We use the XTM battery box with a Projecta DCDC charger mounted to the top of the box. Only thing we changed was putting a solar input on the box. Been flawless for us and very economical. XTM gear is under rated we think!
@@4wdCmpg I connected it to the top of the box by drilling holes in the lid of the battery box and bolting it on. If you mean connecting the actual wires the dcdc charger comes with very clear instructions. If you need further help let me know and maybe I can take some photos for you.
@@oconnorfamilyadventures Thanks mate, I figured it out. I have to cut the output anderson and connect it internally to the same terminals that the main battery comes into. Managed to find a solution from a video from a competitor and here is the link. Pity XTM does not do such videos. th-cam.com/video/QCAdAQf5qpY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=awDD_UvmDxpj4Ls- Thanks again for the reply
Bought this control box from watching this video. Options are unlimited. I installed. a 240v GPO where your mat that runs off the inverter so I can charge the ryobi batteries when I’m driving. Great bit of kit
stoked i found this im just trying to get some basic stuff happening in my work car and dont really know much about 12v but got my solar running through my mppt charger into the panel via anderson plug and then from a dual purpose starter/deep cycle battery into control panel so it all links up and running a small console fridge and milwaukee 12v charger out of it. only thing I wasnt able to suss out was how to add the extra input to make the battery coming off the anderson plug instead of accessory cable so i needed a 3rd anderson plug and seeing yours going through the grommets is exactly what i needed to know (showed my auto sparky mate and he just shook his head at my cowboy install) but it works *shrug*
Love the review mate , i looked at these for my budget 12v build , Im not running lithium atm . Ended up going with adventure kings as I got it on special for $99 .. Same issues with the loose terminals . Apart from that its an awesome cheap unit , great for a budget build . Ive modified mine to house my redarc solar monitor panel and my battery monitor . with these cheaper units they are awesome if you know what to look for and your willing to add things like DCDC chargers later . Ive have had no dramas at all
Good overview and review mate, I went with the Kings box for $99 on special, seemed like a quick easy solution for a budget build. I know my way around electrical gear, so I dont see it will have any issues I cant rectify simply. I have heard the XTM may have better wiring, but then some have claimed the two as identical, Ill have to go and check them out. Cheers
Just recently purchased the same unit. I have wired it up , but seem to have constant power at ciggi plug outlets. Rocker switches have no effect on them. Wired the same as yours , except I left the bridge on the positive. Should have I taken that off?
No mate, by design the cig and USB outlets are wired directly from the fuse block. The rocker switches are purely for extra accessories you may want to wire in. You can modify the wiring to control each unit as the switches are rated for 20 Amps.
Great video mate. I have installed one in my canopy and like you modified one Anderson to suit my solar input. As you said, check the tightness of everything and a little untidy. More cable ties are needed to keep everything in place. My biggest negative is the length of the negative Anderson cables, easy fix though. Cheers
Hey Brett, I found the same problem but as you said, easy fix. Pretty easy mod to allow for constant solar, I'm actually looking to revert it if I don't use our solar blanket this winter.
@@oliverburnell9972 I don't know your setup mate but with mine I am running a 25 amp Kickass DCDC charger. So the original wiring had both Andersons wired directly from the Positive & Negative poles inside the control box. The GREEN cable of my DCDC charger is the solar INPUT cable. This is the one that I simply fitted to one of the Andersons after removing just the original Positive cable. Hopefully you can understand my jargon mate.
@@OutNAboutAustralia I have now lengthened the Negative cables to all for the front panel to open more to allow me easy access into the cable. Biggest reason for this is my vertically challenged old self lol. Happy with it now, just need to tidy up my wiring some more.
Great review and thank you. You are right that there are not may reviews out there on XTM. I am a newbie and am trying to wrap my head around these. I have got myself the XTM control box and XTM 40amp DCD charger. Can you advise on the wiring for the control box to the DCDC charger as that has a separate anderson solar, anderson input and output plugs already prewired, with an ignition cable. I am thinking that the main battery goes to the box but how do I connect the control box to the DCDC charger? Is it from the anderson plug on the Control Box to the input anderson plug on the DCD charger, and the output Anderson plug to the secondary battery? Any advice would be appreciated, and I know, I am new at this so please be kind ; - )
@BuggerMe lots to unpack there mate. If I understand you correctly, you're asking where to connect each DCDC Anderson plug to achieve charging an auxiliary battery from your alternator AND solar inputs? If so, The DCDC charger INPUT will connect to your vehicle crank/starter battery via an appropriate fuse. The DCDC charger OUTPUT can wire onto your auxiliary battery (via an appropriate fuse) The DCDC SOLAR Anderson plug will connect directly to a solar panel / blanket. The ignition cable only needs to be connected in smart alternator applications and needs to connect to a 12V source that is only energised when the vehicle is running (e.g. fuel pump, ignition switch) Hope this helps.
@@OutNAboutAustralia thanks mate. I have a control box and have resolved it by connecting the starter battery to the control box and the dcdc to the same terminals in the control box. The rest is as you have said. Thanks again for your help.
Hey mate ive recently wired in mine with a red arc bcdc1225, i cant seem to get any power from just the secondary battery alone after i unplug the main. Would that bridge between the 2 positive terminals inside the control box be causing this? Cheers
Bit hard to say without seeing your installation mate but a good starting point would be to break out the multimeter and start testing if you know your way around one.
Hey mate, Depends on the cables used to connect to the battery. Our system has a 150A circuit breaker between the battery and the control box purely because we are using cables rated at 200A to allow for an inverter in the future.
I bought the kings panel and immediately had to upgrade the wiring to anderson plugs as they were not suitable to 50amp,wish i knew about the xtm,not well advertised.
Hey man great setup 🤙i bought a XTM control box just a quick one Im installing it in my trailer I will be running the main power from an Anderson plug at the rear of my Ute so hat gauge of wire would recommended to go from an Anderson plug to the ring terminal in the box also how may amps should my circuit breaker be? Thanks Mick
Hey Mick, Depending on your charger I’d use twin 6 B&S cable capable of supplying over 50A continuously. I’d protect that cable with a 50A circuit breaker or fuse as close to your car battery as possible.
Great video mate. I have a lithium set up and installed a Renogy Battery Monitor. Excellent for giving you an exact percentage of battery amp hours you have. Also reads input amps and outgoing amps. Keep up the good work. I also installed a dc-dc charger with inbuilt MPPT solar regulator. I’m assuming with your setup you are using solar only to charge your battery?
Hey Fred, thanks for the feedback mate 🤙🏽 Yep, we’re only using solar for the moment. I’ll be adding a Victron DC-DC in the new year when the inverter goes in but so far haven’t really had the need for it.
Hey mate, yep this one is straight off the solar. It’s got a fixed 110W panel on the roof and can plug in our 150W blanket when it’s really low. Both systems are great but it really comes down to how they’ll be used. Solar is great for longer stays but doesn’t put in as much power so it’s a bit of a trade off.
@@OutNAboutAustralia Nice. We have 300w household panel feeding our 100/20mppt and the 100amp Lithium never needs any other charging. Keeping it simple is best
@@OutNAboutAustralia yes, no mucking around with the 300w. After 3days rain and running fridge, lights, recharge phone and stuff the 100amp Li was down to 20SOC. With a clear sunny day following there was 1.41kwh charge produced and fridge had the beers extra cold. No dcdc required. 3rd vehicle setup with no dcdc used now.
Ripper video mate! Just asking what gauge wire you used from the box to to the battery and what size circuit breaker? Just purchased this box and am having difficulty choosing the right size wire and circuit breaker. Cheers!! 🍻
Thanks Blake , It’s a little overkill for most applications but I’ve run a 0B&S cable from my battery to the 150A circuit breaker. From there I have 2B&S run into the control box but will be adding a 1500W inverter in parallel.
Hey mate, the way we’ve used it has been great for us 👍🏽 I’ll be putting out a full 12V rundown soon and going over all the pros and cons of the full setup
Hi Mate when you wired up the MPPT did you use 50 or 70 amp Pv cable? And did you terminate the cable on solar input side on MPPT with a ferrule? Thanks Mick
Hey bro so glad you made this video I’m doing same as you - and need help for inside the dc control box - how is your MPPT connected to the battery ? Is it directly through the mppt to the battery or is tue mppt connected to the positive and negative feedback snide the dc box ? Thanks for you help bro
Hey mate, mine was connected through the positive terminal post and the negative busbar in the box These both then connect directly back to the battery. Hope this helps.
Thanks mate, another good no BS review that helped me out. Darche swag, XTM box over kings - yeah, better quality wiring. Now If I buy a van my wife's gonna fucking castrate me with a blunt spoon and Im gonna blame you. haha. Love your work mate.
I had the Kings unit. Sold it. The XTM unit looks identical but the internal wiring is substantially better (50afused and heavier gauge). Would recommend the XTM over the Kings.
Probably mostly my fault mate. I cut all the factory cable ties off and changed the wiring to suit our setup. Hadn’t quite tidied it all all again when I filmed this 😂😂
Literally the ONLY video for this product on The Tube!!! bought this last week and then looked for videos haha. Thanks Bro!!
Haha no worries mate, depending how it goes long term there might be some mod videos for ours!
Just bought this unit after looking at a lot of others can't wait to install it
Hope it goes well for you mate.
Let me know how it goes once it's all set up!
We use the XTM battery box with a Projecta DCDC charger mounted to the top of the box. Only thing we changed was putting a solar input on the box. Been flawless for us and very economical. XTM gear is under rated we think!
Sounds like a solid setup.
How do you rate the Projecta DC DC charger?
Can you advise how you connected the DCDC charger to the control box? I am new to this.
THanks in advance
@@4wdCmpg I connected it to the top of the box by drilling holes in the lid of the battery box and bolting it on. If you mean connecting the actual wires the dcdc charger comes with very clear instructions. If you need further help let me know and maybe I can take some photos for you.
@@oconnorfamilyadventures Thanks mate, I figured it out. I have to cut the output anderson and connect it internally to the same terminals that the main battery comes into. Managed to find a solution from a video from a competitor and here is the link. Pity XTM does not do such videos. th-cam.com/video/QCAdAQf5qpY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=awDD_UvmDxpj4Ls- Thanks again for the reply
Bought this control box from watching this video. Options are unlimited. I installed. a 240v GPO where your mat that runs off the inverter so I can charge the ryobi batteries when I’m driving. Great bit of kit
Sounds like a good idea mate, I'm planning to add a small inverter to ours for the same reason!
stoked i found this im just trying to get some basic stuff happening in my work car and dont really know much about 12v but got my solar running through my mppt charger into the panel via anderson plug and then from a dual purpose starter/deep cycle battery into control panel so it all links up and running a small console fridge and milwaukee 12v charger out of it.
only thing I wasnt able to suss out was how to add the extra input to make the battery coming off the anderson plug instead of accessory cable so i needed a 3rd anderson plug and seeing yours going through the grommets is exactly what i needed to know (showed my auto sparky mate and he just shook his head at my cowboy install) but it works *shrug*
No worries mate, it’s a bit of a rough video and trying to explain it was a bit of a struggle but in the end it works and every cable is protected.
This is a real clean video! Super useful, you've sold me on one and giving it a crack myself!! Thanks legend
No worries Bailey, happy to have helped mate 🤙🏽
Love the review mate , i looked at these for my budget 12v build , Im not running lithium atm . Ended up going with adventure kings as I got it on special for $99 .. Same issues with the loose terminals . Apart from that its an awesome cheap unit , great for a budget build . Ive modified mine to house my redarc solar monitor panel and my battery monitor . with these cheaper units they are awesome if you know what to look for and your willing to add things like DCDC chargers later . Ive have had no dramas at all
Definitely mate, if your a bit handy and don’t mind fixing some imperfections they can be good little units and modified to suit most setups 👍🏽
Good overview and review mate, I went with the Kings box for $99 on special, seemed like a quick easy solution for a budget build. I know my way around electrical gear, so I dont see it will have any issues I cant rectify simply. I have heard the XTM may have better wiring, but then some have claimed the two as identical, Ill have to go and check them out. Cheers
No worries mate. They’re definitely a good option for a quick or budget build.
What does the 6th fuse power? 5 switches and 6 fuses. Just one fuse not wired to anything?
USBs and CIG outlets mate.
I think the voltmeter might come off it too.
Just recently purchased the same unit. I have wired it up , but seem to have constant power at ciggi plug outlets. Rocker switches have no effect on them. Wired the same as yours , except I left the bridge on the positive.
Should have I taken that off?
No mate, by design the cig and USB outlets are wired directly from the fuse block.
The rocker switches are purely for extra accessories you may want to wire in.
You can modify the wiring to control each unit as the switches are rated for 20 Amps.
Great video mate. I have installed one in my canopy and like you modified one Anderson to suit my solar input.
As you said, check the tightness of everything and a little untidy. More cable ties are needed to keep everything in place. My biggest negative is the length of the negative Anderson cables, easy fix though. Cheers
Hey Brett, I found the same problem but as you said, easy fix.
Pretty easy mod to allow for constant solar, I'm actually looking to revert it if I don't use our solar blanket this winter.
What do you have to change in it to suit solar input to one of the Anderson plugs?
@@oliverburnell9972 I don't know your setup mate but with mine I am running a 25 amp Kickass DCDC charger. So the original wiring had both Andersons wired directly from the Positive & Negative poles inside the control box. The GREEN cable of my DCDC charger is the solar INPUT cable. This is the one that I simply fitted to one of the Andersons after removing just the original Positive cable. Hopefully you can understand my jargon mate.
@@OutNAboutAustralia I have now lengthened the Negative cables to all for the front panel to open more to allow me easy access into the cable. Biggest reason for this is my vertically challenged old self lol. Happy with it now, just need to tidy up my wiring some more.
@@aloveformusic6159 good stuff mate that would make life a whole lot easier. I was thinking about doing the same as well as hinging one side.
Great review and thank you. You are right that there are not may reviews out there on XTM.
I am a newbie and am trying to wrap my head around these.
I have got myself the XTM control box and XTM 40amp DCD charger.
Can you advise on the wiring for the control box to the DCDC charger as that has a separate anderson solar, anderson input and output plugs already prewired, with an ignition cable.
I am thinking that the main battery goes to the box but how do I connect the control box to the DCDC charger? Is it from the anderson plug on the Control Box to the input anderson plug on the DCD charger, and the output Anderson plug to the secondary battery?
Any advice would be appreciated, and I know, I am new at this so please be kind ; - )
@BuggerMe lots to unpack there mate.
If I understand you correctly, you're asking where to connect each DCDC Anderson plug to achieve charging an auxiliary battery from your alternator AND solar inputs?
If so,
The DCDC charger INPUT will connect to your vehicle crank/starter battery via an appropriate fuse.
The DCDC charger OUTPUT can wire onto your auxiliary battery (via an appropriate fuse)
The DCDC SOLAR Anderson plug will connect directly to a solar panel / blanket.
The ignition cable only needs to be connected in smart alternator applications and needs to connect to a 12V source that is only energised when the vehicle is running (e.g. fuel pump, ignition switch)
Hope this helps.
@@OutNAboutAustralia thanks mate. I have a control box and have resolved it by connecting the starter battery to the control box and the dcdc to the same terminals in the control box. The rest is as you have said. Thanks again for your help.
@BuggerMe no worries happy it worked for you 👍🏽
Can you use the Andersons at the front for in-going power, from a portable solar panel with its own pwm controller?
Hi Louise, yes you can.
Essentially the Anderson plugs connect directly to the battery.
Can you plug a solar panel into the Anderson on the xtm control box
Only after doing a little modification work to it.
I did a video on the mod here m.th-cam.com/video/7KLQNESVtuI/w-d-xo.html
Hey mate ive recently wired in mine with a red arc bcdc1225, i cant seem to get any power from just the secondary battery alone after i unplug the main. Would that bridge between the 2 positive terminals inside the control box be causing this? Cheers
Bit hard to say without seeing your installation mate but a good starting point would be to break out the multimeter and start testing if you know your way around one.
So you have to put an inline 80amp fuse between the control box and the second battery ?
Hey mate,
Depends on the cables used to connect to the battery.
Our system has a 150A circuit breaker between the battery and the control box purely because we are using cables rated at 200A to allow for an inverter in the future.
What did you change to make one input for solar?
Hey Warren,
I separated the Anderson plugs by removing the bus-connector between the active terminal posts.
Hey mate, wiring up twin rear lights to one switch and roof lights to their own individual switches. Would you reccomend using relays or nah?
Depends on the power consumption Max, best to double check but from memory the rocker switches are rated to 20A.
Great review 🍺
Thanks mate. Appreciate that 👍🏽
Hey mate, is making one of the Anderson plugs a solar input a simple job? I’m no good with 12v but wanna give it a crack
Fairly easy mate, just need to move 2 cables in the unit.
I’ll have a video up shortly showing how I did it.
@@OutNAboutAustralia have you uploaded that vid yet??
Great vid thank you.
Cheers
Just finished it Steve, it’s going up this week 👍🏽
m.th-cam.com/video/7KLQNESVtuI/w-d-xo.html
I bought the kings panel and immediately had to upgrade the wiring to anderson plugs as they were not suitable to 50amp,wish i knew about the xtm,not well advertised.
Heard a few people having the same problem with the Kings one.
Hopefully they fix it.
How’d you wire in the solar controller?
Hey Jamal,
Check out this video mate th-cam.com/video/7KLQNESVtuI/w-d-xo.html
Good video mate trying to look for something like this 🙌
Glad you enjoyed it mate.
Hope you got some info out of it!
Hey man great setup 🤙i bought a XTM control box just a quick one Im installing it in my trailer I will be running the main power from an Anderson plug at the rear of my Ute so hat gauge of wire would recommended to go from an Anderson plug to the ring terminal in
the box also how may amps should my circuit breaker be?
Thanks Mick
Hey Mick,
Depending on your charger I’d use twin 6 B&S cable capable of supplying over 50A continuously.
I’d protect that cable with a 50A circuit breaker or fuse as close to your car battery as possible.
Thanks mate will do
Appreciate your help
Would it make a difference if I put a 100amp circuit on
@@michaeljenkyns1719 if you use a 100A circuit breaker you’ll also need to run cable big enough to handle over 100A.
@@OutNAboutAustralia cheers mate 👍
Great video mate. I have a lithium set up and installed a Renogy Battery Monitor. Excellent for giving you an exact percentage of battery amp hours you have. Also reads input amps and outgoing amps. Keep up the good work. I also installed a dc-dc charger with inbuilt MPPT solar regulator. I’m assuming with your setup you are using solar only to charge your battery?
Hey Fred, thanks for the feedback mate 🤙🏽
Yep, we’re only using solar for the moment.
I’ll be adding a Victron DC-DC in the new year when the inverter goes in but so far haven’t really had the need for it.
thank you for sharing your detailed video as great watching know on market as look in 24v
No worries Robert, hope it helped you out.
Just bought mine today , should have it sorted next week , seems a great unit. 👍 great video
Thanks mate hope it goes well in your setup!
Is your 12v straight off solar or off starter battery as well. would you recommend what you have on your single cab or the dual cab set up
Hey mate, yep this one is straight off the solar.
It’s got a fixed 110W panel on the roof and can plug in our 150W blanket when it’s really low.
Both systems are great but it really comes down to how they’ll be used.
Solar is great for longer stays but doesn’t put in as much power so it’s a bit of a trade off.
What solar panel/s watt and volt got to supply the 100/20mppt?
I’ve got a fixed 110w panel on the roof and a 150w blanket if I ever need more.
@@OutNAboutAustralia Nice. We have 300w household panel feeding our 100/20mppt and the 100amp Lithium never needs any other charging.
Keeping it simple is best
Definitely sounds you’ll never run flat 😂 👍🏽
@@OutNAboutAustralia yes, no mucking around with the 300w. After 3days rain and running fridge, lights, recharge phone and stuff the 100amp Li was down to 20SOC.
With a clear sunny day following there was 1.41kwh charge produced and fridge had the beers extra cold. No dcdc required.
3rd vehicle setup with no dcdc used now.
How goods that!
Ripper video mate!
Just asking what gauge wire you used from the box to to the battery and what size circuit breaker? Just purchased this box and am having difficulty choosing the right size wire and circuit breaker. Cheers!! 🍻
Thanks Blake ,
It’s a little overkill for most applications but I’ve run a 0B&S cable from my battery to the 150A circuit breaker.
From there I have 2B&S run into the control box but will be adding a 1500W inverter in parallel.
Hey mate, do you charge your lithium with your alternator as well or just solar? cheers
Hey mate, just solar in this setup.
But I'm actually in the middle of redesigning my canopy setup now and that'll include a new 12v charging system.
after using this unit how do you like it?
Hey mate, the way we’ve used it has been great for us 👍🏽
I’ll be putting out a full 12V rundown soon and going over all the pros and cons of the full setup
Hi Mate when you wired up the MPPT did you use 50 or 70 amp Pv cable?
And did you terminate the cable on solar input side on MPPT with a ferrule?
Thanks Mick
Hey Michael,
I used 50A mate, having said that, it's only about a 1m length of cable to a single 110w solar panel so voltage drop isn't an issue.
@@OutNAboutAustralia cheers mate 👍
No worries
To monitor your battery levels..you will need a battery shunt from victron
Funny you should mention that!
Might see one in the next video 🤫
@@OutNAboutAustralia what a shunt or a decent battery lol
😂 a shunt
@@OutNAboutAustralia Get a decent battery to go with it
@@holdenman8850 running the iTech lithium at the moment
Great video brother
Thanks mate appreciate it! 🤙🏽
Hey bro so glad you made this video
I’m doing same as you - and need help for inside the dc control box - how is your MPPT connected to the battery ? Is it directly through the mppt to the battery or is tue mppt connected to the positive and negative feedback snide the dc box ?
Thanks for you help bro
Hey mate, mine was connected through the positive terminal post and the negative busbar in the box These both then connect directly back to the battery.
Hope this helps.
Thanks so much!
No worries 👍🏽
Thanks mate, another good no BS review that helped me out. Darche swag, XTM box over kings - yeah, better quality wiring. Now If I buy a van my wife's gonna fucking castrate me with a blunt spoon and Im gonna blame you. haha. Love your work mate.
Haha you know what they say easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission right? 😂
Glad to help out mate 👍🏽
Mirror image of kings
That's it mate, the layout suited our plan a bit better, plus the quality felt a bit better too.
I had the Kings unit. Sold it. The XTM unit looks identical but the internal wiring is substantially better (50afused and heavier gauge). Would recommend the XTM over the Kings.
I reckon the same Boz.
Haven’t used the Kings one but seen it and wasn’t overly impressed.
4206 Vada Village
Wow that factory wiring is horrible compared to the ‘other’ one on the market!!
Probably mostly my fault mate.
I cut all the factory cable ties off and changed the wiring to suit our setup.
Hadn’t quite tidied it all all again when I filmed this 😂😂
Team massive joooooes
😂 love it!
@@OutNAboutAustralia just found your channel mate and really enjoying the content. Keep it up :)
Thanks mate. Really appreciate it 👍🏽
I found the same power box on Amazon US
B0B12MKZT7
Wow, looks exactly the same except the branding!
Every man and his dog has a 4wd youtube channel ,