Andi968
Free Member
I am not sure how many owners of Ford Transit based motorhomes know this but there is built in storage for three yes three extra batteries!
As owners should already know the vehicle battery is located in a compartment under the drivers seat and on inspection you will find it is designed for two batteries but most manufacturers only install one to save money and payload. It is a simple job to install a second battery with two short lengths of 30a rated twin wall cable with in-line fuse of 10a and connecting live to live and earth to earth. The reason for the in-line fuse is in case either battery develops a dead cell and in simple terms there is an attempt by the othr to equalise voltage and amperage.
Now if you look under the passenger seat you will see there is more storage for another two batteries, you will need to get down to your local Ford dealer for a battery clamp (around £6) How you wire these up is down to choice as long as it is in parallel , my choice was to wire them into the leisure circuit. Again use 30a rated twin wall cable and in-line fuse.
As I have a 250w and 2 x 150w solar panels each going to a 20a MPPT controller I have done away with the leisure battery completely and depend on the four batteries under the seats and have a grands total of 440Ah of capacity.
I know perhaps I will get comments about using commercial vehicle batteries instead of leisure batteries but these have now been in use three years with not one problem.
When you stop to think about it when a battery is been smart charged by the MPPT charger it is more or less doing the same as a modern smart alternator does whilst driving around.
Hope this is of help to other Ford owners who like myself prefer to be off grid, our longest session off grid so far is 17 days without a problem or anywhere near a flat battery, I have even charged up someone's mobility scooter for them .
Please excuse the dog hairs in the pictures, you can guess who the culprits are !
As owners should already know the vehicle battery is located in a compartment under the drivers seat and on inspection you will find it is designed for two batteries but most manufacturers only install one to save money and payload. It is a simple job to install a second battery with two short lengths of 30a rated twin wall cable with in-line fuse of 10a and connecting live to live and earth to earth. The reason for the in-line fuse is in case either battery develops a dead cell and in simple terms there is an attempt by the othr to equalise voltage and amperage.
Now if you look under the passenger seat you will see there is more storage for another two batteries, you will need to get down to your local Ford dealer for a battery clamp (around £6) How you wire these up is down to choice as long as it is in parallel , my choice was to wire them into the leisure circuit. Again use 30a rated twin wall cable and in-line fuse.
As I have a 250w and 2 x 150w solar panels each going to a 20a MPPT controller I have done away with the leisure battery completely and depend on the four batteries under the seats and have a grands total of 440Ah of capacity.
I know perhaps I will get comments about using commercial vehicle batteries instead of leisure batteries but these have now been in use three years with not one problem.
When you stop to think about it when a battery is been smart charged by the MPPT charger it is more or less doing the same as a modern smart alternator does whilst driving around.
Hope this is of help to other Ford owners who like myself prefer to be off grid, our longest session off grid so far is 17 days without a problem or anywhere near a flat battery, I have even charged up someone's mobility scooter for them .
Please excuse the dog hairs in the pictures, you can guess who the culprits are !
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