Thread: Alternator SDV6, anyone upgraded for larger than stock 150A??

Originally Posted by Tombie

Seems odd.. Something isn't up to spec in the wiring on the connections back to vehicle from the trailers being pulled.

I currently run:

Primary > DcDc 50a > 2x 60ah AGM > Victron DcDc 30a > 2x 115ah AGM
Tow Pro Elite
50a of Driving Lights
16a of Light Bar

Never seen these errors regardless of the state of house batteries or vehicle batteries.

The Tow Pro is reporting poor earth return from the brakes with those error signals.

Check the vans/campers wiring set ups. I'm thinking the Earth return is insufficient to maintain the system. Or the wiring used is under-rated.
On the vans/campers what's the earth set up like?

Tombie, do you piggy back your victory dcdc from your in-house Aux battery’s??

Originally Posted by imaz

Tombie, do you piggy back your victory dcdc from your in-house Aux battery’s??

Yes. Main > Charger > Aux > Anderson plug to Van > Victron > Van batteries

Victron in van has a trigger from the vehicle to only come on when vehicle is running.

Originally Posted by Tombie

Yes. Main > Charger > Aux > Anderson plug to Van > Victron > Van batteries

Victron in van has a trigger from the vehicle to only come on when vehicle is running.

Interesting. This was a question I asked Redarc if I should piggy back the camper dcdc FROM the Vechicles Aux Battery, and that was not advisable - Should be directly from the Starting battery. Should I rewire my Camper charger to feed from Aux battery as you have done, there would be no further concerns regarding the Alternator strain as you are only depleating the Vehicles Aux battery's.

That would explain why you’re suffering - that’s 70-90a from your primary battery immediately upon start up.

Just make sure you install/set the trigger point correctly. Don’t want it stripping the Aux in the vehicle when it’s not running.

As I posted above, my Van won’t activate the DcDc until the vehicle starts. The Victron then waits if the voltage on that circuit is still low before starting to charge - which occurs almost immediately after the under bonnet 50a DcDc starts.

This was all installed to move toward Lithium as I have a need for one of the aux battery locations under bonnet in the near future.

Hi again imaz, first off, you can NOT place a “strain” on your alternator.


All alternators, by the very way they work, are self-protecting against current overload. As yours has demonstrated when it lowered it voltage level because the current draw was greater than your alternator could produce while idling.


Next, as long as your auxiliary battery is NOT charged with a DC/DC device, you should have no problems charging your house batteries via the DC/DC device, as long as the DC/DC device is in with your house batteries.


I have hundreds of customers charging 3 large house batteries in their camper trailer or caravan, with no DC/DC device, which means they are drawing much more than your setup, and they have no problems.


What are you using to charge the auxiliary battery?

Originally Posted by drivesafe

Hi again imaz, first off, you can NOT place a “strain” on your alternator.


All alternators, by the very way they work, are self-protecting against current overload. As yours has demonstrated when it lowered it voltage level because the current draw was greater than your alternator could produce while idling.


Next, as long as your auxiliary battery is NOT charged with a DC/DC device, you should have no problems charging your house batteries via the DC/DC device, as long as the DC/DC device is in with your house batteries.


I have hundreds of customers charging 3 large house batteries in their camper trailer or caravan, with no DC/DC device, which means they are drawing much more than your setup, and they have no problems.


What are you using to charge the auxiliary battery?

House battery consists of 2x HVT-50D under the bonnet, and charged using Redarc BCDC40.

The Camper consists of 2xForce 100Ah, and charged using using Redarc BCDC25 via VSR.

A drawing would make this thread so much better

Originally Posted by DiscoJeffster

A drawing would make this thread so much better

Done