Grand Design Imagine 2670MK
System Schematic
Basic Parts List
- 2 - LiTime 200 Ah 12V LiFePO4 Batteries (Supplied by customer)
- Victron Multiplus II 3KVA 2x120 Hybrid Inverter Charger
- Victron Smart Shunt
- Victron MPPT 100/50 Smart Solar charge controller with built in Bluetooth
- Victron VE.Bus Smart Dongle – allows Bluetooth connectivity to Multiplus
- Victron RJ45 UTP Network Cable
- Varios Victron Energy Mega Fuses and Mega Fuse holders
- 2 - REC Twinpeak 2S Mono 72 Series 356 Watt Solar Panels
- 12 - Two piece "Z" Mount Solar Panel Brackets
- Blue Sea 3000 Battery Switch HD On/Off
- Midnite Solar Baby Box Enclosure with DIN Rail
- Various Midnite Solar MNEPV Series 150 V DIN Mount DC Breakers
- 30 Feet of Portable Cord Soow 6/4
- 40 Feet of 10 AWG PV Wire
- 7 Feet of 4/0 Welding Cable - Red
- 4 Feet of 4/0 Welding Cable – Black
- 10 Feet of 6 AWG Welding Cable - Red
- 4 Feet of 6 AWG Welding Cable - Black
- Red and Black Dual Wall Shrink Tubing
- Various 4/0 Tinned Copper Lugs
- Various 6 AWG Tinned Copper Lugs
- Clamshell Roof Cover for Solar Wire Penetration
- MC4 Male/Female Solar Panel Cable Connectors
- Miscellaneous parts, sealant, breakers, and connectors
Installation Notes
This installation was completed in November of 2023. I met this customer when I was presenting at a Grand Design rally. The customer approached me about upgrading the OEM battery and adding an inverter to the system. I put together a proposal and the customer agreed to it. As the installation date drew closer, the customer also decided to upgrade the solar. The customer reported the existing solar panel was no longer keeping the OEM battery charged. The customer wasn’t sure if it was an issue with the solar side of the system or the battery. I updated the proposal and we moved forward with the installation.
The system install went pretty smoothly. The customer decided to provide his own lithium batteries to save a little money on the overall installation. I was happy to install the two LiTime 200 amp hour batteries (with 200 amp BMS’s). I was able to install all the equipment in the pass through storage at the front of the trailer. I added some plywood to the wall of the compartment to support the weight of the new equipment. The installation took two and a half days overall. The Victron system components all communicate over an internal Bluetooth network to coordinate charging efforts.
During the installation, I discovered why the OEM solar panel was no longer charging the OEM battery. At some point the solar panel connections to the roof penetration box were broken. The panel was still connected to the roof penetration box, but the connections were no longer secure. They were good enough to provide voltage readings with a meter. However, as soon as a load was applied to the system, the broken connections caused a severe voltage drop and wouldn’t provide enough power to the OEM solar controller to provide a charge to the battery. I was able to correct this issue by replacing the connections and roof penetration with new parts. I needed to replace the roof penetration box anyway because Grand Design used a box with proprietary connectors instead of the standard MC4 connectors typically used for solar panels.
