Laika Ecovip motorhome system
Preface
First of all, a greeting to all ecovipparians and especially to you, who have arrived on this page to understand how the electrical system of your ecovip motorhome works.
Let's say right away that you can find a lot of material on the net, but unfortunately in everything you can find there is always some mistake, so I decided to remedy it with this webpage. In fact, even though it has been about 20 years since they were made, it is never too late!
On the ecovippari website you can find the wiring diagram and a rather thorough explanation, but there are at least two problems:
- The photo of the electrical system is illegible (mainly due to low resolution)
- Some errors have been corrected but others remain
So I have finally corrected the wiring diagram and also tried to illustrate how the system works and give you some tips. Obviously the work done before me by other people has been useful to speed up understanding and to have a good basis on which I have filed down some details.
Index of Topics
Introduction
Before we begin, I would like to emphasise that the work done on this website, from the information on home automation up to this article, is all done for free, but running a site like this costs a few hundred euros a year, in addition to the time and work it takes to manage it and make it grow.
For this reason, if you find what is written on this page useful and want to help me keep this site alive, I would ask you not to download the material without contributing a small donation, which you can do simply with this button.
Thank you in advance for your support.
What has been done?
As you all know, the Ecovip's Laika system of those years was made by the company nordelectronics.
Not so long ago, the company was very helpful to campers and issued several pieces of advice and documents.
Today, however, DexKo Global (“DexKo”), a worldwide supplier of chassis technology in the recreational vehicle sector, has been bought by its subsidiary AL-KO, at which point the company's policies have changed, and so even I was unable to speak to anyone or get confirmation of the work I was doing to update the charging system, which I will probably publish later.
Returning to our system, Laika also issued the wiring diagram designed by NordElettronica when we purchased our vehicles.
This diagram can be found online, but it is barely legible and has several errors.
- The first thing I did was to take and fix the image of the diagram, also making it clearer by adding colours, after which I disassembled my system and verified the truthfulness of the diagram by making the changes I found.
- The second step was to disassemble the control unit to reverse engineer it and get to know its schematic.
- The third step was to modify the system by adding an up-to-date power supply and charging section.
On this webpage we will only illustrate the first step, if I publish the other two I will update you.
The complete circuit diagram
Here we are at the point you have been waiting for. Here you can find the updated and corrected modified wiring diagram, but I would like to remind you that a lot of work has been done, so I will leave a watermark with the name of the website below, and I would be grateful if you could contribute to the sustenance of the site by sending even a very small donation.
Here you will find a preview of the pattern, you can click on it to download the full resolution image, but first don't forget....
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The power supply
Power is supplied, when connected to 220V, by a 350W transformer.
This power supply consists of a transformer followed by rectifier diodes and delivers 12V DC if we have 220V AC at the input, which means that if the voltage supplied by the camps is slightly different, the output will also be affected accordingly.
This is one of the first differences we can notice compared to more current power supply devices that provide a constant voltage independent of the input voltage. .
A “double half-wave power supply with a centre-socket transformer and two diodes” was used to power the cell. (actually, the diodes will be more in our case). The reason for choosing this type, as opposed to the classic diode bridge, is due to the fact that we will always have only one diode in the power supply path, so we will only have a drop of about 0.7V with respect to the voltage supplied, resulting in less loss and power dissipation.
Conceptually, the power supply functions as shown in the following figure:
To briefly explain how it works, we can look at the following figure where we see the output voltage of the transformer, the voltage rectified by the two diodes, and the voltage levelled due to the presence of the battery and the loads that create continuity between the half-waves.
It is evident that the voltage we can draw from a system made in this way is quite different from the voltage provided by current power supplies. Furthermore, in our factory-installed system, the shape of the levelled voltage will change considerably as the power consumption changes.
Coming to the schematic of our power supply, it is realised as follows:
I add a photo of the actual installation:
As we can see in the design the RED wire is downstream of the diodes, The difference between the schematic diagram and that of the Laika lies in the fact that two power diode bridges were used for ease of assembly, and therefore two diodes were used in parallel for each half-wave.
This RED wire is used in the cell to supply the consumers directly from the 220V after automatically disconnecting them from the battery.
Next, from the RED wire, with two more diodes (again using power diode bridges, so again each one has another diode in parallel) the BROWN wire is picked up, which will have about 0.7V less voltage than the RED wire. In this case, the diodes no longer serve to rectify the alternating voltage, but to separate the second voltage BROWN from the previous RED,
The BROWN wire has a 0.22 OHM limiting resistor in series, which will serve to simplistically transform a voltage generator into a current generator, and thus use this wire as a battery charger.
That is why the battery charger of our Laika is not a very effective tool, but we will talk about that later.
Summarising the main differences between a modern power supply and the one in our Laika are:
- Fixed 12V output voltage, independent of input voltage.
- Constant output voltage as the absorption load varies.
- Stabilised output voltage. (in our case simply rectified)
- Much lighter due to the diversity of operation, which allows the use of much smaller transformers. (Switching power supplies).
The battery charger
Here we come to an interesting section, continue with me and I will explain how it works.....ah please remember to download the wiring diagram to follow me, and before doing so I would be grateful if you could make a donation to support the costs of maintaining this site.
Following the wiring diagram, the BROWN wire goes to relay (32) C.B. This relay is normally open, when the RED wire feeds the control unit, it will send a signal C (CONTROL) which will close the relay.
In this way, depending on the state of the switch (40) BS/BM will read back the battery voltage BS or BM.
If it is below a certain threshold, it will decide to keep the control signal active, thus sending current to the selected battery via the BROWN wire and the limiting resistor; when the voltage exceeds a set maximum value, the control signal will be disconnected and charging will end.
The status of the control signal is indicated on the panel by the red charge LED.
In addition, three LEDs indicate the battery voltage level with 1/3, 2/3 and 3/3.
Obviously, this charging mode is very generic and far removed from what current chargers do.
In a new article, I will explain how to add a modern charger.
Let's take a brief look at what a next-generation charger would do:
A modern battery charger follows algorithms that have several phases, it can have 4 or more phases, up to 7 for example.
Let us take a 7-stage charger as an example and see what they are:
FIRST CHARGING PHASE
Charge the battery with the maximum current until the absorption voltage is reached.
ABS - Absorption
Charges the battery with constant voltage and decreasing current until charging is complete.
RECONDITION
Reconditioning is an option in which there is a charging phase with low current.
FLOAT
Holding charge at constant voltage.
STORAGE
It keeps the battery at a constant reduced voltage to extend its life.
READY
The battery is fully charged and the charger stops.
RESTORE
It performs short recharges to combat slow battery self-discharge.
You can therefore see the big difference with the charging mode provided by our control unit!
Feeding the Cell
When connected to 220V, a part of the cell is powered via the RED wire we mentioned.
Looking at the circuit diagram, in fact, the RED wire goes to relay (31) R/B which switches between mains and battery power.
When voltage is present on the RED wire, this relay will carry the power supply voltage (27) instead of the battery voltage (22) on the BLUE wire.
In this way, the BLUE wire, which coincides with the RED wire when connected to 220V, will supply power:
- pump (1)
- lighting circuit (33)
- aspirator (29)
- aspirator lights (39)
- light and piezo oven (20)
Instead, some consumers will ALWAYS be powered by the services battery, even when connected to 220V, and they are:
- Fridge (26)
- TV socket (6)
- TV antenna amplifier (7)
- TV Antenna (8)
- 12V TV socket (19)
- Stove fans (4)
- Water heater (2)
- Step (34)
Conclusions
The discussion on the circuit diagram can still go on, but I would stop here for now, if you would like to elaborate on any other points leave them in the comments below.
Thank you for your support.
Good morning My name is Andrea, and I have a problem with the electrical system of my ecovip 200 i, can you help me?
If I can, please email me at info@smartcamper.it describing the problem in as much detail as possible.
Hi I have a Laika ecovip 2 I bought a LM287 to replace the original power supply but I ended up with two positives and the charger only has one output. Would you be able to help me. Thanks
The two positives, as you can see from the diagram, are respectively powering the consumers and charging the battery, so obviously they have to be handled separately with a power supply and a battery charger.
I would like to know the channel in the rear porthole Laika 2.1 2011 where it leads
Typically, it is used to feed the power cables for the side lights and should therefore reach all the way to the control unit.
hello could you help me i got a Victron Energy Blue Smart IP22 12-Volt 30 amp 230V, CEE 7/7 single output battery charger, Bluetooth can i connect it without touching the original directly on the bs ?
In general, two chargers cannot insist on the same battery, so the original must be uninstalled if you want to fit the Victron.
Good morning, wanting to change the charger without disrupting the existing system, which one would you suggest?
I was looking forward to reading your new article on the explanation of how to add a modern charger.
Thank you for your valuable contribution.
Francis
If you want something functional and inexpensive, Nord Elettronica's battery chargers are the most balanced choice, but if you want something more complete and professional, and therefore more expensive, you can go for Victron's battery chargers.
Good morning,
I have a 2011 Ecovip II and, as I need to change the services battery, I would like to upgrade to a well-made lithium battery (e.g. Ultimatron 150 Ah, or the cheaper Queen Power 140 Ah).
The seller gave me some advice (e.g. on the solar side the system should be fine as I have a Victron charger fitted last year, on the battery charger side he suggested I keep the original one even though it is not optimised for a lithium battery), while on the alternator side I have a few more problems.
In particular, can you tell me if the existing wiring harness is adequate for a lithium battery by just inserting a DCDC, or do I need to rewire the connection from the engine battery to the services battery with cables of a suitable cross-section? Do you have any idea which wiring diagram to adopt?
I also have a second question: from what I have seen there is only one connection to the services battery, which seems to serve both to power the cell and to receive power from the engine battery when the alternator is running. Is this possible?
Thank you very much for any valuable information you can give me.
Good morning,
If I understand correctly, you already have a Victron MPPT regulator installed, so on the solar side you are fine. I still suggest you consider buying the new iVtronis a small WiFi device that integrates seamlessly with Victron devices and allows you to monitor everything conveniently via the internet, even remotely.
Regarding the original charger of your 2011 Ecovip II, I am not sure if it is compatible with lithium batteries. Some models of the time do not allow the charging curve for lithium to be set correctly (especially for equalising or holding voltages), so it is important to check that it at least has a suitable charging profile or risk damaging the new battery.
On the alternator side, the ideal solution is to install a DC-DC charger such as the Victron Orion-Tr Smart DC-DC, which is a 3-phase intelligent charger with Bluetooth. It allows you to properly manage the charge from the engine to the lithium-ion battery, protecting both the battery and the alternator.
If you set it to a moderate current (e.g. 20-30 A), in most cases you can use the existing wiring without rewiring, provided the cables are in good condition and of the appropriate cross-section for the set current.
Keep in mind, however, that the cross-section of the cables should be evaluated according to the current they will have to handle, not so much the battery. If you plan to use higher current draw than before (e.g. powerful inverters, electric heaters, etc.), then the cables, fuses and protective devices must also be adjusted.
Regarding your second question:
Yes, it is entirely possible that you have a single connection between the engine battery and services battery, which serves both to charge the services battery when the alternator is active and to power the cell. This is a very common configuration.
However, to give a definite answer you would need to see a wiring diagram of your vehicle or at least some more details on the visible wiring.
I remain at your disposal for any clarification!
Thank you for your thorough reply.
I am left with some doubts about charger management and the BM connection with BS.
As far as the charger is concerned, I am afraid that the replacement will affect the charging of the BM (in fact, I have not been able to find out whether the original charger in the motorhome also charges the BM). In this regard, I could send you (but I don't know how) the specifications of the charger, which is a Nordelettronica NE186. Let's say that if it is not strictly necessary, I would keep the original charger set to a Gel battery profile that provides a maximum charge at 14.4 V (provided that this is also compatible with the BM, in case the charger also charges the BM).
Regarding the BM connection with the BS and insertion of the Victron DCDC, I would prefer new 16 sq mm cables. To do this, I have identified the connection from the BM to the control unit, which I have disconnected (in this way, when the engine is running, the BS does not actually recharge any more), but I can't work out whether any further modifications are required (there is a 1 mm input from the alternator in the control unit and also a mains presence input from the battery charger). Again, I could send you the diagrams but I don't know how.
Thanks again for the valuable support.
Nordelettronica NE186 Charger
If the BM (engine battery) is AGM and the BS (services battery) is Lithium, keeping the charger set to Gel is not a good idea:
Lithium batteries require a specific charging curve, with a bulk phase up to 14.2-14.4V and no prolonged float maintenance.
AGMs, on the other hand, tolerate 14.4V but with different absorption logics.
The NE186 could also charge the BM, but this depends on the specific Laika configuration. In many motorhomes, as standard, the charger only charges the BS, while the BM is charged:
via the alternator, when the engine is running or from the 230V mains if the control unit so provides, often via a relay or secondary circuit.
BM-BS and DCDC Victron connection
You did well to:
break the original BM → BS connection
test that when the engine is running the BS no longer loads, so the system is now correctly sectioned
At this point, if you want to plug in the DC-DC Victron Orion-Tr Smart, the correct approach is:
Positive cable from BM (protected by 60-100A fuse near BM) to DC-DC input
Negative cable directly from the - pole of the BM to the DC-DC
DC-DC positive output cable to BS, always with appropriate fuse (60-100A)
Use 16 mm² cables only if the route is relatively short (less than 4-5 metres in total), otherwise assess 25 mm²
Only activate the Orion when the engine is running (you can use the 1 mm alternator cable you mention as an ACC signal to activate the Orion via remote on/off)
If mains voltage (230V) also enters the control unit, make sure that there are no automatic reconnections that reset the BM-BS charge, otherwise you risk bypassing the C-DC.
You have a 2011 Laika Ecovip II motorhome: in many models of those years, the BM/BS management was quite “passive” and therefore modifiable with a fair degree of freedom, but always better to check the diagram in hand.
I really recommend you continue on the SmartCamperCheck group: there we can exchange diagrams, photos, first-hand experience, and maybe even find someone with the same Laika model who has already done the modification.
Thanks again for the helpful hints.
This is undoubtedly the dumbest question, but I ask it. I have an ecovip 400... where the hell is the power supply located? Under the floor where? 🙂 Thanks for the reply and apologies for the question. 🙂
generally in ecovips it is located near the step.