Alternator amperage (1 Viewer)

[Stealaway]

Not all year it won't

I didn't think he needed it all year.
If he's like most of us, for six months of summer use would he really need to spend another £300?

I think we need to keep in mind the costs of our 'holidays'

When you calculate the annual £2000+ depreciation of our motorhomes and the annual running cost that might be a further £750.
Then to add various additional upgrades to the cost of owning that van and our time actually spent in the van becomes very expensive.

 

[Bart]

I didn't think he needed it all year.
If he's like most of us, for six months of summer use would he really need to spend another £300?

I think we need to keep in mind the costs of our 'holidays'

When you calculate the annual £2000+ depreciation of our motorhomes and the annual running cost that might be a further £750.
Then to add various additional upgrades to the cost of owning that van and our time actually spent in the van becomes very expensive.

Hi you can Call me "Trev" i won't bite
If i was to get the B2B charger i would look on it as a good buy from the point of view that if i changed Motorhomes i could take the Inverter with me to the new MH
BUT atm i only have 1 battery and no solar , e.g the MH is stock , but if i was to get the B2B i would upgrade to either to 2 or 4 x new 100 AH batteries. £150 / £300 respectively.
But im thinking this will be our 1st trip away in the MH and i dont it to be crap and being out of power all the time, but at the same time do not want to install solar , incase we hate the layout or something else about our dream MH , but with the likes of the B2B & batteries they could be easily transferable if that was the case , But if our 1st trip goes well then leave it as it is plus install the solar panels.
Yes the £600 is alot of money to me , as lately i've just been spending money on the MH like its going out of fashion , e.g postman just delivered my 19" Cello 12V TV @£210 while typing this post.
I'm waiting on my £80 order of LED's , my 2nd roll up hose reel at £39 , the spending list just goes on,, but most of it is transferable items
but anyway back on track , both me and the wife dont know yet where we are going ,, e.g the UK mainland , or if we will venture to the likes of France or Germany etc for our 1st trip away in the MH ( a lot depends on if my Gas it System arrives before we leave ) , so not only do we not know where we are going , but if we will stay at a place for 1 night or 5 nights etc.
But we do know that in the future we do not want to rely on an EHU.
Decisions , Decisions >>>>>>>

 

[Abacist]

I did the Sterling 50amp B2B and 2 new 180 amp hour each hab batteries first with a 1500 watt inverter as, as you have identified, you can whip them out again if you decide to change your van.

I then did the solar afterwards and in fact am still installing it. 3 100 watt panels glued to the roof and a wire run inside from the new batteries to the roof and next I need to do the roof cabling, trunking etc and cut the hole in the roof to connect 2 panels to the new batteries and then the other panel to the original van hab batteries.

What with babysitting grandchildren and the other retirement tasks it takes a long time to get things done with all the demands on your time and then the weather isn't right!

I am hopefully following what @Techno has done and am using his most helpful and informative posts to help me know what to do.

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[Jaws]

I do not think I would worry about changing the built in charger.. We have three 120w panels on the roof and three 110aH batteries.
The standard charger is the Sargent thing and is rated at ten amps.
We use the van all year round and find the panels keep the batteries well topped up.. and believe me, we are BIG electric users as Woman likes the telly on most days from about 5pm till gone midnight !
While the B2B charger is a good bit of kit I am glad I spent my money on solar stuff instead..
When we do long stints on one site during the winter the solar panels are working ( some days poorly admittedly ) all the time.. a B2B would only work with the engine running
My total expenditure for the panels and a really good controller was about £340

 

[Bart]

@Abacist thanks for the input & yip i look up to @Techno like a God , he knows his stuff and has been really helpful.
@Jaws that is great to hear that you are doing well with your current set up , do you have / use an inverter or is everything that you use 12v , also what do you run your fridge on ,, Gas ??
Ive just got my 12V TV today and it seems good on the power using 2A

 

[mitzimad]

we have 180 of panels 225 of battery and a split charge system weve never run out including 5 days of grid in uttoxeter at new year

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[Techno]

I would say our travels should be 1-2 days max stay at one place , hey that why we have wheels
So would you recon i should put Solar or the Sterling B2B charger at the top of the list ?


Andy when you say your set up , i take it you were meaning just your inverter ?
Is this your inverter ?
http://www.sp-shop.co.uk/Sterling-P...o-Battery-12V-12V-60a-Charger-PN-BBW1260.html

No that isn't an inverter as it says in the description it is a charger
I only put solar first because our van lives in storage when not in use otherwise I would put the charger top of the list

 

[Jaws]

@Abacist thanks for the input & yip i look up to @Techno like a God , he knows his stuff and has been really helpful.
@Jaws that is great to hear that you are doing well with your current set up , do you have / use an inverter or is everything that you use 12v , also what do you run your fridge on ,, Gas ??
Ive just got my 12V TV today and it seems good on the power using 2A

Everything is 12v.. We do have an inverter .. it is under a seat and I have never bothered wiring it in !!
And yes, we run the fridge on gas. When we are full time in Spain we use a bottle in around three weeks.. and it not only does the fridge but all the cooking and heating too..

 

[Bart]

No that isn't an inverter as it says in the description it is a charger
I only put solar first because our van lives in storage when not in use otherwise I would put the charger top of the list

@Techno lol i started off correctly calling it the B2B Charger , but somewhere along the lines my old brain got distracted and then i started to call it the inverter.
Is the B2B charger i linked above the same as yours ?

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[Techno]

Yes but not where I'd buy it

 

[Bart]

@ Jaws that is great to hear how long the gas does you as well , What size is the bottle and is it a refillable bottle.

 

[Bart]

Yes but not where I'd buy it

where can you see it for £299

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[Techno]

http://www.simplysplitcharge.co.uk/shop/viewitem.cgi?BBW1260SP

 

[Bart]

@Techno Andy what else do i need to buy to add the B2B charger to the MH , i see in the listings he says "This item can also be supplied as a full kit including cables, fuses, and terminals ect from 1-10mtrs "
But ive no idea what i need to buy , can you help me order the right stuff please

 

[Techno]

What vehicle is it and where is your liesure battery in relation to your starter battery

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[Bart]

Andy Its a 2007 Bessacarr E560 the lesiure battery is under the seating area which sits directly behind the passengers front swivel seat. as for the cab battery , not seen it , ill go and look near at the floor area at the front passengers area.

 

[Techno]

So it's an x250 ?
Basically you'll be drilling through the floor near the liesure battery to run the 25mm2 positive to the starter battery under the floor at 1 o'clock from the passenger seat so you might only need 1 to 2 metres of cable
The b2b negative wants bolting to the chassis
For extra protection it should be in a flexible conduit under the floor to the starter battery box

 

[Bart]

Yip an X250 , just been out at it there and the battery is below where the passengers feet rest
and its 1 meter in a straight line between the 2 batteries , so ill need 2 meters

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[Bart]

Andy do i need to upgrade any of the wiring from / to the alternator ?
And do i need to install any fuses

 

[Techno]

Andy do i need to upgrade any of the wiring from / to the alternator ?
And do i need to install any fuses

No
Fuses yes as directed in the instructions which you can find online

 

[Techno]

page 4
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0..._41ed676a-c2b5-45ae-b346-e56ccbfc680a.pdf?479

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[Bart]

@Techno Thanks Andy for the help!

 

[Techno]

 

[Bart]

@Techno what do you call that bar connection with the 3 nuts/ connections that is on the positive connection on the left hand side battery.
Also does the B2B charger come with a temperature sensor to attach to the alternator or is that an optional extra ,, and how important is it if its optional.

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[SomeoneElse]

@Techno where did you source that four pole insulated bus-bar at the bottom left of your photo?

 

[Bart]

@Techno where did you source that four pole insulated bus-bar at the bottom left of your photo?

I'm pretty sure he got it from here : http://www.simplysplitcharge.co.uk/shop/viewitem.cgi?BB100
i seen it last night when i was looking for the other bar i was asking him about.

 

[Techno]

@Techno where did you source that four pole insulated bus-bar at the bottom left of your photo?

This is the one I purchased but very similar to Barts link. I like blue sea branded equipment even if dearer

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[Techno]

@Techno what do you call that bar connection with the 3 nuts/ connections that is on the positive connection on the left hand side battery.
Also does the B2B charger come with a temperature sensor to attach to the alternator or is that an optional extra ,, and how important is it if its optional.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/sis.html?..._id=291660570200&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2658

It comes as my picture with a battery temp sensor. No you don't need and alternator sensor

 

[Techno]

View attachment 115534

Remember this B2B is charging FOUR batteries not just two

 

[Bart]

Remember this B2B is charging FOUR batteries not just two

Andy thanks for the link.
Do you mean that your pic above of your setup is wired accordingly for FOUR batteries
Or that i should / must be using FOUR batteries if i use the BBW1260

Also what batteries would you rec , i seen you link these before ? are these ok or something better ?


With four im worried abit about my payload..

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