Which leisure battery charger?

[Irmscher2007]

Hello. Just looking for some recommendations/pointers for a leisure battery charger.

I've got a pretty old set up now, about 9 years old.

PMS 3H, split charge relay and Numax 105ah battery which has lasted 9 years but is now at 10v so time to replace that.

Probably get the Class A Platinum battery for £127 as it sounds like it can handle more trips without hook up.

I do have a Victron solar charger with a fold out panel for those sunny days.

I'd like to get a battery charger to use as home to keep the new battery topped up and wire the connectors in whilst fitting the new battery.

I like the look of the Victron IP65 chargers, with the Bluetooth feature.

What difference would I notice between 5A and 15A versions?

Is it simply a difference in how fast it charges the battery up?

Thanks

 

[Dellmassive]

Yes the 15 amp will charge three times quicker than the 5 am.

It's best to go for 10 to 15% of the battery being charged.

So for a 100 amp hour AGM battery, you will be looking at a 10 to 20 amp charger.

A 5 amp charger will work, but if the battery's flat it will take two to three days to charge up.

 

[Dellmassive]

More info over here,

Thread 'Dellmassive’s "How I Done It" blogs.'

30 Aug 2018

-- Dellmassive`s -- "How I Done It" -- thread --

**************************************************
Dellmassive`s -- "how I Done It" -- Thread
**************************************************
Kit List And Stuff -- How I Done It & What I Use --
**************************************************
Trade members and forum supporters
**************************************************
For Sale - Summer-weekend-t6f Limited Edition External Stickers
For Sale - T6F Flags
**************************************************

@Dellmassive`s - Camper Van...

• Dellmassive
• dellmassive how to guide
• Replies: 36
• Forum: Electrics, Lighting, ICE, Security

• 
• 

.

 

[ginkster]

The ip65 is an excellent charger. No fan so silent in use. Comes with 2 quick connect leads - a M8 bolt on one and a crocodile clip one. The 15A one can be down rated to 4A if needed. I’ve used mine mostly for charging starter batteries but can pop it in the van if needed to charge the leisure battery as I’ve got the M8 lead permanently connected and ready to go.

 

[Irmscher2007]

The ip65 is an excellent charger. No fan so silent in use. Comes with 2 quick connect leads - a M8 bolt on one and a crocodile clip one. The 15A one can be down rated to 4A if needed. I’ve used mine mostly for charging starter batteries but can pop it in the van if needed to charge the leisure battery as I’ve got the M8 lead permanently connected and ready to go.

Thanks for that. I really like the idea of the quick connect leads as my battery it really tucked away.

I'm not too fussed about the speed of charging so I'll probably go middle ground and get the 10A one

 

[Irmscher2007]

Yes the 15 amp will charge three times quicker than the 5 am.

It's best to go for 10 to 15% of the battery being charged.

So for a 100 amp hour AGM battery, you will be looking at a 10 to 20 amp charger.

A 5 amp charger will work, but if the battery's flat it will take two to three days to charge up.

Brilliant thanks for that

 

[roadtripper]

If it's just for maintenance while the van is parked then something in the 5A range from CTEK/NoCo/Victron will work and be slightly more compact - I have a few small CTEK chargers to keep lead acid event batteries happy in storage as I like their long term storage algorithm.

However I'd agree with the Victron IP65 15A as a solid all rounder as it's not much more expensive, not much larger, can handle lithium if you choose to upgrade in the future and the extra charging capacity is handy if you need to use it while out using the van.

 

[Irmscher2007]

If it's just for maintenance while the van is parked then something in the 5A range from CTEK/NoCo/Victron will work and be slightly more compact - I have a few small CTEK chargers to keep lead acid event batteries happy in storage as I like their long term storage algorithm.

However I'd agree with the Victron IP65 15A as a solid all rounder as it's not much more expensive, not much larger, can handle lithium if you choose to upgrade in the future and the extra charging capacity is handy if you need to use it while out using the van.

Yes it's just for maintenance, keeping the battery topped up at home.

I do have a Victron Solar charger connected to the battery and solar leads that allow me to connect a Portable solar panel when camping.

This solar charger connects straight to the battery.

If I were to also connect the Victron IP65 or IP22 smart charger to battery directly would this cause any issues?

 

[roadtripper]

If I were to also connect the Victron IP65 or IP22 smart charger to battery directly would this cause any issues?

It's generally expected that chargers are connected directly, just remember to fuse the connection as near to the battery as possible for safety.

And it's fine to have a solar and mains (and indeed DC-DC) charger all connected to the same battery.