Installing Trimetric battery monitor

[95Pop210]

I have a new to me 95 Roadtrek Pop 210 with a single series 24 battery and a 2800 Onan. How does the shunt get wired with the added generator leads. Also does it make sense to upgrade the 6300 converter to gain the three speed charger. Any help will be appreciated. 95Pop210

[avanti]

You connect the shunt to the battery ground and move all existing ground connections to the other end of the shunt.

BTW: Here is how I mounted my shunt, starting with a piece of 3/4" copper tubing:

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(ignore the cable connected directly to the battery--it is there because I have more than one battery).

I would definitely update a single-stage charger.

[markopolo]

I love the fabrication idea. I remembered it when I needed to jumper terminals on a DIY UPS. It was lower current and about an inch long so I figured I could use copper pipe straps. You see them in the plumbing section of hardware stores in sort of a half circle config. Imagine my surprise when the "copper" started coming off! It turned out that they were just painted steel. Lesson learned - stick with real copper pipe.

95Pop210 - the Red Rover Roadtrek page should have some ideas for you: Red Rover Electrical Page

Another idea might be to expand your battery box. Years ago, Gary gave me permission to re-post some of his mods here. One of those mods was to fabricate a larger battery box: http://www.classbforum.com/forums/f8...ttery-325.html

[mlts22]

Get the multi-stage charger. Your batteries will thank you by living longer than a year.

[hyc]

Looking for any advice on installing the Trimetric, 2025rv battery monitor system. I am going to install one in my 2010, 170 Versatile, want to know anything special I need to be aware? do I need to do anything special before I disconnect the coach battery? I noticed in the current layout, cable from the negative terminal of the coach battery is connected to a grounding post on the chassis which is also shared with a cable from the the negative side of the Inverter, Am I correct to assume that I should connect the cable from the negative side of the invertor to one side of the shunt and connect the other side of the shunt to the the negative terminal of the coach battery (from the grounding post). I will then connect misc. wires from the shunt to the monitor and positive side of the coach battery. Looks simple but any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[markopolo]

Unplug the coach from shore power if connected. Sounds obvious but I forgot once!

The shunt goes in-between or I guess you could say in series between the battery negative post and any loads or charging sources or paths. The shunt needs to be between the battery negative post and that ground post you mentioned. If after the ground post then I'd expect that it would not see charging current from the alternator.

I'd install the shunt inside the Roadtrek is possible. It would be a good idea to protect it from the elements otherwise.

Note: you need to keep a house battery to chassis ground - it would be on the same side of the shunt as loads and charging sources

[hyc]

Hi. Thank you for the reply. Yes, I do plan to install the shunt inside (170 has a slide out battery tray, there is no space in the compartment for the shunt) The best location would have been near by the grounding post but I am not sure how well the shunt would be protected from the element. From you suggestion, I would connect one side of the shunt to the coach battery's negative terminal directly, connect other side of the shunt to the grounding post with a new cable and also to the negative side of the Inverter. Again Thank You for the help!

[booster]

As mentioned, the shunt does the connecting to the battery, and everything you want to measure needs to go through it.

Rule of thumb is that there should be only one wire on the battery side of the shunt (unless you have two batteries), and that wire should be to the battery negative connection. All the other ground wires go to the other side of the shunt, including a battery cable size wire from the shunt to van chassis/frame to catch all the connections that ground through the van body.

[hyc]

Yes. that make sense. So I actually only need to disconnect the cable from the negative side of the coach battery, connect it to one side of the shunt and add a cable from other side of the shut to the negative terminal of the coach battery, I don't need to do anything at the grounding post or the Inverter. Now I wish I have space in the battery compartment! would make life a lot easier. Thank You All for the help.