Just finished wiring up my van (2019 Transit Custom, single 200Ah lithium, 200W of solar on the roof) and I went with the Victron Orion-Tr Smart 12/12-30A isolated unit based on what I'd read on here and elsewhere. Thing cost me about £180 and honestly I'm starting to wonder if I've massively over-specced it for what I'm actually doing.
The van's mostly used for weekend trips and the odd longer run in summer. I've got a decent solar setup that keeps the leisure battery topped up fine when there's sun, and the DC-DC charger really only kicks in meaningfully on longer motorway drives. I'm seeing maybe 15-20A actual output most of the time, and the 30A capability feels like it's never really being stretched. Makes me wonder if a basic 12A unit from Sterling or Renogy would've done the job and saved me £80-100.
That said, I do appreciate the Bluetooth monitoring — it's genuinely handy being able to check charge state from my phone without opening the back doors. And the smart alternator compatibility was a big selling point since I was never 100% sure whether the Transit Custom has a variable voltage alternator (turns out it does, so probably made the right call there).
Has anyone actually run one of the cheaper non-isolated units like the Renogy DCC50S on a modern van with a smart alternator and got away with it? Curious whether the isolation is genuinely necessary or just a nice-to-have for most builds.