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Van Bitz or Sterling "battery master"?


CPeachey

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Posted

The current MMM mag has a bit on the VanBitz Battery Master (£69.95). Road Pro have the "Sterling Power Battery Maintainer" (£67.95). They both seem to do the same job. Is one better than the other? Either would do what I want. ie keep the starter battery charged.

Chris

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Posted

They both do the same function. However the Sterling can supply up to 3 amps where the Vanbitz is 1.1 Amps. So where the Sterling would appear better in this respect it depends if you think a 1.1 amp charge is safer.

 

I do not know what the standby or quiescent current of the vanbitz is, but the Sterling is very low at below 1.5 mAmps. The lack of specifications being readily available for the Vanbitz battery master makes me think the Sterling is probably a better designed product but more importantly maybe is it has a better pedigree as I put it coming from the stable of a Batttery chargers and power supply company, where the Vanbitz is well just that..van bits albeit a very good company and give good service.

 

Be interesting to read other peeps views and if any have had problems with either, hopefully all positive for both, but I would favour the Sterling as it is capable of a higher charge rate if needed.

 

Remember they will only keep your engine battery charged if you have charge going into your leisure batteries in the 1st place, such as hook up or solar panels.

 

(edit - spelling)

Guest JudgeMental
Posted
nearly bought a battery master when I got new van is the spring........That was before someone on here told me the Adria's have their own fitted as standard *-)
Posted

I can't make a comparison but I can say that my last Van had a Batterymaster (fitted by Leisurepower Warrington) at the same time as an 80w solar panel. My Van was stored without access to MHU but both batteries were always fully charged even in dead of winter despite drain from alarm and boiler frost sensor circuit.

I will very likely fit one to my new Van a Fifer "M" PVC which I hope to get in the Spring.

 

Posted

Thanks for the replies. I'll go for the Sterling product. There are several ways of dealing with keeping the starter battery topped up but this is "fit and forget" without spending a fortune. If I were to buy a new van I would expect the charger to charge both batteries. Last winter the starter battery went flat as I had not realized that it was not charging on hookup.

Chris

Posted

Hi Chris

 

I have a van bitz battery master fitted on my Lunar, also an 80watt solar panel, I find that my leisure battery and vehicle battery are always equal and all through last winter both batteries never dropped below 13.8 volts and i think the battery master a good investment

 

Terry ( PS my surname has no ey on the end )

Posted
We have a Van Bitz Battery Master fitted to our van and it is 'fit and forget' it just keeps doing it's job. The vehicle battery is never allowed to drop less than 0.5 Volts below the leisure batteries, (Whenever there is surplus power in the leisure batteries), which are charged by a solar panel/mains hook up.
Posted
CPeachey - 2011-09-28 7:39 PM

 

The current MMM mag has a bit on the VanBitz Battery Master (£69.95). Road Pro have the "Sterling Power Battery Maintainer" (£67.95). They both seem to do the same job. Is one better than the other? Either would do what I want. ie keep the starter battery charged.

Chris

.

 

We have the Stirling Battery Maintainer fitted to our Dimension there are 4 led's for different conditions it is fitted in the van but the unit is rated at IP 65 it seems to do its job OK

 

Alf

Posted
CPeachey - 2011-09-28 7:39 PM

 

The current MMM mag has a bit on the VanBitz Battery Master (£69.95). Road Pro have the "Sterling Power Battery Maintainer" (£67.95). They both seem to do the same job. Is one better than the other? Either would do what I want. ie keep the starter battery charged.

Chris

.

 

I've just won the VanBitz competition for one of these!!!

I'll tell you what it's like after the winter -getting it fitted on Tuesday

Mike

Guest 1footinthegrave
Posted
This is a bit of a mystery to me ( as are so many things ) why can't anyone just have a length of cable with a couple of crocodile clips to link the leisure batteries to the engine battery when parked up for any length of time whilst on charge without any of these gizmo's as I once read in a motorhome advice column, or on one of the forums ?

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