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dometic 3.5 travel power.


pquinn

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hello folks,

we have a dometic 3.5kw travel power and outside of running a heavy drill or something i have no idea what it is usefull for.not even sure if i have ever used it and have pretty much forgotten about it,outta sight,outta mind.can people give some practical suggestions for its use?what do you do with yours? .we dont have a microwave,washing mach.dryer or electric kettle and dont want them either.

dont bother with the ''throw it in a skip'' type suggestions :P .thanks in advance. paul.

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hello folks,

we have a dometic 3.5kw travel power and outside of running a heavy drill or something i have no idea what it is usefull for.not even sure if i have ever used it and have pretty much forgotten about it,outta sight,outta mind.can people give some practical suggestions for its use?what do you do with yours? .we dont have a microwave,washing mach.dryer or electric kettle and dont want them either.

dont bother with the ''throw it in a skip'' type suggestions :P .thanks in advance. paul.

Well primarily for running heavy AC loads such as washing machines, dryers, electric kettles etc! If you have a mains charger or Combi it can also be used as a backup or supplementary battery charging system (eg to keep you going if main alternator fails). Short of all those, no uses so if you don't use it, don't skip it but sell it!

Edited by nicknorman
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Running the Travelpower to heat water through immersion and charge batteries through charger, as Nick and Robbo have suggested is what we always do. It also has the added benefit of loading the engine, getting it up to operating temperature quicker than just powering the alternator. This helps stop bore glazing in some engines.

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Running the Travelpower to heat water through immersion and charge batteries through charger, as Nick and Robbo have suggested is what we always do. It also has the added benefit of loading the engine, getting it up to operating temperature quicker than just powering the alternator. This helps stop bore glazing in some engines.

What I always did til some decided I should use the alternator as well.

Edited by bowten
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sorry i dont understand can you elaborate?

Can...worms...opener!

 

It's about whether to charge using the alternator and the TP / charger at the same time. Some say this leads to conflict between the two. I say B******* although I suppose it might depend on the charger and the settings. Some (including bowten) thought it best to disconnect the alternator (remove drive belt) and just charge with TP / charger. Wrong IMHO!

Edited by nicknorman
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Can...worms...opener!

 

It's about whether to charge using the alternator and the TP / charger at the same time. Some say this leads to conflict between the two. I say B******* although I suppose it might depend on the charger and the settings. Some (including bowten) thought it best to disconnect the alternator (remove drive belt) and just charge with TP / charger. Wrong IMHO!

i just assumed that the alternators would be putting a charge in to the batteries and if you turn on the travel power it just adds to this.sorry,i may be talking in simplistic terms but i have a bad grasp of electricity.there are 3 alternators on my engine and i assumed that the biggest one was what gave power to the travel power.

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Can...worms...opener!

 

It's about whether to charge using the alternator and the TP / charger at the same time. Some say this leads to conflict between the two. I say B******* although I suppose it might depend on the charger and the settings. Some (including bowten) thought it best to disconnect the alternator (remove drive belt) and just charge with TP / charger. Wrong IMHO!

 

Well I stuck my head above the (leccy) parapet and said I do it as well. I set up the Vicron in the distant past with dongle and Gibbo help, I am too senile to remember the settings....all I know in my case it works, does speed up charge and the Victron does not drop out of charge and go to float.

I have just got off me arse, like Mr DMR suggested and rebuilt the Travelpower alternator, new bearings, slip rings and brush box...amazingly it still works and is now deathly quiet! B)

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Well I stuck my head above the (leccy) parapet and said I do it as well. I set up the Vicron in the distant past with dongle and Gibbo help, I am too senile to remember the settings....all I know in my case it works, does speed up charge and the Victron does not drop out of charge and go to float.

I have just got off me arse, like Mr DMR suggested and rebuilt the Travelpower alternator, new bearings, slip rings and brush box...amazingly it still works and is now deathly quiet! B)

Is this a Victron Multi or just a charger? I'm asking because of the issues I'm having with my Travel Power frying.

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i just assumed that the alternators would be putting a charge in to the batteries and if you turn on the travel power it just adds to this.sorry,i may be talking in simplistic terms but i have a bad grasp of electricity.there are 3 alternators on my engine and i assumed that the biggest one was what gave power to the travel power.

Yes, your 3 alternators are probably the starter battery one, the domestic one, and the TravelPower one. However the latter produces high voltage to give 240v AC when put through the TP box of tricks. So it can only be used to charge the batteries if you have a charger or Combi inverter to change the 240v AC to ~12v DC wired in

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Yes, your 3 alternators are probably the starter battery one, the domestic one, and the TravelPower one. However the latter produces high voltage to give 240v AC when put through the TP box of tricks. So it can only be used to charge the batteries if you have a charger or Combi inverter to change the 240v AC to ~12v DC wired in

aha! i'm pretty sure i understand.i will check it out to see if it works.handy to know there is another way of charging and heating water. thanks for the info,nickorman.

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They all work with T/P, just like having shore power.

There is the chance that if the Victron combi is not set correctly and detects "bad" power from the TP it will switch to inverter mode and the ground relay will drop in shorting the TP output to ground. This Will only happen in software rev 18.xxxx or later as 17.xxxx don't usually have the relay

Not saying it does happen but the chance is there.

Edited by idleness
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They all work with T/P, just like having shore power.

 

Except mine which keeps blowing up (see thread)

 

There is the chance that if the Victron combi is not set correctly and detects "bad" power from the TP it will switch to inverter mode and the ground relay will drop in shorting the TP output to ground. This Will only happen in software rev 18.xxxx or later as 17.xxxx don't usually have the relay

Not saying it does happen but the chance is there.

 

Now this is interesting. Hadn't heard this before. No idea what software version is running on the Victron Phoenix Multiplus I have.

Edited by Philippe
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Except mine which keeps blowing up (see thread)

 

 

 

Now this is interesting. Hadn't heard this before. No idea what software version is running on the Victron Phoenix Multiplus I have.

I did mention it in the other thread but not The SW number

To find The software take off The cover and somewhere near The Top is a chip with a paper label on it it will have The SW version in the form XX.xxxxx typed on it.

To confirm if there is a ground relay switch the combi on with no shore power or generator connected.

Measure the voltage between L&E and N&E if there is a ground relay fitted L>E will be 230v N>E will be 0v.

If no ground relay then both will be about the same 100v+

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I did mention it in the other thread but not The SW number

To find The software take off The cover and somewhere near The Top is a chip with a paper label on it it will have The SW version in the form XX.xxxxx typed on it.

To confirm if there is a ground relay switch the combi on with no shore power or generator connected.

Measure the voltage between L&E and N&E if there is a ground relay fitted L>E will be 230v N>E will be 0v.

If no ground relay then both will be about the same 100v+

 

Thanks for the info. I'll take a look when I get back to the boat in a few days.

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Is this a Victron Multi or just a charger? I'm asking because of the issues I'm having with my Travel Power frying.

 

NB Earnest has a 12/1600/70 muliplus compact with earth bonding relay. The Travelpower has the old black box controller. The Travelpower is only ever connected to the Victron when it is in charger mode. All Earnest's 240vAC is switched by 12vDC operated 16A 240vAC Potter and Brumfield relays. This does mean that there is not a seamless transition from Travelpower to inverter / shoreline 240vAC. We do not find this a problem, as it is only used to power the washing machine, assist in charging batteries, toaster, electric kettle, vaccum cleaner, 3kw immersion heater, emergency leccy heating. All I can say is that in my case the Travelpower box has never blown up. The only time it occasionally cuts out, with the rocker switch light going to red is if I use my 16 Clarke welder. A quick off and on with the rocker switch and it is reset.

 

As for your problem, just a longshot, have you checked that the braiding of the alternator to box cable has not worn through at the alternator end and has an intermittent short to any of the wires. ISTR in pre-forum history somebody having trouble with their box which was caused by this.

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The loom has been checked out and is fine.

 

This got me thinking though(always dangerous!). Maybe running the Travel Power when the Victron is turned on as an inverter is the problem? If I always set it to “Charge Only” when the Travel Power is turned, then maybe the issue will not occur. The Travel Power would then feed through to all the 240v sockets and also charge the batteries. Of course I don’t need the inverter if the Travel Power is running so this wouldn’t be a problem. Would just need to remember to always do this.

 

I’ll have to think about whether I’m prepared to take the risk of frying the Travel Power box again by trying this out. I’m almost certain that I’ll get a suitcase generator as a fallback anyway (Honda 20i or 26i) so I suppose the worst that can happen is that I lose the TP and end up with only the separate generator. The ideal solution is that I have both.

 

Having the TP on a separate dedicated circuit for the washing machine and possibly other devices loses the additional benefits of additional charging of the batteries and heating the water.

 

Trouble is, trying the Victron charge only option is a one attempt only. If it fries I’m done and I’m binning the TP so it’s a bit of a risk.

 

Need to sleep on this....

 

Too much :cheers: at the moment to be making important decisions... :P

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Running the T/P with the inv switched on is not the problem.The inverter/charger just thinks it is on shore power.I assume you have fitted a 3 way switch or a simple 2 shore plug system for the 240v,one for the shore power and one for the travel power.

Edited by bowten
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