I’ve been wanting to upgrade the audio system in the van for some time so I could have Apple Car Play, DAB radio and better connectivity. I wanted the new system to be flush in the dashboard so after some research I found a Pioneer system sold by Dynamic Sounds.
This is quite a comprehensive upgrade. It is not particularly difficult, it is time consuming and you need confidence to cut out internal components of the dashboard to make room for the larger unit, relocate the Fiat Blue & Me module and make space for the wiring harness.
I believe you also need a multi-tool to be able to cut accurately in confined spaces.
I’ve got a new PowerOak /Bluetti AC50S power bank and I’ve been using this to power the TV off grid and charge laptops. I do have an inverter fitted to the van as well although this provides more flexibility and allows me to be mobile with power around the van. It’s also sufficiently mobile to take with me to recharge my drone batteries and camera batteries away from the van. It’s a great addition to our kit.
I used it a the International Campervan and Overland show in Stratford and at our overnight park up in Lancaster on the way home.
I posted a photo of the two new 110Ah batteries located in the new battery area below the fridge previously, so the next job was to wire these up and remove the original leisure battery for fitting to Duncan’s Caddy conversion.
I opted for new sealed wet flooded lead acid batteries as the charger in the Sergeant controller is not configurable for other battery types. A future job is to replace this mains battery charger and install a Victron B2B charger at the same so I will then have the option of using other battery types. I tried to plan ahead for this as the Victron Smart Solar charger I fitted previously is also configurable for different battery types.
I’ve wired up the new lead acid batteries and fitted a 50A DC circuit breaker, and fused each lower rated supply individually running from this. I mounted the batteries on a board, strapped them to this for security, and added two small handles so I can pull the batteries out should I need to work on something. The board is also screwed in place for security.
I took the opportunity to shorten the wiring from the solar panel to the controller and tidy up some wiring that was messy. Completing this coincided with the sunniest day this year so far, so the performance from the solar panels was the best if I have experienced so far.
Planning ahead for longer trips and hopefully more off-grid trips, I have added a second solar cell panel to complement the original. I’ve add a 100W panel from Sunsolar as the space on the roof was limited. This was a narrow long panel which I could install across the width of the van roof.
I now have 150W and 100W panels connected in series and controlled by a Victron Smart Solar 30A MPPT controller. After watching a video from Victron on YouTube I decided the best set up was two panels in series. I do love the Bluetooth connectivity of this controller.
The 250W solar capacity should help charge the twin 110Ah batteries I added recently. The next job is to wire these up. Then remove the original single leisure battery – and fit this to the Caddy conversion we are working on for Duncan.
I ran out of white Sikaflex during the installation so with limited time to complete the task I reverted to using black Sikaflex. It doesn’t look so nice on a white roof though.
So, this doesn’t look much. I’ve rewired the electrics to switch between 230V hook-up and the inverter 230V, with all mains outlets being connected common. The wiring will be made neat when I pull out the batteries and the ugly temporary wiring to the Victron solar controller will be replaced too.
Next, I am going to add a second solar panel on the roof and then I will finally start rewiring the battery electrics to the new battery bank and remove the original single leisure battery.
I am working in parallel on some upgrades on our Ducato and starting to convert a Caddy Maxi for our son. You can view the Caddy conversion here if you are interested.
I haven’t posted for a while so thought I’d add a photo of the new batteries mounted and secured with straps in the new battery box, under the fridge. I’ve also mounted the new Victron SmartSolar 30A MPPT controller. This is temporarily connected to the original leisure battery for now.
Next step is to add the new wiring to the two new batteries and remove the original leisure battery from under the bed.
Some other news, the original leisure battery and solar panel controller will be installed in our new project – a Volkswagen Caddy Maxi. We will be converting this with our son for touring France together in July 2022. You can follow this here if you are interested. Wish us luck!
McNaughts On Tour 