Hello, I'm converting a van. I have installed a large solar panel with a Victron Smart Solar MPPT controller hooked up to the leisure battery. I have also installed a Victron DC-DC smart charger to take excess solar from the leisure battery to the engine battery. This works fine but I'm not benefitting from charging from the engine. Should I run a second DC-DC charger from the engine to the leisure?
Thanks
Instead of using the DC-DC smart charger to take excess solar from the leisure battery to the engine battery, I would use it to charge your leisure battery from the engine battery. That's also the normal use case.
Your alternator will take care of your engine battery.
Thanks Stefanie, the vehicle will be stagnant for most of its time, hence charging from solar via leisure then engine. The other way round as you have suggested keeps engine battery topped off and leisure second. My leisure is lithium so want this protected.
Little tip: use the reply or comment feature instead of answer. This makes the thread clearer and there is a greater chance that the right person (the person you're replying to) will be tagged.
Why do you think your lithium is unprotected then?
The BMS of your lithium should protect the battery and if correctly wired up, should also shutdown the Orion (via it's remote on/off port) in case of high cell voltage, temperature etc.).
For your Lithium it doesn't matter what type of charger is installed. The principles are the same.
