I'm looking at getting the same, what size cable did you use to connect it to the battery
Could you recommend me a decent AGM battery charger?
- Thread starter andys
- Start date
@Goldy 6 mm from the Victron to the battery Travelvolts sent the installation kit with it. and B 2 B charging unit But for now my set up was really easy. It will get modified as i need or add more equipment. i ran 240 and 12v cables under the floor for later use to a side cab on the N/Side from drivers seat . But as im only running rear ceiling lights at the minute, i ran a hook up cable to the back of the van inside with a consumer unit with sockets built in then attached a extension lead simply plugged into it giving me the 240 sockets for phone charging and power for a electric fan heater running the hook up out though the window which i need open for ventilation. Simple
will connect the 12 v set up with B2B charging next to feed a TV and the cabinet lighting and possibly a Halo but again i will be using mainly camp sites with hook ups for now. not much wild camping planned as yet but i can use my 12v under the seat if needed.
My van is built as a Long weekender i will also be adding a diesel heater
PS With the Victron i can see it working on the Battery with the Phone APP i am very pleased with it
hope that helps
will connect the 12 v set up with B2B charging next to feed a TV and the cabinet lighting and possibly a Halo but again i will be using mainly camp sites with hook ups for now. not much wild camping planned as yet but i can use my 12v under the seat if needed.
My van is built as a Long weekender i will also be adding a diesel heater
PS With the Victron i can see it working on the Battery with the Phone APP i am very pleased with it
hope that helps
Van being used very infrequently - found the battery insufficient to start the van this morning.
Looking for a trickle charger recommendation please.
I have a CTEK MXS 5.0 connected to a classic car in the garage. Is a CTEK still the smart charger of choice?
Looking for something that I can connect up to the van painlessly when I know it won't be used for a few days.
TIA.
Looking for a trickle charger recommendation please.
I have a CTEK MXS 5.0 connected to a classic car in the garage. Is a CTEK still the smart charger of choice?
Looking for something that I can connect up to the van painlessly when I know it won't be used for a few days.
TIA.
I use one of these together with the dedicated adapter to plug it into the cig lighter. Very happy with it.
NOCO GENIUS5UK, 5-Amp Fully-Automatic Smart Charger, 6V And 12V Battery Charging Units, Battery Maintainer, Trickle Charger, And Battery Desulfator With Temperature Compensation : Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors
NOCO GENIUS5UK, 5-Amp Fully-Automatic Smart Charger, 6V And 12V Battery Charging Units, Battery Maintainer, Trickle Charger, And Battery Desulfator With Temperature Compensation : Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors
www.amazon.co.uk
Thanks Guys.
There are some interesting Amazon reviews for that Noco - but to be fair the CTEK gets some varied reports for reliability.
Have just ordered a 'BM2' type bluetooth monitor.
There are some interesting Amazon reviews for that Noco - but to be fair the CTEK gets some varied reports for reliability.
Have just ordered a 'BM2' type bluetooth monitor.
That’s what I am using, seems easy to use and does the job.
paulbatten
New Member
Can anyone confirm if the ctek charger is ok to use on vans with start stop? There seems to be conflicting information on Amazon.
paulbatten
New Member
Thanks, what made you switch to the NOCO? How do they compare?
I found the CTEK a little under-powered for me... It got to the 'float' stage eventually but took forever...
But that's probably more to do with my set up... as I'm charging 3 batteries from the one charge point.... 200 Ah of leisure batteries through the DC to DC plus the starter battery... So just needed a bit more charging capacity...
They're both decent chargers but the NOCO edges it for me
But that's probably more to do with my set up... as I'm charging 3 batteries from the one charge point.... 200 Ah of leisure batteries through the DC to DC plus the starter battery... So just needed a bit more charging capacity...
They're both decent chargers but the NOCO edges it for me
I've a trusty CTEK mxs10, 10amp, AGM program and now getting on for 7 years old. All the battery charger I've ever needed. Start stop vehicles tend to have AGM batteries so better to use a charger with an AGM program thats all (it's the battery type rather than the fact they are start stop that is relevant). However you won't damage an AGM battery with a standard smart charger, it will probably just charge slower than with a charger designed for use on AGM batteries (because an AGM battery can accept a higher rate of charge, which is what the AGM program does).
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more info here:
www.t6forum.com
www.t6forum.com
www.t6forum.com
www.t6forum.com
and the rest here:
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Dellmassive`s -- "how I Done It" -- Thread
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Kit List And Stuff -- How I Done It & What I Use --
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Battery Chargers - How I Did It -
Battery Chargers - How I Did It - So its that time of year again, cold, rainy. . . . . . . flat battery =[ This time we look at Battery Chargers. Our vans will most likely come with a AGM style starter battery, for this type of battery we need a "Smart Charger" . . . . but what does this...
[Guide] Battery Maintainer (for Starter battery) -- How I Done It --
[Guide] Battery Maintainer (for Starter battery) -- How I Done It -- Right so its that time of year again . . . . . . . . Winter & (Lockdown 2020) The van might be layed up not being used, which will lead to a flat battery in around 3 weeks. The cold weather doesn't help the battery's...
Battery Monitoring -- How I Done It --
Battery Monitoring -- How I Done It -- Part #1 Battery monitoring is a very important part of your 12v system . . . . whether its just the vans starter battery or your leisure setup keeping an eye on the power in your battery bank will keep you from breaking down and make sure your weekends...
[Guide] DC-DC Charger (for leisure battery) -- How I Done It --
DC-DC Charger (for Leisure battery) -- How I Done It -- ************************************************** Dellmassive`s -- "how I Done It" -- Thread ************************************************** Kit List And Stuff -- How I Done It & What I Use --...
and the rest here:
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Dellmassive`s -- "how I Done It" -- Thread
**************************************************
Kit List And Stuff -- How I Done It & What I Use --
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VIP Membership | VW T6 Forum - The Dedicated VW Transporter T6 Forum
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Just to round this off:
I ordered a Victron Blue Smart IP65 12/5 along with the cigarette lighter adapter and an extension cable.
Ordered Monday but has only just been delivered today (Friday). Bit of a cock up and lack of communication from Battery Megastore (so not an especially good customer experience).
When at home I connect the van leisure electrics (a Clayton Lithium Power Supply and an AGM leisure battery) up to the house supply to maintain charge. So I've got the Victron inside the van, plugged into one of the 230v sockets and then charging through the cigarette lighter. Seems a reasonably elegant solution (to me).
I ordered a Victron Blue Smart IP65 12/5 along with the cigarette lighter adapter and an extension cable.
Ordered Monday but has only just been delivered today (Friday). Bit of a cock up and lack of communication from Battery Megastore (so not an especially good customer experience).
When at home I connect the van leisure electrics (a Clayton Lithium Power Supply and an AGM leisure battery) up to the house supply to maintain charge. So I've got the Victron inside the van, plugged into one of the 230v sockets and then charging through the cigarette lighter. Seems a reasonably elegant solution (to me).
Hi mate
Thanks for posting and good to see what you went for in the end, many times a thread is left hanging.
I'm a total novice with all this and this is the first time we've owned a van (2015 T6 T32 Shuttle) and also the first time I've ever needed a battery trickle charger for any vehicle we've owned.
So with that said and having read what I could on the subject I wanted to post here in the hope that someone could kindly explain the difference (if there is any beyond brand preference for example?) between the following three devices that I believe we need/are suitable for our van.
Here's a brief snapshot of our current situation and what I believe we need...
Battery is currently flat. So will need the device to fully charge the battery and bring her back to life so-to-speak. But then as with most people during the lockdown, we're limited with how frequently we get use it, so leaving it on a trickle charge so it's good to go at all times is something we'd also like the charger to do for us. Van parked on drive in front of garage, so access to mains is simple to have plugged in all the time.
Am I right in thinking we can have the connectors hooked up under the bonnet all the time (during driving etc) and then when home and the vehicle is on the drive, connect up to the 'device' and keep the battery topped up and overall health maintained? Is there a reasonable elegant way to do this without having to have the bonnet left open as the front of our van on the drive is along a path so the more discreet it is the better really.
Anyway, hope that makes sense and appreciate that there are already quite a few posts on this, but seeing the level I may need this explaining at :blush: I hoped someone would be kind enough to chip in and kindly offer some advice please
Thanks in advance
Thanks for posting and good to see what you went for in the end, many times a thread is left hanging.
I'm a total novice with all this and this is the first time we've owned a van (2015 T6 T32 Shuttle) and also the first time I've ever needed a battery trickle charger for any vehicle we've owned.
So with that said and having read what I could on the subject I wanted to post here in the hope that someone could kindly explain the difference (if there is any beyond brand preference for example?) between the following three devices that I believe we need/are suitable for our van.
CTEK MXS 5.0
NOCO Genuis 5
Victron Blue Smart IP22 or IP65
Here's a brief snapshot of our current situation and what I believe we need...
Battery is currently flat. So will need the device to fully charge the battery and bring her back to life so-to-speak. But then as with most people during the lockdown, we're limited with how frequently we get use it, so leaving it on a trickle charge so it's good to go at all times is something we'd also like the charger to do for us. Van parked on drive in front of garage, so access to mains is simple to have plugged in all the time.
Am I right in thinking we can have the connectors hooked up under the bonnet all the time (during driving etc) and then when home and the vehicle is on the drive, connect up to the 'device' and keep the battery topped up and overall health maintained? Is there a reasonable elegant way to do this without having to have the bonnet left open as the front of our van on the drive is along a path so the more discreet it is the better really.
Anyway, hope that makes sense and appreciate that there are already quite a few posts on this, but seeing the level I may need this explaining at :blush: I hoped someone would be kind enough to chip in and kindly offer some advice please
Thanks in advance
I think all three chargers are very similar, I would just buy the one that is on offer (cheapest) at the time.
I run a mains lead extension into the vehicle plug in the charger, which is also in the vehicle, then plug the charger into the cig lighter turn it on then just lock up the vehicle and leave it, sometimes for weeks on end.
I bought the Noco which I am very happy with, Amazon were the cheapest, together with the noco cig adaptor.
hope this helps.
I run a mains lead extension into the vehicle plug in the charger, which is also in the vehicle, then plug the charger into the cig lighter turn it on then just lock up the vehicle and leave it, sometimes for weeks on end.
I bought the Noco which I am very happy with, Amazon were the cheapest, together with the noco cig adaptor.
hope this helps.
The Victron charger has the Bluetooth App for monitoring and settings...
The other two don't have that feature.
The other two don't have that feature.
Thanks both
Very helpful to hear your setup Nigel. Think I need to find a way I can continually trickle charge like that (once I've got the battery back from dead!) so it can be left in all weather.
I saw the Victron offers an app for monitoring that I think I'd find useful but it appears considerably more expensive right now looking at prices (CTEK MXS 5.0 ~£69 / NOCO Genuis 5 ~£69 / Victron Blue Smart IP65 ~£97 & IP22 ~£127)
Guess I need to see how much value I'd find in using the app!
Again thanks for the extra info guys, much appreciated.
Very helpful to hear your setup Nigel. Think I need to find a way I can continually trickle charge like that (once I've got the battery back from dead!) so it can be left in all weather.
I saw the Victron offers an app for monitoring that I think I'd find useful but it appears considerably more expensive right now looking at prices (CTEK MXS 5.0 ~£69 / NOCO Genuis 5 ~£69 / Victron Blue Smart IP65 ~£97 & IP22 ~£127)
Guess I need to see how much value I'd find in using the app!
Again thanks for the extra info guys, much appreciated.
Just a quick one - the noci has a setting which will ‘repair’ a discharged batter. I used it on my lawn tractor battery which I had let go flat for months and it did seem to sort it out.Thanks both
Very helpful to hear your setup Nigel. Think I need to find a way I can continually trickle charge like that (once I've got the battery back from dead!) so it can be left in all weather.
I saw the Victron offers an app for monitoring that I think I'd find useful but it appears considerably more expensive right now looking at prices (CTEK MXS 5.0 ~£69 / NOCO Genuis 5 ~£69 / Victron Blue Smart IP65 ~£97 & IP22 ~£127)
Guess I need to see how much value I'd find in using the app!
Again thanks for the extra info guys, much appreciated.
Hi again guys
just thought I’d ping a quick update here.
ended up going with the CTEK MXS 5.0 have to see how I get on long term.
it came super quick and I connected all up and after many hours still on ‘2’ of the eight stage process I went back out to check on it and the fault light was now illuminated bad times.
obviously hoped it could have bought it back to life but just didn’t seem happy. Anyway, as it was late I thought there was no harm in retrying. So hooked it up again and went to bed. To my surprise by the morning it was now on ‘3’ result!
throughout the day it’s now made it to ‘4’ whoop! remote key now works again and interior lights come on when opening and indicators flash etc. Phew! So it currently seems that the CTEK MXS 5.0 has so far (touch wood!) bought my van back from the dead.
I’m going to leave it to get to ‘7’ so it’s classed as fully charged and then get it out for a good run. Any advice on what amounts to a ‘good run’ for these please? Forty mins? An hour?
Also think I need to check the battery and electrics all over now as can’t get my head round how quickly it’s gone totally dead. Never owned a vehicle before that the battery has died like this. Feel like something must not be wired up quite right. Investigations need to start once I can start the van
just thought I’d ping a quick update here.
ended up going with the CTEK MXS 5.0 have to see how I get on long term.
it came super quick and I connected all up and after many hours still on ‘2’ of the eight stage process I went back out to check on it and the fault light was now illuminated
bad times.obviously hoped it could have bought it back to life but just didn’t seem happy. Anyway, as it was late I thought there was no harm in retrying. So hooked it up again and went to bed. To my surprise by the morning it was now on ‘3’ result!
throughout the day it’s now made it to ‘4’ whoop! remote key now works again and interior lights come on when opening and indicators flash etc. Phew! So it currently seems that the CTEK MXS 5.0 has so far (touch wood!) bought my van back from the dead.
I’m going to leave it to get to ‘7’ so it’s classed as fully charged and then get it out for a good run. Any advice on what amounts to a ‘good run’ for these please? Forty mins? An hour?
Also think I need to check the battery and electrics all over now as can’t get my head round how quickly it’s gone totally dead. Never owned a vehicle before that the battery has died like this. Feel like something must not be wired up quite right. Investigations need to start once I can start the van
