Victron Orion XS 50A DC-DC Battery-to-Battery Charger | Review

Victron Orion XS 50A DC-DC Battery-to-Battery Charger | Review

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For 2024, Victron introduced the 50A Orion XS DC-DC battery-to-battery charger. It is a complete redesign over the previous 30A version (non-XS), and it’s better in every way: more power, more efficient, smaller dimensions (it’s tiny!), and better heat management. We chose to skip the 30A (non-XS) Orion due to a few issues (only 30A, heat management issues, etc.), however the 50A Victron Orion XS is so good that we are upgrading this time!

Victron Orion XS 50A DC-DC Battery-to-Battery Charger-3-()

1. Sterling to Victron Upgrade in our Van


First, why even bother swapping our Sterling Power DC-DC charger? We updated our Wiring Diagram with the Victron Orion XS, and it’s essential for us to have hands-on experience with any product we recommend. By installing it in our van, we can go through the installation, configuration, and get real-world data and feedback.

60A Sterling vs 50A Orion XS, a downgrade?

The Sterling’s 60A rating is for the input, and after the conversion, we charged at a maximum rate of 45A and quite often at 25-30A (reduced rate for heat management?). With the Orion XS, we now charge at a constant rate of ~45A so that’s actually an upgrade!

The swap couldn’t have been easier and took just a few minutes! Because the IN/GROUND/OUT wires are in the same order as the Sterling, we simply disconnected the Sterling and installed the Victron using the same cables and components (we had to shorten the conductor a bit, that’s all). If you do the swap, make sure to use the correct cables and breakers (if in doubt, consult your wiring diagram).

2. How does the Victron Orion XS DC-DC charger work?


The Victron Orion XS DC-DC charger is installed “between” the van and house batteries (more installation details further in this article). There is no switch, button, or relay to initiate the charge! You see, when you start your vehicle, the alternator kicks in and raises the voltage of the van battery to charge it. The B2B charger senses the higher voltage and turns ON automatically. When you turn your vehicle OFF, the voltage of the van battery drops; the DC-DC charger senses the dropped voltage and turns OFF automatically. It all happens without user intervention (well, except the part where you drive your vehicle!).

External-Power-Source-Convert-Charge-Profile-(alternator-focus)

3. What are the benefits of a battery-to-battery charger?


Each type of battery (Gel, AGM, Lithium, etc.) requires a specific charging profile (bulk, absorption, float). Charging with the wrong profile might result in the following:

  • Incomplete charge (cannot reach 100%);
  • Reduced lifespan (waste of $);
  • Sulfuration (reduced total capacity) of Lead Acid batteries (AGM).

If a lead-acid battery (AGM) doesn’t get a proper multi-stage charge (bulk, absorption, float), it loses its total capacity over time and that’s non-reversible (knowledge is power: we recommend reading the Charging Profile section of our Electrical System page to really understand what that means). Bad charge = wasted money (the battery has to be replaced more often), so we think the B2B charger pretty much pays for itself in the long run.

4. Battery-to-battery charger vs Isolator: what’s the difference?


  • A B2B charger provides an adequate charge profile to the house battery; in other words, it charges and keeps the battery in good health in the long term.
  • An isolator is simply an automatic “switch” that combines the house battery with the starter battery. An isolator does NOT provide an adequate charge profile (bulk, absorption, float) and, therefore, might not be able to charge the house battery to 100%, which might reduce its lifespan or total capacity. The only real advantage of an isolator is that it’s cheaper upfront (but not in the long term, as you may have to change your house battery more frequently).

5. Are both solar and alternator power needed?


Solar and alternator are complementary off-the-grid charge sources; we think both have a crucial role to play:

Solar
External-Power-Source-Convert-Charge-Profile-(solar-focus)

Ideal to charge slowly and steadily between drives.

  • Typical charging power: 100-800W.
  • Uses a lot of roof real estate (limiting factor).
  • Potential impact on fuel consumption (aerodynamics).
  • Unpredictable (weather dependent).
Alternator
External-Power-Source-Convert-Charge-Profile-(alternator-focus)

Ideal to quickly top up the battery bank while on the move.

  • Typical charging power: 700-1400W (one/two charger).
  • Compact.
  • Not much impact on fuel consumption.
  • Predictable (known drive time = known charge).

In a nutshell, we think alternator charging should be prioritized because it charges much quicker, has a smaller footprint, and is more predictable. For those who take shorter vacations and drive almost every day, alternator charging alone may be sufficient.

Solar power is a must for those who like to travel slowly and spend multiple days at the same spot without driving too much. That’s us! When we visit a new place, we like to spend at least 3-4 days riding all the mountain biking trails, checking out the breweries, and whatever the place offers. We often end up driving just 15-20 minutes per day; that’s not long enough to top up the battery with alternator charging alone.

6. What we Like…


  • Surprisingly easy to install (scroll down for installation write-up).
  • Install-and-Forget!
  • No fan = no noise.
  • It’s small!
  • Fast Charge.
  • Provides a nice multi-stage charge that keeps the battery (Gel, AGM, Lithium, etc.) healthy in the long run.

What we Don’t Like …


  • We honestly can’t think of anything!

7. Installing the Victron Orion XS


First of all, we’re big fans of reading product manuals. Manufacturers know their products better than anyone else 😉

Location and Orientation


Mount vertically (power terminals facing down) in a well-ventilated space, with 10cm free around the charger. This is to ensure adequate cooling; if the charger overheats, the power will be reduced for protection and you won’t get optimal performances.

Wiring and Electrical


It’s honestly quite simple. Here are the required connections:

  1. IN: from vehicle battery.
  2. OUT: to house battery.
  3. GND: vehicle/house battery common negative.
  4. The terminals accept up to 4AWG cables (without ferrules).
  5. The manual explicitly mentions that ferrules can be used but are not required (bare wire is OK).
  6. The cable cover provides strain relief (clamps the cables and holds them in place).

Follow this wiring diagram (faroutride.com/wiring-diagram) to make sure your B2B charger integrates well with the rest of your electrical system and work as intended. The wiring diagram had a built-in calculator for fuses/breakers, wire gauge, and wire length/terminal count. Pretty neat!

Interactive-Wiring-Diagram-(V5-REV-A)-1024
Download this wiring diagram: faroutride.com/wiring-diagram

Ford Transit Pre 2020:

This official Ford SVE Bulletin shows how to connect to POSITIVE for the SINGLE or DOUBLE battery variant: SVE Bulletin Q-226 (.pdf):

Ford Transit with twin batteries configuration, year 2020 & up:

Since 2020, the Transit with dual batteries configuration comes with two (2) CCP (Customer Connection Points) located on the driver seat pedestal (on the door side).

CCP1
  • 60A fuse.
  • Can be used for a single Victron Orion XS, but consider limiting the Orion’s current to ~46-48A (in the Victron’s App) to prevent blowing up the fuse.
CCP2
  • 175A fuse.
  • Can be used for one or two Victron Orion XS.
From BEMM.
Breaker Enclosure Ford Transit Driver Seat Alternator to B2B
We designed and 3D printed an enclosure to mount the breaker to the driver’s pedestal. More info: Enclosure for Circuit Breaker

Negative (ground):

Ideally you want to use a ground point recommended in the BEMM (BEMM included in our Builder’s Package), and it’s a good practice to use one as close as possible to the battery (which is located under the driver seat). In our van, we are using the ground point located between the passenger/driver seat:

Ground-Point-Ford-Transit-Passenger-Driver-seat

Mercedes Sprinter Connection:


Please check the Mercedes Sprinter “Body And Equipment Guideline” on how to use the battery power (alternator):

Sprinter Power Tapping Option 2 (page 1)
Sprinter Power Tapping Option 2 (page 2)

8. Operation


DC-DC chargers are set-and-forget; just drive and enjoy your time!

9. Reliability


We installed the Victron Orion XS in our van in October 2024, so it’s a bit too soon for a long-term review… but Victron is known to make high-quality products that withstand test of time, so we’re not worried 🙂

10. Resources


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Hello! We’re Isabelle and Antoine 🙂 In 2017, we sold our house (and everything in it), quit our engineering careers, and moved into our self-built campervan. Every day is an opportunity for a new adventure... We’re chasing our dreams, and hopefully it inspires others to do the same!

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