Split Charge Relays

[Timetraveller]

We own an Avondale Seacape 5ELX (on a 55 plate) & we mainly 'wild camp' when out & about so keeping the batteries in tip-top condition is a must. We have two 85 amp/hr batteries running in parallel & sited under the rear side bench seat (motorhome is 5.7mtrs long).

We are contemplating purchasing an intelligent 70 - 100 amp Split Charge Relay Kit to ensure the batteries receive good deep charges to keep them as fully charged as possible.

1: Is this a good way to go?

Do they really keep the batteries topped up 'full'?

2: Are there any pitfalls I should be wary of?

It will be fitted by my local garage who do my vehicle MOT & servicing or should I go to an Auto Electrician?

 

Currently we have a generator for emergencies & it has only been used twice in the past five years. If this Relay does keep the batteries topped up then we can sell the generator, freeing up much needed payload & space.

 

Thanks in anticipation of your help. :-)

[Dave Newell]

A proper B2B(battery to battery) charger would do a better job, CTEK or Sterling do them CTEK charges at up to 20 Amps and Sterling unit does 50 but neither are cheap.

 

D.

[Timetraveller]

Thanks Dave - Just what I wanted & will give you a call sometime. (lol)

[Derek Uzzell]

Timetraveller

 

Not sure why you've chosen not to expand your original inquiry

 

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=21377&start=1

 

rather than post new, but, if your present batteries are 2005 vintage, you may well need to replace them if you want to maximise your motorhome's battery-charge state.

 

Unless you plan to change the type of motorhome usage you mentioned in your earlier posting, I tend to think you'd be better off replacing your 2 x 85Ah batteries with a pair of, say, 110Ah batteries and leave the vehicle's original charging system unaltered.

 

If you opt for a CTEK or Sterling B2B charger, you are looking at an expenditure of £200-£350 for the charger alone, plus whatever it costs to install it. Five years is a reasonable lifespan expectation for a leisure battery (particularly if it is being regularly heavily discharged) and I'm wary that the faster, more rigorous charging regimen of a B2B system may not agree with elderly batteries (Dave Newell may want to comment on this.)

 

I continue to wonder what you are actually doing during your shortish periods of 'wild camping' that makes 170Ah of battery power insufficient, as many motorcaravanners happily manage with much less. For example, my 2005 Hobby is never 'hooked up' at campsites and has just a single 80Ah leisure battery. I've never tested how long it would take to flatten that battery, but a couple of days of inactivity hardly bothers it. Obviously, if we wild-camped in very cold weather when the blown-air heater was used a lot, and/or ran a power-hungry TV, it would be another matter. But, as things stand, I've felt no need to augment the Hobby's battery capacity, nor to carry a generator 'just in case'.

[Dave Newell]

Ideally leisure batteries should not be charged at more than 10% of their capacity, for example a 100AH battery should not be charged at more than 10 amps continuously. The CTEK B2B will charge at up to 20Amps which while it is slightly over the 10% of the two 85AH batteries total shouldn't cause a problem. The CTEK is a multi stage charger as is the Sterling unit and as such can give a better charge regime than a simple split charge relay. I agree with Derek about the age of your batteries though and replacing them with two 100AH or even 110AH if they will fit in the available space would be well worth considering.

 

D.

[Brambles]

I have totally lost the plot now with 2 threads running. Where did the 5 years come from?? Anyway doing my best t peace info togetjer and get rid of red herrings.

 

I think what has happened is the original battery may have not been up to scratch. It has been replaced with two cheap 85 Ah batteries which in reality are budget batteries and only giving about 100 Ah total . And I have now picked up they may be 5 years old.

 

Can i suggest Time traveller you post more details re your batteries, make and model of new ones and their age. Can you also please check the electrolyte levels.

Anyone else agree with me...as I have lost the plot a bit here.

 

Jon.

[Derek Uzzell]

Brambles - 2010-10-26 6:03 PM

 

I have totally lost the plot now with 2 threads running. Where did the 5 years come from?? Anyway doing my best t peace info togetjer and get rid of red herrings.

 

I think what has happened is the original battery may have not been up to scratch. It has been replaced with two cheap 85 Ah batteries which in reality are budget batteries and only giving about 100 Ah total . And I have now picked up they may be 5 years old.

 

Can i suggest Time traveller you post more details re your batteries, make and model of new ones and their age. Can you also please check the electrolyte levels.

Anyone else agree with me...as I have lost the plot a bit here.

 

Jon.

 

There's a piece about the Seascape 5-ELX on

 

http://www.ukmotorhomes.net/reviews/Avondale/avondale1.shtml

 

This indicates that the air-heating system is diesel-fuelled. Consequently, there's a reasonable chance that the twin batteries on Timetraveller's 2005 motorhome were standard originally and (unless they've been swapped in the interim) will now be 5 years old.

 

With a diesel-fired heater in the equation, I can well appreciate Timetraveller's wish to have well charged-up batteries and I can understand better why he might want to carry a generator as an emergency back-up.