A question about Batteries (1 Viewer)

[rangi]

At the moment my leisure Batt is only charged while on hook up, and my Vehicle Batt is charged only when engine is running.

Question; If I link the two (they are side by side in the engine bay) will the Veh. Batt. be charged while on Hook up, and Vicky verca when the engine is running?

Is it a good move to make? OR, will it end in a complete disaster, a five star seismic fubar?

Many 'umble thanks in anticipation of your knowledgeable replies.

 

[DBK]

If you link them then run down what now become two leisure batteries there may not be enough oomph in them to start the engine. Leaving you stuffed.

The usual arrangement is a thing called a split charge relay, which will charge the leisure battery after you start the engine - but disconnects it when you turn the engine off. I'm surprised you don't have one unless it is a self-build.

To charge the engine battery when on hook-up you can get a battery-master from Eddie Vanbitz. This should be easy to install and they are not hugely expensive.

 

[Lenny HB]

What you need to do is fit a split charge relay this will charge the leisure battery when the engine is running.
To charge the engine battery when on EHU you need to fit either a Battery Master or a CBE solar split chare relay. They both do similar jobs but the CBE is less than half the price. The Battery master will pass a trickle charge to the starter battery when the starter battery .5 to .75v lower than the leisure battery. The CBE relay will pass a trickle charge to the starter battery when the leisure battery is above 13.6v and turn off when the leisure battery is below 12.6v.

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[rangi]

I should have said, the thing is 25 years old, only just out of the steam power.
Thanks for your replies fellas I imagined that that would be as you described.
There is a thing under the Passenger seat that says Charger on it.
If on hook up the little red light comes on showing tiz charging. If I remove the EHU and start the Engine the little light is out, so I think I'm right in guessing it doesn't charge from the engine. Looks like a battery master charger thingee is the way to go.

Many thanks for your advice @DBK & @Lenny HB

 

[mitzimad]

its been a long while since leisure batteries were fitted without a split charge system if you have a multimeter take a leisure battery reading with engine of and again with the engine running if it goes up once youve started the engine you have it ,do this off hook up
will still need a battery master to charge both on hook up

 

[magicsurfbus]

I bought a split charge relay from eBay for about £12, put it inside a plastic electronics project box to protect it, and ran the red cable into it from the leisure battery's +ve terminal, then out to the cab battery's +ve terminal using crocodile clips. The -ve connection was through the chassis. I used to set it up whenever the MH was in storage so the solar panel put any surplus charge from the leisure battery into the cab battery. Cheap and cheerful and it worked for most of the year, but needed checking from Dec - Feb when the sun was low.

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[Minxy]

I should have said, the thing is 25 years old, only just out of the steam power.
Thanks for your replies fellas I imagined that that would be as you described.
There is a thing under the Passenger seat that says Charger on it.
If on hook up the little red light comes on showing tiz charging. If I remove the EHU and start the Engine the little light is out, so I think I'm right in guessing it doesn't charge from the engine. Looks like a battery master charger thingee is the way to go.

Many thanks for your advice @DBK & @Lenny HB

I don't know the intricacies of an old MH's electrics such as you have Rangi, but I would have thought that when the engine is running it would be charging the leisure battery as well as the engine battery and suspect that the little red light you're talking about is only to show when you have EHU, nothing more.