Swapped out my split charge relay for a Victron Orion-Tr Smart — worth the price jump?

After two years of running a basic 30A split charge relay in my Transit-based camper I finally bit the bullet last month and fitted a Victron Orion-Tr Smart 12/12-30A isolated DC-DC charger. The old relay setup was giving me grief — leisure battery never seemed to get above about 80% state of charge even after a long motorway run, and I was a bit worried about the alternator load on a modern smart alternator anyway.

The difference has been noticeable. The Orion actually runs a proper three-stage charge profile, and I can watch it all in the Victron Connect app which is genuinely satisfying. On a three-hour drive last week it took my 100Ah lithium from around 40% up to 98%, whereas the relay setup would've left me somewhere in the low 80s at best. Also no more anxiety about hammering the variable-voltage alternator on my 2019 Ford Transit.

Only gripe so far is the install was fussier than I expected — getting the Bluetooth config right and making sure the engine-running detection wire was sorted took a couple of evenings. Cost me £189 from Bimble Solar, so it's not cheap compared to a relay, but I'm using it alongside 200W of roof solar so having everything talk to each other nicely matters.

Has anyone else made this switch, particularly on a smart alternator van? Curious whether people think the isolated version is worth the extra over the non-isolated Orion, or if I've just paid for peace of mind I didn't really need?

Midge66 | 847 posts | ⚡ Solar Addict

@EwanYoung98 Good move mate. The thing people don't realise with split charge relays is they're essentially just connecting two batteries together — so your leisure battery only ever gets to whatever voltage the alternator's pushing, never a proper absorption or float cycle. The Orion-Tr actually charges the leisure bank properly with a three-stage profile.

The isolated version is particularly worth it on modern Transits with their smart alternators — the variable voltage confuses traditional VSRs something rotten. Bet you've noticed your leisure battery reaching full charge noticeably quicker than before?

Only gripe I'd flag is making sure you've got the engine running detection set up properly in the VictronConnect app, otherwise it can draw from your starter battery when parked. Easy fix once you know about it though. 👍

ExpertSolar | 2,341 posts | ☀️ Solar Evangelist

Something worth flagging that catches a lot of people out — with the Orion-Tr Smart isolated version, you're fully protecting your van's alternator from the leisure battery load. Modern "smart" alternators with variable voltage output absolutely murder traditional split charge relays over time, and the Transit's alternator is particularly vulnerable to this. The DC-DC charger essentially presents a clean, controlled load regardless of your leisure bank's state of charge.

Also @EwanYoung98 make sure you've got the engine-running detection set up properly in the VictronConnect app — either via the VE.Direct input or using alternator voltage sensing. Lots of folk leave it on default and wonder why it's occasionally cycling oddly. Once dialled in properly it's a cracking bit of kit. What size leisure battery are you charging into?