Good morning all. After my air bag warning light issue a couple of weeks ago, I was wondering if my batteries might benefit from one of those ctec charger thingies I have read about? The moho has a sargent charger already for when on hook up so what would be the benefit of the ctec thingy as I wouldn't have access to hook up over the winter storage period?
Ctec thingy. Im not a techie (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Sue26
- Start date
glenn2926
Free Member
No benefit really without electric. The Ctec is a battery charger and conditioner type thing. It would only help if you have access to electricity and connect it to your vehicle battery. With you not having access to electric it won’t help in your situation. I would suggest a battery master type thing but again you would need EHU.
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If in storage and you can't use EHU the only way to keep the batteries topped up is solar panels, and even then in winter it may not be enough.
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Sue, if you have solar you need to check if is charging the vehicle battery as not all setups do. If it doesn't and only charges the hab battery you can by a little gizmo called a Vanbitz battery master, it allows the hab battery to trickle charge the vehicle battery.
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Or If you're upgrading the solar get a Votronic Duo controller, they charge both engine and leisure battery.
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Not being facetious but a 100m reel of 2.5mm2 cable plus a blue plug and socket is cheaper than solar panel + controller. Voltage drop would not be a problem, because you will presumably only be drawing enough power to keep the batteries topped up. In fact for this purpose you could get away with 1.5mm2 cable.
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Alternately investing in a solar panel and dual regulator would keep your batteries topped up, also extend you stay whilst using the motorhome where no electric is available. I would suggest a minimum of 100 watt panel. That is if you are intending to keep the vann for a while.
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I think the one on the roof is only 80w and we also have a fold up suitcase one @80w which we propped up inside the cab south facing19/20 winter and clipped direct to starter battery and didn't have a problem that winter. With the black button switched off on the sargent button I believe all the solar goes to the vehicle battery. Will look to see what our best route to ehu is on site.
Many thanks
Sue
Many thanks
Sue
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The van is on a storage site and I've seen several vans with hook up leads connected to the power for periods of time over the winter. Im not sure which route we will go down to try and avoid the airbag light issue again but I realise now that the ctec thing isn't going to be a straight forward solution.
Many thanks.
Many thanks.
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On my Sargent unit which is a EC500 PSU if the black button is off then all solar goes to the Hab batteries, that is why I have a Vanbitz battery master fitted.
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You are correct that the solar power should be going to the cab battery when the Sargent black button is turned off on the EC400/450 model PSU, if this is what you have fitted ,but is it ? It would only do this if the solar system is wired through the Sargent unit ,It may be worth getting this checked out if possible to confirm that the solar is not connected to the hab battery (in which case a Vanbitz unit would keep the cab battery charged up as well)
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Yes the psu is the ec400 version and the solar is wired so it goes to a selected battery or smart charge to do both as required. The first winter we had the van we left the psu switched on thinking the solar would top both up. That was an epic fail leading to a replacement leisure battery and a jump start for the cab battery. Subsequent winters we have turned off the psu so all available solar goes to the cab and with nothing draining the habitation battery, it hasn't suffered.
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If, this year, the cab battery was overcharged / undercharged to cause the problem maybe the solar controller is faulty (somebody was on here a couple of days ago and their faulty controller was allowing 16 volts to the cab battery , before the system shut down)
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FWIW a 100w solar panel and a Vanbitz battery master seems to have kept two hab batteries and the cab battery going through a Scottish winter. What I don't know is how low the batteries may have got in the interim. We've had loads of sunshine lately...
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Hi
I also have Sargent EC400 and as you say there is the choice of Leisure, Vehicle or Smart. I have a modest solar arrangement wired through the Sargent unit and find it keeps both batteries in a healthy condition and have never turned off at the black switch.
I make sure the control panel is switched off, but leave the black switch on.
It would be worth checking your solar is delivering a useful charge.
Geoff
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I've had a quick read of the thread you mentioned geoffndee. I think I must have a chat with the guy that does the habitation check to check it all out.
Hopefully the issue is resolved now until winter anyway as we can now use the van or at least bring it home and charge the batteries.
We have cleaned the solar panel now but it was very dirty having been stood over winter and while we have been in lockdown. I realise this will have reduced any
Thanks
Hopefully the issue is resolved now until winter anyway as we can now use the van or at least bring it home and charge the batteries.
We have cleaned the solar panel now but it was very dirty having been stood over winter and while we have been in lockdown. I realise this will have reduced any
Thanks
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