Victron 18 am DC to DC converter...

[Bill M.]

Is this unit likely to work installed on the 7 way connector on my 2007 Dodge 2500? Or will I have to hunt up the smaller unit which I think is 9 amps? Seems like it will draw 20 amps or better?

So is anybody running one of these converters successfully though the 7 pin?

2nd question: The description of the unit says it works with lithium, agm, and lead acid batteries. Are there settings for each or is it just "smart".

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Assuming you are talking about

https://shop.pkys.com/Victron-Energy...er_p_6687.html

but you could be referring to

https://shop.pkys.com/Victron-Energy...er_p_8042.html

Both need to be adjusted to match the battery they are driving. The first one is a fixed voltage output. The second is more sophisticated.

How much current you can get from the charge wire depends a *lot* on how your TV is wired. These units will run with an 8V input, you can have a lot of line drop and not shut them down.

Getting 12V on the 7 pin can be tricky. Different manufacturers in different years change things all up. First thing to do is to check for a fuse. Often trucks are shipped without the carge wire fuse in place. Next up is to see if there is some jumper (or relay ... yikes ...) that needs to be installed. Even with all that, the truck may need to go through some "brake / put it in gear / move" sequence to get voltage back there .... A multimeter is your friend in this case.

Bob

[wulfraat]

Originally Posted by Bill M.;

Is this unit likely to work installed on the 7 way connector on my 2007 Dodge 2500? Or will I have to hunt up the smaller unit which I think is 9 amps? Seems like it will draw 20 amps or better?

So is anybody running one of these converters successfully though the 7 pin?

2nd question: The description of the unit says it works with lithium, agm, and lead acid batteries. Are there settings for each or is it just "smart".

Check the fuse rating in your 2500 for your trailer charger line (check owner manual). Then you’ll know what it is rated for in terms of constant draw.

No the Victron units are not “smart” you need to set the output current to a flat / constant desired voltage.

Hope that helps.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

.... actually the second one I referenced *is* a full up DC/DC smart charger with Bluetooth. They just came out with it.

Bob

[Bill M.]

Thanks guys. Wonder of wonders. The one I ordered is the new one that Bob listed. I checked the truck manual this morning after reading your answers. It says the "trailer tow" is fused at 30 amps. So I will try to get to that wire and install it.

My truck has never put much charge on the batteries. When I checked with a multimeter it has always shown voltage so I do not think it is missing anything like a fuse or relay. It just does not seem to add charge. And no, I do not have good measurements of that but I do have a lot of experience dragging the trailer around all day and reading 12.1 at the start and the stop 8 hours later.

So I am looking ahead at maybe lithiums or stronger lead acids and in the meantime I will be able to add a little charge to the batteries when we move from one forest service camp site to another. At least add enough to run the fan and the water pump when we stop for lunch. Wish I had had this charging unit in 10 years ago. I needed it pretty badly then. Maybe now not so much so but...

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Something like a BMV-712 might help you see what's going on charge wise.

I have zero experience with the fancy DC/DC ( it just came out ). If you can get to the Bluetooth connection while in motion (aluminum trailer wall is not helpful in this respect ) it might let you see what's going on as you rumble down the road. If it does, let us know !!

Regardless of running the Bluetooth in motion, you will need to download the app to your phone and use it to set up the "Smart" version. They normally come with lead acid defaults. Thats not a disaster, but lithium settings will work a *lot* better.

Bob

[pjshier]

...but due to a traffic accident in the truck, I've only tested the performance once while parked in front of the AS, connected by the 7-pin. Here is a post about the results of that one brief test:

https://www.airforums.com/forums/f53...ml#post2486250

with the relevant portion here: "The 712 is reporting over 12 amps of charge and 160 watts; the Orion is reporting 13.1v from the truck and is pushing 13.6 to the batteries. All this at idle."

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by pjshier

...but due to a traffic accident in the truck, I've only tested the performance once while parked in front of the AS, connected by the 7-pin. Here is a post about the results of that one brief test:

https://www.airforums.com/forums/f53...ml#post2486250

with the relevant portion here: "The 712 is reporting over 12 amps of charge and 160 watts; the Orion is reporting 13.1v from the truck and is pushing 13.6 to the batteries. All this at idle."

Hi

Sorry to hear about the accident.

That is pretty impressive performance on the DC/DC.

Thanks for sharing !!

Bob

[Gulliver72]

Ditto to what Bob said. My F-150 with tow package did not come with charge circuit relay installed (that took a while to discover!) I installed the Victron 12A DC/DC charger (set to the Battleborn specs)to keep the 7 wire draw low. More importantly, I added a 40A Renogy DC/DC charger with HD cabling directly back from the TV battery. That has been a game changer. We’re getting 70A of charging with the solar while driving now. I’ve left the generator at home!