Are these batteries agm and whats the blue box, Hymer ML-T 570

[G-A-R-Y]

Dealer sent me some pictures of a van we are going to see. Is all this normal looking or extra.
Thanks in advance.

 

[LithiumConvert]

Difficult to tell from that photograph.

Hymer normally fit a Schaut EBL which is blue, but mine doesn't look like that.

The dealer should tell you what the batteries are and the blue box.

Nothing looks particularly abnormal. (and room to add a B2B if you want to go lithium)

 

[Just smiffy]

I can see agm on the battery..

 

[PhilandMena]

I beleive they are bog standard crap !

PLATINUM LEISURE BATTERIES​

Platinum are known for making premium quality leisure batteries with strong performance and excellent longevity. Their batteries are verified by The NCC as Class C in their leisure battery scheme meaning they are highly recommended batteries for use with an electrical hookup.

Their batteries come in a variety of shapes and sizes and have several useful features such as a state of charge indicator, labyrinth lid technology, spark arrestor and practical low height fitments.


But looked again and saw this with the Blue ribbon, so looks like AGM and if it as stated below much, much better than the one above.
SKU: AGMLB6110L

THE PLATINUM LEISURE AGM PLUS HAS BEEN SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO COPE WITH THE ARDUOUS DEMANDS PLACED ON THE BATTERY BY THE MOTORMOVER, WHILST GIVING THE HIGHEST PERFORMANCE AND DURABLE, RELIABLE LONG LIFE FOR ALL CARAVAN/MOTORHOME APPLICATIONS.

The platinum leisure agm plus has been specifically designed to cope with the arduous demands placed on the battery by the motormover, whilst giving the highest performance and durable, reliable long life for all caravan/motorhome applications. size: 354mm length x 175mm width x 190mm height, voltage: 12v, ncc class a, 100 ah

 

[BDM]

Maybe a Schaudt WA 121545 above and it does say AGM on the batts....​

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[bigtree]

That's the batteries I had in the Carthago I bought last year, they are AGM. I swapped them out and bought a Fogstar 280ah, another Funster has them in his van now.

 

[LithiumConvert]

I can see agm on the battery..

You have a better computer display than me

 

[LithiumConvert]

Maybe a Schaudt WA 121545 above

That sounds useful.

 

[G-A-R-Y]

Difficult to tell from that photograph.

Hymer normally fit a Schaut EBL which is blue, but mine doesn't look like that.

The dealer should tell you what the batteries are and the blue box.

Nothing looks particularly abnormal. (and room to add a B2B if you want to go lithium)

Yes, if we buy this ML-T I would fit lithium asap, I wonder does that battery charger have a lithium option or perhaps change the whole unit.
I guess there is some sort of split charging too, fitting a 40amp B to B is easy enough but how would it affect the Hymer control panel. I can see on the original photo a sticker with 50amp fuse and 3amp fuse so I guess house batteries and trickle to engine??

Any advice welcomed.

 

[BDM]

Schaudt WA 121545

​

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[Detnor]

If your ML-T is on a mercedes base, it should have a battery to battery charger to deal with the smart alternator. My ML-I 540 has a factory fitted Votronic VCC 1212-45 and is fitted about where the blue box is shown above your batteries. You haven't said if there are solar panels as the regulator is also normally fitted near the batteries if done at the factory.
As an separate thing, if you see on your photo where the large duct pipe comes into the top of the battery box, have a check with your fingers that it is all dry. I've seen reports on German sites of occasional issues with water getting in there, never seen it myself, but worth checking.

 

[Lenny HB]

They are AGM but not the original batteries and the box above is a Schaudt B2B.

es, if we buy this ML-T I would fit lithium asap, I wonder does that battery charger have a lithium option or perhaps change the whole unit.

The EBL will have Gel & AGM settings, you can just pull a fuse to disable the leisure battery charger and it will still charge the engine battery. Then fit a charger with a Lithium setting like the Votronic IP22.

 

[G-A-R-Y]

I think the EBL can be set to gel, that should be ok for Lithium upgrade.
The Schaudt WA 121545 is a B to B (called a booster), this has lithium setting as far as I read.
Then turn off the engine trickle charge option on the Schaudt unit.

Then add solar later with the appropriate MPPT.

​

 

[Lenny HB]

I think the EBL can be set to gel, that should be ok for Lithium upgrade

The EBL on Gel has a 16 hour absorbtion phase which is not good for Lithium.

 

[G-A-R-Y]

Ah, I understand, disconnect (remove fuse) to stop original charger working, then add new 240v lithium battery charger.

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[Lenny HB]

Ah, I understand, disconnect (remove fuse) to stop original charger working, then add new 240v lithium battery charger.

Yep.

 

[treblid]

The EBL on Gel has a 16 hour absorbtion phase which is not good for Lithium.

Not sure it's that bad. Ours has been fine.

 

[Lenny HB]

Not sure it's that bad. Ours has been fine.

It's not good to hold Lithium's at over 14v for long periods.

 

[treblid]

Schaudt's official guidance is to use the Gel setting. I know it may not be a perfect solution but it's not holding into LeFePO4 at 14.4V for ever. I cannot see how holding at 16 hours with no current in or out (unless top balancing) at the end of absorption is really going to harm in our application.

 

[Lenny HB]

Schaudt's official guidance is to use the Gel setting. I know it may not be a perfect solution but it's not holding into LeFePO4 at 14.4V for ever. I cannot see how holding at 16 hours with no current in or out (unless top balancing) at the end of absorption is really going to harm in our application.

You had all your answers on another tread why do you keep going on about it.
If you want to your Lithium's it's up to you I'm not saying any more on the subject.

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[treblid]

I know it's technically not the party line but in practical circumstances that motorhomes cycle their batteries it's not really going to change the life of the battery vs the end user.

If it was that bad Schaudt would not recommend it as a solution........

 

[treblid]

You had all your answers on another tread why do you keep going on about it.

But that discussion was on float voltage not absorption duration. The Schaudt falls back to 13.7V float which although slightly higher than others would choose is not going to be an issue in practice.

 

[Brains]

We have a MLT 570

The photo looks fairly similar to our set up.
I'd not bother to replace the batteries until they get close to the 'eat by' date.

I would fit solar panels (biggest you can get on the roof)
I would fit a battery master
I'd also fit a decent alarm, immobiliser and tracker
I would not accept the 'factory fit' version, nor the 'dealer fit' version.
Get it done by the experts, [Broken Link Removed] it might cost you slightly more, but you will get a lot better quality.

 

[autorouter]

I can see on the original photo a sticker with 50amp fuse and 3amp fuse so I guess house batteries and trickle to engine??

Usually a 50A fuse for leisure batteries, and a small fuse, 3A maybe, for a thin voltage sensor wire that sends accurate battery voltage measurement to the EBL, unaffected by voltage drop along the main power wire. The starter battery trickle charge is usually by an entirely separate wire from EBL to the starter battery, which also carried power for the 12V element of the 3-way fridge.

 

[treblid]

The Schaudt battery to battery charger - if that's what is above - (booster as they call it) also has a temperature sensor which is attached to the battery negative terminal.