Progressive PD9160ALV 60Amp install

[Losthillsguy]

By adding wire, I mean adding a new set of #2 wires from the extra terminals on the PD converter to the batteries.

[huntindog]

By adding wire, I mean adding a new set of #2 wires from the extra terminals on the PD converter to the batteries.

Will you be remving the existingwires from your pesent battery to the convertor?

[Losthillsguy]

No, leave all existing wiring in place. I will have two circuits charging the batteries. One the original with #6 wire and the second added with #2 . This was described earlier in this topic but no one reported back on if the batteries charged noticeably faster using generator power.

[RobM]

No, leave all existing wiring in place. I will have two circuits charging the batteries. One the original with #6 wire and the second added with #2 . This was described earlier in this topic but no one reported back on if the batteries charged noticeably faster using generator power.

I have reread this and related threads many times trying for a full understanding. My skills are well short of changing all of the wiring under the floor leading from the WFCO distribution panel to the copper battery bus bar in the front. However, I am confident of being able to add some 4 AWG from the second set of lugs on a PD 60A converter to my battery bank.
The run from the WFCO distribution panel to the battery bank is 15 feet. For upgrading the WFCO 55A converter to a PD 60A for lithium, the BlueSeas wiring chart says 4AWG minimum. I don't think the WFCO distribution center will take anything larger than 6 AWG.
So, if using the original 6 AWG wired from the converter, to the distrib panel, then all the way back to the batteries, THEN adding an additional set of 4 AWG from the PD converter to the battery bank (properly fused for the wire and 60A load), the batteries would be charged by the one PD converter by the 6 AWG wires from the distribution panel, AND the 4 AWG wires directly from the converter, correct? Will the PD converter be able to see and charge the batteries correctly if it is charging the same bank with the two (6 AWG and 4 AWG) connections?
thanks to all for beating this dead horse a little more for the electrically challenged

[crv0262]

Wow - This is a great thread and seems to be covering many of the same topics I am working on my 310-GKR. One question for the brain trust. I have a new PD9160ALV that is not yet installed. I also have two new Ampere 200ah LIFEPO4's. The Ampere instructions say to charge and condition the batteries before use.

Can I externally (in the garage) plug in the PD9160 and connect it to the two LIFEPO4's (one from each port of the 9160) to initially charge the batteries? Using the PD9160 as an external battery charger?

Thanks again for all the insights and experiences being shared.

[orbiker]

Wow - This is a great thread and seems to be covering many of the same topics I am working on my 310-GKR. One question for the brain trust. I have a new PD9160ALV that is not yet installed. I also have two new Ampere 200ah LIFEPO4's. The Ampere instructions say to charge and condition the batteries before use.

Can I externally (in the garage) plug in the PD9160 and connect it to the two LIFEPO4's (one from each port of the 9160) to initially charge the batteries? Using the PD9160 as an external battery charger?

Thanks again for all the insights and experiences being shared.

I don't see any reason to do the extra charge.
Connect them and let them cycle up and down with some usage. Then bring to a full charge and set your battery monitor.
KEN

[jlspence99]

Circuits were one of my least favorite classes in college - fluid flow, mechanisms, physics...all that made sense to me. Below is my 12v bus in the front compartment of my 303 as wired from the factory. I've used Mark B's picture and others in various threads to try to identify what is where but I also recognize wiring color coding is different and the way components are hooked up is different from rig to rig and model to model. Here are my questions: 1) What is the purpose of the copper strap? Clearly one CB isn't connected to the other 4 CBs. I'm thinking that has to do with the fact that the battery disconnect switch doesn't remove power from all components so what is tied to that particular CB (pass-thru, front compartment lights, etc.) remains powered by the battery regardless of the position of the battery disconnect? 2) The battery + is connected to the top left CB and copper strap. Doesn't this make the first 4 CBs and all components tied to them on the bottom of the CB hot? 3) The red battery disconnect is connected on the bottom left CB. The black battery disconnect is connected at the bottom right CB. Clearly I don't understand how this works because I don't see how the disconnect would isolate anything since each of these 5 CB are individual and unconnected, right? I apologize if these are obvious to everyone else but it's just not clicking with me. Thanks.

[Jomani]

Circuits were one of my least favorite classes in college - fluid flow, mechanisms, physics...all that made sense to me. Below is my 12v bus in the front compartment of my 303 as wired from the factory. I've used Mark B's picture and others in various threads to try to identify what is where but I also recognize wiring color coding is different and the way components are hooked up is different from rig to rig and model to model. Here are my questions: 1) What is the purpose of the copper strap? Clearly one CB isn't connected to the other 4 CBs. I'm thinking that has to do with the fact that the battery disconnect switch doesn't remove power from all components so what is tied to that particular CB (pass-thru, front compartment lights, etc.) remains powered by the battery regardless of the position of the battery disconnect? 2) The battery + is connected to the top left CB and copper strap. Doesn't this make the first 4 CBs and all components tied to them on the bottom of the CB hot? 3) The red battery disconnect is connected on the bottom left CB. The black battery disconnect is connected at the bottom right CB. Clearly I don't understand how this works because I don't see how the disconnect would isolate anything since each of these 5 CB are individual and unconnected, right? I apologize if these are obvious to everyone else but it's just not clicking with me. Thanks.

Your 303 is wired a little differently than mine because I have a 12v fridge. I will try to explain based on your picture. First, let’s number the terminals - starting on the left as #1 and the right as #5 . The terminals directly below are connected via circuit breaker.

The copper bus bar effectively ties the top of terminals 1 through 4 together. They are all tied directly to the positive side of the battery and are always hot when the battery is connected.

The bottom of terminal 1 goes out to the battery disconnect switch (circuit breaker between the top and bottom terminals). When the battery disconnect is on, the 12v supply travels from terminal 1, through the switch, and back to the bottom side of terminal #5 (black wire) - still 12v positive. The second black wire on the bottom of terminal #5 goes to the DC panel inside the trailer.

Where most people get confused is then they use a multimeter to test the voltages on these terminals. Let me run through that real quick.

With battery connected and disconnect switch on, all terminals will read 13+ volts (battery power). With the battery connected and the battery disconnect off, you will still get 13+ volts on all of the terminals if you are connected to shore power. What you should find is that terminal #5 is slightly different ( should be a little lower). The reason terminal #5 is still “hot” is because the power is back-feeding from the converter. If you turn off the battery disconnect and either unplug from shore power or turn off the converter, there will be no power on terminal #5 .

In the end, the battery disconnect has nothing to do with terminals 1-4, they are always hot. Terminal 5 is disconnected from the battery when the switch is off, however, will still have power when the converter is on.

Hope this helps.

[Jomani]

I should add, since this thread started out talking about increasing wire size when upgrading the converter, If you decide to add a second wire from the battery to the converter, be very careful where/how the connection is made. Since the battery disconnect is wired between terminals #1 and #5 , if you were to run a second wire directly to the battery or to terminal #1 , you would effectively bypass the battery disconnect switch.

[Jomani]

Okay - way too much time on my hands...

I went ahead and created a video that describes the battery disconnect switch and related circuits on my 2022 Reflection 303RLS. As I upgrade the electrical system (inverter, DC-DC Charger, new converter, etc.) I plan to document everything and save to my YouTube Chanel.

Click here to view the video