Just had 4 delivered yesterday. Was testing one for a month from a rep here in Ireland and I was blown away by it. I usually fit the usual victron multiplus and all the bells etc but this is a serious game changer
Thanks Jimmy. It just makes sense. I think there’s room for an all-in-one that provides similar longevity and quality to Victron but without the shortcomings of the cheaply made Ecoflow and Bluetti.
I like the industrial/ utilitarian look, no frills, no chinsey nonsense, no BS, just works 👍 I'm all for function over form any day 🤔 When i converted my ambulance to a camper i kept ni on all the ambulance systems for their rugged construction and durability, also kept the cabinets but i tarted those up a wee bit, that clayton wouldn't look out of place in a modern ambulance 😎
Practically worth getting for US with 230/120 inverter for the one lousy front outlet. The main DC in/out and solar in options are key. I’d also lose the 230 in/out on the side, but otherwise I’m considering pulling the trigger because this fills a keg void in the US portable market. It will actually run a diesel heater too, which very few US offerings do.
Thanks, Mark, for putting these videos together explaining the Clayton LPS. The effort you have put into creating them is really appreciated. Decided a few months ago to go down the Clayton route for a dayvan, under a side sofa (similar set up to your MAN TGE van), so will be in touch with you. Thanks for all your efforts to explain everything in a straightforward manner.
Very educational video, thank you. Do you know if there will be a screen for the cabin to control 12v, 230v and jump start? Maybe something that can give the condition of the battery.
This is true if you have a live connection, for example a live battery. With the Clayton the system is fully turned off. so it’s not as applicable. ie you wouldn’t get an arc when closing the loop.
Hahah TBF I will give you that. there’s nothing to lose time wise and everything to gain in the “sod’s law” if it could happen it will happen type thinking.
Ah cheers. It’s not had many views yet but the more people switch to quality all-in-ones and need to install it will be really useful. Fingers crossed it took ages 😂
Great video and very informative for someone like me who finds it all a bit daunting.Watched Urbanarkoverland 's video and after watching yours think that's made my mind up this is the way to go.
Thanks Pete. I thought about doing this in a van but on a bench made much more sense in the end and worked out well. Hopefully as the units become more popular more people will find this useful ⚡️
Great vid, gone down the rabbit hole of electrics so confused about alternators amongst other things, how does it know what is safe to take from the van battery without damaging it?
Hahah I think I’m still down that rabbit hole with my feet poking out. So first off, it knows the engine or ignition is live because there is a connected wire called a D+ signal via a pigtail fuse. When fitting any type of DCDC charger you need to ensure your alternator is good enough. Most vans made in the last 10 years will be fine. T6.1, T6 are fine with 140A or 180A factory fitted. but some T5 alternators are low powered. You can usually google it to find out I did do a comment about this but it would make a good video TBF.
Hi. Love the simplicity of the videos; would I need to do anything differently regarding the alternator connection if the vehicle has a stop/start facility? Any type of relay?
Great vid. 3 questions. 1 - can you expand the battery capacity by adding additional battery? 2 - I think I saw the limit of Solar is 400v. I have a little more than that on the roof. If i were to use an MPPT before the unit, would that be OK? 3 - Do you have a website?
Hi Mark. Ref the 230v out. You mention using a switch fuse spur if you want to run off to a boiler. If I also wanted to connect an induction hob, could I spur another switched spur off the double socket to save cable run, or do I need to run induction hob cable directly to the first fused spur by the Clayton unit? In short. What's the best way to connect Double 3pin plug socket (kitchen) Truma boiler (garage) Induction hob (kitchen) Thanks in advance 👍🏻
@@chrishenderson7592 In theory yes. But the more on the single circuit the less you are isolating for safety. You could go for a mini compact 230v 3 way consumer unit so each of them also have an individual RCBO trip switch. That will give you earth fault protection on each item. Also then if you want to spur off with more double plug sockets from you double socket in future you could. Don’t forget i’m not an electrician just a nerd 😇 Maybe i should do a video on RCBOs and consumer units etc 👊
Me and my wife just recently completed our t6 conversion. We were looking at getting an inverter, we also opted for induction hob so no gas. This has really changed our minds. This really is off grid living. We definitely want this for our campervan. We think the 2500 would be adequate for our use. 👍🏾Could this run alongside our current lithium/solar system ?
At 11m24 you attach the dc wire to a fuse box. The main wire you attach should have the fuse at the end near the power unit. The way you did it you have nothing protecting the long wire from the Clayton. This could be dangerous if a fault occurs.
Yeah good point it should always be as close to the power source as possible. Same with the fuse coming off the vehicle battery that should be as close the the vehicle battery as poss. The reality is the 12v fuse box is very close to the unit but it would have been good for me to point that out if anyone has a long length of cable.
Hey Mark. Thanks for doing the vid. Why use a 16mm² M8 on the solar DC? Isnt the cable in from your DC just 4/6mm double insulated solar cable? So it would be a 4/6mm² with an m8 hole?
When is the app coming out? It's already late. I am holding off on the Clayton until I can have a way of monitoring it. My unit will be in the rear of the van so its not easy to see the screen.
@@CalMUK91 I know! It doesn’t make sense to me. No. We’ve been doing the software upgrades to accept the add on battery but it won’t be upgradable to allow bluetooth as they don’t have a module built in.
Hi! Great video…. I’m installing a Clayton in my van at the moment. One question…. So you don’t have to have a wire running from negative start battery to the Clayton? Instead you can run a wire from the chassis ground (close to the Clayton) to DC negative on the Clayton? Keep up the good work! Cheers
Hey thank you ⚡️ Yeah that’s right. For context as earth and ground are confused… In higher voltage circuits like your 230v one at home you have the positive and negative earth cable. The earth cable should always be empty of current. However if there are any faults the electricity can then run through the earth cable and down to the physical earth rod in your house. There are also earth specific breakers that work to protect you too. With 12v system it doesn’t have an extra earth cable. Instead they have a common ground. That being your chassis and tyres touching the ground. And because it’s DC (direct current) it runs one way. 230v in your home is AC (alternating current) so can run either way up the cable. So on a 12v system in a vehicle the starter battery, and other key electrical items all connect to the chassis to create the loop. In your engine bay you will see things like the ecu, lights etc have bolts into the body. Haha that was a long answer 😂Does that make sense?
Also make sure the grounding point you pick or make on the van has good continuity and low resistance. Ie the current will easily through it. Some panels can be glued in place with little metal weld and not allow the current to flow very well. This can be tested easily with a cheap multimeter. I may do a basics video for people on how to use a multimeter for these key tests as it can be overwhelming but with a few tips it’s easy to understand. As always I’m not an electrician and just an enthusiast. Electricity is dangerous so always get help if you are unsure. Email me on mark@ahoy.co.uk if you need any further help 🤙
Hi, really good and informative video, thank you. I'm currently spec'ing out the electrics for my van. I'm going full electric, no gas. The van will have twin induction hob, 12v fridge, 12v AC, 12v underfloor and air heater (diesel/electric), 12v water heater, 12v warming pads for fresh and waste water, other various 12v items, plus 240v points to run air fryer and other appliances. Three power inputs: solar, shore, and auxiliary alternator. I haven't calculated the total draw on the batteries as yet but I was wondering if this unit with the aux batteries might cope with the demand. Plus, how many 240v sockets can you run off this? Thanks.
With our top unit with 160ah included with the additional 280ah that’s 440ah or 5kWh. The main drain will be any electrical heater so if that’s diesel rather than electric the above would be more than ample power. An electric hob etc will be fine. We’ve found our kettle uses only 3% capacity. Similar with toaster or coffee machine. We have two double 240 sockets so 4 in total and have had no issues at all. It’s not about the number of sockets so to speak it’s about how much power is running through them at any time ie how much power the plugged in appliances are pulling.
Is there a shopping list people can access of all additional fuses, tools etc needed to fit the LPS? Annoyingly I bought one a few months ago direct from Clayton - just seen your deal at 20% off! Mines still in the box too.. Sigh. Thank you
We are working on our website for Ahoy Leisure but in the meantime I’ve been doing all the orders via email and whatsapp oh and doing really good deals for everyone 😇 I personally advise on the best set up for people. We’ve even had a few visits of people with their van so we can discuss the best placement etc. Email me on mark@ahoy.co.uk and we get a quote out same day with full breakdown and delivery etc. We have stock and it’s same or next day delivery depending on the time of order and location.
Anyone can tell me why this is better or worse than an Ecoflow? Seriously need one or the other but in edging towards the Ecoflow for a lot of reasons. Just need to know why I would spend another £1300 for less battery storage.
Just had 4 delivered yesterday. Was testing one for a month from a rep here in Ireland and I was blown away by it. I usually fit the usual victron multiplus and all the bells etc but this is a serious game changer
Thanks Jimmy. It just makes sense. I think there’s room for an all-in-one that provides similar longevity and quality to Victron but without the shortcomings of the cheaply made Ecoflow and Bluetti.
I like the industrial/ utilitarian look, no frills, no chinsey nonsense, no BS, just works 👍
I'm all for function over form any day 🤔
When i converted my ambulance to a camper i kept ni on all the ambulance systems for their rugged construction and durability, also kept the cabinets but i tarted those up a wee bit, that clayton wouldn't look out of place in a modern ambulance 😎
Haha what a compliment! Yeah they are used in blue light sector so the designers at Clayton will be chuffed with that. 👏
Practically worth getting for US with 230/120 inverter for the one lousy front outlet. The main DC in/out and solar in options are key. I’d also lose the 230 in/out on the side, but otherwise I’m considering pulling the trigger because this fills a keg void in the US portable market. It will actually run a diesel heater too, which very few US offerings do.
I was under the impression that Diesel heaters are er draw
Thanks, Mark, for putting these videos together explaining the Clayton LPS. The effort you have put into creating them is really appreciated. Decided a few months ago to go down the Clayton route for a dayvan, under a side sofa (similar set up to your MAN TGE van), so will be in touch with you. Thanks for all your efforts to explain everything in a straightforward manner.
Thanks I really appreciate it. It’s been a lot of work but worth it.
Very educational video, thank you. Do you know if there will be a screen for the cabin to control 12v, 230v and jump start? Maybe something that can give the condition of the battery.
Bloody hell that has some great features going for it, Like the idea of that thanks.
Why thank you very much 😊
Definitely would be a great use in the u.s. 110v market
I hope they make one soon for the u.s. they would crush the market
On a DC system you should always connect negative last and disconnect negative first. Several times you do this the wrong way round.
This is true if you have a live connection, for example a live battery. With the Clayton the system is fully turned off. so it’s not as applicable. ie you wouldn’t get an arc when closing the loop.
@@ahoyleisure accepted, but I would suggest it is good practise to stick to the rule, less chance of getting sloppy if ever on a live battery. IMHO.
Hahah TBF I will give you that. there’s nothing to lose time wise and everything to gain in the “sod’s law” if it could happen it will happen type thinking.
Great video you made it look really simple.
thank you 🙏 a lot of thought and editing goes in to it but glad it’s helping people. Makes it all worth it 😇😇😇
Great video thanks. Good to see how easy it is to wire up, I was 90% convinced to get a Clayton, this has made me 110% sure.
Ah cheers. It’s not had many views yet but the more people switch to quality all-in-ones and need to install it will be really useful. Fingers crossed it took ages 😂
Really like where this is going bud especially with the extra storage pending great video 👍🏻
Ah cheers dude.
Great video and very informative for someone like me who finds it all a bit daunting.Watched Urbanarkoverland 's video and after watching yours think that's made my mind up this is the way to go.
Thanks Pete. I thought about doing this in a van but on a bench made much more sense in the end and worked out well. Hopefully as the units become more popular more people will find this useful ⚡️
Great vid, gone down the rabbit hole of electrics so confused about alternators amongst other things, how does it know what is safe to take from the van battery without damaging it?
Hahah I think I’m still down that rabbit hole with my feet poking out.
So first off, it knows the engine or ignition is live because there is a connected wire called a D+ signal via a pigtail fuse.
When fitting any type of DCDC charger you need to ensure your alternator is good enough. Most vans made in the last 10 years will be fine. T6.1, T6 are fine with 140A or 180A factory fitted. but some T5 alternators are low powered. You can usually google it to find out I did do a comment about this but it would make a good video TBF.
Hi. Love the simplicity of the videos; would I need to do anything differently regarding the alternator connection if the vehicle has a stop/start facility? Any type of relay?
No these are comparable with smart alternators. both our 3 transporters and our crafter/TGE have stop start 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Great vid. 3 questions. 1 - can you expand the battery capacity by adding additional battery? 2 - I think I saw the limit of Solar is 400v. I have a little more than that on the roof. If i were to use an MPPT before the unit, would that be OK? 3 - Do you have a website?
Hi. Great video. How much can you expand these units by?
There’s a 280ah and 100ah coming out this year.
Hi Mark. Ref the 230v out. You mention using a switch fuse spur if you want to run off to a boiler.
If I also wanted to connect an induction hob, could I spur another switched spur off the double socket to save cable run, or do I need to run induction hob cable directly to the first fused spur by the Clayton unit?
In short. What's the best way to connect
Double 3pin plug socket (kitchen)
Truma boiler (garage)
Induction hob (kitchen)
Thanks in advance 👍🏻
@@chrishenderson7592 In theory yes. But the more on the single circuit the less you are isolating for safety. You could go for a mini compact 230v 3 way consumer unit so each of them also have an individual RCBO trip switch. That will give you earth fault protection on each item. Also then if you want to spur off with more double plug sockets from you double socket in future you could. Don’t forget i’m not an electrician just a nerd 😇 Maybe i should do a video on RCBOs and consumer units etc 👊
Me and my wife just recently completed our t6 conversion. We were looking at getting an inverter, we also opted for induction hob so no gas. This has really changed our minds. This really is off grid living. We definitely want this for our campervan. We think the 2500 would be adequate for our use. 👍🏾Could this run alongside our current lithium/solar system ?
Easy 👋 I don’t see why not. It would give you good redundancy. What’s your existing setup?
At 11m24 you attach the dc wire to a fuse box. The main wire you attach should have the fuse at the end near the power unit. The way you did it you have nothing protecting the long wire from the Clayton. This could be dangerous if a fault occurs.
Yeah good point it should always be as close to the power source as possible. Same with the fuse coming off the vehicle battery that should be as close the the vehicle battery as poss.
The reality is the 12v fuse box is very close to the unit but it would have been good for me to point that out if anyone has a long length of cable.
@@ahoyleisure all you would need to do, is swap that lead that goes to the 12V fusebox around :)
Hey Mark. Thanks for doing the vid. Why use a 16mm² M8 on the solar DC? Isnt the cable in from your DC just 4/6mm double insulated solar cable? So it would be a 4/6mm² with an m8 hole?
Yup you are right. Some cables sizes differ for solar depending on your input. But yeah look up the cable core size you have and work from there 👍🏼
When is the app coming out? It's already late.
I am holding off on the Clayton until I can have a way of monitoring it.
My unit will be in the rear of the van so its not easy to see the screen.
I was told Spring this year but then told end of the year or next year.
@@ahoymark6507 Do you know if I bought one, it would be upgradable? Do they already have the wifi/bluetooth chip built in?
@ahoymark6507 I am just surprised their adverts on their own website show people using an app and that was posted last year.
@@CalMUK91 I know! It doesn’t make sense to me. No. We’ve been doing the software upgrades to accept the add on battery but it won’t be upgradable to allow bluetooth as they don’t have a module built in.
Hi! Great video…. I’m installing a Clayton in my van at the moment. One question…. So you don’t have to have a wire running from negative start battery to the Clayton? Instead you can run a wire from the chassis ground (close to the Clayton) to DC negative on the Clayton? Keep up the good work! Cheers
Hey thank you ⚡️
Yeah that’s right. For context as earth and ground are confused…
In higher voltage circuits like your 230v one at home you have the positive and negative earth cable. The earth cable should always be empty of current. However if there are any faults the electricity can then run through the earth cable and down to the physical earth rod in your house. There are also earth specific breakers that work to protect you too.
With 12v system it doesn’t have an extra earth cable. Instead they have a common ground. That being your chassis and tyres touching the ground. And because it’s DC (direct current) it runs one way. 230v in your home is AC (alternating current) so can run either way up the cable.
So on a 12v system in a vehicle the starter battery, and other key electrical items all connect to the chassis to create the loop. In your engine bay you will see things like the ecu, lights etc have bolts into the body.
Haha that was a long answer 😂Does that make sense?
Also make sure the grounding point you pick or make on the van has good continuity and low resistance. Ie the current will easily through it. Some panels can be glued in place with little metal weld and not allow the current to flow very well. This can be tested easily with a cheap multimeter. I may do a basics video for people on how to use a multimeter for these key tests as it can be overwhelming but with a few tips it’s easy to understand. As always I’m not an electrician and just an enthusiast. Electricity is dangerous so always get help if you are unsure. Email me on mark@ahoy.co.uk if you need any further help 🤙
Yes that makes sense! Thanks for the extensive answer!@@ahoyleisure
Can this be integrated into a swift Kontiki motorhome? I want to live off grid as much as possible with solar panels
It could yes. We have already integrated in to a Westfalia CRAFTER/TGE, grand cali…
Hi, really good and informative video, thank you. I'm currently spec'ing out the electrics for my van. I'm going full electric, no gas. The van will have twin induction hob, 12v fridge, 12v AC, 12v underfloor and air heater (diesel/electric), 12v water heater, 12v warming pads for fresh and waste water, other various 12v items, plus 240v points to run air fryer and other appliances. Three power inputs: solar, shore, and auxiliary alternator. I haven't calculated the total draw on the batteries as yet but I was wondering if this unit with the aux batteries might cope with the demand. Plus, how many 240v sockets can you run off this? Thanks.
With our top unit with 160ah included with the additional 280ah that’s 440ah or 5kWh.
The main drain will be any electrical heater so if that’s diesel rather than electric the above would be more than ample power.
An electric hob etc will be fine. We’ve found our kettle uses only 3% capacity. Similar with toaster or coffee machine.
We have two double 240 sockets so 4 in total and have had no issues at all. It’s not about the number of sockets so to speak it’s about how much power is running through them at any time ie how much power the plugged in appliances are pulling.
Is there a shopping list people can access of all additional fuses, tools etc needed to fit the LPS?
Annoyingly I bought one a few months ago direct from Clayton - just seen your deal at 20% off! Mines still in the box too.. Sigh.
Thank you
Ah gutted. 🤦♂️
I will pull one together when I have time. Maybe a pdf would be good with a diagram too.
Shake a leg. Didn’t realise the 600w supercharger was as well as the inbuilt
Where can i find these to buy for my van? And how much do these cost?
Thanks
We are working on our website for Ahoy Leisure but in the meantime I’ve been doing all the orders via email and whatsapp oh and doing really good deals for everyone 😇 I personally advise on the best set up for people. We’ve even had a few visits of people with their van so we can discuss the best placement etc. Email me on mark@ahoy.co.uk and we get a quote out same day with full breakdown and delivery etc. We have stock and it’s same or next day delivery depending on the time of order and location.
Anyone can tell me why this is better or worse than an Ecoflow? Seriously need one or the other but in edging towards the Ecoflow for a lot of reasons. Just need to know why I would spend another £1300 for less battery storage.
is this available in australia?
Not at the moment
Could you please recommend an installer?
Send me a message on 07905949435 I have a few options for install for people.
Can you purchase these in Canada?
No from what I know at the moment.
@@ahoyleisure ah damn!! Thanks for the reply.
So you don't have to use an RCD.
No it uses an RCBO which has earth protection too. If you are having a lot of 230v appliances I would recommend a small consumer unit.