Confused About Electrical Basics

Yeah I was a little surprised when I tried to cram my new battery and shunt into the battery compartment to see how dang tight the fit was. Part of it was the nuclear power plant size power cable the shunt came with. But even without any extra stuff in my battery compartment, it was a really tight squeeze

 

Right, there is a scale problem with a lot of these upgrades. The shunt monitor will handle at least 5x the power our little electric systems deal in… and lots of the other rv/marine components are designed for larger vehicles than our little trailers.

Victron, dirty6? How is it working for you?

 

Sorry, I missed this.

I think there is a learning curve and I think I’m behind it. The Victron needs to be programmed based on the battery system it is attached to. I plugged the appropriate numbers into the app, but I worry that it still hasn’t “learned” the right calibration for the battery yet since the battery shore charger isn’t the proper one for charging the lithium battery.

I also had a deep discharge from a few weeks of parasitic draw when I forgot to flip off the DC disconnect switch. Or maybe the battery protection system just turned itself off? The Victron gave really weird numbers when I got the battery back on a charger to wake it up.

Bottom line, it’s working. …. I just don’t know if it’s working right!

 

For the SmartShunt, it’s important to ensure that all the power flowing in and out of the battery goes through it, including all your loads and chargers. If your current setup only connects the negative cable to the chassis, you may need to change some wiring. This can be a bit complicated, especially if you are not familiar with electrical work. Getting it wrong could cause problems with your system. It’s a good idea to get professional help from companies like powerline contractor Ottawa to make sure everything is connected safely and correctly.

 

@Jojjymozz this post is a mix of truths and errors. This conversation is about installation of a monitoring shunt in a travel trailer, not a car or truck. A company like the recommended Canadian high voltage powerline contractor would be of little help to any camping trailer owner, much less one in Missouri USA.

On the other hand, it’s certainly true that all loads and chargers must connect on the “to system “ side of the shunt.

 

Thanks Jizz for the tips.
And speaking as a noob,
I appreciate you keeping us all honest here Seth.
I tried to hook up my Victron shunt to the CI per the Victron diagram and got it wrong the first time.

Earlier models of CIs dont have exact same wiring/fuses etc depending...so its a bit of a learning curve on DIY upgrades but doable with help from the Nest, esp on OEM they put in.