Ranger Mods

I would like to run a #6 B&S from the Ranger battery to the rear towbar for caravan battery charging and running the Dometic 3-way on 12VDC when travelling. The caravan has a 160w solar panel on the roof with a solar controller mounted near the battery. I did not include this in the attached diagram as it seems irrelavent for what I am trying to achieve.

I also plan on connecting a foldable solar panel to the caravan towbar-mounted Anderson plug to top up the battery when camping.

Could anyone provide advice on exactly where to connect the wiring to the Ranger system? Should this be connected directly to the battery? I have turned on 'dual battery mode' in Forscan already.

I am open to suggestions, please see attached wiring diagram.

Thanks

I have an Anderson plug on the towbar for caravan connection and it runs directly to the battery using 100 amp wire.
I also have one in the tub to run fridge etc, also connected directly to the battery with 100amp wire.
Both are fused which allows me to change fuse size according to load.

I am not into solar that much but I do think you need the solar to be regulated.
Putting 19volts into a 12v battery would not be good.

The guy who knows about this stuff will be along,I'msure.

RossPat wrote: ↑Sun Nov 01, 2020 1:29 pm I have an Anderson plug on the towbar for caravan connection and it runs directly to the battery using 100 amp wire.
I also have one in the tub to run fridge etc, also connected directly to the battery with 100amp wire.
Both are fused which allows me to change fuse size according to load.

I am not into solar that much but I do think you need the solar to be regulated.
Putting 19volts into a 12v battery would not be good.

The guy who knows about this stuff will be along,I'msure.

Thanks for the reply.

I already have the solar controller and associated gear sorted and working great, the question is where to connect the #6 in the Ranger...

So you connected directly to the battery connections?

Cableguy187 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 01, 2020 1:36 pm So you connected directly to the battery connections?

Yes I did but there is an easier way and just as or even better.

Run the Positive wire to the Positive battery terminal and the Negative wire to the Chassis rail.

As the towbar is connected to the rail one of the many bolts could be used to connect the Negative wire.

RossPat wrote: ↑Sun Nov 01, 2020 2:57 pm

Cableguy187 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 01, 2020 1:36 pm So you connected directly to the battery connections?

Yes I did but there is an easier way and just as or even better.

Run the Positive wire to the Positive battery terminal and the Negative wire to the Chassis rail.

As the towbar is connected to the rail one of the many bolts could be used to connect the Negative wire.

If you're going to earth it to the chassis, don't use the towbar bolt.
In case of an incident, you don't want the manufacturer putting the blame back on the wiring.
If you don't want to run the earth wire back to the front, above the rail which holds the spare wheel is a factory earth point use this point instead.

I would put a VSR inline from the start battery to the Van battery. I have a DCDC charger but it does the same job, stops your start battery getting drained.

I also have a solenoid that is switched by ignition on, so the fridge is only on 12V when the car is running.

The dometic 12V element in mine draws 16Amps!!! so will drain batteries fast. It is going to be replaced by the 12V compressor fridge, with lithium batteries and more solar.

Don't use a VSR, drops out below 12.6V. Alternator output controlled by Engine ECU, not alternator reg.

Sent from my SM-A515F using Tapatalk

I could get away with a VSR on mine if I needed to, I never see under 13V charging. Last trip of around 4000km minimum was 13.8.

But your point is valid, an ignition on switched solenoid could be used instead of a VSR, which is just a Voltage switched solenoid.

Any issues with using a VSR or solenoid with the Ranger's electical system?

Used one for 5 years nearly to the day now with no issues charging 120amp AGM.

Although mine is programmable I have not changed the default settings.

saeb wrote: ↑Tue Nov 03, 2020 11:03 pm Used one for 5 years nearly to the day now with no issues charging 120amp AGM.

Although mine is programmable I have not changed the default settings.

What VSR?

http://www.intervolt.com/product/electr ... -isolator/

They have some nice products.

I was sick of the Redarc one failing. I have been using this one for about 7 years now.

I suppose this could also be used as an optional only to jump start the vehicle relay (if the voltages are set high) if you also use a DCDC for optimal charge or solar input also.

Seems the one I have is only one way. Thought it was bi directional but they do also have a bi directional VSR.

Cabelguy you have listed a 50A fuse for your main. This may be to small.

Depending on what battery you have in the Van and how low its gets overnight an early morning start with no solar input and the Van fridge on 12V may see more than 50A. Stewart or others may have some figures of charge output when an auxiliary is low?

The Van fridge will draw around 15A. I found it best to leave the fridge on gas and warm up the car allowing the auxiliary to get a bit of charge then switch the fridge from gas to 12V last thing.

Recent trip my BCDC25 was cycling charge rate for many hrs in the morning as it was working at full capacity. 16A for the fridge and 9A for the battery

Using what I use I have seen a peek of 120amps being pulled on a cold start low aux battery. It calms down quickly to around 25amp which is it's happy charge rate anyway.

Give a battery the option and it will take it. I run 200amp breakers on each end.

saeb wrote: ↑Wed Nov 04, 2020 1:31 pm Using what I use I have seen a peek of 120amps being pulled on a cold start low aux battery. It calms down quickly to around 25amp which is it's happy charge rate anyway.

Give a battery the option and it will take it. I run 200amp breakers on each end.

So unless your cable is rated at more than 200A there is no protection if there is a rub though. It will just be a dead short and the cable will get hot and the insulation possibly catch fire.

Bala1 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 04, 2020 9:58 am Cabelguy you have listed a 50A fuse for your main. This may be to small.

Depending on what battery you have in the Van and how low its gets overnight an early morning start with no solar input and the Van fridge on 12V may see more than 50A. Stewart or others may have some figures of charge output when an auxiliary is low?

The Van fridge will draw around 15A. I found it best to leave the fridge on gas and warm up the car allowing the auxiliary to get a bit of charge then switch the fridge from gas to 12V last thing.

Recent trip my BCDC25 was cycling charge rate for many hrs in the morning as it was working at full capacity. 16A for the fridge and 9A for the battery

The van fridge wouldn't be in the equasion as it would only be on 12V when travelling with a motion switch installed to prevent it from depleting the battery.

What would be the recommended fuse to the battery?

Thanks

Cableguy187 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 04, 2020 2:50 pm

Bala1 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 04, 2020 9:58 am Cabelguy you have listed a 50A fuse for your main. This may be to small.

Depending on what battery you have in the Van and how low its gets overnight an early morning start with no solar input and the Van fridge on 12V may see more than 50A. Stewart or others may have some figures of charge output when an auxiliary is low?

The Van fridge will draw around 15A. I found it best to leave the fridge on gas and warm up the car allowing the auxiliary to get a bit of charge then switch the fridge from gas to 12V last thing.

Recent trip my BCDC25 was cycling charge rate for many hrs in the morning as it was working at full capacity. 16A for the fridge and 9A for the battery

The van fridge wouldn't be in the equasion as it would only be on 12V when travelling with a motion switch installed to prevent it from depleting the battery.

What would be the recommended fuse to the battery?

Thanks

Fuse size is determine by cable size. When you size cables and fuses you first determine the load, then size the cable to carry the load, then size the fuse to protect the cable.

Many people think the fuse is to protect the device. Take a UHF radio for eg. It usually has say a 5A fuse, that fuse is not there to protect the radiao, it is there so that if there is a short in the radio the fuse will blow before the wire gets hot and heats the insulation until it catches fire.

Google "DC Fuse Size calculator" There is plenty of info.

Bala1 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 04, 2020 3:13 pm

Cableguy187 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 04, 2020 2:50 pm

Bala1 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 04, 2020 9:58 am Cabelguy you have listed a 50A fuse for your main. This may be to small.

Depending on what battery you have in the Van and how low its gets overnight an early morning start with no solar input and the Van fridge on 12V may see more than 50A. Stewart or others may have some figures of charge output when an auxiliary is low?

The Van fridge will draw around 15A. I found it best to leave the fridge on gas and warm up the car allowing the auxiliary to get a bit of charge then switch the fridge from gas to 12V last thing.

Recent trip my BCDC25 was cycling charge rate for many hrs in the morning as it was working at full capacity. 16A for the fridge and 9A for the battery

The van fridge wouldn't be in the equasion as it would only be on 12V when travelling with a motion switch installed to prevent it from depleting the battery.

What would be the recommended fuse to the battery?

Thanks

Fuse size is determine by cable size. When you size cables and fuses you first determine the load, then size the cable to carry the load, then size the fuse to protect the cable.

Many people think the fuse is to protect the device. Take a UHF radio for eg. It usually has say a 5A fuse, that fuse is not there to protect the radiao, it is there so that if there is a short in the radio the fuse will blow before the wire gets hot and heats the insulation until it catches fire.

Google "DC Fuse Size calculator" There is plenty of info.

Thanks for the reply.

I went with the 50A fuse/breaker due to the rating of the Anderson plugs. I don't think I'd come anywhere near that for powering the fridge when travelling and topping up the van battery (155AH SLA) as I have a 160W panel on the van roof that keeps the battery topped up.

My solar setup will be 460W total with a portable 300w panel to chase the sun during the day so this sould more be adequate to keep my van battery charged (assuming sun is available).

I was wanting to use the Ranger alternator in an emergency if a few days of bad weather prevented charging of the van battery.

Bala1 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 04, 2020 3:13 pm Many people think the fuse is to protect the device.

In my case this is correct as not everything I run has a fuse, it is relying on an inline fuse to protect it.

RossPat wrote: ↑Wed Nov 04, 2020 4:38 pm

Bala1 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 04, 2020 3:13 pm Many people think the fuse is to protect the device.

In my case this is correct as not everything I run has a fuse, it is relying on an inline fuse to protect it.

You say not everything you run has a fuse.

You have 100A cable from that battery that then reduces down in size for the fridge. So there should be a fuse inline that is sized to protect the smallest cable, this would be the fridge.

So you can either have say an 80A fuse at the battery then a small fuse, say 10A at the fridge wiring or just have a 10A at the battery.

I could do several things I suppose, I can plugin any fuse from 10 to 70 amp under the bonnet, I find that the easiest.

saeb wrote: ↑Wed Nov 04, 2020 6:58 am http://www.intervolt.com/product/electr ... -isolator/

They have some nice products.

I was sick of the Redarc one failing. I have been using this one for about 7 years now.

That is a nice product. Have you changed the cut in/out voltages or left stock?

Left as stock, never had a reason to touch it.

saeb wrote: ↑Wed Nov 04, 2020 10:35 pm Left as stock, never had a reason to touch it.

Thanks, I have ordered one off Ebay for $192 delivered.

Sorry, I see you already answered the question above.

Thanks for all the input guys, I think I'm sorted.