Does anyone use/can recommend one of those battery condition monitor and combined trickle chargers thingies...? Something that can be left connected to keep the vehicle battery topped up..?
Although our vehicle doesn't tend to stand for too long,I'm aware of the possible drain due to the alarm.
I'm therefore after something which(..as our vehicle tends to be hooked-up when at home)could be plugged in,"internally"(..probably by connecting via a fused plug/socket to the vehicle battery).
I'm thinking of something along the lines of something I used several years back on my motorbikes..Optimate..I think?..(Not sure whether they'd be up to looking after a hefty battery,that's used for spinning a 2.5 diesel engine?!)
Any thoughts....?
Chris
Oh!..we have got a couple of those small solar chargers(which were bought us as gifts)but I've read,probably on here,that the cheap/small ones are really just a bit of "kidology"..and that the "wavelength" of rays need to power them,don't pass through glass very efficiently!?....not sure how true that is...
I have two from Aldi, one to keep my leisure battery (in garage at moment)and one to keep my motorbike battery topped up. Had one about 3 years and kept swopping it over every month then last year bought my second one £12.99. Lidl also had similar on offer a few weeks ago. Great item and well worth £12.99
Doesn't your camper offer the facility to charge from the inbuilt/fitted charger? How old is it? I thought that most recent vehicles offered that faciliy.
hi pepe i think that optimate do a larger capacity version and i can tell you it does keep the triumph 1800cc batteries on top form so i would think it will be ok on the motorhome.
hope this helps in some way.
Delboy
------------- you may be frustrated now but infront of me there is a big incline . yeh it may be slow but it is in front
I may be being a little over cautious,as we do tend to be out and about in the van most weekends anyway..
(..but it just seems "odd",having it on hookup and charging the "leisure" side of things,whilst the vehicle battery is just left fending for itself.. )
wineciccio..unless I've missed something(..which is possible! ),our base vehicle battery,is only charged via the alternator.
Our base vehicle is just the same, but ive been given a 'fix'. If you connect the pos. poles of both batteries with a 10 amp fused cable, both batteries will be charged together by the EHU/charger. You MUST remove the fuse before starting the engine, or itll blow it. This fix is only recommended for long lay-ups during winter. This saves having to remember to remove the fuse all the time, and more so, the fix isnt needed when the vans in regular use either. Idealy, you would locate the fuse in an easily accesible area. If you email me i can send you a diag.
Quote: Originally posted by Mick S. on 21/2/2010
Our base vehicle is just the same, but ive been given a 'fix'. If you connect the pos. poles of both batteries with a 10 amp fused cable, both batteries will be charged together by the EHU/charger. You MUST remove the fuse before starting the engine, or itll blow it. This fix is only recommended for long lay-ups during winter. This saves having to remember to remove the fuse all the time, and more so, the fix isnt needed when the vans in regular use either. Idealy, you would locate the fuse in an easily accesible area. If you email me i can send you a diag.
if you wanted to get clever, as well as the fuse for protection, you could add a relay that energises when the on board charger is on, that way you get on site, plug in, turn your charger on, magic both batteries charged at once, as soon as you turn off your charger, click its all seperate again.
also stop you discharging the starter battery if your on non EHU sites.
would be a fairly easy mod using a diode and relay in the output of the charger (diode to stop the back feed from the battery keeping the relay open) or use a smart relay that only opens when the incoming voltage is above 14V.
It's the only auto-sensing split charge relay I've seen that works both ways, i.e. it will charge the leisure battery from the alternator when the engine is running, but will also charge the cranking battery when a charger is connected to the leisure battery.
Ben
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This sounds all good stuff, but im thinking youd have to be happy playing with diodes and relays to feel confident about fitting them in your system. Otherwise you stand to bugger the whole shooting match. Anyone got a diagram and details of just whats required??
i have an accumate and a ring smart charger ,the accumate i have is only for keeping a battery topped up (mines the up to 30AH i use it on the motor cycle battery over winter) but the ring will charge even big leisure batteries up.I like the ring 16 amp one.
Expensive outlay though but if its sqeezes a couple more years out of a battery it pays for itself.
onboard chargers like zigs are pretty crude devices so batteries will suffer long term ,the smart chargers can be simply plugged into the mains supply in the van or TT (preferably with the battery leads disconnected from the zig)and left charging via the EHU of the van /TT all the times its not used.
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Topic: Trickle charger/battery monitor..?
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),our base vehicle battery,is only charged via the alternator.
