bartman
Full Member
- Messages
- 120
I haven't had too much of an issue with keeping the starter battery charged in the past, as we used the van frequently enough. Not so much these days though!
My arms are too short and my pockets too deep to get one of the more sophisticated solutions, so I remembered this useful post from Wildebus from a couple of years ago https://motorhomer.com/threads/how-to-solar-charge-your-starter-battery.38045/
It's aimed at using solar, but also works when on EHU. In common with many vans, my system isn't built so that the starter battery receives a charge from EHU, and although my solar controller is a reasonably good MPPT, it is only a single output.
I could have used the bodge idea of a simple connecting wire between the batteries with a removable fuse, but there's no way I'd remember to remove it before starting, and the recommended relay was so cheap it was just no contest.
Last year I replaced the original onboard charger (really nothing more than a power supply) with a multi stage charger which I can leave connected delivering a float charge, which now I've fitted the relay also keeps the starter battery topped up.
Thanks again Wildebus!
My arms are too short and my pockets too deep to get one of the more sophisticated solutions, so I remembered this useful post from Wildebus from a couple of years ago https://motorhomer.com/threads/how-to-solar-charge-your-starter-battery.38045/
It's aimed at using solar, but also works when on EHU. In common with many vans, my system isn't built so that the starter battery receives a charge from EHU, and although my solar controller is a reasonably good MPPT, it is only a single output.
I could have used the bodge idea of a simple connecting wire between the batteries with a removable fuse, but there's no way I'd remember to remove it before starting, and the recommended relay was so cheap it was just no contest.
Last year I replaced the original onboard charger (really nothing more than a power supply) with a multi stage charger which I can leave connected delivering a float charge, which now I've fitted the relay also keeps the starter battery topped up.
Thanks again Wildebus!
