Aili Battery Monitor Install

[Montana318RE]

I am in the process of installing an Aili Battery Monitor and the directions say the shunt B- to the battery negative and the P- to the RV ground cluster. I have a 2013 Montana High Country 318RE and am trying to identity the negative ground cluster. I think it is in the battery compartment, a lot of white wires with at least one hot goes to this box with a #10 ground wire grounding to the frame. See photo below. I need to know is this the ground cluster to connect the P- to on the ground terminal?

[mikec557]

So, I'm not familiar with your battery monitor. But it appears to be the same concept as many. By that I mean it measures battery usage by running all negative connections (grounds) through a shunt.

I think that white wire going to the frame in the picture is too lightweight to be the right wire. Look for a heavy (6 gage) or larger wire cable that goes from the battery negative post to the RV frame. That cable would need to go from the frame, to the shunt, through the shunt, to the negative battery post.

In order for the shunt to measure all battery usage, all battery usage has to pass through it. Anything that gets its negative power without going through the shunt won't be observed and counted by the shunt.

Make sense?

[GHen]

Here is how I Understand the AiLi is wired.

The shunt on the AiLi is installed in the place of the negative battery cables. By that I mean, remove all of the negative connections to the battery and attach them to the AiLi shunt, then install the included large black battery connector between the other side of the shunt and back to the battery where you uninstalled the battery cables.

You don’t actually need to connect anything from the AiLi to the frame, those cables you remove from the negative side of the battery are already connected to the frame.

[snoobler]

That's a pretty popular unit with DIY solar guys that don't want to drop the coin on a Victron BMV.

This diagram is pretty self-explanatory. Basically, you're inserting the shunt between the battery (-) and everything else.

[Montana318RE]

What threw me off was there is only one #6 wire on the negative side of the battery and that goes to the frame, no other wires are attached to the battery negative post. I imagine if all negatives thru out the 5W are all bonded to the frame then by removing the #6 white ground wire from the negative side of battery and attaching to the P- of shunt and add another wire from the B- side of shunt to negative of battery like Mikec557 described in theory all grounds have to flow thru the shunt, correct?

[snoobler]

Originally Posted by Montana318RE

What threw me off was there is only one #6 wire on the negative side of the battery and that goes to the frame, no other wires are attached to the battery negative post. I imagine if all negatives thru out the 5W are all bonded to the frame then by removing the #6 white ground wire from the negative side of battery and attaching to the P- of shunt and add another wire from the B- side of shunt to negative of battery like Mikec557 described in theory all grounds have to flow thru the shunt, correct?

Yep. That's consistent with the diagram.

[Montana318RE]

Thank you all and have a Happy Thanksgiving.