We are very new to this and dipping our toe in the water.
We have purchased a 1992 Coromal 475 to tow behind our 2006 Hilux duel cab Diesel
I have run an Anderson plug through a relay to the rear of the Hilux and my plan was to run an Anderson lead directly to a C-TEK DC/DC convertor then to the caravan battery That way I will be able to hook up a solar panel at a later date. The idea is to have the 12 volt system of the caravan to operated directly from the deep cycle battery in the caravan and to have the caravan battery charging as we are driving. Is this too simple a system to work .
Using the DCDC charger is the most reliable way to get a charge from your car to the van battery.
Points to remember:-
Fuses close to both batteries.
DCDC charger as close as possible to van battery.
Whilst the DCDC charger will compensate for voltage drop, you still need to have sufficient gauge wiring to keep this drop to a minimum.
If the wire is too small, then the voltage drop will cause the charger to compensate more for the lower voltage at its end, and that will result in more current through the connecting wires, which will result in even more voltage drop, to a point where the device just can't compete, culminating in low performance from the setup.
Recommended wire size for an average 20 metre circuit length and 20 amp draw would be minimum 8AWG (8mm²) for 6% or 0.85 volts drop, but 6AWG (13mm²) would be better, that will keep the voltage drop down to around 0.525 volts or 4%, and that wire will fit comfortably in a 50 amp Anderson connector.
For even lower voltage drop, you can use chassis return provided you do the chassis connections properly and run a wire across the ball coupling.
Thanks for the reply Brian
We have run 6AWG wire through to Anderson plug and an all up 10 metre circuit so it is more than adequate it includes both positive and negative from front to caravan battery.
Once again thanks
philchez
Thanks you for the reply PeterQ
I have a separate anderson plug circuit from my tow battery going through an auto reset circuit breaker to the caravan for my fridge. Thank you for the information because I may have been unaware of that point.
philchez
Thanks you for the reply PeterQ I have a separate anderson plug circuit from my tow battery going through an auto reset circuit breaker to the caravan for my fridge. Thank you for the information because I may have been unaware of that point. philchez
Just by way of supporting the comments, the way you are going is exactly as I have our set up and have had no troubles with it since day one. In addition to the fridge supply, I fitted a motion detector to the fridge feed so that when you stop for more than about 60 seconds say at traffic lights, the supply to the fridge is disconnected until you start off again, works well. Most caravan spare parts outlets sell them
briche
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getting a coaster and doing the setup myself.. [Read other post for the grand story..
My question is..
The Coaster has a 24v system.. I want to have a house system that is separate/isolated from the Bus batteries. The house system will supply all of my stationary..
So here is a brief of the system.. 24v Bus system.. >> DC/DC converter[charger] >> 12v or 24v battery system..
One of the thing's that I'm trying to Lock down before I spend money.. is the Best gear setup for me..
1 2@ CCA Battery for the truck/bus system..
A Switched DC-Dc charger.. Need to know what is the best size for my system..
House system.. [At this stage]
4 @ full river 256Ah 6v AGM Batteries in a series/parallel connection for 12v 512Ah
The question I have is - "What are my option's for a very good value for money DC-DC converter charger that will do the job and not destroy my house batteries..?"
if there are any topic's Please point me to them..
Juergen
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