Need help understanding charging and load diagram

[Jusplainwacky]

Getting back to installing an isolator...Anyone know of someone that can help me? I'm not sure it's possible without some major redesign, but I'm also not up on all the devices out there that might make this possible.

[bevedfelker]

Here is a description of how the BIRD and Battery Isolation Relays work. The schematic also shows the Emergency Start Switch.

[bevedfelker]

Sorry -- here's the document & schematic

[Jusplainwacky]

Originally Posted by bevedfelker

Here is a description of how the BIRD and Battery Isolation Relays work. The schematic also shows the Emergency Start Switch.

Thanks Ed for the documentation. but unless I'm missing something, this doesn't help me figure out how to install the isolator or if it's even possible given the Thor's setup.

Regardless, I would like to know where the BIRD is located so I at least know where it's at.

[Jusplainwacky]

I just got an email from Victron and they said...An Argofet is a current splitter, so that’s one direction of current only.
So in your set up that’s not possible. (or even needed)


That's the conclusion I have come but I'm also not an expert in the field of study.

[bevedfelker]

Don't know where the BIRD is on the Hurricane, but on my 2015 Vegas it's under the hood on the drivers side. Here's a picture of mine. That thing with the with the wires and red contacts is the Isolation Relay. Along side it on the right with the white printing on it is the BIRD.

[Jusplainwacky]

Originally Posted by bevedfelker

Don't know where the BIRD is on the Hurricane, but on my 2015 Vegas it's under the hood on the drivers side. Here's a picture of mine. That thing with the with the wires and red contacts is the Isolation Relay. Along side it on the right with the white printing on it is the BIRD.

I'll check mine.

[Bob Nodine]

Originally Posted by Jusplainwacky

Got a question when it comes to the E-Start (emergency start) solenoid. According to Thor's manual, when the switch is depressed, it activates the solenoid which connects the coach batteries with the engine battery...this is in case your engine battery goes dead.

What is confusing to me, is if the switch needs to be depressed to connect the batteries, then how does the alternator charge the coach batteries when your doing down the road? To do that, the switch/Solenoid would have to be close the whole time.

There are two types of modules that can be used to control the solenoid that connects the two battery systems together. One is a Bidirectional Isolate Relay Delay (BIRD) and the other is a Isolate Relay Delay (IRD). I believe your coach is like mine and has the IRD which means the engine alternator will charge the house batteries but the converter and/or solar will not charge the engine battery. The IRD monitors the charge on the engine battery and closes the solenoid to connect the two battery systems together when the voltage on the engine battery meets a preset level. You can also close the solenoid manually by using the emergency start switch in situations where the engine battery has discharged to a point that it will not start the engine.

The IRD module is usually located close to the solenoid in the engine compartment. On some coaches the solenoid is located near the house battery system. Depends on which location offers the best installation. My guess is when you find the solenoid you will find the IRD close by. What this boils down to is that when your coach is plugged into shore power and the engine is not running the engine battery will not be charged. If parasitic loads discharge the engine battery when the coach is stored or camped in one location for long periods of time you will either need to connect an external battery charger to the engine battery or plan to use the emergency start when it is time to start the engine.

My recommendation would be to replace the solenoid and the IRD with the Blue Sea ML-ACR (automatic charging relay). This is a magnetically latching relay and only consumes current when changing the position of the relay. If there is any source available to charge the batteries the ML-ACR will close and connect the two battery systems together. It also provides a means to connect the emergency start switch.

https://tinyurl.com/29h2j6lk

[JeffThor325]

In all of the home-drawn schematics posted in this thread, I understand why there would be AC power coming out of the inverter but why would there ever be AC going in?

[Beau388]

Originally Posted by JeffThor325

In all of the home-drawn schematics posted in this thread, I understand why there would be AC power coming out of the inverter but why would there ever be AC going in?

Because there is a ATS in the inverter. My inverter has a 30 amp 120 volt pass-through relay. It is always on when ever there is shore power or generator power on the coach. If the 120 volt AC drops out, it pickup the load. The delay in picking up the load is settable from 5 MS to one second. If the is no power on the coach, I have to turn it on manually to supply 120 volts to the three circuits in the aux CB panel. The inverter control panel lets me program 7 different features, such as, what low voltage causes the inverters to shut down

[JeffThor325]

Okay. Makes sense now. My older coach doesn't have that.