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Split charge / options

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Split charge / options

Postby gatecrasha » Mon Jul 03, 2017 2:34 pm

Currently i have a 110ah leisure battery on a cheap ebay special split charge relay.
Leisure battery @9.6v leaving site i did a 160 mile run expected battery ti be fully charged by time we pitched up only to find we had only got to 11v.
Kit is new and im ordering anither matching leisure battery.
Im adding hook up and 20amp charger to the system
But charger will only be in use when connected via hook up.
We free camp quite often so would i be better off at thia point uo grading alternator to a higher amp out put and adding a durite voltage sensing split charge unit.
Van has 2 single aeats.
Drivers has twin 85ah van batteries.
Passenger will have twin 110ah leisures with durite split charge to run all 12v electrics in rear
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Re: Split charge / options

Postby dumper » Mon Jul 03, 2017 4:12 pm

When I had mk 3 camper I had the same split charge relay as you but I also had a heavy duty master switch and cables to jump the van off if necessary.if I needed to charge the two leisure battery's up in a short time I used that I also had a switch to turn off the spit charge relay having the big cables ment they got maximum amps and no voltage drop
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1974 mk1 v4 with 2.0 pinto fitted
1986 mk3 2.5 di swb
1990 190 lwb 2.5 di
1998 100 lwb 2.5 di
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Re: Split charge / options

Postby mistericeman » Mon Jul 03, 2017 4:37 pm

First off.... throw the cheap crap relay away (especially if it's one of those smartcom)
replace with a Durite voltage sensing split charge one... (full kits available on ebay if you need heavy cables and suitable fuses (one on starter battery end and one one leisure battery end)

Leisure batteries should be matched AH wise and ideally age wise (mismatched ones will drag each other down)

You don't want to be discharging the batteries to below 12v too often or you'll knacker them in short order...
leisure batteries shouldn't ideally be discharged below 50% of their ah capacity (55ah on a 110ah battery)

We run 2 X 100w solar panels on the roof and a Durite voltage sensing split charge relay to charge 3 x 100ah leisure batteries...
They power a 3000w inverter running a microwave/toaster/kettle/slow cooker.
We also have led lights/eberspacher D2 and a Waeco variable speed compressor type coolbox....
Never needed hook up in the 12 months we've been using it....
Forget the solar in winter though... it'll be less than, useless we rely in driving around topping the batteries up instead...

Bear in mind also the VSR won't be happy with a, 'smart' alternator due to the way they work (not a, problem on our Mk6 Jumbo though)
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Re: Split charge / options

Postby ceurieusneus » Mon Jul 03, 2017 4:44 pm

Very to the point answer from Dumper and Mistericeman:D

Some questions
How long are the leads to the leisure battery?
How thick are the leads to the leisure battery?
What is the tension of your alternator?

I never discharge my leisure batteries behind 50% the further you unload them the quicker you replace them £££

I wait until the start battery is reloaded before connecting and reloading the leisure batteries.
When i manually connect the leisure batteries (50%) they takes (at first) up to 70A!
My alternator is only 95A (the biggest I could find for MK3 4 5)

After each trip, I always reload the batteries with a heavy battery charger...full full
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Re: Split charge / options

Postby hectors-tranny » Mon Jul 03, 2017 4:49 pm

(Note a Voltage Sensitive Replay (VSR) won't work with smart alternators, so if you have a modern van you need to check that out if considering a VSR.)

However, if you're not on hookup much, but want to charge very quickly when the engine is running, forget a VSR and buy a battery-to-battery charger to replace your cheap split charge relay. These will not only charge your leisure battery much more quickly, but use a stepped charging protocol as per mains chargers, so will keep your leisure battery healthy for longer.

E.g. I bought one of these. Pricey, yes, but well worth it! http://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/sterling- ... v-30a.html
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Re: Split charge / options

Postby gatecrasha » Mon Jul 03, 2017 7:50 pm

Durite will be fine on mine as its a mk6 jumbo.
Ordered the 2nd leisure battery and durite vsr.
I have at the moment just main van 85ah and a single 110ah leisure sat under drivers seat connected via cheapo split charge relay.
Plan is....
85ah main is 3mth old - add 2nd main joined pos to pos etc.
Then as i have single seat passenger side with sibgle seat base.
Drop the 2 matching 110ah leisures under pass seat base.
Connected to 1st / main via durite vsr.
I'll still be adding hook up and adding a 20amp charher i to the equasion for those times when i can hook up in site appreciate the help and guidance folks thank you
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Re: Split charge / options

Postby mistericeman » Mon Jul 03, 2017 8:16 pm

Good choice....
our Durite VSR has been good as gold...
AND if you add solar into the leisure batteries in the future... once they are fully charged the VSR will close and add charge to the starter battery too....

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Re: Split charge / options

Postby gatecrasha » Mon Jul 03, 2017 8:22 pm

Mistericeman thats some set up.
I had thought about solar but thats one of those one day maybe soon additions.
Just need to get the thing running without charge issues at the moment.
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Re: Split charge / options

Postby Bozeuk » Thu Oct 03, 2019 9:57 pm

gatecrasha wrote:Currently i have a 110ah leisure battery on a cheap ebay special split charge relay.
Leisure battery @9.6v leaving site i did a 160 mile run expected battery ti be fully charged by time we pitched up only to find we had only got to 11v.
Kit is new and im ordering anither matching leisure battery.
Im adding hook up and 20amp charger to the system
But charger will only be in use when connected via hook up.
We free camp quite often so would i be better off at thia point uo grading alternator to a higher amp out put and adding a durite voltage sensing split charge unit.
Van has 2 single aeats.
Drivers has twin 85ah van batteries.
Passenger will have twin 110ah leisures with durite split charge to run all 12v electrics in rear


Sorry to revive an old thread but I'm just wondering what type of batteries you had under the drivers seat and which you had as leisure batteries? I ask because my transit has twin AGM batteries and I wanted to add a VSR to charge two SLA leisure batteries and was wondering if its possible to do so? Thanks :-) I'm also not sure if mine had AGM batteries as standard, it's an ex Scottish water van. T350 LWB RWD high roof. Tis a 2011 Mk7 which I believe makes it Euro 4 and therefore not a smart charger. I think.
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Re: Split charge / options

Postby daraioj » Thu Oct 03, 2019 10:32 pm

It would be great to get some input from someone who knows a bit about batteries. I've got to replace my leisure batteries on my mk7 and really don't know what to go for. As far as I understand our alternator will overcharge an AGM or gel battery. So I was thinking maybe going for deep cycle lead acid?
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