mvbeggs
Adventurer
Got any pics of your install? I have a 2020 HQ-19 that I was considering the same thing. Did you mount the new battery monitor screen in the location of the original screen? If so, did you have to run any new wiring?
Thanks.
Black Series HQ Tips, Tricks, and Learning.....
- Thread starter kevin_j
- Start date
Got any pics of your install? I have a 2020 HQ-19 that I was considering the same thing. Did you mount the new battery monitor screen in the location of the original screen? If so, did you have to run any new wiring?
Thanks.
2manyprojects
Member
Got lots of pics 
:
All the stock stuff on my HQ19 worked as advertised, but I wanted to upgrade the AGM's as soon as we took delivery. Luckily, Battle Born had a summer sale shortly after we got the trailer home, and that motivated me. As soon as I started going thru the wiring, I saw a number of things I didn't care for and opted to basically gut the enclosure and rewire with Victron gear. It's a bit of a Tetris game, as I fab'ed 4 panels from 1/2" plywood to enable easier mounting and service, and fit everything into the space.
I used the Lynx 1000 to connect the battery bank to the 150/45 MPPT, 25a DC-DC Smart charger, and an auxiliary 12vDC fuse panel I added for 2 dual power ports and 2 Scirrocco fans I added to the front bedroom.
I haven't mounted the BMV-712 readout yet (see it bundled in the enclosure), as I find it much easier to monitor things using bluetooth on my phone. All the Victron stuff communicates and I can switch between the battery monitor and the other components to see battery SOT and solar output. I'm still considering mounting it into or outright replacing the control panel, but that's another story...
You probably noticed the anderson plugs; I use those between the components so I can reconfigure as needed. I've got 2-200w Bluetti portable solar panels and a smaller Victron MPPT controller in a Pelican case I use if I'm camped in shade, or when I want to maximize charge. I disconnected the annoying vent fan in the side of the enclosure, sealed it, and replaced the other vent with an Anderson plug. When traveling, I have the DC-DC charger connected to the gray anderson at the tongue and that connects to a mating wired plug from my Ram's batteries, enabling 25 amp "smart" charging while I'm driving in combo w/ whatever solar. When I'm stopped and want the extra solar, I switch the plug connected between the DC-DC charger and the battery bank, to the side vent anderson. Plug in the charge controller and portable panels, and Bob's your uncle... This portable charge controller also bluetooth's into the system and all the Victron stuff coordinates charging the Lithium bank.
94 days camping, at least half boondocking, and the battery bank has recharged to 100% by end of the day each time. Oh, and I replaced the OEM 150w panels with monocrystalline Rich Solar 200w panels I found that were almost exactly the same size. I have a 3rd panel which I'd like to install on the roof, but haven't felt the need and am reluctant to punch any more holes up top.
:All the stock stuff on my HQ19 worked as advertised, but I wanted to upgrade the AGM's as soon as we took delivery. Luckily, Battle Born had a summer sale shortly after we got the trailer home, and that motivated me. As soon as I started going thru the wiring, I saw a number of things I didn't care for and opted to basically gut the enclosure and rewire with Victron gear. It's a bit of a Tetris game, as I fab'ed 4 panels from 1/2" plywood to enable easier mounting and service, and fit everything into the space.
I used the Lynx 1000 to connect the battery bank to the 150/45 MPPT, 25a DC-DC Smart charger, and an auxiliary 12vDC fuse panel I added for 2 dual power ports and 2 Scirrocco fans I added to the front bedroom.
I haven't mounted the BMV-712 readout yet (see it bundled in the enclosure), as I find it much easier to monitor things using bluetooth on my phone. All the Victron stuff communicates and I can switch between the battery monitor and the other components to see battery SOT and solar output. I'm still considering mounting it into or outright replacing the control panel, but that's another story...
You probably noticed the anderson plugs; I use those between the components so I can reconfigure as needed. I've got 2-200w Bluetti portable solar panels and a smaller Victron MPPT controller in a Pelican case I use if I'm camped in shade, or when I want to maximize charge. I disconnected the annoying vent fan in the side of the enclosure, sealed it, and replaced the other vent with an Anderson plug. When traveling, I have the DC-DC charger connected to the gray anderson at the tongue and that connects to a mating wired plug from my Ram's batteries, enabling 25 amp "smart" charging while I'm driving in combo w/ whatever solar. When I'm stopped and want the extra solar, I switch the plug connected between the DC-DC charger and the battery bank, to the side vent anderson. Plug in the charge controller and portable panels, and Bob's your uncle... This portable charge controller also bluetooth's into the system and all the Victron stuff coordinates charging the Lithium bank.
94 days camping, at least half boondocking, and the battery bank has recharged to 100% by end of the day each time. Oh, and I replaced the OEM 150w panels with monocrystalline Rich Solar 200w panels I found that were almost exactly the same size. I have a 3rd panel which I'd like to install on the roof, but haven't felt the need and am reluctant to punch any more holes up top.
mvbeggs
Adventurer
Got lots of pics
....
I like the setup and the flexibility to add an additional 400w of solar when needed. Thanks for posting the pics. Very helpful.
HQ15fan, any issues with the mod? I like it! Thanks.
HELP! I need to empty my grey water tank, but cannot find the outlet or valve. Got the black water OK. Some say they are tied together with two valves - one outlet. As you can see from the pictures, mine is not. There is another drain, but not the standard "stinky slinky" connection.
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Landlocked
Member
Wow. Did the dealer claim they did a pre-delivery inspection?
2manyprojects
Member
Not trying to insult, but there's no magic there. Your outlet pic looks like a cam-lock cap was plumbed to the outlet, but no valve is visible. I'm assuming that is the gray water waste tank, but don't recognize the BS model; HQ21?
Obviously, there should be a comparable knife valve on this outlet like your black tank. I can only suggest jerry-rigging something to direct the flow into your waste hose when you pull that cap. At least it's gray water rather than black!
Once empty you can re-plumb with a valve and 3" standard waste hose connection. Definitely a dealer/warranty issue that shouldn't have left the lot.... I'm guessing it was a BS parts supply issue, that they put what they could get on during manufacturing, and sent it out that way.
Here's how the early 2021 HQ19 is configured:
Good Luck!
Obviously, there should be a comparable knife valve on this outlet like your black tank. I can only suggest jerry-rigging something to direct the flow into your waste hose when you pull that cap. At least it's gray water rather than black!
Once empty you can re-plumb with a valve and 3" standard waste hose connection. Definitely a dealer/warranty issue that shouldn't have left the lot.... I'm guessing it was a BS parts supply issue, that they put what they could get on during manufacturing, and sent it out that way.
Here's how the early 2021 HQ19 is configured:
Good Luck!
englishmtnDevilDog
New member
That is an awesome setup. I have an 2021 HQ15 & the stock GEL batteries have died in less that 2 years. 1st when I got the camper, we camped in the driveway & ran the propane because it was Winter time & during the night the Inverter started beeping. I checked the AIMS power & the batteries were showing only 1 bar. I checked the batteries & found thta one of the batteries POS was not even connected & another NEG was very loose. Once I connected it, tightened everything I figured I was good, but the batteries still were nto charging from the Solar panels. I turned my attention to the stock HP2430 solar charger & found errors on it. I called the place I bought camper from asking them to tell me how this thing was supposed to be configured & mentioned the battery connections. I emailed Black series trying to find out the make of this solar charger & to get the correct settings. Again, no help & I am still waiting on those emails from over a year ago. I finally figured out the make & model of the solar charger with the help fo Dr. Google & downloaded it. It was not configured for the correct type of battery & was also in Debug mode. I am a pretty tech savy guy, so I read thru the manual & changed the battery type to GEL & set it up the way I thought i needed to be setup. THe errors went away & I could see voltage being generated from the solar panels & it also showed being transferred to the batteries. I thought I was Good to go! I noticed that very rarely would I have all 4 battery bars even when i was in direct sunlight & according to the charger, everything was working. The past 2 trips I have taken this summer, the batteries are not lasting long enough to power anything. I upgraded the solar charger to a VIctron 100\30 smart charger based on several blogs I read that the stock charger was POS. I have it configured & can see the voltage coming in & it appears to be transferring to the batteries, but if I turn on the inside lights along with the radio, the AIMS power inverter starts beeping & the lights start flickering. I measure voltage at the battery & it drops to around 9.5 volts. I pulled all 4 100ah GEL batteries & had them tested. both places said they were all shot with Amp readins ranging from 4amps - 16amps. I contacted the place I bought camper again & they gave me Black series direct number. I called him, asked some questions, but he said nothing he could do because i was past my 1 year warranty. I explained about things not be connected or configured correctly, but he said nothing he could do. After all that, My main question to you is since it looks like you re-wired the whole battery compartment. Was everything configured & wired correctly with the battery, inverter, solar components from the factory in your HQ19? I am not so sure about mine because I thought the solar panels should connect directly to the solar charger, then the solar charger to the batteries. I want to make sure that everything is wired up before I buy & install new Lithium batteries because I certainly do not want to damage them. THe wires from the solar panel are connecting to the batteries before getting to the solar charger in addition to the Anderson plug that comes off the solar charger to the batteries.Got lots of pics
View attachment 725925
View attachment 725926
All the stock stuff on my HQ19 worked as advertised, but I wanted to upgrade the AGM's as soon as we took delivery. Luckily, Battle Born had a summer sale shortly after we got the trailer home, and that motivated me. As soon as I started going thru the wiring, I saw a number of things I didn't care for and opted to basically gut the enclosure and rewire with Victron gear. It's a bit of a Tetris game, as I fab'ed 4 panels from 1/2" plywood to enable easier mounting and service, and fit everything into the space.
View attachment 725927
I used the Lynx 1000 to connect the battery bank to the 150/45 MPPT, 25a DC-DC Smart charger, and an auxiliary 12vDC fuse panel I added for 2 dual power ports and 2 Scirrocco fans I added to the front bedroom.
I haven't mounted the BMV-712 readout yet (see it bundled in the enclosure), as I find it much easier to monitor things using bluetooth on my phone. All the Victron stuff communicates and I can switch between the battery monitor and the other components to see battery SOT and solar output. I'm still considering mounting it into or outright replacing the control panel, but that's another story...
You probably noticed the anderson plugs; I use those between the components so I can reconfigure as needed. I've got 2-200w Bluetti portable solar panels and a smaller Victron MPPT controller in a Pelican case I use if I'm camped in shade, or when I want to maximize charge. I disconnected the annoying vent fan in the side of the enclosure, sealed it, and replaced the other vent with an Anderson plug. When traveling, I have the DC-DC charger connected to the gray anderson at the tongue and that connects to a mating wired plug from my Ram's batteries, enabling 25 amp "smart" charging while I'm driving in combo w/ whatever solar. When I'm stopped and want the extra solar, I switch the plug connected between the DC-DC charger and the battery bank, to the side vent anderson. Plug in the charge controller and portable panels, and Bob's your uncle... This portable charge controller also bluetooth's into the system and all the Victron stuff coordinates charging the Lithium bank.
94 days camping, at least half boondocking, and the battery bank has recharged to 100% by end of the day each time. Oh, and I replaced the OEM 150w panels with monocrystalline Rich Solar 200w panels I found that were almost exactly the same size. I have a 3rd panel which I'd like to install on the roof, but haven't felt the need and am reluctant to punch any more holes up top.
Attachments
SDDiver5
Expedition Leader
Been looking at these more and more. Glad I came across this thread. The needs for a travel trailer are getting more and more as the family grows.
Quick question- I remember reading a thread about an RV mechanic who basically gave warning to all Black series owners about the electrical wiring and possibility of fire or something like that. Is there any validity to that or has it ever really been an issue?
Quick question- I remember reading a thread about an RV mechanic who basically gave warning to all Black series owners about the electrical wiring and possibility of fire or something like that. Is there any validity to that or has it ever really been an issue?
2manyprojects
Member
English,
I feel your pain on the battery situation. My dealings with BS have been limited to a leaking skylight shortly after we took delivery; they did cover under warranty and I had a better response than I was getting thru my dealer. I'm not an electrical expert, and most of what I did was based on following this website: Explorist Life.
Your solar panels should not be wired directly to the batteries. You have it right: panels to Victron charge controller, charge controller to batteries. If the panels were wired direct to batteries, that could possibly have caused the battery failures as the panels effectively would overcharge the batteries without monitoring and control. If the stock controller was connected to the battery only, it would have run but wouldn't have shown any PV charging...
My HQ19 wasn't wired with any direct "errors"; but there were some things that didn't make sense to me, and things that seemed subpar. The 4 stock batteries were wired to the main disconnect switch such that the batteries were controlled in pairs in addition to all 4 working together. This would work, but would likely make the pairs discharge differently shortening battery life. Mine also had two smaller size wires connecting the positive side of the inverter to the battery bank; This concerned me as it likely caused more resistance and if one of those wires were to somehow disconnect, the current flow when the inverter was heavily loaded would cook the remaining wire. I replaced with single large 2/0 pos and neg cables. In general, the quality of the components (wire, circuit breakers) seemed fine, but the sizing and methodology concerned me (all the wires are marine grade, but euro/aussie odd gauge 3/5/7 sizes that I don't see sold here). I likewise didn't want to risk the new, expensive Lithium batteries, so I went through everything and replaced any components in question. While expensive, the Victron stuff is top shelf.
One thing with new lithium batteries that will work in your favor is most all have their own BMS (battery management system). This is an internal control that basically monitors the battery and prevents anything too bad from happening to it. Most importantly, it limits the current output and how deeply the battery is discharged, so the cells can't be damaged.
Re-doing things also enabled me to add a Victron battery monitor so that I can see exactly what is going in/out of the battery bank. The stock BS monitor doesn't do this, and only shows things draining the 12Vdc side. With lithium bats the constant vent fan for the enclosure isn't necessary and I shut that down and sealed the inlet while turning the other vent into a 2nd Anderson connection for portable solar panels. We sometimes camp under trees in shade, and I want the ability to use additional portable solar panels or supplement the rooftop for more charging.
Your pics look comparable to what I encountered with my HQ19. I figured with the investment in lithium and Victron, it would be prudent to go through the wiring and size everything appropriately to ensure the best efficiency. It also gave a good education on the whole system and enabled me to make multiple mods that I wanted.
I feel your pain on the battery situation. My dealings with BS have been limited to a leaking skylight shortly after we took delivery; they did cover under warranty and I had a better response than I was getting thru my dealer. I'm not an electrical expert, and most of what I did was based on following this website: Explorist Life.
Your solar panels should not be wired directly to the batteries. You have it right: panels to Victron charge controller, charge controller to batteries. If the panels were wired direct to batteries, that could possibly have caused the battery failures as the panels effectively would overcharge the batteries without monitoring and control. If the stock controller was connected to the battery only, it would have run but wouldn't have shown any PV charging...
My HQ19 wasn't wired with any direct "errors"; but there were some things that didn't make sense to me, and things that seemed subpar. The 4 stock batteries were wired to the main disconnect switch such that the batteries were controlled in pairs in addition to all 4 working together. This would work, but would likely make the pairs discharge differently shortening battery life. Mine also had two smaller size wires connecting the positive side of the inverter to the battery bank; This concerned me as it likely caused more resistance and if one of those wires were to somehow disconnect, the current flow when the inverter was heavily loaded would cook the remaining wire. I replaced with single large 2/0 pos and neg cables. In general, the quality of the components (wire, circuit breakers) seemed fine, but the sizing and methodology concerned me (all the wires are marine grade, but euro/aussie odd gauge 3/5/7 sizes that I don't see sold here). I likewise didn't want to risk the new, expensive Lithium batteries, so I went through everything and replaced any components in question. While expensive, the Victron stuff is top shelf.
One thing with new lithium batteries that will work in your favor is most all have their own BMS (battery management system). This is an internal control that basically monitors the battery and prevents anything too bad from happening to it. Most importantly, it limits the current output and how deeply the battery is discharged, so the cells can't be damaged.
Re-doing things also enabled me to add a Victron battery monitor so that I can see exactly what is going in/out of the battery bank. The stock BS monitor doesn't do this, and only shows things draining the 12Vdc side. With lithium bats the constant vent fan for the enclosure isn't necessary and I shut that down and sealed the inlet while turning the other vent into a 2nd Anderson connection for portable solar panels. We sometimes camp under trees in shade, and I want the ability to use additional portable solar panels or supplement the rooftop for more charging.
Your pics look comparable to what I encountered with my HQ19. I figured with the investment in lithium and Victron, it would be prudent to go through the wiring and size everything appropriately to ensure the best efficiency. It also gave a good education on the whole system and enabled me to make multiple mods that I wanted.
2manyprojects
Member
There were some electrical issues for a short timespan about 2 years ago (I think), and there was a recall issued to owners of trailers at the time. I haven't heard anything recently. Keep in mind since early 2021 model production, the Black Series caravans have changed significantly in features and construction...
SDDiver5
Expedition Leader
Appreciate the info!
GlassHalfFull
New member
Hi all, I'm a new owner of a 2022 HQ19. I noticed the stereo amplifier and subwoofer are constantly powered on with no obvious power switch. The dealer doesn't know how to turn it off either. Looking to power it off to save on energy consumption from the batteries. Any recommendations on how to wire a switch for it?
You can get a power toggle switch on Amazon and wire it between the amp and the power… pretty easy.
GlassHalfFull
New member
I've noticed a problem where water is leaking out from the left taillight assembly. I've pulled the whole assembly off, caulked all joints and the holes where the taillight wiring comes in, but I still notice water draining from the bottom screws whenever it rains. It doesn't appear to be coming in from the wiring harness hole on the trailer body, but I only had the assembly off once when I initially resealed everything. Has anyone else had this problem before? How is water getting inside the assembly? All caulk joints around the top and sides are good as I just resealed it after pulling it off to examine the first time.
