New T6.1 Panel Van order - Second battery?

[Vwejit]

Hi,

Hoping someone can advise.....

I’m a bit confused on if, or what I should order on a new build to make life easier further down the line when I convert my panel van with a fairly simple camper interior.

There are two options available when ordering new:

Second battery (68Ah, AGM) with cut-off relay
or
Uprated starter battery (92Ah, AGM) and increased alternator capacity

Am I correct in thinking the second battery does actually come with wiring completed to act as a leisure battery, or am I best to get a different solution sorted at the point of conversion?
Do I need both of these options or neither of them?

Sorry for this is a stupid question, I just wanted to make life as simple as possible further down the line.

Cheers

 

[t0mb0]

Depends on the price, the factory wiring for the leisure battery is useful. If, on the other hand, it’s expensive and you’re going to immediately upgrade the 68ah battery provided to something else, than maybe not...

 

[t0mb0]

For what it’s worth, we still use our 75ah factory leisure battery although I swapped out the factory relay for a DC-DC charger. I still use the original power feed and engine run wire from the relay for the DC-DC though.

 

[t0mb0]

On the uprated starter and alternator, I think you’d need some fairly specific circumstances to make that worthwhile.

 

[Vwejit]

It’s £300 for the second battery - 68ah. I did think that was quite low as from everything I had read, suggestions were to go for as high an amp rating as possible.
I will be using my van for bike track days, so sleeping over night in it from time to time.......I guess 68ah might be enough.

So, does it definitely come with the correct leisure re-charge set up then? The configurator just says “second battery”

 

[t0mb0]

It’s £300 for the second battery - 68ah. I did think that was quite low as from everything I had read, suggestions were to go for as high an amp rating as possible.
I will be using my van for bike track days, so sleeping over night in it from time to time.......I guess 68ah might be enough.

So, does it definitely come with the correct leisure re-charge set up then? The configurator just says “second battery”

I assume it’s the same kind of leisure battery setup as ours had, although that was four years ago. By ‘correct’ setup, it depends what you mean, the factory relay does obviously work but the ideal setup to charge a leisure battery fully from driving is a DC-DC converter.

In terms of capacity, no, 68ah isn’t huge but it’s probably fine for the odd night away that you describe.

In terms of value for money, for that £300 you could probably just about get a 100ah battery, DC-DC charger and wiring if you really shop around. You would likely have to run the wires yourself although some vans seem to have the power feed already sitting under the seat.

 

[Vwejit]

Thanks mate - I wasn’t quite sure if it was worthwhile or not, and how things had been further complicated due to smart alternators and the euro 6 engine......

 

[Pushirons]

Hi Both,

Just ordered my first kombi, now begining to think i should have added the second battery as i want to run a portable compressor fridge and a diesel heater.

Whats the the issue with the factory relay/requirement for a DC-DC changer?
Thanks in advance.

 

[t0mb0]

Hi Both,

Just ordered my first kombi, now begining to think i should have added the second battery as i want to run a portable compressor fridge and a diesel heater.

Whats the the issue with the factory relay/requirement for a DC-DC changer?
Thanks in advance.

The factory relay simply joins the starter and leisure batteries together when the engine is running. This means that the leisure only ever charges as full as the starter, which is about 80% full for a euro 6 van. This might be fine but if you’re going to use the leisure battery consistently, it might be worth considering a DC-DC charger which will use a proper charging profile to charge it efficiently to 100%.

 

[Pushirons]

Great, thanks for the info. Will see if i can add one to my order.