Quick Qs About Charging

[Oldrat]

Hi Team

I have a Transporter with a full professional conversion.

If I run the fridge etc off the leisure battery without hook up for a few days, does the van battery run down at all?

I presume to expect that both batteries are separate except that the leisure battery charges after the van battery?

Also that the van battery performance should not be affected even if the leisure battery has run flat?? So no starting issues?

And it will all get sorted after a decent run to charge it all back up?

Thank you

 

[Dellmassive]

Yes thats right,

but i depends on what your converter has fitted between your starter and leisure battery`s.

you could have a ignition switched relay.

or a VSR.

or a DC-DC charger.

but the basics are as you say,

the fridge etc will run off the leisure battery.

the starter battery should be totally isolated so that its always charged and ready to start your van.

got any pics of your setup?

 

[Deaky]

Hi Team

And it will all get sorted after a decent run to charge it all back up?

Thank you

A split charge set up will never charge your leisure battery fully. It’s good practice to place the leisure battery on charge regularly, or fit a solar panel.

Also, never run your leisure battery completely flat. It will knacker it

 

[Oldrat]

Thanks Deaky, sounds like good advice.

Does the van battery remain independent, ie it won’t lose any charge because of using the fridge.

I don’t want to find I can’t start the van

 

[Nigel W]

I think/hope you will find that the two batteries are not connected directly and it should not be possible to flatten the vehicle battery by running internals connected to the leisure battery and viva versa.
Do you know what power units the converter has used eg Sterling/Sargent etc.

 

[Oldrat]

No idea, I kinda guessed that there was a common method.

I’ll ask my converter. It’s more about resssurance. And it sounds like I might want to fit a battery trickle charger connection on the battery, same as for my motorbikes.

 

[Nigel W]

No idea, I kinda guessed that there was a common method.

I’ll ask my converter. It’s more about resssurance. And it sounds like I might want to fit a battery trickle charger connection on the battery, same as for my motorbikes.

Most converters fit a control box which has a charger built into it so when you are connected to the mains it charges the battery and powers the fridge etc. Do you have a mains hook up? Do you not have a control box which holds the fuses and switches for the charging system/12v system etc?
It may look something like this

 

[Oldrat]

Yep, I’ve got a control panel but will need to check what make it is... back in a mo!

 

[Oldrat]

Aha!
I’ve got one of these.
Just reading the blurb with it shows that it has its own inbuilt charger.

Is a separate trickle charger recommended when not in use ?

 

[Oldrat]

Sorry scratch that, Deaky said in an earlier post that it makes sense to charge it or use a solar panel.

Yep we often use mains hook up.

I was just worried about the van battery running down when not hooked up.

 

[Oldrat]

BTW, Sorry Dell, I don’t know how but I totally missed your post.

Thank you!

 

[Salty Spuds]

We have a solar panel connected via a Ctek 250, this also trickle charges the starter battery in addition to charging the house battery, handy