Ok thanks
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It is worth it anywayIt's only money!
Same here. 2021 140hp manual Ducato PVC with adblu but no stop start - fitted with standard non-smart alternator.According to our Fiat Professional garage our Fiat Ducato (140bhp manual with adblue) was built in April 2021.
No stop start and no smart alternator fitted.
Not by looking under the bonnet, but if you look at the starter battery (under the floor in the cab in a Ducato) the presence of a shunt on the negative battery terminal would indicate that a smart alternator is fitted. No shunt then standard alternator.Can you tell by simply lifting the bonnet and looking at the alternator if it’s a Smart version
Thanks Derry
Alternatively just do as Hymer are doing with their newer Exsis series motorhomes.The problem as I see it is that the usual 12V distribution/fuseboxes fitted in motorhomes need a complete re-design for a smart alternator
But if your market is those who only use sites with EHU and never go off grid - and shock horror there are a lot like that - why would the customer pay an extra £500+ for something they would never use.I can imagine the sales pitch, yes sir/madam/non binary etc this motorhome is £500 more than that one, but it has better equipment, allowing you to spend more time off grid and the battery has a ten year guarantee
Yes, the spec isn't a secret and every converter has to prioritise what can items can be included for the cost that the majority will appreciate and so buy the van.I have a new van coming hopefully in a couple of months I've budged £3,500 to upgrade the electrics it would be about £6k if I wasn't doing it myself & it's not a cheap Swift.
I'm happy with that but I don't understand why the OP is so pissed off, but I don't have much patience for people who go out and spend large sums of money and don't bother to understand what they are buying.
Not gone unnoticed, and by large amounts.On the bright side for you, Victron have reduced their prices while you've been waiting
That's not the problem, with a smart alternator it never fully charges the battery, it leaves the battery low enough so it can be topped up when the engine is on overrun. So because the starter battery is always at a lowish voltage the leisure battery never gets a chance to charge unless you fit a B2B.If one just switches off the stop start system (which I believe you can do) then does that solve the problem of the alternator not constantly charging battery?
you also have the scenario what is standard what is extra, 1 x12v and 1 x240v socket in hab area or 4 of each, (in addition to tv and fridge). Standard fly screens? My van came with opportunities, yes 2 110Ah batteries 120W solar but the cheapest of controllers and weediest wiring poss (could have been British). The biggest problem is buyers don't know what they want to buy (if they do they dont want to pay for it) and sellers want to sell what they've got and don't necessarily want to educate buyers. Manufacturers are just guessing. When i bought mine the sales man said "Gaslow a good idea but you don't want to be paying our prices", he gave me a quote and showed me some online pricing. By the way its a Rapido. Not upmarket at all but you can see the Euros between it and an equivalent Roller Team.But if your market is those who only use sites with EHU and never go off grid - and shock horror there are a lot like that - why would the customer pay an extra £500+ for something they would never use.
Thanks Barti Ddu. Please ignore my ignorance, what’s a shunt ?Not by looking under the bonnet, but if you look at the starter battery (under the floor in the cab in a Ducato) the presence of a shunt on the negative battery terminal would indicate that a smart alternator is fitted. No shunt then standard alternator.
Also if you stick one of those usb cig lighter adapters that also give a voltage read out in the cab cig lighter socket - fluctuating voltages as you accelerate, coast, idle, etc. would indicate a smart alternator. If the voltage remains fairly constant at around 13.5v or thereabouts this suggests a standard alternator.
A high current very low ohm resistor and by measuring the volt drop across it you can calculate the current flowing.Thanks Barti Ddu. Please ignore my ignorance, what’s a shunt ?
The van we have on order has £17k of factory fitted options and I'm planning to fit about another £12k of bits to it. Not really possible to buy a van off the shelf if you want a decent spec.you also have the scenario what is standard what is extra, 1 x12v and 1 x240v socket in hab area or 4 of each, (in addition to tv and fridge). Standard fly screens? My van came with opportunities, yes 2 110Ah batteries 120W solar but the cheapest of controllers and weediest wiring poss (could have been British). The biggest problem is buyers don't know what they want to buy (if they do they dont want to pay for it) and sellers want to sell what they've got and don't necessarily want to educate buyers. Manufacturers are just guessing. When i bought mine the sales man said "Gaslow a good idea but you don't want to be paying our prices", he gave me a quote and showed me some online pricing. By the way its a Rapido. Not upmarket at all but you can see the Euros between it and an equivalent Roller Team.
Now if i was to accuse you of knowing what you were getting and you wanted what would the response be?The van we have on order has £17k of factory fitted options and I'm planning to fit about another £12k of bits to it. Not really possible to buy a van off the shelf if you want a decent spec.
The link below is the negative battery terminal on my 2021 Ducato with a standard alternator. See - nothing fitted at all to it. If you have another device fitted to the terminal it's most likely a shunt used in conjunction with a smart alternator. Take a picture of yours, post it on here and someone will be able to confirm.Thanks Barti Ddu. Please ignore my ignorance, what’s a shunt ?
That's a bit harsh Lenny HBI have a new van coming hopefully in a couple of months I've budged £3,500 to upgrade the electrics it would be about £6k if I wasn't doing it myself & it's not a cheap Swift.
I'm happy with that but I don't understand why the OP is so pissed off, but I don't have much patience for people who go out and spend large sums of money and don't bother to understand what they are buying.
I don't think so when I bought my first Motorhome I knew exactly what I was buying and I fully investigated it.That's a bit harsh @Lenny HB
When someone is buying a new to them scenario they are entering the unknown. How do they know not to trust the info provided by the dealer/manufacturer?
Thanks once again Barti I’ll do exactly as you suggest, but unfortunately it won’t be until late tomorrow or even first thing Monday has we’re out all day tomorrow. Once again thanks for your response and patience.The link below is the negative battery terminal on my 2021 Ducato with a standard alternator. See - nothing fitted at all to it. If you have another device fitted to the terminal it's most likely a shunt used in conjunction with a smart alternator. Take a picture of yours, post it on here and someone will be able to confirm.
I'm sure there's an element of new owners not being aware of what they don't know or of what questions to ask.When someone is buying a new to them scenario they are entering the unknown. How do they know not to trust the info provided by the dealer/manufacturer?
I think the some of the standard alternator vans have an isolator relay fitted on the negative terminal, which looks like a small black plastic cubic box with a squiggly diagram on it. The smart alternators also have that same isolator relay, and the shunt is a piece of straight metal to one side of the black plastic box. Actually, the metal shunt is very similar in appearance to the connector bar on your negative terminal. So I think you're right to ask for a picture to confirm exactly what is there.The link below is the negative battery terminal on my 2021 Ducato with a standard alternator. See - nothing fitted at all to it. If you have another device fitted to the terminal it's most likely a shunt used in conjunction with a smart alternator. Take a picture of yours, post it on here and someone will be able to confirm.
Correct, but the one B2B is only half of the solution. (it only properly charges the leisure battery)That's not the problem, with a smart alternator it never fully charges the battery, it leaves the battery low enough so it can be topped up when the engine is on overrun. So because the starter battery is always at a lowish voltage the leisure battery never gets a chance to charge unless you fit a B2B.
But it is a brilliant bit of kit that prevents your starter battery from being killed off by current drain from alarm systems, etc. Thanks for inventing it!Hi the Battery Master is a long term engine battery charging device.
It will not charge the leisure battery, ever, and it operates when the voltage difference is circa 0.8 VDC
It in no way replaces any split charger or Battery 2 Battery charger
If you are retro fitting further additions yourself, how does that effect your warranty, if I may ask?The van we have on order has £17k of factory fitted options and I'm planning to fit about another £12k of bits to it. Not really possible to buy a van off the shelf if you want a decent spec.
Will be doing it myself like most people do. Don't see how it can affect warranty unless a fault was caused by something I did. Not worth worrying about.If you are retro fitting further additions yourself, how does that effect your warranty, if I may ask?
Or are they being fitted by an official authorised dealer network?