Anyone else tackled swapping out a charger on a motorhome setup where there's already a power distribution node in the mix?
I'm looking at replacing my existing unit with a Victron IP22 12/30 and I'm a bit skeptical about how cleanly it'll integrate. The previous owner had some generic distribution block wired in, and I'm not entirely convinced it was done properly in the first place — classic boat-brain thinking carried over to a van build.
My main concerns:
- Load output sequencing — does the IP22 play nicely if there's a managed node sitting between it and the battery bank, or will it confuse the charge algorithm?
- Sense wiring — worth running separate voltage sense cables directly to the battery terminals rather than trusting whatever the node is measuring?
- Cable sizing through the node — I've seen these distribution blocks become genuine bottlenecks, especially if the original installer skimped on cross-section
I've used the IP22 on my cabin setup and it's been rock solid there, but that's a dead simple install — straight to a Fogstar LiFePO4 bank, no intermediary hardware. The motorhome environment feels messier.
Would be curious whether anyone's run a Victron charger through a third-party distribution node and whether they bothered connecting to the VE.Smart network for battery temperature compensation, or just left it on the default charge profile.
Feels like one of those jobs that looks straightforward on paper but unravels once you're actually behind the panel.