2022 TAB 320 CSS Battery Monitor Setup

TXGladiator

Hi all -

I've picked up so many good tips from this forum, thought it was time to share a little 

Hope this helps someone!  Photos and build list at the end.

Just received my 2022 TAB 320 CSS BD in January - Thank you, RogersRV in Burnet, TX!!  Went to work converting the flooded battery to this lithium + battery monitor setup.

Battery.  I upgraded from a Group 24 to Group 27 battery size, and turned it sideways in the tongue box. The Dakota Lithium 12V 100Ah battery is mounted with an Atwood battery tray and hold down. This frees up space in the tongue box and provides clearance to open the electrical boxes...  Be sure to flip the dip switch on the WFCO converter to lithium, and set the Victron Solar Charge Controller up for lithium.

Aluminum Supports.  From your favorite home improvement store, cut to length (mine were 14.75" each) two pieces of 1" aluminum square bar.  Secure them with brackets to the existing tongue box frame, drilling mounting holes and using rivets to create two vertical supports in the tongue box. The two weatherproof, plastic electrical boxes will mount to these.

Electrical Boxes. In the pics below, the electric box on the left houses the positive leads from the trailer, solar converter and battery monitor power source - all connected to a fuse block. This cleans up all the individual inline fuses on the positive leads NuCamp uses. That Blue Sea Systems fuse block is rated for 100 amps total, more than enough.

The second electric box on the right houses the Victron battery monitor shunt on the negative side, to support the Victron BMV-700 battery monitor.  (Yes, I know there are fancier models, but I just wanted a basic, hardwired unit that didn't depend on bluetooth, etc.).  Fellow campers have shared that the bluetooth shunts are not reliable, range is bad, etc.  I used 6AWG battery cables from the battery for both positive and negative to each electric box - might be overkill... but looks good 

Victron Monitor Install. To connect the Victron cable from the negative shunt to the monitor head unit, I ran the cable from the elec box containing the shunt through split loom wire protector that is zip-tied to the existing battery wiring.  Under the tongue box, you can easily thread this through the frame and under the trailer. Drop the underside trailer cover and it's easy to feed this under the trailer. Bring the cable and split loom up through the trailer floor into the under seat area of the drivers (?) side of the camper.  Use the trailer's main ground wire as a guide on where to drill through the floor.

On the wall where the TV is located, there is a conduit in the "back" corner that you can run a fish tape from the access panel in the large upper cabinet and pull the battery monitor cable up.  Remove that wall access panel in the large upper cabinet, the back of that cabinet, and run the monitor cable through and behind the Jensen A/V unit.  Drill a 2" hole in the cabinet face next to the Jensen head unit for the Victron monitor head unit.

Solar Panel Disconnect.  When disconnecting a battery, it is recommended to first disconnect the solar panels from your charge controller to avoid damaging the controller when no battery is connected. NuCamp has a single inline fuse on the positive lead of the solar panel wire for this. I replaced that with a dual pole circuit breaker.  It's easier to see and use, and avoids a potential shock issue as it also disconnects the negative lead.

Happy to answer any questions.  Also open to any input/feedback if you see something here that I missed. 

2022 TAB 320 CSS

Battery Monitor Install Build List

Dakota Lithium Battery 12V 100Ah

https://dakotalithium.com/product/dakota-lithium-12v-100ah-deep-cyle-lifepo4-marine-solar-battery/

Battery Tray & Hold Down

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CZ2Z5AU?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F2NEITI?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

Victron BMV-700

Weatherproof Electrical Boxes

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098QBHVSZ?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

Cable Glands for Electrical Boxes

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DR3N6XF?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

Blue Sea Systems Fuse Block for Positive

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BV1MS1K?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

Electrical Connectors

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075MBM64M?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

Circuit Breaker for Solar Panels

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BR9L3JK?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

Bayliss

Nice job @TXGladiator!  Very clean and organized.  Thanks for sharing the photos and links.

WayneW

Yes, very nice job, @TXGladiator

Here's another slightly different approach to installing a lithium battery and battery monitor in a 2021 320S Boondock.  It became apparent that the stock 75aH flooded lead acid battery wasn't going to cut it when we did an 11 day boondocking trip last year.  We got by but the battery was marginal.  It took careful monitoring and continually moving of our 100 watt Renogy suitcase in addition to the rooftop solar to keep up, especially on cloudy days.

I built an insulated battery box to house the 100aH Ampere Time battery, QWORK battery shunt, and Victron Battery Sense (since the Ampere Time doesn't have cold temp charging protection).  I ran all wires, including fuses, into the box and mounted them to 100 amp bus bars.  Everything is inside the box and protected, at least somewhat, from dust. 

I chose to mount the display for the shunt on the outside of the box and inside the tub itself rather than in the trailer.  That way I didn't have to figure out how to run wires inside the trailer or where to mount the gauge.  It's my hope as we become comfortable with our battery useage that I won't need to watch things very often.  If I find the need to monitor things more closely I'll probably go with the Victron Smartshunt.

The Victron Battery Sense is networked with the Victron mppt charger for the roof top solar panels and programmed to disable charging at 1 deg C.  I'll probably change that to 0 C once I'm comfortable with its performance.

With the box closed up it's a clean looking install.  Inside the box it gets a bit messier.  I'll probably take the time to clean things up, but finding room for the bus bars and all the wires associated with 2 solar panels, house wiring, Battery Sense, and battery monitor and gauge was a bit of a challenge. 

I hope we ended up with a reasonably frugal lithium battery conversion that will serve our purpose.  We're heading out on a 3-day shakedown cruise on Monday to test things, then soon heading for a 3 week trip from northern Idaho to Michigan and back, mostly staying at campgrounds with no power.  Fingers crossed!

And thanks to all for all of the good tips on this forum!

Denny16

Gather up the slack on the three lower green wires, add a cable tie to them, and Bob’s your uncle... This looks fine, and is as good a job or better than some of the factory wiring in the TaBs.  I like the creative way you mounted the battery monitor board, very clever. 
 Cheers 

pthomas745

Nicely done.  Can you give a link to that nice metal battery box?

WayneW

@pthomas745
Thanks.  That's actually a plywood box that I built.  I could not find a box with the right dimensions that would fit the battery, a bit of insulation around the sides, the bus bars, and still have room for the battery gauge.  I painted it a light gray to sort of match the tub.  

Slackers

Two great installs!

Passport

Just received my 2022 TAB 320 CSS BD in January - Thank you, RogersRV in Burnet, TX!! 
We received our 2022 320S Tab from them also!  Good people but they are worried about having to go out of business due to the economy.  You have an excellent write up on your upgrade and I am going to print it out for future reference.  Thanks!

PixandMsBee

Great work from both of you though I am a little, ok, a lot confused. We have a 2022 T@B 320-S on order and it is my understanding that it is completely lithium ready, just drop the batter in and set the VICTRON to Lithium. So why the need for all the other upgrades. I too plan on using my Jackery 100 watt panel in addition to the one on the roof. What am I missng?

pthomas745

You aren't "missing" anything.  These modifications are a bit..fancier...with more electrical skills exhibited from TxGladiator than most owners might have.  Me, for example.  The "upgrade" here that many owners have is the Victron "shunt" type battery monitor, and the running of the display into the trailer.  Your battery will "drop right in", your Victron controller will provide some solar and battery voltage monitoring through your phone bluetooth setup.  Many owners have the Victron shunt, but the newer model uses only a bluetooth display.  I have an older one, with the display....but opted just for the bluetooth monitoring, since...well, see above about my "skills!"

I doubt too many owners have gone this far as to involve this much rewiring of the trailer with the extra fuse blocks, etc.  So, hats off to TxGladiator, and maybe his mods will inspire others.

Denny16

@PixandMsBee you also need to switch the WaCo power converter to its Lithium setting, when changing out the conventional battery to Lithium.

Cheers 

PixandMsBee

Denny16 said:

@PixandMsBee you also need to switch the WaCo power converter to its Lithium setting, when changing out the conventional battery to Lithium.

Cheers 

Actually the Waco in the 2022 models auto detects what type of battery is connected, at least that is what both NuCamp and the panel manufacture state. 

Sharon_is_SAM

Just to clarify and prevent misunderstandings going forward, the power center is WFCO😁

All World Friendship Company - WFCO

SLJ

The newer WFCO converters model 8735-AD that NuCamp is using are Auto Detect and don't have/need a switch for Lithium. If you have an older model 8735 and it doesn't have a Lithium switch you will need to swap it out to switch over to Lithium. The 8735-AD has the same footprint as the older one.