Split Chatge system and leisure battery set up advice please

[Campertess]

Hiya guys

Now need to put some extra power in me bus.
(Transit 160 ,mk3 g reg)

Need to run int lights,stereo,phone charger ect.

Can somebody please point me in the right direction ?

what do i need to buy and some idea of cost please.
how do i know which aph of batt i need ?

Cheers Jo

[Smooth Hound]

you will be best with a leisure battery, as much aph as you can afford really, plus a relay, which will make sure your main battery is recieving the charge needed before it goes to the leisure battery, also preventing you from draining the main battery, cant help with prices, but apart from battery, relay, and some good thick wire for connecting them together there is nothing else, if i were you i would pay a visit to a vehicle electrics place, something like lucas, and have a word with them

[dandare]

have a look at this. it'll give ye all the info ye need.
http://www.kampenwagen.co.uk/Split%20Charge.htm
this set up is with a 30a relay, i used a bigger one with bigger cables, fuses. the choice is yours though.
it can be set up for about £20. + yer battery.
ye can get the 30amp relay from the scrappy or if ye want bigger search for :
12 volt shop uk or
vehicle wiring products
prices are much the same i think.

[AlanN]

Heres the sort of thing you can use and Ive used for years...
The only thing I would add is an extra fuse at the other battery terminal to protect both ends from shorting
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SPLIT-CHARGE-RELA ... dZViewItem

[zaphod79]

I used kampenwagen it really helped me out

[AlanN]

Its a very long winded and personal article, which if you can be bothered to read all the way through without falling asleep, tells you what you need to know in the diagram...
Forget buying really heavy cable & big relays etc. 30 - 40 amp spot relays mentioned above, are more than adiquite for the 6 - 8A you may draw. Those cheap kits work perfectly well for a leisure batteries!
If you want the battery to help start the engine, then we had better delete everything posted so far and you'd better get your cheque book out
Sorry rant over

[Jezclayton]

For £40 (Inc. VAT) you can get a heavy duty relay kit, which will do the job properly.

Site details here:-

http://www.x-eng.co.uk/X-Charge.asp

Installation instructions

http://www.x-eng.co.uk/Instructions/X-Charge.pdf

[AlanN]

The best charging kit for the money and great for charging another car/van battery fast (starter motor, winch, etc.), but would fry a leisure battery. Cant find the threads on this subject, but thats the idea behind leisure batterys, perlonged, slow discharge (lights, radio/TV). One of these last about a week with just lights, maybe 3 days with lights and TV going in my caravan (when I had it).
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/caravan-leisure-b ... dZViewItem

[Jezclayton]

The kampenwagen blog is an informative read if you want to properly understand the options available, but you DO need to read it all, including the links.

I would be reluctant to utilise the basic relay wiring recommended in this post, certainly on a newer transit. The Ford supplied switch is a suppressed relay (i.e. it has a diode built in to protect the alternator switch from high voltages) and capable of handling a constant 160 amps. Use of a cheaper non suppressed relay is liable to void your warranty.

No doubt some will seek to argue the point but, with all the costs cutting measures being taken, if Ford still consider such a relay necessary, there must be good reason?

[AlanN]

They are designed for mobile workshops, not the leisure side of things, you could make the same thing with parts from RS or Maplins for a fraction of the price. Companies like boalloy who make some of these workshop conversions don’t buy them from ford, as they are way toooo expensive, just eats into the profit margin... Walk into ford parts dept and ask for a caravan split charge relay and see what you get! Yep, something similar to the one ebay, but with a indicator buzzer. If you want suppression, clip-on some ferrite, that help stop interference while leaning on your spade listening to the radio
This looks like quite a good little device from Maplin's
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?Mod ... r&doy=10m6
Ive started to head down the solar route, the same as one of my friends, he has proved to me thats the way to go now, im even thinking about making a wind turbine out of an old alternator, but Im still looking for the right plans, mainly because the solar panel I have isnt quite big enough tom power a flat screen TV and I dont want several large panels on the roof.

[gatecrasha]

im even thinking about making a wind turbine out of an old alternator, but Im still looking for the right plans, mainly because the solar panel I have isnt quite big enough tom power a flat screen TV and I dont want several large panels on the roof.

*JINX*
was only discussing this one just the other weekend,
an alternator, even if it aint whazzing over it's still gonna be chuckng a sh*tload of charge towards that all important battery package.
have spare alternator sat here, along with a couple of viscous fans,
who knows - i may give it a trial bash

(whazzing - black country term meaning spinning like f**k)

[AlanN]

Hi Gc
Unfortunatly, you have to rewind the alternator so it works from slow revs, other wise it have to be a gale force wind all the time There are some plans on the net, but you have to buy them and its a matter of finding someone who wants to part with the knowledge for free

[Ucof]

Regarding that Kampenwagen article, my electrical engineer friend said that he wanted to slap the author for some of the inaccuracies that were written.
I reckon take it with a pinch of salt.

[Jezclayton]

Instead of slapping the author, how about enlightening us as to the relevant inaccuracies?

[Ucof]

I would love to, but I'm confused or have forgotten about what my friend said, so if I tried to enlighten you, I would be transmitting an incorrect message.

And that's something I'm not willing to do.