Not with that big compressor fridge Rob running at 3ah or more.
Switching to a B2B will definitely look after your lead batteries better than a VSR. Something to bear in mind with Lead Batteries is the charge rate they accept is notably lower than Lithium. There is no point in having a really big B2B that will never get close to the charge rate the Leads will take.
But he has said he is fitting lithiums!
The kits a must then, think i will go lead carbons the next time round.
Cycle life: A decent lithium battery will give you 3,000–5,000 cycles, whereas lead-carbon is usually around 800–1,200 cycles if treated well.
Weight: Lithium is much lighter — typically 12–13kg for 100Ah vs 30kg+ for lead-carbon.
High current discharge: Lithium handles high loads far better and with less voltage sag, so your inverter, air fryer, or espresso machine will thank you.
Quite frankly why are we still buying vans with lead batteries, it’s bonkers.Just a quick thought on the lead-carbon option — it’s worth doing the maths before deciding, as lead-carbon is actually more expensive per usable amp-hour than lithium now.
Let’s break it down:
• A 110Ah lead-carbon battery gives you around 60Ah usable (you really shouldn’t discharge them more than 50–55% regularly).
That battery costs £189.99, so that’s £3.17 per usable Ah.
• A 100Ah LiFePO₄ battery typically offers 90Ah usable, as lithium can be safely discharged to 90% or more.
At £219.99, that works out to £2.44 per usable Ah.
So right off the bat, lithium is cheaper per usable amp-hour.
But the real kicker is when you factor in:
•
• Charge efficiency: Lithium is over 95% efficient, meaning less wasted solar or alternator power. Lead-carbon sits around 75–85%.
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•
In short — while lead-carbon was a solid halfway house a few years ago, the price gap has closed, and lithium is now the better investment in most cases. Unless you’ve got a very specific use case, lithium wins across the board.
Phil
Again, thank you Phil. I was about to message again regarding what you've just said so thank you. I may well need further help clarification re cables etc. the Orion unit sounds perfect as it can cope with all types of battery and alternator which is good as there may be a vehicle upgrade in the future. Thanks again and sorry for the delay in replying but I work on the patient transport ambulances on shifts etc. so can't always reply straight awayYou’re very welcome, Colin!
Yep — the Victron Orion XS50A will work perfectly with your Mk7 Transit’s standard (non-smart) alternator. In fact, it’s designed to be compatible with both smart and traditional alternators — it just uses different methods to detect when the engine is running.
For your setup, it’ll auto-detect engine-on via voltage sensing, so no need to wire in a D+ trigger unless you want to. The D+ is mainly needed for smart alternators (like those on Euro 6 vehicles) which drop the voltage too low after startup for the charger to detect engine running.
That said, one really important part is making sure your cabling is up to the job — the XS50 can push a lot of amps, and undersized cable will lead to voltage drop, poor performance, and even overheating.
Here’s what I’d suggest:
1. Measure the distance in metres from your starter battery to where the XS50 will be installed.
2. Then measure the distance from the XS50 to your leisure batteries.
3. Plug both distances in metres (one at a time), System nominal DC voltage (V) as 12V and Current draw (Amps) at 54A into this voltage drop calculator from 12V Planet:
https://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/voltage-drop-calculator.html
Adjust the Select cable cross-sectional area (mm2) until you have a voltage drop of less than 3%.
4. Use it to work out the correct cable size for each leg (you want to keep voltage drop under 3% ideally — or 0.36V on a 12V system).
5. Check the cables currently installed in the van. If they’re smaller than what the calculator recommends, they’ll need upgrading.
6. While you’re at it, check your fuse sizes too — the Orion XS50 recommends fuses rated slightly above its current draw, so 60A fuses are usually spot on.
It might sound like a bit of a faff, but getting the wiring right is crucial — it’ll ensure your system is safe, performs properly, and doesn’t waste any charging power as heat in thin wires!
Let me know if you need help running the numbers or choosing cable — happy to help.
Cheers,
Phil
That is a really good price, I paid £259.99 last week. Being installed today along with a victron 100-50 solar controller, victron smartshunt and an Eco-worthly 280ah lithium battery. Only a 100w solar panel (don't think I will need any more as we move location each day and the dc-dc should sort that)For Full Members of Wild Camping and Motorhomer, you can use the Alpha Batteries discount code and get an Orion XS 50 cheaper than I can buy it trade (with VAT and delivery). This is because Alpha Batteries have it on discount at the moment.
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Same here ....when my 50 amp (replacing my moody Ring rscdc30 )
I was fortunate I had 16mm cabling, and 60a fuses in place. My van came with a Nordelectronica 40a b2b which failed after just two months.
That's an impressively small unit considering it's rated at 50A. A couple of questions for the Blue Experts if they'd care to chip in:-
My compressor fridge runs at about 3A but it doesn’t run all the time, it cuts in and out, mostly out. Over 24 hours I reckon it uses 20Ah to 30Ah which is easily replaced by a B2B with an hour or two of driving. Also worth remembering that unlike a 3 way fridge the compressor only takes a few amps out of the available charge when driving.
I have paralleled B2Bs. The original Schaudt/Lippert WA121525 and a Victron Orion XS 50. I have fitted a switch to the D+ feed to the WA121525 because it is not always needed and has only a very basic Li charging profile. The XS is a bit kinder to the battery. When needed both run happily together.
First I am not an expert.That's an impressively small unit considering it's rated at 50A. A couple of questions for the Blue Experts if they'd care to chip in:-
How long has that unit been out?
Any reported throttling back issues with it when it gets warm? (I know Victron had this previously with a certain model, cant recall if it was a SCC or a B2B)
Does the Lithium profile have any 'Float' component? Or is it simply 50A up until the threshold voltage is reached and then Zero current? Knowing Victron this will be customisable no doubt but I wondered how Victron chose their default LFP setting.
Ta
