Emergency Plea for help- leisure battery

[andys]

It's tight but I've measured it and the Ctek D250sSA will fit. I've trawled through all the posts and it seems people are happy with it, and it's a bit cheaper than some of the alternatives.
The connections look straight forward enough for me to fit it apart from that green wire that presumably feeds the display. Do I just connect that to the battery side of the charger?

If nothing else, buying that has made me decide to keep the van, well that and a facetime call I've just had from my 3yr old grandaughter demanding to know why I went camping without her and when we're going next

I might even get a solar panel fitted next seeing as the Ctek has an input for that

 

[andys]

The Ctek came today so I junked the Mickey Mouse westfalia relay and controller and put it in straight away. Working perfectly, happy with that



While the seats were out I ran all the cables for the amp now fitted under the passenger seat and left the other ends coiled up behind the radio for a future stereo upgrade. Busy day

 

[Loz]

Brilliant, glad your sorted!
You dont need that shunt anymore either..

 

[andys]

Brilliant, glad your sorted!
You dont need that shunt anymore either..

Which bit is the shunt?

 

[Loz]

It's the copper strip with the brown neutral wires at the ends.(assuming you have removed the westy control unit and are not using the charge display)

 

[andys]

This bit, is it reducing the efficiency? So I could just attach the brown wire coming into that straight to the battery terminal? There are 2 thin wires (a black and a white) attached to it too, and I have attached the ground for the AGM trigger so I would have to relocate them. I am still using the charge display, it's an integrated unit a bit like the Cali, that controls heating, fridge, water tank status and battery status. I have removed the Westfalia control unit and the relay from under the passenger seat and connected the terminals together, then picked up the feed under the drivers seat as I noticed the instructions said to put the Ctek as close to the battery as possible.

I didn't attach that green wire from the control unit to anything as the charging display works without it

 

[Loz]

In that case just leave the shunt as it is used by the display unit to calculate the amount of charge/discharge going to and from the battery.

 

[andys]

In that case just leave the shunt as it is used by the display unit to calculate the amount of charge/discharge going to and from the battery.

Thanks, will do then

 

[andys]

Have to say I'm hugely impressed with this Ctek charger. I normally leave the van plugged into the mains when it's in the garage and not being used and the battery sits around 13.4v. I've just been back out to the van to get something and noticed it's currently sitting at 14.1v! That's with a journey to work and back of 12 miles each way. I'm amazed that it's more efficient than a mains hookup and, as I rarely stay in the same place for more than 2 nights I may be able to junk my hookup cable and reclaim some storage space, even more so if I do add a solar panel.

 

[Davenjo]

Have to say I'm hugely impressed with this Ctek charger. I normally leave the van plugged into the mains when it's in the garage and not being used and the battery sits around 13.4v. I've just been back out to the van to get something and noticed it's currently sitting at 14.1v! That's with a journey to work and back of 12 miles each way. I'm amazed that it's more efficient than a mains hookup and, as I rarely stay in the same place for more than 2 nights I may be able to junk my hookup cable and reclaim some storage space, even more so if I do add a solar panel.

Glad you have got to the bottom of things and got a fix - it's been good seeing you work through the issues with help from @Loz

Our main use of EHU is to boil water - electric kettle so much quicker and cheaper than using our gas - if it wasn't for that we too would consider ditching the cable. Absolutely no problem without EHU at Busfest last week and even without much sun the solar panel kept the battery nicely topped up. Looking forward to seeing how it copes over winter (I'm hoping that the fridge not having to work so hard will balance against less sunshine).

 

[andys]

Glad you have got to the bottom of things and got a fix - it's been good seeing you work through the issues with help from @Loz

Our main use of EHU is to boil water - electric kettle so much quicker and cheaper than using our gas - if it wasn't for that we too would consider ditching the cable. Absolutely no problem without EHU at Busfest last week and even without much sun the solar panel kept the battery nicely topped up. Looking forward to seeing how it copes over winter (I'm hoping that the fridge not having to work so hard will balance against less sunshine).

Thanks, I've recently trawled through all your posts on solar to give me an idea of how to progress with this. My stumbling block on this at the moment is the rather odd shape of the top of my roof but I'll monitor how you get on and probably look at fitting one around xmas which is the next time I've got a bit of time off so I can take my time over it.

Oh and lets be clear, it wasn't just help, I woudn't have had a clue where to start sorting this problem without @Loz

 

[chriscroft]

I have been speed reading this engaging thread.
Sign up Tom Hanks, and we could have the script for the next Hollywood blockbuster
Good Job y'all.

 

[andys]

I have been speed reading this engaging thread.
Sign up Tom Hanks, and we could have the script for the next Hollywood blockbuster
Good Job y'all.

 

[Loz]

Thanks, I've recently trawled through all your posts on solar to give me an idea of how to progress with this. My stumbling block on this at the moment is the rather odd shape of the top of my roof but I'll monitor how you get on and probably look at fitting one around xmas which is the next time I've got a bit of time off so I can take my time over it.

Oh and lets be clear, it wasn't just help, I woudn't have had a clue where to start sorting this problem without @Loz

Your welcome, sometimes looking at a problem from the outside and not in the stress of it helps you see what is going on.
I like the look of the new 250sa, have been chatting with Martin @travelvolts about a plug and play kit to swap out the factory charging relay, so will be interested to see how you get on with it.
I like the look of the large self adhesive solar panels that you stick on the roof, but still not happy with the route off the roof to the van...

 

[Davenjo]

Your welcome, sometimes looking at a problem from the outside and not in the stress of it helps you see what is going on.
I like the look of the new 250sa, have been chatting with Martin @travelvolts about a plug and play kit to swap out the factory charging relay, so will be interested to see how you get on with it.
I like the look of the large self adhesive solar panels that you stick on the roof, but still not happy with the route off the roof to the van...

@Loz have you seen the cable set up on mine? The cable exit is on the underside of the panel so nothing visible on the roof except the panel. The hole/gland in the roof is on the rear edge and so outside of the canvas. The cable then goes into the van via the Velcro opening at the end of the SCA roof - it's really unobtrusive when the roof is up and the slack loop, being secured in the Velcro, folds neatly when the roof drops.

 

[andys]

This is what I mean about the odd shape of my roof, see the 6 sealed in bolts of some sort towards the back and the odd sunroof shaped indentation at the front, just where I'd want to put a solar panel (it wouldn't fit inside that indentation. My only option I think is to put it lengthways in the middle, which would mean coming through the roof there and feeding inside the roof lining to the front (it's front hinged) - not an ideal path...

 

[Davenjo]

Rather than go for a flexible panel bonded to the roof I wonder if something is available that you could fix via the channels in the roof?

 

[Loz]

Roger Donaghue (Solar Camper Solutions ) does a kit for the California that fixes in the rails.
Solar Camper Solutions - Home

 

[andys]

Hmm, it looks like a neat workround, but not sure it's what I'm looking for. No hurry though, I probably wouldn't be looking to fit a panel this year, I'll have a good look at how I could route it along/through my roof before making any decisions.