Victron Energy: makes campers self-sufficient

Victron Energy is the driving force behind the difference between dependence on a power connection at the campsite or a camper that can do it all itself. The striking blue color, RAL 5015, represents this market leader in reliable power solutions for small and large consumers, when a regular socket is not available or does not suffice.

Inverters, chargers, batteries, solar panels, battery separators, battery monitors and an extensive range of additional accessories for a fully integrated and optimally profitable system: Victron Energy has a great reputation as a global market leader in power solutions.

Dutch family business

The Dutch family business has built this up successfully over 45 years. Year on year the company is growing by double digits and thus occupies a position that makes the competition rather despondent. Victron is active in 143 countries with a support or service point in strategic locations. Victron also has a service department in the Netherlands, which is never busy. The products have a failure rate that is the envy of every other manufacturer.

The roots

Victron's roots lie in water sports, but its activities have also been focused on the automotive industry for some time. Both professionally for ambulances or fire trucks, and recreationally in a camper or caravan. Where mobile power solutions are needed, Victron is the preferred brand name to ensure that all necessary components for a stable power supply communicate with each other without any problems. Something that remains questionable in a combination of different brands.

The head office is located in Almere, where approximately 70 employees ensure everything runs smoothly. More than half of these are involved in research & development, which also reflects the strength of Victron. Own, innovative products that anticipate the latest technology and have a quality worthy of a market leader. From a handy battery charger with great specifications to a three-phase system for the toughest applications imaginable. Victron Energy has an exciting answer to every power question.

System with inverter

The combination of a Blue Power battery charger and a Phoenix inverter fits into the keep it simple formula. Depending on the type of Blue Power charger, multiple batteries can be charged isolated from each other. With the Phoenix inverter, there is always stable alternating current available to run a laptop or charge your electric toothbrush.

Inverters come in two types. With a pure or square sine wave. The change of the plus and minus poles in order to be called alternating voltage should follow a smooth graph. An inverter with a block-shaped change between + and - does not do this in a wave movement but can only be switched on or off. And that gives a completely different result. Square-wave alternating current is unsuitable for all devices with a printed circuit board, transformer or electric motor. And there are quite a few. All Victron Energy inverters do not have this problem and supply 230V exactly as it comes from the socket at home, safe and stable for all connected equipment.

Multiplus with Power Assist

Power supply in a camper that is completely self-sufficient is created by combining the charging current of the engine, any solar panel and the connection to a camping site, with a Multiplus battery charger and inverter in one housing. A maximum purchase can be set with the Multi control panel. The MultiPlus then takes other power consumers into account and only uses the power that is left for charging. This prevents the shore connection from becoming overloaded and a fuse from blowing.

The Power Assist function adds an extra dimension to this. This allows the MultiPlus to supplement its capacity when, for example, an air conditioner requires more Ah than what the campsite socket can supply. For example, in Spain this is often no more than 6Ah, which is insufficient to start a power guzzler such as an air conditioner. The peak current required for this is only important for a short period of time. The MultiPlus ensures that insufficient power from outside is immediately compensated with additional power from the battery. As soon as the load decreases, the reserve power is used again to charge the battery. With the built-in automatic changeover you won't notice this. A connected computer or TV continues to do its work undisturbed.

With a Cyrex-ct you also prevent the starter and service batteries from seeing each other. For example, if the cooling at a camper place loads the intended battery, the starter battery should not help keep the beer too cold. Cyrix battery separators are an excellent alternative to diode charging current isolators. The most important feature is that the voltage loss is nil, so the output voltage of alternators or battery chargers does not need to be increased. This is necessary with the loss of a diode bridge.

The battery bank

To be able to camp wild for a little longer without sacrificing comfort, a different battery bank is needed than if you only stay at a campsite once a year. In a simple setup in which cooling and cooking use gas, 100Ah is enough to switch on the LED lighting or charge something when there is no permanent connection. A Victron gel battery is well suited for this. With an affordable price of approximately € 350 and a weight of 33 kg, it can still be fitted into the limited loading capacity of a camper.

However, a Victron Lithium SuperPack of 100Ah is a lot lighter at 15kg. In addition, a lithium battery can be discharged more deeply and will be full again more quickly. This means you can also use a 50Ah lithium in the same setup. A Victron SuperPack with this capacity weighs only 6,5 kg and has a price around € 725. In combination with a solar panel on the roof of a camper, a lithium battery has another advantage. The last part of charging a lead-acid battery is difficult. This is not the case with lithium, which means that the yield of the solar panel ensures an always full battery more quickly.

Despite a significant additional cost, lithium batteries are especially useful in a power solution on board a camper when it needs to be isolated for several days with water pumps, satellite TV, an audio set or espresso machine. The weight and size of a large battery bank from traditional batteries is difficult to fit into the cramped space of a camper. Lithium batteries can provide sufficient Ah's. You can reduce the difference in price by installing a solar panel and choosing fewer Ah's. The long lifespan of lithium batteries should also be taken into account when choosing batteries that best suit your consumption.

For more information: www.victronenergy.com