Battery master installation (1 Viewer)

May 8, 2011
3,834
47,990
God's county. Helmsley, North Yorkshire.
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16,317
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IH Tio 630 RL
Exp
Since April 1846 but have always camped.
So, it arrived and I was told it was easy! Call in an auto electrician that tells me that the drivers seat has to come out at huge expense to access the leisure battery. Then needs access to the engine battery to connect the other wires. Call the seller who says it needs to be connected across the split charge relay, but where the hell is that because I don't know!:Sad: email the manufacturer who tells me that yes, that is right ( ??. ) and they can sell me a battery master for £50 but I've already bought one!

So, does anyone know how to install one of these please?
Many thanks.
 

GJH

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 20, 2007
29,450
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Acklam, Teesside, originally Glossop
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Electrically, installation is simple. If it is the same as the ones I have installed you just need connections to both battery positive terminals and to the common earth.

Routing the cables between the unit and the two batteries will depend on where the batteries are located. I found it reasonably easy in an Autoquest 100. In most cases (as with the Autoquest) it will require finding a way to run a cable between the engine bay and the main body of the van.
 

movan

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My split relay was actually found in the engine on my last van .... sorry if this doesn't help and is daft, but I didn't know where it was.
 

pappajohn

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Aug 26, 2007
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Huge expense to remove a seat?:Eeek:
Is he on planet Earth or Fuller's Earth?

agreed.....2 x 13mm bolts at the front of the seat box and 2 torx or Allen bolts at the rear IN the seat runners...seat removed in less than 10 minutes.

This guy must be on a hell of a good hourly rate. :Eeek:
 
Last edited:

scotjimland

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Jul 25, 2007
2,084
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Suffolk Coastal District, UK
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15
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Timberland
dead simple.. here is drawing

vanbitz-L.jpg

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scotjimland

LIFE MEMBER
Jul 25, 2007
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Suffolk Coastal District, UK
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Timberland
But does anyone know where to find the split charge relay on a Renault Master PVC built by Timberland ?
Thanks

You don't need to find it or connect to it.. that is just a convenient place to pick up the 12volts from the engine battery..

personally I wouldn't bother looking, just go directly to the pos on the battery as per diagram.

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Jun 17, 2012
2,919
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North Essex
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21,517
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Autotrail Delaware
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>12 but <13
Mine is a Fiat and has relay under the bonnet under a black cover.
The wire at leisure battery is brown with blue tracer, the live from battery is brown.
I connected the Battery master as shown.
Red to the brown/blue
Brown to brown
Black to earth
 

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Trikeman

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Aug 22, 2012
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Since 2011.
Mine is a Fiat and has relay under the bonnet under a black cover.
The wire at leisure battery is brown with blue tracer, the live from battery is brown.
I connected the Battery master as shown.
Red to the brown/blue
Brown to brown
Black to earth

Larby, thanks for the photo.

What relay is it that you have connected into there?

I'm interested as it looks like my next job with the Son's MoHo.:Angry:

Regards,

Trikeman. :winky:
 
Jun 17, 2012
2,919
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North Essex
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>12 but <13
Larby, thanks for the photo.

What relay is it that you have connected into there?

I'm interested as it looks like my next job with the Son's MoHo.:Angry:

Regards,

Trikeman. :winky:


It's the split charge relay, proven by the brown/blue wire as coming from the leisure battery and permanent 12v from battery.
Nice and easy to locate both wires. Also proven with multi-meter.

I also found this useful , has a wiring diagram
http://assets.swiftgroup.co.uk/uplo... Books/1053128 Swift MH Service Book 2004.pdf

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Trikeman

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Aug 22, 2012
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TheBig1

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Nov 27, 2011
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many many years! since I was a kid
its perfectly ok to piggyback the connections onto the split charge relay, just make sure it is the battery relay not the fridge relay. often found in the engine bay or near the battery, look for a non standard fused wire coming off the van battery +ve feeding a relay. there will normally be 2 so check the outgoing wire from the relay (the other thick one) and check that it feeds to the battery not the fridge. easy to do with a meter as it will show a positive voltage with engine off, just like the one from the battery. the fridge feed will be off with engine off

it should take a decent auto electrician about 15 minutes to fit and doesnt need the seat taking out usually
 

musson

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Dec 25, 2013
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I have a bessacarr E584 fitted with sargent panel it says it will switch to engine battery from leisure when the voltage gets to low using my solar panel are we saying it is still advisable to fit a battery master?

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DanielFord

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Jun 1, 2013
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I have a bessacarr E584 fitted with sargent panel it says it will switch to engine battery from leisure when the voltage gets to low using my solar panel are we saying it is still advisable to fit a battery master?
Yes.The Sargent will only do that when it is controlling the charge. Solar controllers are separate, and will tend to only charge the leisure batteries. Thus you can end up with full leisures and drained cab battery if you haven't got a hookup.
 

treetops1

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Feb 25, 2013
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yorkshire/ lincolnshire.
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Sold last van-
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a long time,since 1996
Worth having a word with Andy (Tecno) he fitted mine in a few minutes instead of the couple of hrs running wires around I was expecting to do.
 

Kool Kroozer

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Apr 19, 2014
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Fitting a battery master was one of the simplist things I've done, 3 wires.. Even if a seat has to be removed its really basic stuff, some of these so called experts really take the fkin piss just so they can over charge you.

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PeteH

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Nov 22, 2007
6,853
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East Riding of Yorkshire
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900
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Rapido, 999M.
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18+yrs plus 25+Towing
Can someone explain the benefits of the "battery master" type installation?. All I had was a Wire, two crock clips a Large Diode and a 30amp Fuse, between the 2 sets of batteries, so that when on mains (or Solar) charge the Chassis battery was kept topped up?. Seems a lot of extra cash for the same?.
 

Geo

Trader - Funster
Jul 29, 2007
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Mansfield,Notts
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Autotrail Tracker FB
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45 +years with breaks
Yes Peter, Justlook at the fun there having explaining a simple Batt Master
And you want to throw in a Fuse and a Diode:xrofl::xrofl:

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Sep 23, 2013
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Since 2008 (started in a VW T4 campervan)
I have a bessacarr E584 fitted with sargent panel it says it will switch to engine battery from leisure when the voltage gets to low using my solar panel are we saying it is still advisable to fit a battery master?
Depends how the solar panel is wired. If it is connected via the Sargent panel, then as you say, assuming the panel has the capability (you don't say which model it is, but if the manual says it does ....), it will divert the charge to the battery that needs it.

After-market solar panels are often wired direct to the leisure battery, bypassing the Sargent control system. If that's the case, then a Battery Master or equivalent is still needed.
 

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