Great info legend! Made it nice and simple to understand all the changes to the regulations.

Great info mate. Greatly appreciated and makes a lot of sense really. 👍🏾

Good video Riley. Clear and concise. Let me say from the outset if these new regs. make vehicles safer I'm all for them. The batteries are still under the seat where they always were. Now there's a bit of wood over the top screwed down making them harder to access. I don't see how that changes them "sharing a habitable area". If they blow up, catch fire or whatever I don't think the bit of ply wood is going to save anyone. I've got a van under construction now and with the new regs. they've decided to put my batteries in one end of the tunnel boot. So it's no longer a proper tunnel boot and it changes the weight dynamic and pushes weight to the front and ball of the van rather than over the axles. The other thing is that all the electricals are now right under my pillow separated probably by a bit of ply wood. Lithium batteries come in all sorts of sizes these days. There must be a way to have these batteries in a strongly constructed ally box or such like tucked up and attached to the chassis with a hatch on the outside of the van for access and ventillation. 👍

Clearly the new regs aren't retrospective but the need to manage a catastrophic failure of a lithium battery shouldn't be ignored and people should consider an upgrade of their existing battery enclosure. The top quality batteries have excellent internal safeguards but it's the cheapies that will cause the problems. I've seen enough disasters on youtube with self combusting lithium batteries and on top of my career in the electrical power industry ( high voltage / high current switchgear) I would be tending towards a dedicated steel enclosure just for the batteries, rackable from the outside with flexible cables and not just filters but rupture discs to vent hot expanding gasses to atmosphere. And frankly, I reckon that's where the regulations will eventually end up.

This is a seriously good video mate; not many tech experts can present like you can. Thanks and keep up the good work.

Thanks for the very helpful info, much appreciated.

This may sound pedantic but in my opinion anywhere inside the caravan be it open or a sealed box is a "Habitable" area. So if this was me I would fit the batteries into an outside box possibly on the draw bar.

Good advice thankyou for your efforts. If i may point out in the intro after telling what the regs are tell or inform your audience of the commencement date. It would relieve a bit of stress. Thankyou. Bravo from Victoria Australia..

Great video, well presented and exactly what is needed to hear there is so much BS out there at the moment

Thanks so much for breaking these changes down. Caravaning forums are full confusion on this topic. Obviously the rules aren't retrospective, however I'm wondering what impact this might have on insurance? I upgraded panels and batteries on my Jayco a few years ago and wonder if insurance companies might start denying claims for carravans not up to current spec even though the regulations don't mandate they be uplifted as such. Also, on regards to the new regs, any idea how this is policed? Do installers have to complete a corse so they are authorised to sign off that work is to code?

Great for battery maintenance

This is really helpful, I've been trying to find info on this as we're buying a new van and it feels like even the van supplier isn't aware of these requirements or at least the detail as to what it means they need to do to be compliant

Great video. I was totally unaware of these changes in regulations. I've gotta say though, what stupid rules. I wonder which committee was responsible for them.

Great video. Many thanks for this. Constructive recommendations: 1) State where you are (Australia?) and if the regulations apply to all states? 2) Use a wireless mic to avoid echo, as in the intro.

Great, easy to understand video. New sub here. I see a lot of caravan manufacturers putting the lithium batteries in boxes on the chassis, do you think this would be a problem in colder weather. My understanding is that lithium batteries don’t really like the cold weather?

Fantastic info. Thank heavens that they aren't retro-active. I wonder are they going to be enforced if we are simply changing batteries? Surely some government knob is going to try and argue that this is also a fundamental change to the electrical system.

Regarding solar in series, do you have to fuse them individually or per series configuration? Because normally you would series them on the roof before coming in.

Hi mate thanks for the info. We should be picking up a new Jayco All Terrain (18/12/2023) which has 3x 200W solar on the roof plus an Anderson plug for a portable panel. What should we expect fuse wise on the new van? Maybe it was already built by the time the new regs came in??? Cheers

Great video thanks! How do you go about sealing the entry/exit point for the cables that go from the electrical box to the rest of the van?

Great info. Do these regulations apply to camper trailers?

Great video, however the venting arrangements appear potentially problematic if located in the floor as there is the potential for water entering the battery compartment.

Great video thanks for clearing up a lot of things. Regarding the solar panels needing fuses/circuit breakers on both the solar and battery side of the regulator. Is that only for systems that have the 15a mains power input or for any system in any vehicle?

Hi There. Thanks for the info this is really good. A few questions if you wouldn't mind indulging me? I'm considering buying a copy of the AS but I only really have a few questions that I haven't been able to find answers to. 1. Are there any size requirements on the battery compartment, eg does the compartment need to be a specific size larger than the battery volume? 2. How do you prevent water ingress in the floor vent? 3. Are there requirements for location of the vent eg would a side vent for example suffice? 4. Does the circuit protection on the panels need to be a fuse or can they be a circuit breaker? 5. Does the circuit protection need to be located externally or can they be at the input to the MPPT?

Excellent video thank you. For 12 volt systems pre 18 November do you think the external vent is a good idea? Cheers

Since when has a lithium battery given off vapour? Great vid btw!

So the batteries are in a sealed compartment. What if you want to check the tightness of the terminals.

But how do I look at the neat work every day that @Rd Auto Electrics has done on my van 🤔🤣

Thanks for the information 👋

With the sealing of the battery area inside this van being lithium if it was to malfunction and catch fire. How would you combat this?

So now in the event of an emergency we’ll just shout fire, because we won’t be able to diconect the battery because it’s been sealed, well done to the egg heads that thought this one up.

My understanding is that this applies to Lithium Ion batterys only, not to Lithium Iron Phosphate, which most RV batteries are.

The battery rules seem to imply Lead acid batteries are the issues re gas and vapours.

How does the gas go out through vent if that area is not pressurized in some way? the gas could just sit dormant in that large area.

How do you access box for any issues once sealed ?

If the battery is in a seal compartment like what you have done in the video, how do you replace or increase capacity in future?

if you have a battery fire you can't get to the battery and i believe it's more dangerous because you can't get to to battery in a hurry

to confirm 3 panels in series still only need 1 CB ?

Can you confirm if these new regulations apply to caravans built before November 2023 when upgrading the existing AGM battery to a Lithium battery, must the new Lithium battery be installed in a sealed box/compartment vented to outside of the van, or can the new Lithium battery be a straight swap over of the AGM battery?

So do the regulations state any upgrade to lithium phosphate lifePO4 12v systems can only be installed by an certified installer? Does the regs state anyone DIY fitting life po4 must get certification or signed off?

Great video, what I can't understand is why does this apply to LifePO4 batteries , they don't off-gas or emit vapours?

Hey bro 😀

Ha Ha - Russel Effing Coyt in the Thumbnail.

Are you finding that this is increasing the temperature of solar controllers and inverters? I can't imagine a sealed box with a small vent outside being good for heat dissipation.

How does this apply to portable power?

Very helpful best so far on explaining the new rules any chance of a look at the vent and battery install?

why sealed locations--- new batterys do not give off gas or anything to worry about---all van batterys are sealed

Hi mate, what is the Standards number please and thank you.

Thanks. If you seal the battery lid, how do you then service the batteries?

How are you certifying these installations when certification in Western Australia requires an electrical contractors Licence? Are you a licensed electrician?

Does the vent to outside not need to be unrestricted IE: the same as gas vents so as not to be impaired by dust blocking the vent hole in the filter you have installed? there is the opportunity for the filter to block and /or restrict ventilation !

You don't identify if these new regs are Federal or State ?

How did you get around the fact the drawer is mounted in that compartment with batteries too? Did you need to mount a foam gasket around the drawer to seal it fully from cabin space ornis there a sealed baffle dividing it form the batteries?

So if I don't have a 15amp inlet I can put my batteries and wire my panels any way/where I like. Yeah rules are there for a reason haha. Only reason I can see is some rule maker justifying is job existence. This is clearly unsafe as direct and quick access is needed to batteries in case of emergency. To many rules are contrary to safety and I can't believe as an associated technician that you can't see the flaw in this. But I guess ut keeps you guys in the good $$$.

This must only be for lithium batteries. What is the danger from sealed lead acid? Cannot see how this can protect you from a thermal runaway in a lithium battery.

Nothing in these new regulations seems too onerous and believe it or not, safety regulations are not made tougher just for fun, they’re done because people have been caught out.

I think the best safe way is to use the heavy old batteries and put more solar on the roof and cut back on them high energy drawing items and only buy or modify stuff to run on 12volt its so simple and safer , if they the government are concerned about lithium batteries then so am i , ok theres good brands out there but in time they will get old and deterate and could ignite at any time iff locked up in a box under ya couch your history just get out run up wind , if your asleep your dead 😢