caravanman24 Posted August 10, 2020 Share Posted August 10, 2020 Hi, new here and my first post is asking for advice. I have an Elddis Crown Sceptre that was originally fitted with a Zig 7 charger system ( according to the available documentation when I bought it ), but it now has an MEC 1214, which has failed ( output is 11.7 volts and it ticks like a bomb ). So I need to replace it. I'm looking at the Sargent PF200 or the PX300. I always go on sites with 240V power so the charger / psu would only need to run the water pump and an occasional light on site. I would appreciate any opinions on these chargers and any recommendations for other budget chargers that can directly replace the MEC1214 .The second flying lead to the car has been cut off so no need for 12v power on the move, and I will be buying a new battery, probably varta LFD90. Best regards Mick ;-) ;-) ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 11, 2020 Share Posted August 11, 2020 Welcome to the Out&AboutLive forums, Mick. The caravanning section of these forums is not particularly active and you might get more hands-on feedback from (say) the Practical Caravan forum https://forums.practicalcaravan.com/ I noice that there’s a company offering repair or replacement of the MEC 1214 product https://www.lektronix.com/equipment/mec-ltd-1214/14765 so, if the present MEC unit has proved satisfactory, that option might be worth exploring. The Sargent PF200 is available for aroud £80 https://magnummotorhomes.co.uk/shop/electrical/power-supply-units/sargent-pf200-leisure-battery-charger/ and should be able to do a similar job to a MIC 1214 but with a bit higher output. The Sargent PX300 is more expensive (around £105) https://magnummotorhomes.co.uk/shop/electrical/power-supply-units/sargent-supercharge-px300-leisure-battery-charger/ and is a lot more poweful than a MIC 1214. The Sargent blurb https://magnummotorhomes.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Supercharge-PX300.pdf indicates that it an ‘intelligent’ battery-charger not a ‘primarily for caravan usage’ fixed-voltage charger/PSU. If you are considering obtaing a Varta LFD90 battery, you might be better to opt for the PX300. (Sargent has a reputation for good customer relations, so you could try asking their opinion.) Cheaper chargers are available (examples here) https://www.tayna.co.uk/battery-chargers/numax/leisure-12v-10a/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqdXHnKGT6wIVmpntCh3jwQAxEAQYASABEgJsTPD_BwE https://www.photonicuniverse.com/en/catalog/full/349-10A-12V-Intelligent-automatic-multi-stage-mains-battery-charger.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqdXHnKGT6wIVmpntCh3jwQAxEAQYBSABEgKMhfD_BwE but I can’t comment on their reliability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caravanman24 Posted August 11, 2020 Author Share Posted August 11, 2020 Thanks Derek , I'll probably go with one of the Sargents. I called Lektronix last week and was told that they only deal business to business. regards Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted August 11, 2020 Share Posted August 11, 2020 A and N Caravan Services in North Wales are very knowledgeable and well known for giving sound practical help. Their founder,Allan Evans, was a man of integrity whose single minded determinination, knowledge and enthusiasm in the pursuit of 12 volt excellence was legendary on this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 Mick The A and N Caravan Services website’s homepage is here http://www.aandncaravanservices.co.uk/ and has these sections on batteries and motorhome battery chargers. http://www.aandncaravanservices.co.uk/how-does-a-battery-work.php http://www.aandncaravanservices.co.uk/general-battery-faq.php http://www.aandncaravanservices.co.uk/how-does-a-charger-work.php The website concentrates more on motorhome electrical issues than on caravans as the technical side of motorhomes tends to be more sophisticated and the way the vehicle is used more varied. The MEC 1214 unit has a 13.8V 12A (150W) output. It’s a traditional ‘caravan’ PSU that could be used without a leisure-battery. (The Zig X7 was a similar device with a 12.5A output maximum.) I believe the Sargent PF200 has not been discussed on these forums (as it’s more suitable for caravan usage) but the PX300 has been. https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/search/query.asp?action=search&searchforumid=all&keywords=px300&author=&days=&Submit=Search From what you’ve said in your original posting, your on-campsite 12V electrical requirements are very light, so a straightforward 13.8V charger/PSU like the PF200 should be adequate. But a PX300 would charge a Varta LFD90 battery a lot quicker and more efficiently and, if you are going to spend the thick end of £100 on a LFD90, it would make sense (to me) to match the charger to the battery even if doing so costs (say) £25 more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul- Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 I'd try http://www.aandncaravanservices.co.uk/ or apuljackengineering.co.uk, and not in any particular order Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caravanman24 Posted August 15, 2020 Author Share Posted August 15, 2020 Advice taken and PX300 is now fitted. Need a new battery now, maybe Varta. Where's the best online supplier, not necessarily the cheapest. regards Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 18, 2020 Share Posted August 18, 2020 caravanman24 - 2020-08-15 7:58 PM ...Where's the best online supplier, not necessarily the cheapest... The following three suppliers hve been mentioned regularly on the motorhome-related forums of this website. https://www.batterymegastore.co.uk/product/varta-lfd90-dual-purpose-leisure-battery/ https://www.tayna.co.uk/leisure-batteries/varta/lfd90/ https://www.alpha-batteries.co.uk/12v-90ah-varta-lfd-90-professional-leisure-battery-930090080/ The currently-quoted price (including VAT and carriage) and warranty duration (in years) of a Varta LFD90 battery from those suppliers is (respectively) £97.50 - 4 £99.13 - 2 £104.99 - 2 I recently bought two Varta 12V batteries - a LFD90 and a H3 Silver Dynamic - from Batterymegastore, but that was as much as anything because they are based at Tewkesbury, about a half-hour’s drive from where I live, and I could collect the batteries myself rather than have them delivered by courier. Both batteries' date-of-manufacture was quite recent and both were reasonably well charged. (I made sure that both batteries were 100% charged before installing them in my motorhome.) Advice on interpreting Varta battery date-codes is here Although the interpretation advice is accurate, the date-code of current Varta batteries is now on the battery’s upper surface beneath the hinged carrying handle. The information is quite faint, but does allow the year/month of manufacture to be confirmed. If you prefer not to buy on-line and there’s a Halfords branch near you, you might consider their HLB700 battery https://tinyurl.com/yywquysq that is made by Yuasa and has dimensions similar to a Varta LFD90. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caravanman24 Posted August 18, 2020 Author Share Posted August 18, 2020 Bought the HLB700 from Halfords yesterday, it's local in case of any problems and I got 10% off with my Defence discount card. Weighs a ton and just squeezes in. Don't know whether to get a vent tube or not. Regards Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 18, 2020 Share Posted August 18, 2020 I believe the Halfords HLB700 is a relabelled Yuasa L36-100 https://www.yuasa.co.uk/batteries/leisure-marine-garden-view-all/l36-100.html Best to fit a vent-tube. Even if the battery is not within your caravan's habitation area, if it did start to 'gas' the tube should allow the acidic fumes to escape to the outside air under the caravan. (It's perhaps stating the obvious, but if the HLB700 has a vent-tube outlet on each end, make sure that the outlet that does not have the vent-tube in it is plugged.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caravanman24 Posted August 18, 2020 Author Share Posted August 18, 2020 Thanks for the advice Derek, vent tube ordered. regards Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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