Alternative to DC-DC Leisure battery system - powerbank

[t6blo]

Alternative to B2B leisure battery. For my T6 with smart alternator I am looking at close to £500 for a B2B (dc to dc charger), fuse box, wiring, agm battery and battery tray. I only occasionally need to charge a iPhone, power a couple of 12v LED lights and run my submersible water pump. Seems abit extreme and costly to go full on b2b. Is there a power bank that will take a 12v input from the van ignition to charge it when driving and supply a 12v output for the pump/lights as well as some 5v USBs to charge my phone? Thanks in advance.

 

[.50]

I often wondered about this, as many 12v power banks have the option of a cigarette type charger.

 

[andys]

A friend of mine uses a Goal Zero in his T3. Don’t think it was much cheaper than the above cost though...

Edit: I’m wrong, just texted him, it was £260 in 2018

 

[Niknak]

If that’s all you need you could look at a large jump pack not these little ones, we have them at work can’t remember what make but they charge off mains or 12v in but I still think best to go full on as can future prof what you need

 

[Phil_G]

You dont absolutely have to spend £500. There are a gazillion T6's out there happily running the factory-supplied split-charge relay, its not optimal but it does work well enough for light duties like yours. You can buy a split charge relay for twopence, and use a recently-discarded car battery, total cost next to nowt. Just outside the glitz and glamour of the 'must have' brigade are loads of budget-busted owners who manage perfectly well with exactly this setup, and you can upgrade any time your boat comes in.
Cheers
Phil

 

[Pete C]

The problem is that what you want is fairly niche compared to the wider market. You end up having to buy a power bank with built in inverter.
What Phil suggests is a good idea.
Pete

 

[andys]

The problem is that what you want is fairly niche compared to the wider market. You end up having to buy a power bank with built in inverter.
What Phil suggests is a good idea.
Pete

He doesn’t need one with a built in inverter, all his uses are 5/12v DC

 

[Pete C]

He doesn’t need one with a built in inverter, all his uses are 5/12v DC

That was my point.

Pete

 

[andys]

That was my point.

Pete

Sorry misread your post

 

[t0mb0]

You dont absolutely have to spend £500. There are a gazillion T6's out there happily running the factory-supplied split-charge relay, its not optimal but it does work well enough for light duties like yours. You can buy a split charge relay for twopence, and use a recently-discarded car battery, total cost next to nowt. Just outside the glitz and glamour of the 'must have' brigade are loads of budget-busted owners who manage perfectly well with exactly this setup, and you can upgrade any time your boat comes in.
Cheers
Phil

Absolutely agree. We managed just fine with the factory fit relay and AGM in our T6 for a good couple of years.

 

[t6blo]

Thanks for the responses.

I found one of these Portable Power Technology Li Po Powerpack 100+ - Machine Mart - Machine Mart

Or one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/POWEROAK-P...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

Although both have a 240 ac supply that I don’t need.


Sorry, not clear about the factory fit relay or split charge in my T6 - is this in every T6? Mine is a Euro 5 140. I assumed (clearly wrongly) that I had to use a b2b / dc to dc charger due to smart alternator?

 

[Phil_G]

Not on every T6, its a VW option but you can buy a split charge relay or an ideal diode from ebay very cheaply,
and one of your mates will have a car battery thats down but too good to throw away
Bottom line is you dont have to use a B2B, you dont have to buy a brand-new leisure battery - hence you dont have to spend £500

 

[t0mb0]

Not on every T6, its a VW option but you can buy a split charge relay or an ideal diode from ebay very cheaply,
and one of your mates will have a car battery thats down but too good to throw away

Not sure how well your average lead-acid car battery would take regenerative braking voltage spikes (if the van has this of course)? I think this is why VW originally fitted AGM’s?