Best way to charge a van kept remotely?

[roxburd]

I keep my 2021 McLouis Fusion 331 motorhome at a storage yard and until October the solar panel was keeping the batteries charged. But with the recent cloud cover and the sun being lower in the sky, it's not been providing enough power. I fitted a Battery Master with a connector so I could insert a piece of wiring which allows me to connect in a battery charger which will charge the leisure battery directly - but because the Battery Master is also still connected, it will also charge the engine battery once the leisure battery charge is high enough.

It works well, but after 5 hours on my cheap old Halfords car charger, the engine battery will typically only have gone up from 12.0v to 12.5v... and after ten days or so the charge is back down to 12.0v again. It's become a bit of a drag having to bring it home to give it a top-up every couple of weeks - there's no electric at the storage yard.

So I'm wondering about getting one of these jump starter power pack type things - like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CFQ254VW?tag=mhf04-21

At 26.8Ah that's a fair bit of charge that can be plugged in and delivered into the van batteries. A lot of leisure batteries are under 100Ah. I could charge it at home and just drop by the yard when I'm passing and connect it up to the van in-situ.

Is that a thing? Does anyone do that already? Are there better units you can recommend? Will it work!? I don't know what voltage the unit will put out - it needs to be in the right range to provide a slow charge rather than a quick start so it doesn't damage the van batteries.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[LithiumConvert]

I could charge [the powwer pack] at home and just drop by the yard when I'm passing and connect it up to the van in-situ.

If you are passing by, even occaisionally, it would not do any harm to give the van a run home every few weeks. That would do more good than just keeping the batteries topped up.

If the existing alternator charging is not good enough on its own, then fitting a B2B could be a good investment - you would not need the Halfrauds charger. The B2B will work with any existing leisure battery technology.

 

[roxburd]

If you are passing by, even occaisionally, it would not do any harm to give the van a run home every few weeks. That would do more good than just keeping the batteries topped up.

If the existing alternator charging is not good enough on its own, then fitting a B2B could be a good investment - you would not need the Halfrauds charger. The B2B will work with any existing leisure battery technology.

Thanks LithiumConvert !

I asked Google "is battery master a b2b". Its AI said "No, Battery Master is a product that helps balance batteries, not a business-to-business (B2B) company". Ha! It sure is artificial.

So I think Battery Master is a B2B? Not 100% Sure but from what I've seen it seems to be. I fitted a Battery Master and it works well. When the leisure battery has about 0.5v more than the engine battery it spills charge over from the leisure battery to the engine battery. And I fitted it with a plug and socket so I can inline a lead to connect my charger so I can charge both batteries at the same time.

That's a good point about giving the van a run - it would miss out on that if I had some portable charging solution. The alternator is working fine. It's just that when the sun don't shine, that alarm seems to be drawing quite a current! And my old car charger doesn't seem to supply much current.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[LithiumConvert]

A B2B is normally used to charge the leisure battery from the alternator. (the opposite to a Battery Master which only looks after the engine battery if the leisure battery is charged)

Your 2021 McLouis Fusion 331 may well be fitted with a smart alternator, in which case it will never charge the leisure batttery properly. The B2B gets around that deficiency - and will work well even if you have a standard alternator. (Future proofing - you can take it with you.)

Forget the old car charger.

 

[headlight]

Thanks LithiumConvert !

I asked Google "is battery master a b2b". Its AI said "No, Battery Master is a product that helps balance batteries, not a business-to-business (B2B) company". Ha! It sure is artificial.

So I think Battery Master is a B2B? Not 100% Sure but from what I've seen it seems to be. I fitted a Battery Master and it works well. When the leisure battery has about 0.5v more than the engine battery it spills charge over from the leisure battery to the engine battery. And I fitted it with a plug and socket so I can inline a lead to connect my charger so I can charge both batteries at the same time.

That's a good point about giving the van a run - it would miss out on that if I had some portable charging solution. The alternator is working fine. It's just that when the sun don't shine, that alarm seems to be drawing quite a current! And my old car charger doesn't seem to supply much current.

Cheers,
Dave

No a Vanbitz Battery Master is not a B2B.

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[BouncyBoatFolk]

Perhaps a different solar controller with dedicated circuits for both batteries would help. Alternatively, a small folding panel in the windscreen dedicated to just the starter battery as that the most vulnerable. 50/60 watts should do it, but up to about 120 folding panels will fit the screen area, and useful to have on board when off grid.
Mike.

 

[LithiumConvert]

Technically, a B2B can be used to charge any one battery from any other - battery to battery.
Although, in motorhomes, normally used from engine battery to leisure battery whilst the alternator is providing the power.

Some can be wired to charge either way like the Sterling Power reverse charge unit :-

BB12200 - 12V to 12V 200A Battery to Battery Charger w/ reverse chargi

12V to 12V DC to DC Chargers 200A models - E-Marking | BB12200 5 Years Warranty - From 1st November 2024 Available now We can ship to the USA Remote control BBR - Optional remote- Buck Boost design, offering high efficiency (95-98%)- Simple installation and setup- Current limiting 4 stage...

sterling-power.com

Get you out of a hole if the engine battery is flat !

 

[roxburd]

Ah, I don't think a B2B would be any good for me - I don't reckon I'd do enough miles for the B2B to give the leisure battery any charge. When it's sunny the solar panel keeps everything charged up - so no need for a B2B. But November to February the sun's not strong enough and the van ain't doing any miles either, apart from the odd 5-minute trip back home for a charge or a bit of fettling. Unless I've misunderstood something. I'd rather hook the system up to the leccy than burn loads of diesel to do the same job.

 

[headlight]

Ah, I don't think a B2B would be any good for me - I don't reckon I'd do enough miles for the B2B to give the leisure battery any charge. When it's sunny the solar panel keeps everything charged up - so no need for a B2B. But November to February the sun's not strong enough and the van ain't doing any miles either, apart from the odd 5-minute trip back home for a charge or a bit of fettling. Unless I've misunderstood something. I'd rather hook the system up to the leccy than burn loads of diesel to do the same job.

What size solar panel do you have ?
I have 230 watts of solar and that keeps my 230AH LifePo4 leisure battery charged whilst in storage and my Battery Master keeps my starter battery charged.

 

[LithiumConvert]

and my B2B keeps my starter battery charged.

Oh good. Somebody else who uses a B2B for that. I was beginning to think I was the only one.
Sterling Power set to 15amp does the job perfectly.

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[roxburd]

What size solar panel do you have ?
I have 230 watts of solar and that keeps my 230AH LifePo4 leisure battery charged whilst in storage and my B2B keeps my starter battery charged.

It's a 100W panel. It was supplying enough until about a month ago - cloud cover and sun low in the sky, I guess.

 

[autorouter]

Technically, a B2B can be used to charge any one battery from any other - battery to battery.
Although normally used from engine battery to leisure whilst the alternator is providing the power.

A B2B normally has a trigger to switch it on and off. Usually the D+ (engine running) signal from the alternator is used to switch it on and off, because normally you want it to charge the leisure battery from the alternator/starter battery only when the engine is running.

However any time the trigger input is high (12V) the B2B will try to charge from input to output. So it's perfectly possible to use it to charge the starter battery from the leisure battery. Just connect the input to the leisure battery, output to the starter battery, and apply 12V to the trigger.

Any B2B will be OK, a low power one outputting 15A or 20A will be fine.

Another possibility is one of those 'power station' gizmos, that has a battery and can output mains voltage. You could plug your Halfords charger into it, and charge the leisure battery and starter battery as you did before. Or connect a charger directly to the starter battery.

Before these power banks came on the scene, I used a spare lead-acid battery, 150W inverter and 5A mains charger connected together to charge the MH batteries when mains power was not available where I parked the MH.

 

[headlight]

Oh good. Somebody else who uses a B2B for that. I was beginning to think I was the only one.
Sterling Power set to 15amp does the job perfectly.

Sorry that should have said my Battery Master keeps my starter battery charged oops.

 

[LithiumConvert]

Sorry that should have said my Battery Master keeps my starter battery charged. Oops.

So, for the time being, it is just me, then.

 

[PlacidoD]

My van fits on my drive and so I have an EHU from the garage to the van. (Gloat!!)
An alternative solution which just might have some attraction but only if you can find alternatives uses for the other 9 months of the year: Acquire something like an Ecoflow Delta 2 and make up a shortish (say 2 metre) lead from that to feed in 240V power via the EHU hook up to charge via the internal van charger. A new Delta 2 will set you back £599. I got lucky and got a lightly used one for £400 (Gloat!!:)

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[pappajohn]

Acquire something like an Ecoflow Delta 2 and make up a shortish (say 2 metre) lead from that to feed in 240V power via the EHU hook up to charge via the internal van charger. A new Delta 2 will set you back £599. I got lucky and got a lightly used one for £400 (Gloat!!:)

WOW!
You just solved a life long mystery.....perpetual motion.....almost.
How do you recharge the delta 2.
It will take more from the battery than it puts in.

 

[Eddie H]

Having a similar problem with winter storage.
I have looked at Ecoflow and similar products, but surely you are just essentially topping up one battery from another, wouldn’t it be cheaper to buy an additional leisure battery and charge at home swapping from time to time. Then let the battery master balance them out.

Pretty much what you would need to do with an Ecoflow, or am I not looking at this correctly? Taking it home to recharge

Would like to know as my van base is a Sprinter and I’ve read the MBUX system never really goes to sleep so likes to eat into the battery capacity.

 

[autorouter]

I have looked at Ecoflow and similar products, but surely you are just essentially topping up one battery from another, wouldn’t it be cheaper to buy an additional leisure battery and charge at home swapping from time to time. Then let the battery master balance them out.

Sometimes it's not so simple. Many MHs have a leisure battery boxed in under a seat, which is difficult to remove. It's a major operation swapping a leisure battery. Even when they are accessible, it's often not a simple job for some people.

The advantage of a power bank like the Ecoflow is it is plug and play. And it's quite portable. If you already have one, and have other uses for it, then it's a nice easy solution. You can charge it at home, plug it into the MH and leave it. Then come back another day to collect it, take it home and recharge it. It's like bringing a watering can full of water to top up the water tank.

Maybe it's a bit OTT if that's the only thing you use it for, but people often find other uses for a power bank once they have it.

 

[LithiumConvert]

Sometimes it's not so simple. Many MHs have a leisure battery boxed in under a seat, which is difficult to remove. It's a major operation swapping a leisure battery. Even when they are accessible, it's often not a simple job for some people.

And, if the leisure battery is actually a bank of two or more batteries, then the major operation becomes a technical nightmare.

Another vote for the Ecoflow. Although, I still taking the van for a run home in best in many cases.

 

[AdrianChen]

So, for the time being, it is just me, then.

A friend does use a B2B to charge his engine battery from his lithium domestic battery on his boat - he has the main alternator set up to charge his domestic bank using an external Alpha Pro regulator to get a proper lithium profile, then the starter is kept up by the B2B (a small 12v 18a Victron Orion).

On our boat we had 3 B2B's (MV Magic 24v/24v) to maintain various LA auxiliary batteries from the 24v Lithium domestic bank charged by an AlphaPro 24v alternator, whilst the standard fit 12v alternator charged the start battery.

They get used in all sorts of way's - the reason I use an Ablemail on the van is because I don't need a big charge current to maintain the start battery from self discharge and the tracker. I guess also it may be simpler to install in some cases when the cables can be much smaller gauge.

We currently do have one of the original fit CBE chargers on the van wired to the start battery in case it ever needs a proper charge, but in three years I've only switched it on to check it still works! So it will be coming out soon.....

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[The Old Man]

I think I'm lucky, van stored on a storage site, 15 minutes from home, I'm retired so I can make the time, I enjoy driving my van if conditions are fair, I also enjoy sleeping in it and no family commitments.

I have no Solar.

So at least once a week I visit the van, First Parade it and set off on a two hour trip around the Brecon Beacons. The route poses a few nice; rest spots, eateries and coffee shops.

Hopefully it's a dry day. I can cruise with the windows open, changing the air in the van, stirring the engine fluids and putting some charge into the battery.

OK, there is some fuel burnt, some tyre wear offset by flexing and exercising them, but it puts me in a good mood and I only see the positives.

Sometimes it turns into an overnight stay.

That's why I enjoy my van, adventures do not have to be cross continental, there where you find them or make them.

 

[AdrianChen]

I think I'm lucky, van stored on a storage site, 15 minutes from home, I'm retired so I can make the time, I enjoy driving my van if conditions are fair, I also enjoy sleeping in it and no family commitments.

I have no Solar.

So at least once a week I visit the van, First Parade it and set off on a two hour trip around the Brecon Beacons. The route poses a few nice; rest spots, eateries and coffee shops.

Hopefully it's a dry day. I can cruise with the windows open, changing the air in the van, stirring the engine fluids and putting some charge into the battery.

OK, there is some fuel burnt, some tyre wear offset by flexing and exercising them, but it puts me in a good mood and I only see the positives.

Sometimes it turns into an overnight stay.

That's why I enjoy my van, adventures do not have to be cross continental, there where you find them or make them.

Definitely the best way! Especially in that area...

 

[Brains]

What size solar panel do you have ?
I have 230 watts of solar and that keeps my 230AH LifePo4 leisure battery charged whilst in storage and my Battery Master keeps my starter battery charged.

Same for me.

I'd suggest you fit the biggest solar panel the roof will hold.

My batteries stay fully charged all year around from the solar panel/battery master combination (both installed by VanBitz), even though the vehicle was parked for the last 3 winters in the shade of trees, so got minimal (if any) direct sunlight.

This winter I'm in a different place in the storage yard, so have open sky most of the day.

 

[DT]

My van fits on my drive and so I have an EHU from the garage to the van. (Gloat!!)
An alternative solution which just might have some attraction but only if you can find alternatives uses for the other 9 months of the year: Acquire something like an Ecoflow Delta 2 and make up a shortish (say 2 metre) lead from that to feed in 240V power via the EHU hook up to charge via the internal van charger. A new Delta 2 will set you back £599. I got lucky and got a lightly used one for £400 (Gloat!!:)

Exactly what I do then charge the Delta 2 at home.

 

[Outdoors Dad]

Votronic mppt solar regulator gives you an option to trickle charge your starter with 1amp as well as your hab battery. This of course is as much use as a chocolate fire guard if your solar panel doesn't yield in a winter's low sun! I'm sure the first 1amp goes to starter then any more to the hab but I'm not positive.

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