Hymer Conversion to Lithium

[Buddy1012]

Decided to 'bite the bullet' and replace my version of the Hymer 'Smart' Battery system with a full blown lithium set-up. Reason: I have an issue with one of the AGMs and whilst the system has generally served me well it seems pointless to buy 3 new AGMs when there are lots of cost effective lithium alternatives. Just wanted to run my plans past those with more technical knowledge or experience of similar:

Fit 2 x 230Ah LifePO4 Batteries
Change EBL settings to Lithium profile via the control panel - this will enable me to continue using the charging module (20A).
Remove the two auxiliary chargers (LAS 1218 & LAS1218 BUS) as neither has a lithium setting.
Fit a new mains charger to work alongside the EBL module (50A).
Replace Schaudt LRM1218 Solar Regulator with a Votronic one with lithium profile. (currently have 240w of solar but may well add another 200w to this after the winter - so I could go large with the new MPPT in anticipation of this increase in size).
Fit a votronic computer and votronic solar monitor.
Inverter to stay - normal factory fitted Dometic 1800w.
Everything else eg, cables etc seems to be fine.
Any observations / suggestions welcome.

 

[Lenny HB]

Fit a Victron solar controller as the Votronic one you would need is the 430 there have been problems with them with Lithium.

 

[Buddy1012]

Thanks for that - that's useful. I've had a totally Victron enabled house for few years so well versed in the reliability and robustness of the kit.

 

[Buddy1012]

Fit a Victron solar controller as the Votronic one you would need is the 430 there have been problems with them with Lithium.

On the solar side - would it be okay to keep any new panels completely separate and use one smaller MPPT for the existing panels and keep this via the EBL and then fit another MPPT and additional solar panels directly to the leisure batteries? (The existing route via the EBL would take care of the cab battery connection without the need to route an additional cable through from the 2nd MPPT).

 

[Lenny HB]

No reason why you can't use more than one solar controller but best to connect them direct to the batteries as you get about a 5% loss through the EBL.

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[Speve]

On the solar side - would it be okay to keep any new panels completely separate and use one smaller MPPT for the existing panels and keep this via the EBL and then fit another MPPT and additional solar panels directly to the leisure batteries? (The existing route via the EBL would take care of the cab battery connection without the need to route an additional cable through from the 2nd MPPT).

I have done our Hymer conversion myself and left the two existing solar panels controlled by the existing buttner controller as it does a good job I then added another 240 watts of solar using a Victron smart controller it all works really well in tandem using bus bars and victron multi plus inverter charger.
I actually disconnected EBL from mains but still use it for the 12v circuits.

 

[StillGoing]

Fit a Victron solar controller as the Votronic one you would need is the 430 there have been problems with them with Lithium.

The 430 was replaced a long time ago by the 440.

 

[BusyBuilder]

On a side not we put a Fogstar 280ah battery in our Hymer as recommended by Offgrid, reason being the 280 has 8000 cycles whereas 230 is only 4000. They said its the best cost effective battery, and will be about 300ah in reality, just like the 230ah are about 10% over.

 

[LithiumConvert]

Our new Hymer Exsis-i 580 came from the factory such that all we had to do was change the battery.

Took out a heavy AGM lead-acid and replaced it with the same physical weight of lithium.

Job done - Five times the usable battery capacity - just for changing three charger settings.

 

[Buddy1012]

Our new Hymer Exsis-i 580 came from the factory such that all we had to do was change the battery.

Took out a heavy AGM lead-acid and replaced it with the same physical weight of lithium.

Job done - Five times the usable battery capacity - just for changing three charger settings.

What year is your MoHo? On mine the two auxiliary chargers are not right for lithium but everything else stacks up eg cabling etc

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[Buster30]

What year is your MoHo? On mine the two auxiliary chargers are not right for lithium but everything else stacks up eg cabling etc

What year is your Hymer

 

[Buddy1012]

Late 2020

 

[Buster30]

Has it got the Schaudt WA121545 battery booster on it

 

[Buddy1012]

On a side not we put a Fogstar 280ah battery in our Hymer as recommended by Offgrid, reason being the 280 has 8000 cycles whereas 230 is only 4000. They said it’s the best cost effective battery, and will be about 300ah in reality, just like the 230ah are about 10% over.

Good choice then - if only I was young enough to take advantage of 8000 full cycles - based on 100 n days away give or take each year I was anticipating that the 4000 cycles would get me up until I’m about a 106 or so

 

[Buddy1012]

Has it got the Schaudt WA121545 battery booster on it

Yes plus the normal module within the EBL

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[Buster30]

That should have a lithium setting

 

[LithiumConvert]

Yes plus the normal module within the EBL

So 45 amps from the factory fitted lithium capable B2B.

Have you tried the 70 amps setting?

 

[Buster30]

No, 300ah Lithium being fitted next week

 

[LithiumConvert]

What year is your MoHo? On mine the two auxiliary chargers are not right for lithium but everything else stacks up eg cabling etc

Our Hymer Exsis-i 580 is 2022. It did not have any auxilliary chargers

 

[Buddy1012]

Our Hymer Exsis-i 580 is 2022. It did not have any auxilliary chargers

No it wouldn’t have done with the single factory for battery - no need.

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[Dusty_Rhoades]

Our 2019 BMC-T580 has a Schaudt WA121545 battery booster, I've set it to the LA setting as the Lithium setting gives a constant 14.4 volts and my Fogstar 280 complains. Another thing to look at is how your fridge is connected for 12v running, ours comes directly from the battery terminal so when mobile on 12v the load on the booster always give the upper voltage of 14.4 and will not reduce to the lower Trickle charge voltage which may cause excessive COVs.
When my battery is about 80 - 85 percent full I use the Fogstar app to turn off charging or turn off the Fridge.

 

[Buddy1012]

Fit a Victron solar controller as the Votronic one you would need is the 430 there have been problems with them with Lithium.

As part of my swap out I am
now by passing the EBL with a new lithium profile MPPT which doesn’t have dual battery function. Does this mean that I need to fit a Battery Master to take care of the cab battery?

 

[Lenny HB]

As part of my swap out I am
now by passing the EBL with a new lithium profile MPPT which doesn’t have dual battery function. Does this mean that I need to fit a Battery Master to take care of the cab battery?

Yes a Batterymaster or an Ablemail battery maintainer.

 

[Buddy1012]

Yes a Batterymaster or an Ablemail battery maintainer.

Thanks Lenny - I’ll check these out

 

[headlight]

Thanks Lenny - I’ll check these out

Battery Master available on this site.

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[Buddy1012]

No reason why you can't use more than one solar controller but best to connect them direct to the batteries as you get about a 5% loss through the EBL.

Lenny - another question! I was impressed at the look of your new set-up. I just wanted to ask whether you arranged it so that all of your 230v output now comes off the inverter/charger, without the normal Hymer & Carthago by-pass arrangement whereby only the wall sockets are energised unless on hook-up? Also (if you have it) did you incorporate your Aircon as well?

 

[Lenny HB]

I have a Victron Multiplus which has auto changeover & a combiner built in. I Rewired most of the sockets so they are only fed from the inverter apart from the fridge but that because the fridge & kitchen socket are on the same circuit and I've yet to find where they have hidden the connection. A bit of a pain I have to manually switch fridge to gas when using inverter.
Heater bypasses the inverter so will only work on EHU, don't have aircon.

 

[Buddy1012]

I have a Victron Multiplus which has auto changeover & a combiner built in. I Rewired most of the sockets so they are only fed from the inverter apart from the fridge but that because the fridge & kitchen socket are on the same circuit and I've yet to find where they have hidden the connection. A bit of a pain I have to manually switch fridge to gas when using inverter.
Heater bypasses the inverter so will only work on EHU, don't have aircon.

Thanks - that’s helpful. The one thing that Hymer did well (accidentally?) was to leave the connection for the fridge, auxiliary chargers and the Aircon right underneath a floor hatch. So in theory I could just re route the Aircon and fridge connections to the inverter circuit. The chargers are going anyway. Not sure about the AirCon though as in whether 400Ah LifrPO4 and 440W solar will be enough (only ever summer use)

 

[Buster30]

Our 2019 BMC-T580 has a Schaudt WA121545 battery booster, I've set it to the LA setting as the Lithium setting gives a constant 14.4 volts and my Fogstar 280 complains. Another thing to look at is how your fridge is connected for 12v running, ours comes directly from the battery terminal so when mobile on 12v the load on the booster always give the upper voltage of 14.4 and will not reduce to the lower Trickle charge voltage which may cause excessive COVs.
When my battery is about 80 - 85 percent full I use the Fogstar app to turn off charging or turn off the Fridge.

When you say the Fogstar complains what do you mean?

 

[Buddy1012]

I have done our Hymer conversion myself and left the two existing solar panels controlled by the existing buttner controller as it does a good job I then added another 240 watts of solar using a Victron smart controller it all works really well in tandem using bus bars and victron multi plus inverter charger.
I actually disconnected EBL from mains but still use it for the 12v circuits.

Can I ask

I have done our Hymer conversion myself and left the two existing solar panels controlled by the existing buttner controller as it does a good job I then added another 240 watts of solar using a Victron smart controller it all works really well in tandem using bus bars and victron multi plus inverter charger.
I actually disconnected EBL from mains but still use it for the 12v circuits.

Other than setting the Lithium Profile did you make any other changes to the Schaudt B2B set up? (I was going to take out the temp and voltage sensors as not required with new Lithium with own BMS). Like everything Schaudt and Hymer, it works well enough but complicated always difficult to follow the wiring logic etc so didn’t want to interfere with it too much.
Thanks