Inverter packed up

[Vipar]

I need to buy an inverter to power my onboard cab battery charger. The old one has nothing on it ie name model or power. Any suggestions please? Links would be good.

 

[Bessy765]

Why do you need an inverter to charge your cab battery?

 

[Reallyretired]

Seems a strange use for an inverter. Tell us more.

 

[Lenny HB]

I'm confused to, why would you want to do that?

 

[Pausim]

I would think there are far more efficient ways to charge your cab battery than an inverter and a mains charger. Probably cheaper too.

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[Richard n Ann]

Perhaps the leisure battery gets plenty of solar charge and the cab battery has no charger?

 

[Sheddy]

I need to buy an inverter to power my onboard cab battery charger. The old one has nothing on it ie name model or power. Any suggestions please? Links would be good.

How were you powering the old inverter, from the leisure batteries?
What amp/hrs are your leisure batteries?
Do you have solar?
Are you on hookup?
There are several ways to keep your cab battery topped up, if you can answer the above and we should be able to give more specific advice.
Cheers
Ed

 

[Vipar]

Right I will start at the beginning.
I know very little about electrics.

When I bought the van I was told when you are on hup you need to flick this switch. Which was on the inverter. Which I have been doing. I assumed that it was to keep the cab battery charged. Had no problems with cab battery. The leisure batteries are charged by the single solar panel. Checking around the van the other day I found that cab battery was down. Checked to see if I had forgotten to flick the switch on the inverter. It was switched on but no power light so I checked all the fuses, all ok.
To me it pointed to the inverter so I assumed that the inverter powered a hidden charger. Am I wrong?
At the moment I have a trickle charger hooked up to cab battery. But it means having the cab floor up and will not be practical when on site for a week. SWMBO will not wild camp.
From reading posts on here my SP will not be powerful enough during the winter to keep the cab battery charged if it is connected to solar pane. Not sure how to check whether it is or not. Wished I lived next door to Lenny HB
I am open to advise indeed I welcome it.

I have bought one of these.

CSB2 - CBE

Electronics for Caravanning and Boating

www.cbe.it

 

[Vipar]

How were you powering the old inverter, from the leisure batteries?
What amp/hrs are your leisure batteries?
Do you have solar?
Are you on hookup?
There are several ways to keep your cab battery topped up, if you can answer the above and we should be able to give more specific advice.
Cheers
Ed

Two 95amh

 

[pappajohn]

Seems odd that you need an inverter to power a battery charger to charge the starter battery when on hookup..... Just Plug a charger, connected to the battery, into a 230v socket and do away with the inverter.
It appears you need someone with knowledge to have a look.

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[Tombola]

Maybe the guy who you bought the van from was telling you to switch the invertor OFF as you were now on Hup.
In which case the possible vans charger would take over annd top up your batteries anyway.

Had he wired it to power the vans internal 230v sockets from the invertor maybe.

If so there are automatic devices now that can sense when you are on hup and automatically swithc betyween the 2 when you plug in..
Some people use 2 13a plugs to get the same effect.Usually though when doing this way is for larger set ups with a good amount of ah leasure and solar.

 

[DBK]

Right I will start at the beginning.
I know very little about electrics.

When I bought the van I was told when you are on hup you need to flick this switch. Which was on the inverter. Which I have been doing. I assumed that it was to keep the cab battery charged. Had no problems with cab battery. The leisure batteries are charged by the single solar panel. Checking around the van the other day I found that cab battery was down. Checked to see if I had forgotten to flick the switch on the inverter. It was switched on but no power light so I checked all the fuses, all ok.
To me it pointed to the inverter so I assumed that the inverter powered a hidden charger. Am I wrong?
At the moment I have a trickle charger hooked up to cab battery. But it means having the cab floor up and will not be practical when on site for a week. SWMBO will not wild camp.
From reading posts on here my SP will not be powerful enough during the winter to keep the cab battery charged if it is connected to solar pane. Not sure how to check whether it is or not. Wished I lived next door to Lenny HB
I am open to advise indeed I welcome it.

I have bought one of these.

CSB2 - CBE

Electronics for Caravanning and Boating

www.cbe.it

Best wishes because I think the key point here is in your second line.

I suspect you don't have an inverter.

I think you have a mains charger and the previous owner has fitted a switch so it can also charge the cab battery when on ehu.

Beyond that we need more information.

 

[Lenny HB]

I have bought one of these.

CSB2 - CBE

Electronics for Caravanning and Boating

www.cbe.it

Ideal they work well and will keep your cab battery topped up. I use one.

 

[Sheddy]

The CSB2 should keep your Vehicle battery topped as with Lenny I use one and it works well
Can you put up a picture of your Inverter and switch, It just doesn't make sense for an inverter to be used to run a charger.

 

[Vipar]

This is the inverter the damage is only paint peeling off.
If it does not charge the cab battery what the hell does it do everything still works?

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[pappajohn]

Was anything plugged in the inverter or is that how you found it?

 

[pappajohn]

If you want to replace it, going by the 30amp fuse it will be a max of 360watts....probably a 300watt inverter to allow a bit of leeway

 

[Vipar]

Yes there was a 13 amp plug and black and red wire in the rear.
35 amp green fuse not blown

 

[Vipar]

Also got this which works ok. Can’t get hold of the dealer he’s shut down for Covid. AMC Hailsham.

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...0001&campid=5338547443&icep_item=233655268010.

Would this be ok as a replacement?

 

[pappajohn]

I think the electrics need a good looking at.
Can't see any point whatsoever for two inverters.

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[autorouter]

If you are on hookup,or you have loads of solar power, but the cab battery is not being charged, there are a number of solutions.

That CSB2 is a small battery-to-battery trickle charger, designed to do exactly what you want, ie charge the cab battery from a leisure battery that is itself being charged.

Another solution, not as good as the CSB2, is a small inverter, say 150W to 300W, powering a small mains charger/trickle charger. It's not nearly as efficient as a CSB2, wasting a bit of power. But if you're on hookup, or have plenty of solar, that's not really a problem.

The 1800W inverter is a horse of a different colour. It wastes a lot of power just switched on, without pushing out any power at all. While it would actually work to power a trickle charger to charge the cab battery, it would waste lots of your precious solar power needlessly. Not recommended.

An alternative to all these, if you're on hookup most of the time, is to use the trickle charger that's wired permanently to the cab battery. The one that works off the inverter. Perhaps you could just plug it into a mains socket that's powered when on hookup. With as short extension lead if necessary.

 

[denisejoe]

Where did the wire go from the plug

 

[autorouter]

You can do a test to see if the plug that goes into the inverter socket is for a charger that charges the cab battery.

Get a reading of the battery voltage when the charger is not plugged in. It should be between 12.2V and 12.8V. Then plug in the charger, and measure the battery voltage again. If it rises, to 13.0V or more, then the plug is definitely powering the charger. If it stays the same then it's not.

This test will work whether you plug it into an inverter, a hookup-powered socket, or even a long extension from the house.

 

[Vipar]

Ok try that today if the frost goes

 

[bigalw35]

Right I will start at the beginning.
I know very little about electrics.

When I bought the van I was told when you are on hup you need to flick this switch. Which was on the inverter. Which I have been doing. I assumed that it was to keep the cab battery charged. Had no problems with cab battery. The leisure batteries are charged by the single solar panel. Checking around the van the other day I found that cab battery was down. Checked to see if I had forgotten to flick the switch on the inverter. It was switched on but no power light so I checked all the fuses, all ok.
To me it pointed to the inverter so I assumed that the inverter powered a hidden charger. Am I wrong?
At the moment I have a trickle charger hooked up to cab battery. But it means having the cab floor up and will not be practical when on site for a week. SWMBO will not wild camp.
From reading posts on here my SP will not be powerful enough during the winter to keep the cab battery charged if it is connected to solar pane. Not sure how to check whether it is or not. Wished I lived next door to Lenny HB
I am open to advise indeed I welcome it.

I have bought one of these.

CSB2 - CBE

Electronics for Caravanning and Boating

www.cbe.it

looking at the unit you posted, that, if wired correctly that unit should charge both batteries anyway,
B1 = leisure battery
B2 = starter battery

unless for other purposes an inverter is not required ??

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