I wish to keep the slider open without flattening battery
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It should turn off after a short period of time I believe, I'm fairly certain mine does.
Just tested mine, the MFD goes off after 5 minutes.
No probs. I will say, that if you're camping over a few days and aren't topping up the starter battery then you'll need to keep an eye on it - even more so if you're unlocking and locking the van as that does activate the electrics each time.
Was going to suggest a BM2 for the starter. Everyone concentrates on the LB when camping when the poor starter battery is getting no love at all and gets run down with constantly opening doors, unlocking etc!
Get yourself an Ablemail AMT 12-2 to top up the starter battery gently from the Leisure battery. Easy to fit, £60 odd quid, end of starter battery anxiety!
It would, looks like that will charge both batteries once the LB is over 70%
If you ever start upgrading your electrics, start with that controller, it's a PWM controller so you're going to be losing 20-25% of your solar power due to the bad efficiency of a PWM controller.
If you ever start upgrading your electrics, start with that controller, it's a PWM controller so you're going to be losing 20-25% of your solar power due to the bad efficiency of a PWM controller.
It could work but keep in mind that will only top up your starter from solar - and only once the LB is "full enough"
It's likely to be about as much effort sorting the wiring out as adding an AMT 12-2 but that has the advantage of topping up from any source that charges the LB not just one of them.
To clarify the "could work" my suspicion is that your PV controller is likely outputting a voltage suitable for charging a wet/flooded/standard battery and your starter is going to be an AGM/EFB that usually needs a higher charge voltage. It all depends how isolated the charger outputs are - if they are isolated then there's no harm in trying you just might find the charging of the starter ineffective. If they are not isolated and the controller is simply ganging the batteries together split charge style once the LB is at 70% on the assumption they are both standard batteries that might not be a good idea - batteries ganged together in a bank will equalise voltages and the higher final resting voltage of the AGM starter means it could charge the lower voltage LB which is the opposite of what you want.
The State of Charge curve for WET vs AGM around the area the PV controller is making a choice is actually quite interesting - the AGM is at a slightly lower SoC at that point:
So my suspicion here is that as it's a relatively basic controller it will be charging suitable for WET batteries and simply connecting the Battery 2 terminals as soon as the voltage on the Battery 1 terminals reach about 12.3 volts. I don't think it will charge over about 12.6 volts so the AGM is likely to never get to more than mid 80s SoC - which might not be a bad thing as that's where the van likes it to be for Stop/Start batteries?
Personally I'd fit the AMT 12-2 because, as @TallPaul_S notes, you may well update your solar charger to something like the Victron MPPT; it's more suited to working with different battery chemistries either side and it will trickle charge from anything that tops up your LB
It's likely to be about as much effort sorting the wiring out as adding an AMT 12-2 but that has the advantage of topping up from any source that charges the LB not just one of them.
To clarify the "could work" my suspicion is that your PV controller is likely outputting a voltage suitable for charging a wet/flooded/standard battery and your starter is going to be an AGM/EFB that usually needs a higher charge voltage. It all depends how isolated the charger outputs are - if they are isolated then there's no harm in trying you just might find the charging of the starter ineffective. If they are not isolated and the controller is simply ganging the batteries together split charge style once the LB is at 70% on the assumption they are both standard batteries that might not be a good idea - batteries ganged together in a bank will equalise voltages and the higher final resting voltage of the AGM starter means it could charge the lower voltage LB which is the opposite of what you want.
The State of Charge curve for WET vs AGM around the area the PV controller is making a choice is actually quite interesting - the AGM is at a slightly lower SoC at that point:
So my suspicion here is that as it's a relatively basic controller it will be charging suitable for WET batteries and simply connecting the Battery 2 terminals as soon as the voltage on the Battery 1 terminals reach about 12.3 volts. I don't think it will charge over about 12.6 volts so the AGM is likely to never get to more than mid 80s SoC - which might not be a bad thing as that's where the van likes it to be for Stop/Start batteries?
Personally I'd fit the AMT 12-2 because, as @TallPaul_S notes, you may well update your solar charger to something like the Victron MPPT; it's more suited to working with different battery chemistries either side and it will trickle charge from anything that tops up your LB
Paul I'll go down the AMT 12-2 root
As advised. I'll have a look around see if electric expert can install one for me.
I wish you lived in my area
i would just blow myself up.
Sorry if i came over as dumb I have 50+years Engineering background in oil and gas industry but these fancy electronics have my head done in specially at my age
Thanks all for taking time to give me advice.
As advised. I'll have a look around see if electric expert can install one for me.
I wish you lived in my area
i would just blow myself up.
Sorry if i came over as dumb I have 50+years Engineering background in oil and gas industry but these fancy electronics have my head done in specially at my age
Thanks all for taking time to give me advice.
Fitting an AMT 12-2 isn't too far into the complex electronics - if you can find your DC-DC charger (I assume CamperKings have them and not some split charge relay...) then that will generally have access to all the wiring you need to get to.
Some pics and plenty of folks will likely advise, even if you eventually decide to find an autoelectrician (and there's no harm in that if you're not confident with high current battery wiring) you'll be clearer in understanding what you want them to do.
Some pics and plenty of folks will likely advise, even if you eventually decide to find an autoelectrician (and there's no harm in that if you're not confident with high current battery wiring) you'll be clearer in understanding what you want them to do.
In the mean time you could consider a simple maintenance charger with a 12v plug adaptor from CTEK/NoCo/Victron - that can top up your starter by plugging in inside the van while on EHU and finding a 12v socket wired to the starter (traditionally the one down by the gear lever)
Or the NoCo jump starter packs are very popular and not too large to keep about just in case the starter gets too low to turn over - best to avoid that for battery health but it's a good backup plan just in case.
I've got the GB70 - never needed it for the van but I once used it to jump start a train...
www.t6forum.com
Or the NoCo jump starter packs are very popular and not too large to keep about just in case the starter gets too low to turn over - best to avoid that for battery health but it's a good backup plan just in case.
I've got the GB70 - never needed it for the van but I once used it to jump start a train...
NoCo Boost GB70 Success
Not posting much as on holiday (and not in the Caravelle) but I did bring the NoCo Boost GB70 with me just in case. And just managed to start this Long story short the engineering train stopped to let the steam past and then found they had a flat battery, and thier spare was also flat...
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