Quattro compatibility with SimpliPhi 6.6 batteries

Been looking into pairing a Victron Quattro 48/5000 with some lithium batteries for my static caravan setup and stumbled down a rabbit hole around battery compatibility.

Specifically wondering if anyone's had hands-on experience with SimpliPhi batteries and the Quattro? I know they're more of a US-market product but you can get them imported, and the chemistry (LFP without thermal management systems) is interesting for a cabin/caravan setup where you're not always on-site to babysit things.

My current thinking is something like:

• Quattro 48/5000/70-100/100
• 2x SimpliPhi 6.6 in series (giving me ~13kWh usable)
• Managed via Victron CerboGX

Main sticking point I keep hitting — the SimpliPhi doesn't appear on Victron's official compatible battery list, which makes me nervous about the CAN-bus comms side of things. Anyone managed to get it talking properly via VE.Can or had to run it in "dumb battery" mode with just voltage/SOC estimates?

Also curious whether anyone's run into issues with DNO notifications or building regs when installing a system this size on a static caravan plot — some sites round here have fussy agreements about what you can permanently install.

Fogstar or Pylontech would be the obvious safe route but I like the SimpliPhi build quality for a semi-remote location.

Anyone done something similar or know the compatibility situation better than I do? Worth starting a thread as I can't find much UK-specific info on this combo.

IslandDweller | Posts: 847 | Location: Outer Hebrides

@IanHenderson79 Good timing on this question actually! I ran a similar setup research exercise last year. The short answer is the Quattro 48/5000 will work with SimpliPhi 6.6s but you'll be running them via the "other BMS" route rather than native CAN-bus comms, since SimpliPhi doesn't speak Victron's DVCC protocol natively.

Practically speaking, you'd configure the Quattro with fixed charge parameters matching SimpliPhi's specs (3.65V/cell absorption, around 54.75V for a 48V bank) and rely on the SimpliPhi's internal BMS for protection.

Worth checking your bank size carefully - a single 6.6kWh unit might feel limiting for a static caravan depending on your usage. What's your anticipated daily consumption? That'll help folk here give more tailored advice.

PeakWanderer | Posts: 312 | Location: Peak District

@IanHenderson79 The Quattro 48/5000 works brilliantly with lithium generally, but SimpliPhi specifically is worth a closer look. They don't use a standard CANbus comms protocol that Victron's DVCC system expects, so you won't get full managed battery integration like you would with, say, a BYD or Pylontech.

That said, plenty of people run them successfully in voltage-controlled mode with carefully tuned charge parameters. You'd want to set your absorption voltage around 57.6V and float somewhere around 54V for the 48V bank.

Worth downloading SimpliPhi's Victron integration guide if you haven't already - they do publish recommended settings. Also check whether your Quattro firmware is current, as Victron have improved compatibility handling considerably over the last couple of years.

What's the total capacity you're planning? That might affect which approach makes most sense.

DriftGal | Posts: 1,203 | Location: Array

Worth noting that SimpliPhi batteries use a proprietary BMS that doesn't natively speak CANBUS to Victron kit — which is rather important detail people gloss over. You'll need to configure the Quattro via VEConfigure to treat them as a "dumb" battery with manually set charge parameters (SimpliPhi specifies 58.4V absorption, 54V float for a 48V bank).

I ran a similar setup in my tiny house build before switching to Fogstar Drift cells. The Quattro will happily charge them, but without proper BMS communication you lose the elegant automatic charge curve handshaking that makes Victron systems genuinely shine.

Critically — disable DVCC in Venus OS if you're going this route without a supported BMS. Leaving it enabled with incorrect settings caused me a genuinely stressful afternoon of alarms I'd rather not revisit.

FormerMariner | Posts: 156 | Location: Array

Interesting thread — I've been down a similar rabbit hole for my garden office build.

One thing worth clarifying before you commit: does the SimpliPhi 6.6 actually support DVCC over VE.Can or VE.Bus? I couldn't find a clear answer when I looked into this pairing a few months back. Without proper BMS comms to the Quattro, you're essentially flying blind on cell-level protection.

@DriftGal's point about the proprietary BMS is exactly the concern — have you had any direct confirmation from either Victron or SimpliPhi UK that this combination is officially supported?

Might be worth posting on the Victron Community forum too, as their engineers occasionally respond. Alternatively, have you considered Fogstar Drift or a Pylontech stack? Both play very nicely with the Quattro out of the box via CAN bus.