22mle Battery upgrade and monitor

**JPS350** · 04-01-2023, 12:01 PM

I wanted some more battery capacity for an upcoming trip, so I replaced the 81 Ah group 24 battery with a pair of 6v GC2 golf cart batteries rated for 215 Ah. Didn't need the expense of or capacity of a lithium conversion so I stayed with FLA. For the battery monitor, I went with one of these Chinese ones found under several names on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088RG27LS...roduct_details

It's a simple coulomb counter that displays V, A, % of capacity left and capacity left in Ah. Certainly not as nice as a Victron Smart Shunt (I have one of those on my off-grid cabin solar install), but good enough for the trailer. As a bonus, it gets the Will Prowse stamp of approval on one of his videos. Easy set up.

There was just enough room in the double battery box, that I purchased, to block the batteries off to one side and install the shunt and gauge right onto the side of the battery box. I also used the foam insert from the box the monitor came in to further protect the gauge inside the battery box. Time will tell how reliable it is, but you can't beat the price.

For those that care, this one is just a simple counter. You set it up by telling it the battery capacity and set it when the battery is fully charged, and it counts down from there. The Victron Smart Shunt has some more smarts built in than that. It uses voltage, charging current and time to determine when the battery is fully charged, and resets itself at the full charge, and then counts down. It needs some tweaking in setup parameters to be accurate with solar installs, though. It also has the bluetooth connection so can be displayed on a phone and networked with other Victron things. Didn't need all that on the trailer, so didn't feel like spending $130 for all its bells and whistles, though I love the one I use up in my cabin.

**Second Chance** · 04-01-2023, 12:19 PM

Moved to Electrical System and Wiring.

Rob

**SGT ROC** · 04-09-2023, 06:50 AM

When I buy a monitor, it's going to be one of these also. I just upgraded to a Lithium 100ah battery and a lithium capable converter and want to be able to monitor how the battery is doing.

**JPS350** · 04-09-2023, 08:00 AM

Just a footnote on this project. After a couple of suggestions on one of the facebook groups I did end up beefing up the battery rack to make sure it could handle the extra weight. The welds on those rails are not exactly confidence inspiring.