Need new batteries any thoughts

Woody n Sue · Guru

Need new batteries any thoughts

ken thomas · Guru

Type in batteries in the search section and you will see many topics in techies
Ken

wendyv · Guru

Woody, my bus is currently at a local auto electrician - because the "house" power system had stopped working.

I am putting 2 new Fullriver AGM batteries in. We had these in caravan and had no problems over 8 years.

A good auto electrician might be able to advise you on what sort of charger etc you need for your set up. Not much point in listing the parts of our system, because having solar makes it different. The better chargers can be switched to suit the type of battery, that much I know.

Blue · Senior Member

AGM or GEL and you'll be ok...

be careful on your chargers.. gel seem to have to have specific chargers although they seem to take any old solar charger on them...

I was reading the other day that GEL batteries don't like to be charged over 13.8 volts

so

using a normal charger will most likely be trying to charge it at over 14V

looking at one of my Solar chargers the preset is 13.8 Volts - it also can be adjusted up or down

GEL supposedly last longer than AGM if charged properly

-- Edited by Blue on Friday 17th of October 2014 07:12:09 AM

03_troopy · Guru

You could use one of the redarc type bcdc chargers to handle the DC-DC side of the charging. They have models that can be set up for different battery chemistries and have solar input with built in mppt regulator. But you'd need to use something like one of the Projecta 240V chargers for charging on 240V. They have models that can be selected for different battery chemistries as well. There are other brands available more than likely, these are just two that I know of. To be automatic, you'd have to connect the system via relays which may or may not be within your skills. A simple switch feeding the out put of either the dc-dc or the 240v charger to the batteries. And an ignition powered relay to select between alternator or solar when using the DC-Dc charger would be the minimum way I'd do it, although you could use another relay to select between DC-DC and 240V chargers when plugged into 240V.

wendyv · Guru

I am having a Projecta Intellicharger put in the bus, with the new batteries. It has a remote monitor that will be mounted where I can see what is happening to the system. As the power system is tucked away under the bed, I can't otherwise check what is going on, easily!

Woody n Sue · Guru

Thanks everyone checking prices now

wendyv · Guru

Woody - sent u a PM

Tim thetruckie · Senior Member

Woody I would suggest a Redarc BCDC 1240 http://www.redarc.com.au/products/product/in-vehicle-battery-charger-40a/ to charge from your motor and this DC DC charger also has a MPPT solar regulator built in , a change over relay needs to be fitted between the lead from your starter battery and the charger to connect the solar panel to . Purchase a 240v multlistage charger to charge off 240v . The Projecta 240v charger seems a good charger .

03_troopy · Guru

What Tim said.. like this:

From the Redarc site

And shop around, prices vary considerably. just over $460 online

-- Edited by 03_troopy on Wednesday 22nd of October 2014 03:01:39 PM

Tim thetruckie · Senior Member

I picked one up yesterday for a friend of mine for $462.00 . If you are in Adelaide Woody PM me and I can sort it for you .

03_troopy · Guru

Yes Tim, the RRP on their site is way over the top.

SnowT · Guru

The Biggest thing is is you free camp and don't Hook up to Mains to charge or even if you camp in the same spot and can not charge via your Vehicle you need to make sure you have enough charge to charge during the worst of the days.. ie Winter.. when you have less Solar available..

It all good to have a good set of Batteries but if you can't meet the Recharging demands that Lead Acid Batteries need[ this being AGM's, GEL, or any other form of LA] They need to be Fully charged or over time they begin to degrade..

So No matter what anyone tells you, do you have the ability to fully charge the Batteries... When they start to get low... and do you have a method of stopping the Batteries from going below 50% State of Charge..
- here is an example.. if you have 2 @ 12v 225 Ah Batteries in Parallel with each other to give you 445 Ah @ 12v.. You only should ever use 225Ah of the Batteries potential..
- [Mind you to take these batteries to 50% SOC means that the batteries are only given a theoretical Cycle life of 800 cycles[ If Full-river ]
-- People think, " I don't have enough Battery power to meet all of their demands, so lets install an extra Battery ", but then they don't seem to Look at the other end of DO I HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHARGE WHAT I HAVE....??

Here is a Picture of what my bus is Currently configured Like..

The Roof rack is holding up a Tropical Roof of Solar Panels[Minus 1] I have enough solar up there to Fully charge my Batteries by 10-10:30am during summer, and I use the rest of the day to do what ever I want with the Power.. I will not go into my build here.. and yes it is an extreme amount of solar, but not by all means the smallest or the largest for This type of system..

So have a Think about HOW you plan to recharge the Batteries.. [ also take into account where you camp, how long you camp in the one spot, how far you travel between spot's and Lastly what charging sources you have available.. ]

So you need some means of telling if and when the batteries are at 50% SoC.. Me I would look at using one of these.. Victron Battery monitor BMV 600S

They can be programmed to switch off the Batteries if they show that the batteries are at say 60% of Charge and if setup correctly[Extra wiring] will only allow the vital stuff to work..

So what I'm saying No matter what Batteries you go with, if you DO NOT have the Ability to charge them up to Full[ IF Lead Acids ], you will end up in the same Boat 1-2yrs down the track..

If you don't have a method of tell you at what state of charge the Batteries are you could be shorting the life of the batteries..

I could talk of Other Battery types but then that is old hat..

Juergen