CONNECTION AND WIRING (CONTINUED)

All the cables, except the DC and AC LOADS, are included and come with connectors (no need to cut/crimp) and protective sheathing. I decided to shorten most cables for a clean install, but if you keep the full-length, you get the "plug-and-play" experience.

ALTERNATOR
Included "ALT IN" cable.

I connected the positive wire to the CCP2 via a 120A circuit breaker, which is mounted to the seat pedestal with this Enclosure (I want the ability to manually switch it ON/OFF, it can also be done in the app/console):

For the negative cable, I used this "wildcard" from the BEMM:
"If a new grounding point is required, avoid placing it in a wet area, especially for high current grounds. Ground connections should be routed back close to the location of the +12V supply. This helps to reduce the electromagnetic field particularly generated by inrush current and improve electromagnetic compatibility."

So I created a new ground point with an M8 serrated stainless bolt/nut. The mating surfaces (lug/van) were removed from paint with a wire brush (wear safety glasses!), and I applied dielectric grease:

The other extremity of the ALT IN cable is then connected to the Power Hub. Easy!

 

Thanks for the write up. We had good reliable service from EcoFlow. My only concern was the inevitable security issues with their data collection via the in built router. Sadly that true of every system.

 

SHORE POWER
Included "AC IN" cable

I routed the AC IN cable through the openings inside the D-Pillar, down to the existing cutout (also in the D-Pillar). No need to cut/drill anything!

I then connected the AC IN cable to my 30A Marinco Inlet and snapped the inlet in the D-Pillar Cutout with this Shore Power Entry Box. No need to cut/drill!

The photo's angle is deceiving, it actually does not protrude too much. Anyway:

The other extremity of the AC IN cable is plugged into the Power Hub:

 

POWER HUB <-> DISTRIBUTION PANEL
Included "DC OUT", "AC OUT", and Ethernet cables.

The Power Hub connections are plug-and-play, the Distribution Panel connections are set-screw type (cable are already wired with ferrules).

• AC IN is at the lower-left corner (L1, N, Ground).
• DC IN positive is the red wire lower-right corner; DC IN negative is on the side of the panel, along with the negative bus bar for the DC LOADS.
• Network cable "EF BUS" is just below the DC IN:

Note that the MAIN AC BREAKER is not included, but it's a BR-Type breaker you can get at the Hardware store:

 

DC LOADS

The positive bus bar utilizes lever-type nut (similar to Wago connectors), the negative bus bar utilizes set-screw type (shown in previous photo):

AC LOADS
No loads yet, but they're connected on the left of the distribution panel (similar to the main breaker). Branch breakers must be purchased as well (hardware store):

That's about it for now. I go into much more detail on the website (ferrule, wire labeling, grounds, etc.).

FIRST POWER ON

After plugging everything, I turned that thing on. No "will it burn my van down??", it just worked.

• Plugged to shore (15A circuit) and I got 1500W charging (after limiting AC INPUT to 15A in the console/app, to prevent blowing a fuse).
• Started the van and I got 100A charging. You can control the charge current in the app/console (0 -> 100A), and there's an option to disable charging at idle, neat!
• DC loads are running fine (Maxxfan and Espar so far) and can be monitored and switched ON/OFF via the console/app.

That's about it for now!

 

Very nice writeup, but no mention of cost? Did you pay for these yourself? I've learned we always have to ask this question with so many influencers these days.

It looks like that setup would be $13,244, with the extra 5kwh battery and power-link for tank monitoring? That feels stunningly expensive for a system that's not that large.

A comparable all-Victron system would price-out about $6K, less if you went with a lower-tier of components.

And the big downside to me is that if anything goes wrong, it's your entire electrical system. With a component system, if any one piece doesn't work, you can replace just that one piece.

So for twice the price, you get an easier install, but a much more difficult time with repairs when the first thing breaks.

Is that right?

 

Very nice writeup, but no mention of cost? Did you pay for these yourself? I've learned we always have to ask this question with so many influencers these days.

It looks like that setup would be $13,244, with the extra 5kwh battery and power-link for tank monitoring? That feels stunningly expensive for a system that's not that large.

A comparable all-Victron system would price-out about $6K, less if you went with a lower-tier of components.

And the big downside to me is that if anything goes wrong, it's your entire electrical system. With a component system, if any one piece doesn't work, you can replace just that one piece.

So for twice the price, you get an easier install, but a much more difficult time with repairs when the first thing breaks.

Is that right?

I did pay for it. I never wanted to do partnerships with brands; because I want no strings attached. It's my own personal van I'm converting, and I want the freedom to choose whatever components and be able to make changes if I have to. To clarify, I do have affiliate links with Campervan-HQ, NOT with EcoFlow. Campervan-HQ also sells Victron, so I could choose one or the other...

I compared the cost of a Victron / Battle Born kit from Explorist, and an 5kW Independence Power Kit (similar in specs). The Victron kit comes up to $8,015 and the Power Kit comes up to $6,550 after discount. And if you value your time (design/installation/setup), the cost saving with the Power Kit is huge, actually! And the risk of error is minimized, too.

I do respect that people may prefer to stick with Victron, both are valid options in my opinion.

Cheers,
Antoine

 

Good post! What are the finished dimensions of your electrical cabinet? I really like how compact the system is.

 

Thanks!
Here are the dimensions:

I'm guessing it could be a little smaller if going for only 1 battery and the GEN1 distribution panel (which is small than the GEN2).

 

Thanks for the dimensions. You did a great job on the cabinet and the doors are an excellent idea for airflow.

 

Antoine, Are you able to achieve 100 amps charge at idle? The increase in alternator charging is a great upgrade.

 

There is a "Charge While Idling" option in the Console or App:

With "Charge while idling" ON, I get 100A at idling (a few seconds after starting the van, and still 100A while stopped at red lights, etc.).
With the option OFF, there is no charge at idling (the charge stops at red lights, etc).

In other words, it works exactly as it should!

I figure I'll turn the option OFF while using the van occasionally for commuting,
but on long road trips (while the starter battery gets plenty of charge time) I may turn it ON.

----- Charge the Starter Battery ------
Just like it sound, turning this option ON charges the starter battery until it reaches 13V. It utilizes the energy from your house battery bank.
When 13V is reached, this option is automatically disabled and the Alternator -> House Battery charge is resumed.
This is NOT like a jumpstart, it takes some time to get enough juice in the starter battery, but could be useful at some point!
----------------------------------------

I added a section with important Settings in my page: EcoFlow Power Kit Electrical System | Start-To-Finish Installation - FarOutRide

Cheers,
Antoine

 

The "Independence" Kit mentioned is the GEN1.
You don't necessarily need the GEN2. I made a GEN1 vs GEN2 comparison table here: Ecoflow Power Kit vs Victron (Plug & Play vs DIY) | Decision Time!
I short, The GEN2 has bigger DC OUTPUT (100A instead of 70A), bigger AC OUTPUT (5kVa instead of 3600W), bigger alternator charge current (100A vs 60A). More in the table linked above.

So if you don't need the extra power of the GEN2, you can stick with the "GEN1 Independence Kit" which is $6,550 after 10% discount with code FAROUTRIDE10:

• GEN1 Power Kit: EcoFlow 3.6 kW Power Kits
• GEN2 Power Kit: EcoFlow 5 kVA Power Kit - Gen 2

Hope this helps,
Antoine

 

Thanks for the reply Antoine. I see that the Ecoflow Delta Pro Ultra has some pretty great specs: 7.2-21.6kW output, 6kWh-90kWh capacity, and 5.6kW-16.8kW solar input. And it's part of their big Memorial Day sale this week, bringing it under $5k. Is there a reason you went with the Power Kit over something like the Ultra?

 

Apparently this 2.0 version is quieter than the original, are you able to say how noisy this one is? (Maybe hard to baseline without a former unit in which to compare.)
Incredible write up and documentation, btw, thank you!

 

Amazing writeup -- your build has been my main inspiration! How quickly does that 100a alternator input charge the 10kWh while driving? Are you using the stock transit alternator?

 

Apparently this 2.0 version is quieter than the original, are you able to say how noisy this one is? (Maybe hard to baseline without a former unit in which to compare.)
Incredible write up and documentation, btw, thank you!

I just hooked a 120V outlet and tested it with a heat gun (1500W). It's working great, but that wasn't enough to trigger the fans in the Power Hub unit. So it's too soon for me to comment on the noise, sorry.

Amazing writeup -- your build has been my main inspiration! How quickly does that 100a alternator input charge the 10kWh while driving? Are you using the stock transit alternator?

Yes, I have the stock 250A alternator. I'm charging at approximately 1200W, so charge time would be approximately 8-9 hours to get from 0% to 100% (I wouldn't let the SOC get below 10%-20% in the real world). It's a massive battery bank, so I don't expect to discharge it very deeply!

Cheers,
Antoine

 

I just hooked a 120V outlet and tested it with a heat gun (1500W). It's working great, but that wasn't enough to trigger the fans in the Power Hub unit. So it's too soon for me to comment on the noise, sorry.

Yes, I have the stock 250A alternator. I'm charging at approximately 1200W, so charge time would be approximately 8-9 hours to get from 0% to 100% (I wouldn't let the SOC get below 10%-20% in the real world). It's a massive battery bank, so I don't expect to discharge it very deeply!

Cheers,
Antoine

Awesome post here and on FarOutRide Antoine.

so is it true that the PH fans don't even come on if the load/draw less than ~1500W ?

also would it be possible to order another ALT input cable and tap into both CCP1 and CCP2 of your dual alternator Ford Transit to increase the AC in (reduce charging time) ?

 

Fantastic post and highly appreciated. How many watts DC charging are you getting at low idle? I'm considering running 2 alternator cables, I think this would bring the charge limit to 130 Amps. Did you try this? Also, do you have the dual alternators from ford?

 

I'm charging at 100 amp (1300W) at idle.

Anyone correct me if I'm wrong, but...
According to the graph below, the alternator does not output any current at idle. That would mean that any charge I'm getting at idle is "borrowed" from the starter battery bank. Not a big deal on a long road trip, but this could discharge the starter battery on a short commute/traffic.

Graph updated following Chicagoandy's comment. Thanks.

Sources:
1: BEMM 2024 (Graph)
2: Ford Transit eSourceBook 2022 (1.67 Pulley Ratio)


It's possible to increase the RPM at idle, thus the alternator output, with the RPM Control Option (A003). It's been covered in a few posts here:

https://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/threads/2020-seic-stationary-elevated-idle-control.89771/?post_id=1175622#post-1175622

https://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/threads/another-high-idle-installation.97693/?post_id=1274996#post-1274996

Personally, for now, I am disabling the "charge while idling".

All of the above is my interpretation of the available data, if anyone has more knowledge on that topic, feel free to chime in!

Cheers,
Antoine

 

Is there a safe way to extend the alternator 20‘ cable that is included with the kit? Was trying to put the power kit on the passenger rear side of the van. I don’t really want to route the cables underneath the van. Was hoping there was a way to extend the alternator cable. Thanks!

 

Extending the cable = more voltage drop.

To mitigate voltage drop, you could use a bigger cable (e.g. 0 or 1 AWG):
- from the alternator (from the breaker, to be exact) ---> to the OEM EcoFlow ALT IN positive cable. Both cables could meet at a 5/16" PowerPost (https://amzn.to/3FJh3o3). Make sure the PowerPost (positive hot) is well isolated from the van structure or any metal (which is negative).

That's what I would do!

 

Can you install a few 110v sockets (like you have in your home) around the van off of this? I am intrigued by this. I am getting ready to build a new van myself. I was considering a Victron based system like my last van but this may be worth considering.

I also plan an AC (deciding on roof, or under-mount and 12v vs. 110). A hot water heater that will probably also be 110. On top of that I will have a 12v fridge, and some other misc 12v loads. Do you think this would handle all that?

Thanks,
Eric

 

Yes, the Gen 1 and Gen 2 both have a power distribution box with several AC and DC outputs. I have 4 GFCI outlets in my van, on a Gen 1 Powerkit. A PK can handle plenty of DC and AC loads. 3600 watt inverter, 70A total DC outputs (Gen 1). The Gen 2 has a more capable inverter and higher battery capacity, but for a van is maybe overkill.

 

I used a portable AC in my last van and that was always one of those things I hated having to deal with. I always said that I was either going to retrofit but instead sold the van so now I am just going to put it in the new build.

 

Does anyone know if there is a way to reuse an existing 12 or 24v house battery to supplement the ecoflow kit?

 

I'd not thiught about it, but what about input into a solar port on the Power Hub? Or if OK with inverter loss, then via AC/shore power port.