Purchased new Bronco, found possible solar wiring!!! Need help

[llocchet]

I just purchased this 2022 Bronco yesterday in MD. I noticed in the back it had this setup. I'm hoping someone can explain exactly what it is. I believe it's a solar panel wiring setup. I ended up taking everything out, took my time, and ensured everything went back the way it was found. It definitely was professionally installed because the installation was super clean and i am methodical. I will be listing it for sale since I have no use for it and was wondering a value?

Thank you,

Lou

Sponsored

 

[inlifefindadventure]

i I just purchased this 2022 Bronco yesterday in MD. I noticed in the back it had this setup. I'm hoping someone can explain exactly what it is. I believe it's a solar panel wiring setup. I ended up taking everything out, took my time, and ensured everything went back the way it was found. It definitely was professionally installed because the installation was super clean and i am methodical. I will be listing it for sale since I have no use for it and was wondering a value?

Thank you,

Lou

You are indeed correct, Lou. One would hook the output of solar panels to the bus bars and the small blue box will make sure the panels' output doesn't fry the onboard battery on a sunny day. It also stops reverse flow out of the battery when the potential is the other way (i.e. cloudy days and at night). The bigger blue box would have had a line run to the Bronco battery. It bumps up the output voltage of your truck (say 12 - 14 V DC) to something in the neighborhood of 30 V DC) Current remains constant (say 10 A) so you go from producing 120 Watts (typical max out of a cigarette lighter) to 360 Watts. As such you can charge the lithium battery much faster.

I built a very similar setup in my F-150 years ago (See pic) but because I have lots of solar and a large capacity storage battery, I rarely engage the alternator circuit. You will see that I don't have a separate solar regulator because that function is provided internally by my storage battery which is an Ecoflow Delta Max. It's a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery with a whopping 2048 Watt Hours. It has been incredibly durable on the trails and again, no shortage of capacity to run the fridge, all my USB charging ports, lights and even a portable AC unit! (Okay, the latter is pushing it, lol)

As for what your systen is worth, it's hard to pin down because, like mine, it's a bit of a legacy solution. Don't get me wrong, Victron is first rate quality and your setup is clearly well done but most people have moved to purpose built [alternator-based] chargers like Bluetti's Charger 1 or 2 coupled to a portable power station like my Ecoflow or a Jackery or Bluetti. No solar panels needed. The advantage of these storage systems over conventional coach batteries is not only all the onboard circuitry & protection, but the fact you then have AC power available as well. I have electical plugs at the back of my truck and, using the tailgate as a table, it's pretty sweet to be able to boil water with an electric kettle or cook dinner on an induction cooktop.

 

[Fastmc25]

Would be great to add to a Overland camping trailer. You may want to search some of the individual components to guess a appropriate value. Definitely worth $$$.

 

[llocchet]

Thanks for the information. I appreciate you responding. Like you mentioned there was two wires that ran to the battery, two wires that ran out the back near the tow hitch with a plug on the end and two wires that ran to the roof which would of connected to the panels. It is an interesting setup and we'll done.
These two wires that ran out the back by the tow hitch what would they connect too?

 

[inlifefindadventure]

A 12 V supply for whatever he wanted to power at the back of the truck such as an air compressor, camp light, fridge, whatever.

 

[CalvinT]

i I just purchased this 2022 Bronco yesterday in MD. I noticed in the back it had this setup. I'm hoping someone can explain exactly what it is. I believe it's a solar panel wiring setup. I ended up taking everything out, took my time, and ensured everything went back the way it was found. It definitely was professionally installed because the installation was super clean and i am methodical. I will be listing it for sale since I have no use for it and was wondering a value?

Thank you,

Lou

Victron has good documentation on their website. Download the relevant douments. They may help you figure out much of the wiring.

 

[evofxdwg]

The Orion TR Smart box is for charging the Lithium battery from the Bronco alternator when driving, since the Lithium needs a specific charge profile different from the lead acid charge control built into the Bronco. The MPPT 75 | 15 is the solar charge controller. The little round display, combined with the shunt it is connected to monitor state of charge of the battery. All three of those Victron items are programmable for several charge control parameters and I believe all are Bluetooth linked with the VictronConnect phone app. Battery capacity could easily be added to that setup. Top of the line components but seems a little light in battery capacity if you have much load or planning on some cloudy days (probably 100 Amp Hours). Wonder why they didn't leave the solar panels? Maybe they were on a trailer. But then why would the battery system be in the Bronco? Anyway, the price of all that stuff is probably pushing $1K ignoring labor to assemble and build.

 

[llocchet]

Thanks for the info. I'm going to list it on the marketplace forum to see if someone is interested in it. I have no use for it at this point. Thxs again

Sponsored