Victron Multiplus 5000 - how to get to charge 70 amps / 48vdc from a generator

Got mine pulling a solid 70A from a battered old Honda EU70is by simply cracking open VictronConnect and bumping the AC input current limit up — the Multiplus won't just decide to be generous on its own, you have to tell it you've got the amps available.

Few things worth checking though:

• AC input current limit in VictronConnect (or VEConfig if you're old school) — set it to whatever your genny can actually sustain, not its peak claim
• Make sure PowerAssist is off if you just want straight charging, otherwise it gets confused about what it's supposed to be doing
• The absorption/bulk charge current cap in the charger settings is a separate knob entirely — easy to miss and then wonder why you're only seeing 30A

My shepherd's hut setup took me a shameful amount of head-scratching before I realised I'd set the AC limit correctly but left the charge current capped at 35A from a previous "don't murder the Fogstar cells" phase that I'd forgotten about entirely.

Also worth checking your generator's actual sustained output under load — a lot of them derate significantly once they've been running 20 minutes in warm weather, and the Multiplus will just politely throttle back rather than tell you your genny is lying to you.

Anyone else found the VEConfig vs VictronConnect settings occasionally disagreeing with each other after a firmware update? Could just be my setup being cursed, but curious.

@ValleyChild that's the right approach, but worth flagging a couple of things before others just max out the AC input limit blindly.

The Honda EU70is is rated ~5.8kVA, so 70A at 48V (3.36kW charge) plus inverter loads could push it close to the edge. Keep an eye on the generator's output voltage under load — if it's sagging below 220V, the Multiplus will throttle back anyway.

Also worth enabling PowerAssist if you haven't — lets the inverter compensate during brief load spikes rather than hammering the genny.

On older units, double-check the absorption/float voltages are sensibly set for your battery chemistry. I've seen Multiplus units shipped with flooded lead-acid defaults that'll cook a LiFePO4 bank (ask me how I know, on the narrowboat).

Just don't forget the PowerAssist setting or your Honda will sound like it's auditioning for a motorbike rally every time the kettle goes on — ask me how I know 🔥

Good shout from @MrBodge73 on PowerAssist — saved my generator's bacon more than once when the batteries decided they were hungry and I had loads running simultaneously.

One thing worth adding: if you're on a smaller genny than the EU70is, the AC input current limit in VictronConnect is your friend but don't just slam it to max. I'd creep it up in 2-3A increments and watch the generator's actual load — some of these older Hondas derate badly once they get warm.

Also double-check your battery charge current limit is set correctly in the charger settings, separate from the AC input side. Easy to miss and you don't want your Multiplus trying to stuff 70A into a bank that can't handle it.

Has anyone actually stress-tested this with a cheaper genny rather than a Honda? I've got a van conversion with a Victron Multiplus-II 3000 and I'm tempted to try pulling higher charge current from a budget 3kW unit during winter top-ups.

My concern is the AC input waveform quality — these cheaper generators can be rough and I've read the Multiplus can get fussy. Does the inverter charger actually reject the input or just silently charge inefficiently?

Also @DorsetSolar you mentioned flagging a couple of things but your post got cut off — what were you going to say about maxing the AC input limit? That seems like exactly the thing I need to know before I touch anything.