Stirling B2b Battery Charger On A Ih 630rl (1 Viewer)

[Wicketter]

Has anyone experience of fitting a Stirling B2B charger so that the leisure battery can be charged from the alternator while travelling. IH tell me the only way to charge the leisure battery is by electric hookup. This is for a 630RL. Any help appreciated.

 

[Steve]

The only thing i can say is the b2b is a good bit of kit and works well on my CI Ducato.
Steve. Never needed a ginny since, please make sure it is wired up correctly

 

[Don Quixote]

Best thing I fitted to MH. We sold the honda 10i as no longer needed. Can run static ( Some say you should not ) for 15 minutes and batteries are full topped up or as we move every few days if wild camping, batteries are ready again by the time we park up. We also have a solar panel 120watts so parking for a few days is not a problem. Fitting should take you no more than 1 hour providing you have all the cables etc ready.

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

Well you can do it , because we did. It came with fitting instructions.
I've got no idea how.
Ralphs done it. But he's too busy at the moment to reply. You just have to be careful with other relays and fridges etc.
He's actually got one to sell , A sterling B2B.
Because he's putting a victron Cyrix 120 A on Pug.
This will bump you back up. And maybe you'll get a reply from someone who can help.

 

[andy63]

Has anyone experience of fitting a Stirling B2B charger so that the leisure battery can be charged from the alternator while travelling. IH tell me the only way to charge the leisure battery is by electric hookup. This is for a 630RL. Any help appreciated.

hi , again I hope I understand and am not missing the point , but the purpose of a battery to battery charger is to allow the leisure batteries to receive a charge when the engine, solar or whatever source of power is connected.. I don't have one myself but a quick look at the sterling web site and the fitting instructions indicate a fairly easy job , if you have the cables and connectors... the only equipment you may need would be some heavy duty crimping tool.
same job can be achieved using a heavy duty voltage sensing relay, all be it not nearly as efficiently but at a lot less cost... that was my option (a blue sea dual sensing 120A relay with a tell tale led to show when the battery banks are connected)
cant understand how you are been told that EHU is the only possible option...
there are others on here who can advise and have a lot more knowledge on the subject...as bev said above keep the thread bumped and one will be along..
ta andy

 

[TheDentons]

Well you can do it , because we did. It came with fitting instructions.
I've got no idea how.
Ralphs done it. But he's too busy at the moment to reply. You just have to be careful with other relays and fridges etc.
He's actually got one to sell , A sterling B2B.
Because he's putting a victron Cyrix 120 A on Pug.
This will bump you back up. And maybe you'll get a reply from someone who can help.

How much is the b2b?

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[Abacist]

Over £200 plus cables and bits!

 

[Steve]

Has anyone experience of fitting a Stirling B2B charger so that the leisure battery can be charged from the alternator while travelling. IH tell me the only way to charge the leisure battery is by electric hookup. This is for a 630RL. Any help appreciated.

The van must already have a split charging system of some sort surly?

 

[trophychap]

I am not an electrician! but surely if the only way to charge your battery is via an EHU, the van must already have a battery charger installed?

Are you saying that your habitation battery doesn't charge whilst you are on the move? If not a relay or some such has not been installed when the van was converted.

I am sure other more knowledgeable funsters will be along soon to advise.

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[carolyn]

Hi Lesley, are you sure about this, Trevor told us that the habitation battery was charged by the alternatir and that there is some sort of battery master that makes sure neither battery gets overcharged. As we have the same van as you I do wonder if they know what they are talking about. We have just booked into Vanbitz for an alarm and solar and my understanding was that the b2b charger increases the amount of electric that is produced by the alternator for storage. We had not planned on a b2b charger as well, it's all very confusing!
Obviously this is a very simplified version for my brain.
Ash at Vanbitz seemed to think that solar was better for us if we were going to lurk about for a few days at a time whereas the b2b was better if you were going to keep doing lots of short journeys and then just stop a night.

 

[chaser]

Just had a look at what a 630 RL is at £55000 I'd be very surprised if it hasn't already got duel charging ,if it hasn't I'd definitely want to know why, are you sure something hasn't gone wrong.

 

[carolyn]

I agree with Chaser, i have looked at the manual PC320-IH pages 6 and 7 and I think we are OK. Mind you, any idea where the battery is, Trevor though it was built into the cupboard behind the drivers seat, he did not seem too sure though.

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[eddie]

The battery is probably accessed through the back door.

 

[carolyn]

I am relying on your boys to track it down when we arrive in June Eddie!

 

[Wicketter]

I spoke to Ashley at Vanbitz last week and he knew that the battery is in the bottom of the cupboard facing the sliding door. It does seem confusing when you read the manual because it would appear that the charger and controller are capable of charging the leisure battery from the alternator. However that is not the information from IH, I am hoping the Vanbitz boys can have a closer look when we get there and resolve it one way or the other. We already have a solar panel fitted and just wanted some extra flexibility. Eddie suggested the B2B last year after we had ordered the van.

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[9526]

We have the same van, the alternator charges the engine battery, then the habitation.

Mains charger does the same (but in reverse)

And we have a solar panel which we can program to charge either one first (it then switches to the other one)

With this setup I can't really see the need for a B2B

 

[flatpackchicken]

I had a b2b fitted last year by Vanbitz and it is a good bit of kit, as it does charge the hab battery's when either on the move or when parked (with engine running) up for long periods and solar panel cannot keep up with demand on multiple cloudy and non sunshine days, as I use electric kettle and Remoska cooker at times as well, so I do run battery's down to about 60% everyday especially when using cooker when wild camping or off ehu, although obviously a b2b would not be required if I was to have ehu everyday on sites or aires that had ehu,,, but as I prefer to use aires or wild camping where ehu is not an option then I have to have alternative power producing products, ie solar panel when nice sunny days, or b2b when cloudy days for days at a time, or a Genie!!!!!!!!!!
Regards Garry Flatpackchicken

 

[Wicketter]

mickyc, thanks.
You are the first person to give us that information. I did as I explained at the beginning of this, speak to IH who said that the only way to charge the leisure battery was by ehu. Is it possible I did not ask the question correctly? Is there a way of telling that the leisure battery is being charged by the alternator?

Thanks,

Denis.

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[9526]

mickyc, thanks.
You are the first person to give us that information. I did as I explained at the beginning of this, speak to IH who said that the only way to charge the leisure battery was by ehu. Is it possible I did not ask the question correctly? Is there a way of telling that the leisure battery is being charged by the alternator?

Thanks,

Denis.

Hi,

I suppose the easiest way is to start her up, take her for a spin round the block and then check the battery voltage on the control panel.

Just been out in ours and the voltages were both in the high 13's when I stopped to check (an indication that they are both being charged)

 

[9526]

Denis,

To check, I've just started the van and got SWMBO to hold about 1300 revs (just over tickover speed)

The engine battery rose to 14.4 volts, then the leisure battery started to rise (reached 14.2 within about 3-4 mins)

When I turned off the engine, both voltages slowly dropped to high/mid 13's

Proof that the alternator must have been charging both batteries.

 

[Figaro]

I am certainly no expert in this field but I did read on here that the alternator firstly charges the engine battery, it then also charges the hab battery as a secondry function. The trouble is I believe that on a standard set up when the engine battery is fully charged, it stops charging both batterys and the hab battery may be a long way off fully charged. The b2b fools the alternator carrying on charging.
Thats as I understood things anyway, may be wrong, I`m sure others will be along

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[eddie]

The standard "split charging" on 90% of European motorhomes simply puts the batteries in Parallel when the engine is running. Many people assume, sadly incorrectly that there is some kind of sophisticated system that prioritises the leisure battery.

Also, if you look at "most" European motorhomes the "split charge" is typically fused at 20 amps Meaning that no one expects the charge to get anywhere near that.

On a typical Battery to Battey set up you would expect to get about 30 -35 amps being transferred to your leisure battery (s)

If you look at the diameter of the cable that connects the alternator to the engine battery and measure the distance, typically less than a meter, then look at the diameter of the cable that connects the engine to the leisure battery via the relay, then consider the voltage drop due to the length of cable needed as the leisure battery has been positioned where it fits, rather than where it should be (putting aesthetics and feature over function) and you will realise that the average split charge (sic) isn't the best way to charge additional batteries

Further consider that motorhomes are converted delivery vans! Designed to stop start five or six days a week working for a living, When they are converted the standard battery and the standard alternator is used, desite the huge additional electrical demand placed on the system.

So, the average leisure battery charging system is designed for the average motorhome owner to use in the average way. So if you use your motorhome regularly in the Summer, always try to have hook up when possible and have a few weekends off hook up at rallies and the odd night on a CL the standard set up will be fine for you.

Its only when you start to use a motorhome slightly differently to the "norm" that you may wish to consider adapting some of the function to work a little more efficiently. So if your planning lots of touring, not staying on sites with electricity, and never staying in the same place for more than a night or two a B2B may be the right thing for you. Many that do try to stay away from hook up enjoy the benefit of an inverter which gives them mains when they want it, without resorting to a generator. Again, in this instances the additional "fast charge" that say a Sterling 60amp B2B gives is desirable.

If you never go to a site without hook up, save your money and don't buy a B2B or even a solar panel as you are simply wasting your time

 

[Figaro]

Now that`s a comprehensive and informative reply

 

[mitzimad]

We have a simple split charge system and solar and never use ehu

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[Bartyfixedit]

A BtoB is only worth having if you have wet cell vented leisure batteries, which you probably don't. With sealed batteries you have to set the BtoB to a lower output voltage which makes it little better than a properly installed split charge system.

 

[eddie]

A BtoB is only worth having if you have wet cell vented leisure batteries, which you probably don't. With sealed batteries you have to set the BtoB to a lower output voltage which makes it little better than a properly installed split charge system.

What would you define as a properly installed split charge system? I would agree that a diode based system with a suitably modified alternator wouldn't benefit, but most of the systems fitted to members on this site will just have an automotive relay, energised by the alternator warning light terminal and parrallel up using 4mm2 cable over several meters.

 

[Wicketter]

Thanks for all your replies, we normally stay on sites and are only intending to stay off ehu for occasional nights. We also already have a 100w solar panel fitted so that the battery stays topped up when the van is not being used. It looks like a B2B could be overkill for us. Maybe something to consider if our way of motor homing changes. Thanks to Eddie, for an enlightening overview, this is probably why Vanbitz have a large fan base!

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[eddie]

Thank you.

I would agree with you that your money is best in your bank.

Just ensure that your solar panel keeps your engine battery topped up, this is very useful over Winter when the van may stay on the drive longer than intended.

 

[Bartyfixedit]

What would you define as a properly installed split charge system? I would agree that a diode based system with a suitably modified alternator wouldn't benefit, but most of the systems fitted to members on this site will just have an automotive relay, energised by the alternator warning light terminal and parrallel up using 4mm2 cable over several meters.

A Smartcom relay controlling a Heavy Duty Relay using 16mm2 cable is what I use, total cost less than £50. The alternator is the standard and I've seen in excess of 60A going into the LBs, and that is with them at 70%.

 

[eddie]

A Smartcom relay controlling a Heavy Duty Relay using 16mm2 cable is what I use, total cost less than £50. The alternator is the standard and I've seen in excess of 60A going into the LBs, and that is with them at 70%.

Exactly, but presumably you have done this yourself? Which to be fair wasn't what was being discussed.

In fact you prove the point that it wouldn't be hard for the Motorhome converters to do a much more efficient job than most do.

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