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Old 06-22-2017, 03:26 PM   #1
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Default Underhood Generator & Inverter Wiring Advice

I have a 2015 Winne Era Sprinter with the I4.
I recently installed a Nations second alternator and also have a 2000 watt inverter charger.

As of now I have not hooked any of this up and had some wiring questions before I proceed.

I have 4/0 wire to run from the alternator to the batteries\inverter. There are currently 2 house batteries I will be adding 2 more.

I will upgrade the wiring between batteries but leave everything else as is. Is that OK??

I will also remove the ignition wire from the isolator solenoid to keep the charging systems separate.

Can I run the 4/0 from the alternator to a Bussbar and run additional 4/0 wire from the bussbar the the battery banks and inverter??
This seems like the easiest way but I am really not sure if there are any problems doing this.

Any advice would be appreciated
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Old 06-22-2017, 03:46 PM   #2
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where are your house batteries?
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Old 06-22-2017, 03:58 PM   #3
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The house batteries are behind the rear wheels. The inverter will be right next to the rear wheel well. The additional batteries will also be close.

Nothing should be be more than 6 feet or so apart... except the alternator.

The bussbar can be located within a foot of the inverter
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Old 06-22-2017, 04:55 PM   #4
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I assume you sized the cables based on the anticipated current flow and the run distance, 4/0 is a mighty nice size cable. I don’t know if you are planning terminate the cables by yourself are source it out, I have seen some terribly bad crimping done by some RV shops.

For my cables, I purchased the large hydraulic crimper from Amazon and use a heavy double layer shrink tubing (West Marine/Del-city). Count the total number of termination (including fuses) and see if getting a good crimper is justified, having a crimper at home simplifies the job by in situ crimping.

Which busbar are you planning to use?

To get a good feedback from the forum members a sketch would help.
DC Cable Sizing Tool - Wire Size Calculator - MM2 & AWG - solar-wind.co.uk
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Old 06-22-2017, 05:39 PM   #5
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I will also remove the ignition wire from the isolator solenoid to keep the charging systems separate.
What is the make and model number of the isolator solenoid?
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Old 06-22-2017, 07:00 PM   #6
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What is the make and model number of the isolator solenoid?
It is a stock Winnebago isolator, cheapest one made most likely. I think it is a Trombeta but not certain.

GeorgeRa, I have a hydraulic eBay/amazon crimper. I will look at blu sea for a busbar but have not purchased one yet.
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Old 06-22-2017, 07:37 PM   #7
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It is a stock Winnebago isolator, cheapest one made most likely. I think it is a Trombeta but not certain.
If it's a contactor solenoid like the Trombett, and not a Surepower bi-directional separator, disabling the ignition-on input to the solenoid relay should disable it and separate the house and chassis batteries.

What inverter did you choose and is it a standalone inverter or a combination inverter/charger?

If you're in convenient distance of a West Marine, they will let you use their big crimpers, even if you supply your own terminations.

Did Nations also supply the regulator?
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Old 06-22-2017, 08:32 PM   #8
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I have a similar setup. You are going to like it a lot.

As far as I can see, all of your proposals are fine. Here are a few suggestions, though:

1) I would recommend installing a master shut-off switch for the DC (if you don't already have one). It is good to be able to easily shut down all DC loads. The path from the battery to the inverter should go through this switch. However, the line to the second alternator should NOT, else you risk somebody switching it off with the engine running, which would damage the alternator due to loss of battery load reference.
I used the Bluesea 7701:



2) After you disconnect the ignition wire from the battery isolator, replace it with a push-button switch on the dash. That way, you can use it as a "boost" relay in case your chassis battery is ever low.

3) If you have solar or if you store your vehicle plugged in, consider adding a Trik-L-Start across the relay, to automatically keep your chassis battery charged. Don't wire it through the main switch. That way, you can power-down for storage and still get the battery maintenance.

4) Make sure everything is properly fused. I really like MRBF type fuses mounted directly to the battery terminals:

Whether or not to put a fuse on the alternator side of your 4/0 wire is controversial. On the one hand, it is a current source. On the other hand, if it blows it will damage the alternator (see #1 above). I compromised: I bought the fuse but never installed it.

5) There is an LED output (two, actually) from the Balmar regulator that you can use for status monitoring. I ran a wire from it to an LED mounted on the dash. You can watch your regulator throttle down when it gets hot. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that turn on the light, so it is of limited value.

Hope this helps a little. Let us know how it goes.
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Old 06-23-2017, 12:49 AM   #9
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What inverter did you choose and is it a standalone inverter or a combination inverter/charger?

Did Nations also supply the regulator?

It is a kisae inverter charger.

Yes, Nations supplied the regulator.
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Old 06-23-2017, 01:07 AM   #10
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Avanti,

Should the master cutoff be used just for disconnecting the dc to the inverter. I already have some type of dc power cutoff for the house power.

There is also a factory installed battery boost switch in the dash.

What size fuses would I need for the battery terminals??
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Old 06-23-2017, 04:26 AM   #11
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It is a kisae inverter charger.

Yes, Nations supplied the regulator.
With this inverter, does it have to be powered up for the charger to operate when connected to shore power?

Did Nations program the regulator for your battery profile or just provide it in the default mode?
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Old 06-23-2017, 04:00 PM   #12
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The charger will only operate with shore power present.

The nations supplied Balmar regulator was shipped already wired to the alternator. It is preset for agm battery profile.
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Old 06-23-2017, 06:00 PM   #13
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The charger will only operate with shore power present.
Sorry for the confusion. My question is: when you hook up to shore power, to enable the Kisae inverter/converter battery charger, does the inverter have to be turned on?
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Old 06-23-2017, 08:52 PM   #14
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Quote:
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Avanti,

Should the master cutoff be used just for disconnecting the dc to the inverter. I already have some type of dc power cutoff for the house power.
I have mine controlled on the same switch--I think of the inverter as just another DC load. When I shut it down, I want it ALL down (except the Trik-L-Start). If you already have a switch, you can just use it if it is of adequate ampacity. If you need to replace it, I would send everything through the new one.
Quote:
What size fuses would I need for the battery terminals??
Determined by your wiring. I think 300 amp is the largest available in MEBF, which should be fine for your 4/0.
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Old 06-27-2017, 10:33 PM   #15
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Sorry for the confusion. My question is: when you hook up to shore power, to enable the Kisae inverter/converter battery charger, does the inverter have to be turned on?
This stuff is still a little confusing to me. If I understand your question the answer is no. The inverter has a built in auto transfer switch. When plugged into shore Power everything should just pass through like normal, the inverter can be left off. I Think..
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Old 06-28-2017, 06:18 PM   #16
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This stuff is still a little confusing to me. If I understand your question the answer is no. The inverter has a built in auto transfer switch. When plugged into shore Power everything should just pass through like normal, the inverter can be left off. I Think..
Which is the superior design because the failure of either function doesn't affect the operation of the other. In other words. even if the inverter crashes, the battery charger function still works and visa versa.. However, with the Roadtrek design, if the inverter is shut off or becomes inoperative, the shoreside battery function doesn't work and the only way to charge the batteries is from the alternator.
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