Solar charging engine AND habitation battery while in storage.

[Flann1gan]

Hiya team! First time post on here.

I have a 2nd hand 2021 Rimor Superbrig 69, which we love.

When in storage we use a ecoworthy portable solar panel, connected via a controller to the engine battery to keep it topped up.

My question is: is there a way to have this solar panel also charge the leisure battery to keep it topped up?

The superbrig has a ArScilicii BC-520 charger which seems to have the ability to connect both batteries, based on this icon on the control panel.

 

[ShiftZZ]

I am no epert, but what is the wattage of the portable solar panel?

 

[paddymcc]

Not familiar with that charger but if you connected the solar to the leisure battery directly it might then provide a secondary charge to the vehicle battery. My Schaudt EBL does that , it's only a few amps but enough to always keep it topped up. You could check with a multimeter when the sun is shining.
If that doesn't work with your charger then you could fit a Van Bitz Battery Master or an Ablemail to top up the vehicle battery from the habitation battery.

 

[Flann1gan]

I am no epert, but what is the wattage of the portable solar panel?

130W from memory

 

[StillGoing]

You could use a dual output solar controller such a Votronic dúo MPP

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[Jev88]

Battery Master. Takes surplus charge from leisure battery a d trickles to engine battery

 

[paddymcc]

You could use a dual output solar controller such a Votronic dúo MPP

Yes, that reminded me that the EBL only works as I described above because I also have a dual output solar controller by Votronic. I suspect that the folding panel may have an integrated solar controller so it may not be that easy to swap.

 

[Brains]

Yes.
Get a VanBitz Battery Master.
Costs about £60 and can be a DIY fitting.

I have had one for years.
It puts the charge from the roof mounted solar panel (or EHU) into the engine battery first, and when that is full, it tops up the leisure batteries.
It then keeps them all topped up in balance.

It means even in mid winter, when my van is in storage for months at a time, the batteries are always fully topped up.

Best £50 (at the time, including fitting) improvement I had done.
It really should be a standard fitting on all motorhomes.

 

[Silverman]

Another vote for battery master. Although as far as I'm aware mine charges the leisure battery first and then tops up starter battery. Either way it keeps both batteries fully charged.

 

[funflair]

Yes.
Get a VanBitz Battery Master.
Costs about £60 and can be a DIY fitting.

I have had one for years.
It puts the charge from the roof mounted solar panel (or EHU) into the engine battery first, and when that is full, it tops up the leisure batteries.
It then keeps them all topped up in balance.

It means even in mid winter, when my van is in storage for months at a time, the batteries are always fully topped up.

Best £50 (at the time, including fitting) improvement I had done.
It really should be a standard fitting on all motorhomes.

The battery master will only ever put power into the starter battery when the Leisure battery is higher, for example if the leisure battery is at 12v the BM will wait till it's around 12.6v or 12.7v before it trickle charges the starter battery, unless of course you have solar onto the starter battery and the BM running starter to leisure rather than the normal way.

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[Brains]

Another vote for battery master. Although as far as I'm aware mine charges the leisure battery first and then tops up starter battery. Either way it keeps both batteries fully charged.

Sounds like you may have a crossed wire somewhere
(AFAIK mine does engine battery first and was installed by VanBitz themselves)

 

[Ian_H]

Sounds like you may have a crossed wire somewhere
(AFAIK mine does engine battery first and was installed by VanBitz themselves)

Think it might be your wire that is crossed!

 

[Brains]

The battery master will only ever put power into the starter battery when the Leisure battery is higher, for example if the leisure battery is at 12v the BM will wait till it's around 12.6v or 12.7v before it trickle charges the starter battery, unless of course you have solar onto the starter battery and the BM running starter to leisure rather than the normal way.

You make me wonder now.
VanBitz did the Battery Master install at the same time as fitting the alarm and solar panel.

I was under the impression the alarm was fed from the engine battery, so that is classed as the primary battery and gets charged first.

The Leisure battery is secondary, so only once the important stuff is working, does the secondary battery get charged.
(I can drive and be secure with only a working an engine battery, the leisure battery is only a 'nice to have' option in an emergency)