I have a 1.6D Desire Multispace 06 Berlingo and need to top up the charge on a 12v 74Ah leisure battery whilst camping without EHU.
The battery will be fully charged before the trip begins and should not be fully discharged each day (hopefully).
I want to be able to connect the battery to the 12v internal socket and charge it back up as we drive around during the day.
It has a proper battery box with a lid.
The plan is to place it in the rear seat foot well and connect it to the 12v socket via a male to male 12v socket connector and the crocodile clips/female 12v socket on the battery. This would be done once the Berlingo has been started and disconnected when the engine is not running.
Is this likely to blow any fuses or cause damage?
Can you buy a 12v powered leisure battery charger?
I have Googled a lot and have found a lot of different opinions of charging leisure batteries on the move.
Some suggest using a split charge relay to prevent flattening batteries but I cannot find any for sale that use a 12v 'cigarette lighter' type socket. Does anyone know where these can be bought?
Others suggest using a 12v to 240v inverter to enable the use of the 240v smart battery charger (which I already have) to charge a 12v battery, but I am not going there!
I think there is a possibility that the lighter plug/socket/cable might get hot?
Quick-release battery clamps like these would be preferable to crocodile clips which could become detatched and possibly short out the vehicle battery.
The split-charge relay option (avoiding the lighter socket) would, I think, be the safest.
I have a Berlingo :) and was considering the same thing. Already have a leisure battery and don't want EHU. Couldn't find a decent solution except split charger which didn't seem worth it.
Currently considering a largish solar panel, but not sure about securing it as it would be quite steal-able. Your current draw sounds higher than mine, so might not work for you. I'm only running a light, some phone/tablet chargers and a water pump for a few minutes a day.
As Hacksaw Bob has said your cables, plug and socket will get hot. This why they use thick cables from alternator to car battery and from car to caravan battery.
You will have to drive around a considerable amount to charge the battery. If EHU is available it would be cheaper to pay for this as car engines and alternators are very inefficient at converting fuel into electricity.
Regards Bob.
Thanks James and the two Bobs for the insights!
I think the mistake I've made was in assuming the set up I described would trickle charge. I'm happy to stand corrected and not cause damage.
Mainly we will only be using the battery to power a netbook and charge phones for a few hours in the evenings.
I posted the same questions in a Berlingo forum and this item from Maplin was suggested as a possible 'plug in' solution. car to car jump starter at Maplins
Would this work safely on the move or only with the engine off?
It is a car to car starting cable that uses the 12v sockets.
I'm trying to find a manual for it online for more details.
If you are going to place your leisure battery behind your drivers seat buy a (designed for use) securing bracket to ensure that it can not move.
Without it would be like driving with a bomb behind your seat.
split charge relay is the way to go if you want to reduce the risk of fire,the relay disconnects the second battery when you switch off the ignition.
Another thing to consider is the max charge current of a leisure battery is lower than a car battery, around 4 amps. So you need a solution that won't charge at a higher rate than that, something designed to charge leisure batteries, i.e. smart charger etc.
I take on all your points.
The charge rate issue was something that was concerning me after initially thinking the Maplins gizmo would be ideal.
I'll be giving Maplins a visit today to ask a few questions. They might have a solution. Either an easy to fit switch relay or a 12v power source smart charger.
Thanks again!
Other than the issue of a possibly insecure battery in the vehicle you need to look at whether the socket is for a cigarette lighter or an accessory socket.
The lighter socket will be fused at 30A and more than sufficient to charge the battery. An accessory socket is likely fused at 10-15A and might well blow is the battery is fully discharged.
Both our Citroens have cigar lighters in the rear that are permanently live which is handy to power the Waeco fridge. I would have prefered them to be the better quality and fitting din type sockets though
Have you tried a model shop as in radio control they must have chargers that work of car batteries think they are called field packs...downside is they will maybe only put 500 maybe a 1000 mah in.
------------- Mark
Uttoxeter (Race days)
Le Serignan Plage (clothed one) August and Scheveningen on way back
Thanks for all the suggestions and advice.
As we are heading off camping in a few days I am just going to charge up the leisure battery for now and see how many hours it lasts for.
After that I think I'll ask a car mechanic for a quote on getting a switch relay setup in the Berlingo.
Hi. Am desperately struggling to get battery for fiesta. I was recommended the one that you used by another pennine user, although bigger model. I struggle with compartment size because of ledges at bottom that battery slots into. The one you recommend on an earlier thread is 257mm length. I measure my compartment between slots as 250mm. Is the above measurement approx. I dont want to order one and then it still be too bit. I want a motor mover fitted as I camp on my own and also have sloping drive, but it is the battery I am struggling with. Elaine
I have ordered a Bestek 300W inverter from Amazon which I will use with the Ring SmartCharge+4 RSC504 to top up the leisure battery.
I'll post an update on how it performs.
I did not really want to go the inverter route but after seeking advice this seems the neatest option.
The inefficiency of an inverter will not be a problem in our case as we won't be needing much of a top up each day on the battery.
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Topic: Charging leisure battery via 12v socket
