I have a Victron setup in my Ram Promaster 3500 (2016) RV conversion with Multiplus, Orion DC|DC charger isolated, Victron solar charger, 600W panels, Cerbo GX and 400AH LiFEPo4 batteries. I am interested in hearing comments from the Victron community about isolated (floating) setups versus those that are grounded with the van frame, electrical system and lead acid starter battery.
As a new Victron installer on this van conversion I bought plans from Explorist.Life and studied many Youtube videos. However I ignored the common ground between the van electronics and the house system in the back due to concerns that shorts to ground from high amp DC or 120V AC could harm the van electrical system and lead to costly repairs.
My entire system in the back is therefore ‘floating’ with no ground. This system has been working well for a year now but the 360W charge from Orion isolated is not enough for daily needs living in the van. I’ve heard that Victron will produce an Orion XS isolated some day, but I need a solution in the near future. Some people are running dual Orions like Mispronounced Adventures on Youtube. I would prefer to have one Orion XS only.
Does anyone have suggestions about floating versus integrated systems in van conversions? My current information tells me to keep them separated due to the differences between lead acid and lithium batteries, but maybe I am not educated enough on the topic. Comments are appreciated. Note - I have reviewed all info on this forum and online on the topic but have not seen any complete answers. Thanks for reading.