gospel. You certainly could build out this system exactly as detailed but I would recommend considering your particular needs and then adjusting accordingly. Also, wire lengths matter. This electrical diagram assumes that there is about a 20′ run from the vehicle battery back to the driver side wheel well where the “primary” electrical system is installed. What I mean by “primary” is most of the stuff you see on the wiring diagram – all the main parts but not the “branch circuits” that power the actual loads in the van like lights and fans, etc. It also assumes all those components are close together – not more than 5 (ish) feet of cable run between them. If your actual setup is different than this you need to adjust the wire gauge (AWG) accordingly. The Blue Sea Circuit Wizard is a great tool for understanding what gauge wire you need. You put in the load in amps, the length of the cable run and how long it will be running in minutes and it will tell you the correct gauge. I favor “over gauging” in general. Wire is pretty inexpensive relative to the other parts. In this wiring diagram I have also over gauged to keep it a bit more simple so that you don’t need so many types/gauges of wires and lugs and so on. Speaking of wiring… you’ll probably use wire loom to protect your wires when you run them in areas they might be damaged by rubbing against stuff. So, let me introduce you to this “wire loom insertion tool“. It’s pretty much a game changer. Why A 50 Amp Breaker?! With most 2000 or 3000 watt inverters you would match the shore power’s 30 amp inlet on the output side. However, Victron Multiplus inverters have a unique feature -they will actually supplement the utility power coming in from the shore power plug with their inverted power – up to 3000 additional watts. So, if you manage to have enough stuff running in your van to exceed the 30 amp service from the shore power, the inverter would actually fill in the gap instead of tripping the shore power breaker. So, while this is not likely to happen unless you’re running some kind of crazy loads in your rig, it’s important to provide circuit protection and adequate wiring “just in case”. Therefore this wiring diagram calls for a 50 amp breaker downstream from the inverter with 6 AWG wire instead of a more “typical” 30 amp breaker with 10 AWG wire. Inverter Wattage If you look closely at the specs of the Victron Multiplus inverters they don’t actually support continuous 2000 or 3000 watts respectively. This isn’t important but it can be a bit confusing because of how they’re named. The MultiPlus 12/3000/120 outputs 2400 watt continuous output at 77 degrees, 2200 watts at 104 degrees and surge up to 6000 watts. The MultiPlus 12/2000/80 outputs 1600 watt continuous output at 77 degrees, 1450 watts at 104 degrees and surges up to 4000 watts. Victron MultiPlus Inverter/Charger Configuation Once you get your system all wired up you’ll need to configure/program the MultiPlus to, at minimum, work with the batteries you’ve chosen and maybe tweak a few of the other settings. We have another post on how to do that. A Little Battery Update (January 2025)In addition to the complexity, the other pain point around electrical systems is how expensive they are. In particular, the leading brands of lithium batteries such as the Victron batteries we show in our example and other popular brands like Battleborn are very expensive – about $1,000 per 100 amp hours. It’s a classic sort of “pay for what you get” scenario and there are good reasons to purchase the highest quality components. For example, the are excellent quality, designed to last for many years with 10 year (!) warranties. But, the truth is that not every van build needs the very best batteries and there are well-made alternatives that are just about half the price! In some cases, having more capacity (amp hours of stored energy) may be better than more longevity. You can ask yourself, do I want to run the stuff in my van twice as long for a few years or half as long for a decade? Anyway, Will Prowse made an excellent video testing out well-built but lower cost lithium batteries that is worth checking out. One example is the SOK battery in our store. Wiring Diagrams Follow this link to gain access to our library of FREE Camper Van Electrical System Wiring Diagrams. Use the PDF files to print/zoom in. After following the link, open the Vanlife Outfitters 12V Internal BMS (Basic) Wiring Diagram to view an example with a BMV-712 battery monitor and simple Multiplus control options. After following the link, open the Vanlife Outfitters 12V Internal BMS (Advanced) Wiring Diagram to view an example with a Lynx Shunt and Cerbo GX communication center. If you have AC loads that should ONLY be powered by shore (utility) power, (not inverted AC power), you can use the “AC out 2” connections on the MultiPlus inverter/charger which is only “live” when shore power is available. One good example of this would be an AC/DC refrigerator. Many of those will “default” to AC power when it’s available. If you wired up an outlet near your refrigerator that was powered by the inverter, the fridge would switch to that source of power anytime the inverter was on (inverting) which is less energy efficient that it continuing to run off the 12 volt DC power. If, instead you wire up that AC outlet that feeds the refrigerator, it will only run off the AC power when you have shore/utility power. If You’re Using a Renogy DC-DC Charger Instead of the Victron Orion Units Unlike some other battery-to-battery charging products that sense voltage and trigger the charging based on that, the Renogy DC to DC charger (or battery-to-battery charger) that I used requires you to connect up a 12 volt positive “signal wire” from the vehicle’s ignition switch so that it only charges from the van (vehicle) battery when the ignition is turned on. Without this ignition trigger on this unit or the voltage sensing on others, the battery-to-battery charger could easily drain the van battery since the battery-to-battery charger would be pulling current without the alternator providing a charge. After some research I discovered that some Promaster vans (2016 or newer I think) have a “Upfitter Connector” on the passenger side “pillar” which is that area just behind the passenger seat where the seat belt connects to the van wall. If you remove the black plastic trim at the bottom of this “pillar” you’ll see a white multi-pin connector (photo below). This is the “upfitter connection” that provides a variety of connection points for the Promaster in one spot. This PDF file (Promaster Upfitter Connector Diagram PDF) details this connector including what each pin on the connector is/does. Turns out that pin #13 is an “ignition feed” that has 12 volt positive when the ignition switch is on. So, I used this to be the “trigger” for the Renogy DC to DC charger. Note: if you have an older ProMaster that does not have this upfitter connection you can consider splicing into the cab area cigarette lighter wiring as detailed in this post. Another option is to use a “tap a fuse” type splitter on fuse #31 in the Promaster fuse block (below the steering wheel). The photo shows this location. These things allow you to maintain the fusing for the original circuit but tap into that fuse location for a second circuit. In this case you’d use a 5 amp fuse for each. Close Up Shot of Promaster Van Upfitter Connector with Pin #13 Connected: In order to do this, I had to order the correct, “male” version of this connector (part number 1-480710-0) as well as the “pin” itself (part number 350218-1). The way this works is that you solder the correct wire to an empty pin and then insert that pin into the correct position on the connector thus allowing you to access and wire up a variety of things to this upfitter connector. These parts are pretty inexpensive so I bought a few with the expectation that I’d destroy a few figuring out how this all works. I’m glad I did because I did indeed destroy a few experimenting. Ultimately, it’s not difficult but finding the right parts and how they fit together took some time. So hopefully this saves you that time! Soldering the Wire to the Pin: The wire coming out of pin #13 on the Upfitter Connector runs back to the rear passenger side wheel well where the primary electrical system is installed and is connected to the Renogy DC to DC charger on a terminal labeled “D+”. Below is a photo of this connection: Next I had to configure the Renogy DC to DC charger to correctly charge the lithium batteries using the DIP switches pictured above. The manual for this Renogy DC to DC charger is really bad and the section on setting up the DIP switches is complete gibberish. I gave up on it pretty quickly and called into Renogy support. The correct DIP switch settings for charging lithium batteries with the Renogy DC to DC charger is: Switch #1: Off Switch #2: On Switch #3: On Switch #4: On Switch #5: Off Turning On The LED Lights On The Lynx Distributor There are LED lights on the Lynx Distributor that indicate if each of the circuits is live (the fuse isn’t blown). They light up green when it’s good and red when it’s not. These lights are normally powered when the Lynx Distributor is paired up with the Victron Lynx Shunt but you don’t need that if you use the “better-for-vanlife” (my opinion) BMV-712 battery monitor (listed above) which has it’s own shunt for monitoring. So, if you don’t want to buy that hardware but do want the fancy lights, you can “hack” the lights with a 12 volt DC to 5 volt DC converter and an RJ11 “phone style” connector. This will provide the 5 volt power the LED lights need to fire up. Below is an illustration on how you’d do this – at your own risk, of course.
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