Carthago L-4-2 SCHAUDT Location

[Jaysdad]

Hi all, first post. I have a 22 plate Liner for two, Fiat based. I'm looking to install Lithium batteries and need advice, I was going down the B2B route but have been told this motorhome has a factory fitted Schaudt b2b fitted and will only require the setting on unit changed, would anyone know if this is correct and where the unit is located

 

[DerryW]

Welcome to the FUN. I personally can’t help with your query, however there are quite a few professionals on the forum when it comes to Lithium who I’m sure will be able to assist you.

 

[Lenny HB]

Sorry can't tell you where it is but I think Carthago only fit the 25 amp version so you will probably want to replace it with a bigger B2B.

 

[Jaysdad]

Sorry can't tell you where it is but I think Carthago only fit the 25 amp version so you will probably want to replace it with a bigger B2B.

Thx, there is also 40 amp available, had lots of mixed answers from a Carthago group, a lot have installed Lithium with no changes to Carthago set up, other's have gone the Victron B2B/Shunt route

 

[Jaysdad]

Welcome to the FUN. I personally can’t help with your query, however there are quite a few professionals on the forum when it comes to Lithium who I’m sure will be able to assist you.

Thanks for welcome

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[Jaysdad]

Welcome to the FUN. I personally can’t help with your query, however there are quite a few professionals on the forum when it comes to Lithium who I’m sure will be able to assist you.

Thanks for welcome!

 

[Lenny HB]

Thx, there is also 40 amp available, had lots of mixed answers from a Carthago group, a lot have installed Lithium with no changes to Carthago set up, other's have gone the Victron B2B/Shunt route

The Victron B2B is only 30 amps so you would need to fit two to get a decent output.
Votronic make a whole range from 25 amps up to 90 amp.

 

[ED O'DARAC]

Hi all, first post. I have a 22 plate Liner for two, Fiat based. I'm looking to install Lithium batteries and need advice, I was going down the B2B route but have been told this motorhome has a factory fitted Schaudt b2b fitted and will only require the setting on unit changed, would anyone know if this is correct and where the unit is located

View attachment 739702

Hi, someone with the exact knowledge you need will pop up for you. My two-pennorth is that I have had three Fiat German vans (not Carthago, they were Adria, Dethleffs and Carado) with this factory Schaudt WA booster setup, and all of them placed the WA booster under the rear of one of the front seats (Dethleffs/Carado Left seat, Adria, Right seat).
They need ventilation as heat is produced.
You will probably have a rear tech area in the garage, so yours may be there, but mine were under the seats.

 

[Lazyboy]

On my Chic E Line mine is fitted to the “roof” of the small storage locker which is located via the N/S garage. If you can understand from my description.

 

[G7UXG]

Welcome to Fun.

On my E Line 64 the batteries are accessed from the boot, between the double floors to the front of the boot, and the Carthago fitted Schaudt B2B is on the underside of the upper floor, above the batteries. Awkward to get to and it’s only 25 amp. I’ve fitted lithium, disabled that B2B, and fitted a 45 amp Votronic triple charger.

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[Jaysdad]

Hi, someone with the exact knowledge you need will pop up for you. My two-pennorth is that I have had three Fiat German vans (not Carthago, they were Adria, Dethleffs and Carado) with this factory Schaudt WA booster setup, and all of them placed the WA booster under the rear of one of the front seats (Dethleffs/Carado Left seat, Adria, Right seat).
They need ventilation as heat is produced.
You will probably have a rear tech area in the garage, so yours may be there, but mine were under the seats.

Thanks, I've emailed Carthago, will see if I get reply!!

 

[Jaysdad]

Welcome to Fun.

On my E Line 64 the batteries are accessed from the boot, between the double floors to the front of the boot, and the Carthago fitted Schaudt B2B is on the underside of the upper floor, above the batteries. Awkward to get to and it’s only 25 amp. I’ve fitted lithium, disabled that B2B, and fitted a 45 amp Votronic triple charger.

This makes sense as I would have thought unit would be fitted next to batteries, when you say disable b2b what do you mean, have you also fitted a shunt or does the Votronic have bluetooth? Thx

 

[G7UXG]

Schaudt B2B is activated by a D+ signal when the engine is running, so I just disconnected the D+ from the B2B so it no longer switches on. Used the same D+ to switch on my own Votronic B2B.

I do also have a shunt fitted, and that and the charger are connected to a Bluetooth module so that it’s all monitored via an iPhone app.

 

[Jaysdad]

Schaudt B2B is activated by a D+ signal when the engine is running, so I just disconnected the D+ from the B2B so it no longer switches on. Used the same D+ to switch on my own Votronic B2B.

I do also have a shunt fitted, and that and the charger are connected to a Bluetooth module so that it’s all monitored via an iPhone app.

Thanks again, all making sense

 

[MikePilot]

Welcome to Fun.

On my E Line 64 the batteries are accessed from the boot, between the double floors to the front of the boot, and the Carthago fitted Schaudt B2B is on the underside of the upper floor, above the batteries. Awkward to get to and it’s only 25 amp. I’ve fitted lithium, disabled that B2B, and fitted a 45 amp Votronic triple charger.

Hi Lenny, I have purchased an E Line 64 with the same configuration. When the engine is running, the Schaudt B2B doesnt seem to do any charging, there is also a draw on the habitation batteries of about 17 amps when the fridge is running. Is this the reason you changed to a larger B2B unit and if so, did you simply utilise the existing wiring, or upgrade to larger csa wires. I also find that after a few hours of driving, the 3 x 120 Ah Lithium batteries I fitted have drained below the 100% they were having come of an external mains supply.

Did you bypass the battery management system and go directly from the Vehicle battery via your new B2B to the Habitation Batteries.

Your answer would be much appreciated. Thanks.

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[Lenny HB]

Hi Lenny, I have purchased an E Line 64 with the same configuration. When the engine is running, the Schaudt B2B doesnt seem to do any charging, there is also a draw on the habitation batteries of about 17 amps when the fridge is running. Is this the reason you changed to a larger B2B unit and if so, did you simply utilise the existing wiring, or upgrade to larger csa wires. I also find that after a few hours of driving, the 3 x 120 Ah Lithium batteries I fitted have drained below the 100% they were having come of an external mains supply.

Did you bypass the battery management system and go directly from the Vehicle battery via your new B2B to the Habitation Batteries.

Your answer would be much appreciated. Thanks.

I'm still waiting for my Carthago, I think your problem is that the link in the CBE distribution has been removed so the fridge only takes power from the ha B batteries.
You could fit a relay powered by the Alternator D+, so the link is only removed when the engine is stopped. That's what I will do if I ever get my van.

If changing the B2B I wouldn't fit a Schaudt IMO they are not really suitable for Lithium as on the Lithium setting they just give a constant output of 14.4v.

 

[MikePilot]

I also had the same problem with my E Line 64 with the same configuration. When the engine is running, the Schaudt B2B wasnt charging, there is also a draw on the habitation batteries of about 17 amps when the fridge is running. I switched the Temperature sensor switch from 'mit' (WITH) to 'ohne' (Without) and hay presto, a 24 amp charge started. This is ok if you have Lithium batteries fitted with an in built battery management system which shuts them down if to cold or they over heat..

 

[MikePilot]

I also have a question to ask. The battery feed to the CBE distribution box has a blue cable connected to it fed by the engine battery, it also has a smaller csa cable coming from and going directly to the Schaudt B2B. When looking at the battery under the floor in the front of the vehicle, there are only Red cables coming from each of the fused connections. Where in the vehicle is the fused connection connecting the engine battery to the blue cable connected to the CBE control box?

 

[MikePilot]

Welcome to Fun.

On my E Line 64 the batteries are accessed from the boot, between the double floors to the front of the boot, and the Carthago fitted Schaudt B2B is on the underside of the upper floor, above the batteries. Awkward to get to and it’s only 25 amp. I’ve fitted lithium, disabled that B2B, and fitted a 45 amp Votronic triple charger.

Please could you tell me if you used the existing cable from the Vehicle battery or did you run a new cable. Also, if you used the existing cable, did you increase the size if the fuse and if so, where is it located on the E Line 64. Mercedes

 

[MikePilot]

Hi Lenny, I have purchased an E Line 64 with the same configuration. When the engine is running, the Schaudt B2B doesnt seem to do any charging, there is also a draw on the habitation batteries of about 17 amps when the fridge is running. Is this the reason you changed to a larger B2B unit and if so, did you simply utilise the existing wiring, or upgrade to larger csa wires. I also find that after a few hours of driving, the 3 x 120 Ah Lithium batteries I fitted have drained below the 100% they were having come of an external mains supply.

Did you bypass the battery management system and go directly from the Vehicle battery via your new B2B to the Habitation Batteries.

Your answer would be much appreciated. Thanks.

This problem has bee sorted by simply changing the position of the battery temperature from mit to ohne. The temperature sensor was probably faulty.

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[G7UXG]

Please could you tell me if you used the existing cable from the Vehicle battery or did you run a new cable. Also, if you used the existing cable, did you increase the size if the fuse and if so, where is it located on the E Line 64. Mercedes

I replaced the existing cable with 25mm, as recommended by the charger’s manufacturer for the length of cable run. 35mm would also be an option. I ran a full length of new cable from the vehicle battery to the charger in the boot, fusing that cable in the vehicle battery compartment with a very short unused run from the battery to the fuse.

My 64 was a Fiat and I don’t have it anymore. Regarding the red cable that leaves the battery, but is blue by the time it gets to the rear of the van, on the Fiat it was behind cover that fits over the handbrake mechanism to the right of the driver’s seat (in a right-hand drive). There is a block connector behind it and this is the connection between the red cable from the battery and the blue one that goes to the box of tricks in the boot.

I also now have a Mercedes Carthago E Line. I haven’t checked if the connector block is in the same place or not because I haven’t needed to disconnect it.

 

[Pausim]

I raised a similar question with Udo Lang at Schaudt regarding the WA 121525 Booster on the Carthago/Malibu Van I am buying. His advice was to leave the WA Booster as it is and to wire my Votronic 1212-45 B2B directly between the engine and leisure batteries. In effect they will be working in parallel and combining their outputs to achieve the 70A I want.

 

[MikePilot]

I replaced the existing cable with 25mm, as recommended by the charger’s manufacturer for the length of cable run. 35mm would also be an option. I ran a full length of new cable from the vehicle battery to the charger in the boot, fusing that cable in the vehicle battery compartment with a very short unused run from the battery to the fuse.

My 64 was a Fiat and I don’t have it anymore. Regarding the red cable that leaves the battery, but is blue by the time it gets to the rear of the van, on the Fiat it was behind cover that fits over the handbrake mechanism to the right of the driver’s seat (in a right-hand drive). There is a block connector behind it and this is the connection between the red cable from the battery and the blue one that goes to the box of tricks in the boot.

I also now have a Mercedes Carthago E Line. I haven’t checked if the connector block is in the same place or not because I haven’t needed to disconnect it.

Thank you for your kind assistance, I have now solved the problem, I found the fuse under the drivers seat.