Leisure battery dis-connection - advice welcomed

[Yogi]

Folks

I'd welcome advice on our leisure battery. Thanks to the helpful replies when I posted a month or so ago.

We bought a 8 yr old VW T4 which had a professional conversion 18m ago.

It turns out that the wire from the LB had a missing section at the Zig plate which has now been fixed; but it also appears that there is no connection from the vehicle battery to the leisure battery to allow charging when driving.

So our options are to either:-
- to insert a connection from vehicle to leisure battery, with relay to allow for charging ( 4 hr garage job £££++) OR
- Cheaper option would be fix another charging method for LB or a bigger LB which we'd charge when at home - usually only away for w/es but away for 2wks shortly.

Words of wisdom welcomed!

Yogi

 

[Wildman]

1 hour tops for fitting a split charge relay, easy enough to do yourself. Alternatively fit a suitable size solar panel. Size depends on what you expect to use. I have a pair of 110 amp/hr batteries and 45W solar panels. 60 w better. Batteries should be a matched pair, same age and size or one will pull the other down and ruin both.
The relay has 4 terminals
the coil is connected on one side to any terminal on the ignition switch or fuse box that is only live when ignition it switched on.
the other to earth.
of the other two terminals
The actual power feed comes from terminal A+ on the regulator to one terminal
and the other terminal is fitted to the positive side if the battery.
Cheap crimp tool, terminals and relay about £6 the lot.:thumb::thumb:

 

[johnsandywhite]

:Cool: All the information to fit yourself here:-

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[Wilbury]

:Cool: All the information to fit yourself here:-

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Hi johnsandywhite,
I am wondering if, with the high output of many motorhome alternators, the 10amp fuse ratings may be too low. The relay also has to have the capacity to handle the max current encountered, whatever that may be.
Wilbury

 

[johnsandywhite]

Hi johnsandywhite,
I am wondering if, with the high output of many motorhome alternators, the 10amp fuse ratings may be too low. The relay also has to have the capacity to handle the max current encountered, whatever that may be.
Wilbury

Hi Wilbury. I posted the link for Kampenwagon which is where the photo comes from. It is just a generalised way of wiring.

The wiring was done on a 1997 Iveco TurboDaily 35:10.

This link is for wiring:-

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[Yogi]

Folks

thanks for such prompt and detailed replies!
I'm a novice but having read thro' these and links think that I could do it...
..I'm wondering why the original professional conversion didn't do the proper split charge relay?

The second issue is that the leisure battery is situated at the rear of the van; at the bottom a tall wardrobe - no lion or witch spotted yet- with no ventilation, and someof the info suggests that a battery needs ventilation.
So... If I do the job myself - is it worth moving leisure battery physically out of there and closer to van battery, into a ventilated space to make it technically easier?

There's space under driver's seat , for instance.

Thanks again, much appreciated

Yogi