Trying to understand our new van’s electrics….

[Swamp]

Afternoon folks.

I’m trying to get my head around the habitation electrical setup in our new van. Most of it makes sense to me (I think) but I seem to have some duplication in regard to the battery charging arrangements. I’m guessing the van converter probably hasn’t added anything that isn’t necessary so I assume I’m just not understanding things properly….

Details:
The van is a 2024 Fiat Ducato based Globe Traveller Voyager Z
It came as standard with a 200AH lithium battery and 4 x 50W solar panels controlled by a Victron Smart Solar MPPT 75/15 controller. All good so far I think.
My confusion arises from the next two bits of equipment:
There is a Victron Isolated DC/DC converter (Orion-Tr 12/12-18) which I believe charges the lithium battery from the smart alternator when the engine is running.
There is also a Buttner Elektronik Batterie Control Booster. Looking at the documentation for this it suggests it handles charging the battery when on mains hookup and also has a “Boost Mode” which “Enables the board battery to be fully charged while driving, even with the most recent (Euro 6) with so called smart alternators”. If I understand this correctly it appears that both of these devices are trying to charge the lithium battery from the smart alternator while driving which sounds wrong.

I’m hoping someone can enlighten me with a (simple) explanation

 

[Jev88]

It does sound like a duplication.

 

[Derbyshire wanderer]

It does sound like they are both doing the same job but the converter should have disabled the original unit to favour the Victron unit which will almost certainly be more efficient.

 

[Peavy]

I'll have a guess here, maybe the Buttler is used here to charge both batteries from EUH (and the Orion does the B2B side). Maybe someone here is more familiar with this charger, but it seems it is capable of doing both functions (EHU and B2B).
Have you got an electrical drawing of the van?

 

[Swamp]

It does sound like they are both doing the same job but the converter should have disabled the original unit to favour the Victron unit which will almost certainly be more efficient.

Thanks for the reply.
Both units were fitted in the original conversion by the converter (Globe Traveller) so I would have thought they would simply have fitted a single function charger that would have just handled charging from mains hookup rather than the multi function Buttner unit? Simpler and cheaper.

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[Swamp]

I'll have a guess here, maybe the Buttler is used here to charge both batteries from EUH (and the Orion does the B2B side). Maybe someone here is more familiar with this charger, but it seems it is capable of doing both functions (EHU and B2B).
Have you got an electrical drawing of the van?

Hi Peavy, thanks for your reply.
I don’t have an electrical drawing for the van (or haven’t found one yet in the piles of documentation and manuals that have been provided ). I think I’ll contact Globe Traveller and see if they can provide one.

 

[Derbyshire wanderer]

Thanks for the reply.
Both units were fitted in the original conversion by the converter (Globe Traveller) so I would have thought they would simply have fitted a single function charger that would have just handled charging from mains hookup rather than the multi function Buttner unit? Simpler and cheaper.

Maybe, but the cost to converters are dependent upon volume so it may well be cheaper to them to get market share unlike replacement units that are usually distress purchase upgrades that are dearer.
Also I would think that the Buttner unit would be great for smaller battery packs and avoid the need for the Victron?

 

[Al n Val]

This may or may not answer your question

my Rapido came with a RedArc 40a B2B controller as standard, which is good but I wanted more, so i've recently had fitted amongst other things a Victron Orion 50a B2B so giving me 90a B2B total. With that and the solar i've seen whilst driving, via the Victron shunt, over 130ah going into the batteries which is great.

The more the merrier for me so whilst not the same as yours you may have a similar setup.

I also had a Victron Multiplus II fitted which when on ehu has a 120ah charger built in, once again the lithium's soak it all up.