Leisure Battery Charging (1 Viewer)

[****]

I am thinking of this on a self build. Will the van's alternator cope with a manual switch charging system? I was keeping things simple and this looks simple enough for me

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When the switch is on to charge the leisure then the alternator is charging two. I was thinking this may be a strain on the alternator output.

 

[scotjimland]

From the web site where you found the drawing....
http://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/split-charging.html

This is not a very 'smart' solution because it can be easily left on, flattening the starter battery.

Using the split charge relay is the 'smart' way .. and whatever way you decide.. it won't 'strain' the alternator

 

[****]

Cheers for that. Just pulled the picture from Google pictures so never seen the site. This is just a budget van so looking to spend little as possible getting it up and running. The next van will be done with a relay. I will only have a couple of LED lights and a radio on in the evening so a small battery should do.

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[pappajohn]

Yes, it will work just fine when the emgine is running but as Jim said.....once the engine is off it will discharge the engine battery if you forget to turn it off.
Thats bad enough but if its left on and you start the engine it will blow the fuse, you wont realise this of course....until you find the hab battery is flat, even though you just drove for hundreds of miles

Thats the reason for using an automatic split charge relay.

 

[tonyidle]

A relay pulled from a scrap car & one extra (thin) wire to the alternator & you have split charge. Shouldn't cost more than £5 if you buy the relay new.

 

[Yorick]

Yo. I managed to fit a split charge relay to the LMH mesen

The kit was about £50 from Ebay.
If you ask nicely I'll send you the linky

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[mitzimad]

the relay will not cost much more than the switch

 

[****]

the relay will not cost much more than the switch

Six quid for a switch. I would not know where to start with a relay pulled from a car and this wire that @tonyidle is talking about. Where on the alternator would this go?