Installing A Full Function RV Battery Monitor From AiLi

You can spend thousands of dollars on RV battery upgrades and accessories. There are many choices out there for RV battery monitors. The Victron is at the top of the list with a price tag to match at over $200. The AiLi RV Battery Monitor gives all the information you need for a price of around $40. Yes, the AiLi will give you current voltage, percentage of battery life, amount of amp hours and even tell you how many amps are either coming into or out of the RVs battery bank. This information is crucial to maintaining the battery bank's health.

The AiLi comes with a 2.2 inch round display unit, a 6.5 foot display extension cable, (an AiLi 16 foot extension cable can also be purchased), a battery current shunt, and installation and operating instructions. The Aili can be purchased with a 100 amp or 350 amp shunt. I chose the 350 amp model since I plan to later install an inverter.

Two things that will be needed to complete the install. The first is a small wire to attach the shunt to the positive battery terminal. I recommend adding a fuse in the wire. This wire will power the display monitor. The second item needed will be a battery cable that will be used to attach the shunt to the negative battery terminal. The length of both wires is dependant upon how far the shunt is located from the battery bank. I assume this is why they are not included in the kit which gives you the ability to choose more mounting locations.

The first step was to run the display extension cable. The cable runs from the shunt location to the interior of the RV where the display will be mounted. The display can be mounted in any interior location within the extension cables reach. A 2 1/8 inch, (2.125 inch), hole is needed to flush mount the display unit. You will need to reach behind the display to attach the mounting bracket. If that is not possible I suppose a front facing mounting plate can be fabricated.

Installing the shunt is straightforward. A battery cable is attached the the 'B' side of the shunt with the other end attaching to the negative battery terminal. All negative load wires are then attached to the 'P' side of the shunt. Next, plug the display extension cable into the shunt. Finally, connect the single wire to the green power screw on the shunt and attach the other end to the positive battery terminal. This 12 volt connection is used to power the display monitor.

At this point the display monitor will turn on. The final step is to tell the AiLi RV Battery Monitor the RV's battery amp hours capacity. (For easy programming the RV's battery bank should be fully charged). This information should be listed on the battery or battery manufacturer's website. Press the 'A/Ah' key until 'Ah' is in the right corner and then hold the set button for three seconds. The amp hours can be adjusted with the left and right arrow keys. When finished press the set button. Next press the '%' button. When the display shows '%' in the right corner press and hold the '%' button for three seconds. This will reset the battery monitor to 100%.

Setup is complete and the AiLi will now measure all amps coming into and from the RV's battery bank. This information is invaluable in knowing exactly how much capacity is being used, replenished, and remains in the battery bank. The AiLi Battery monitor installation instructions and operating manual are below. Overall a fairly simple install. This is a must for proper battery maintenance and any RVer that relies on the batteries to keep things working.

Watch the video below to watch the install of AiLi RV Battery Monitor.