Hi all,
I have been researching quite a bit for this system, but I have finally finished assembling it and wanted to see if there were any thoughts on the install.
Overview:
The install is going in my 2022 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. I have a rear seat delete and full floor plate system from Goose Gear. With this, the rear cargo bin under the trunk floor becomes pretty useless day to day, so I decided that it would be a good place to run my electrical system. It’s rather small but I have been able to fit a decent amount of equipment in there.
Battery:
LiTime 12V 100Ah Mini LiFePO4 Amazon Link(Not an affilate link|N/A)
This was the only battery above 50 Ah that would fit in this area. It doesn’t have cold temp protection, but my Victron charger does. I’ll still need to make sure I don’t draw from it when temps get low in Colorado.
DC-DC Charger:
Orion XS 12 | 50
This unit is pretty compact and exceeds the max charging amps for my battery, so it felt like a good pick. I have limited the output of the Orion to match the batteries preferred 20A rating, although on the LiTime site, they say it can handle up to 50A. I don’t really need that most of the time, but nice to have.
Solar:
Victron Smart Solar 100 | 30
2x 100w N-Type Amazon Link(N/A
50 Amp Breaker(Limited to 2 links as a new user)
Panel Mounting Brackets
The solar is mounted on my Rhino Rack Pioneer Platform and almost perfectly uses the empty space I had between my awning and hard case. Right now the wiring runs out the back under the rear glass and enters through the gasket for the tailgate. Once I’m sure that this is the set up I will be keeping long term I plan to run a passthrough for my hardtop to clean it up.
General Electrical Details:
I have a Victron smart shunt to monitor the battery charge and system usage. I have a drawer style Dometic fridge mounted to the cargo shelf in the trunk that is in the Jeep full time and a Dometic CFX3 45 fridge that I bring on camping trips. I also have a Starlink Mini mounted on the roof rack. Those are my main three power draws, and the goal of the system was to be able to keep those three running 24/7 for at least 4 days. The battery can run the CFX for 4-6 days depending on the weather. With the addition of the solar power, I have enough to power all of these devices and keep the battery topped up for anything else I might bring.
I have run 2 AWG wire from the house battery up front to the Aux system in the back. From there I have 4 AWG connecting the battery to the bus bars, and 8 guage connecting the Orion XS to the battery. All of the wiring is OFC wire from Install Gear or KnuKonceptz. Most runs besides the main run from the house battery are pretty short, 1-3 feet. If those wire guages don’t seem like enough, I’m happy to hear the feedback. I always try to over size the wire if the equipment will let me.
Future Goals:
I would like to add shore power for when it is parked in the garage for longer periods in the winter. Most of Victron’s AC-DC chargers are a bit large for the space I have to work with. Also disappointed that none of the Blue Smart have a VE.Direct port. I am working on finishing my Venus OS build(Just need to make my own VE.Direct cables first) and I would like to be able to monitor it while it is connected to shore power.
Disclaimer: I’ve never had an RV or anything that used a system like this, but I have done a ton of 12V work with everything else on the Jeep. If any terms I said were incorrect, please let me know. I’m trying to make sure I did this right.
Pictures:
I forgot to get pictures before I closed up the trunk, but I’ll be setting up my Venus OS Pi next week, so I’ll take pictures of the battery area then.
Diagram:
I’ve made this diagram and it is as accurate as I could make it. I don’t show the accessories downstream of the 12v fuse box, but other than that it is complete.
If there is any critical information that’s needed to understand the system, please let me know and I’ll be happy to get it for you guys.