Battery charger

[sotal]

I've had a bit of a read up and am guessing the Bongo I'm buying won't have a battery charger.

It has the twin batteries and mains hookup. The mains unit is very simple and looks like this...



We plan to use sites with EHU so that we can plug a microwave, kettle, heater etc in. However we will just have a coolbox which I think will be 12v only - just to keep the odd thing cool for a couple of days. I'm just worried that will drain the leisure battery?

I was just thinking I have an old Optimate charger which I used to use for my motorbike to keep the battery topped up between uses (I only used it occasionally and the alarm drained the battery fast!) I haven't really needed it for anything since. Would this be suitable to wire up in some way or another to allow the battery to charge whilst we are on EHU? It looks identical to this one...

[Tony x]

I'd have thought you could. The Optimate is a good charger but I'm not sure if it has different settings for different batteries. Most bike batteries are the gel type which are charged at a slightly lower voltage than most leisure batteries, which are not the gel type. If you can't adjust the optimate, you wont do any harm - it just wont charge the leisure battery as quickly as it might. Open vented batteries - the type you have to top up with water are the ones you can charge the fastest.
Personally, I'd check there is no back current through the charger when it's not got a 240v supply.

[g8dhe]

That really isn't going to be man enough for anything serious, its Max charging rate is 0.6Amps, a single light in The Bongo takes 1 Amp be it the rear pillar light of the cabin florescent light.
The Aldi/Lidl maintenance chargers at 4 Amps are just about adequate on site, once you have a radio playing and a couple of lights on.

[sotal]

Thanks for the replies,

I managed to find some info on using this charger on the web, some people have used these and similar and they certainly can help if left on 24/7 to keep the leisure battery topped up or reduce the amount you are using to make it last longer etc.

However the general recommendation is not to use the Optimate 3 which I have! People said the charger isn't that clever and can often think the leisure batteries are sulphated and try to desulphate them continually which can damage them.

So I don't think I'll be using them!

Aldi/Lidl - are these ones they just have in on their specials? What sort of price are we looking at? Are they suitable for continual use?

Do I really need one? Or will the trips out in the Bongo be sufficient to keep the leisure battery topped up? I do have a small car battery charger that I could take with us and not permanently wire in (don't think it would be suitable to wire in as the charge light lights up when you connect the battery without mains power).

Thanks

[wonkanoby]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/240v-mains-to ... 1651wt_952

or similar

[corrour]

Ctek mxs 7 or 10 will do the full works and give you 10 amps supply when battery is fully up
Can be left on for years and will recondition battery.
You get what you pay for.

[helen&tony]

Hi
Definitely +1 for C-Tek...I have a plug on the dashboard for the charger!
Cheers
Helen

[cmm303]

... However we will just have a coolbox which I think will be 12v only - just to keep the odd thing cool for a couple of days. I'm just worried that will drain the leisure battery? ...

Check the spec on your 12v cool box as they can be heavy on the juice if designed for being plugged in only whilst travelling.

[sotal]

... However we will just have a coolbox which I think will be 12v only - just to keep the odd thing cool for a couple of days. I'm just worried that will drain the leisure battery? ...

Check the spec on your 12v cool box as they can be heavy on the juice if designed for being plugged in only whilst travelling.

Thanks - I haven't got the coolbox yet - it comes with the bongo so I will check it when it comes! I've no idea if it is mains or 12v or both! All I know is it is portable rather than fixed. 1 more week to wait!

[Dodgey]

If you are going to run a coolbox, or fridge, absolutely forget any optimate chargers, or lidle chargers. They are great for topping up/conditioning your battery, but absolutely hopeless at providing real usable power when you are on hookup.

Something like this:

http://www.amperorassociates.co.uk/c-ba ... 3_18A.html

Not only charges your battery properly, but also provides oodles of power for coolboxes etc. A fraction of the cost of a C-tek, charges with the same technology (charging lead acid batteries is very very simple technology, and gives you oodles of spare power (18 amps). I paid a tenner extra and have the 25 amp version

Incidentally, I fitted a solar kit to the same conversion as yours a few weeks ago. I mounted the control panel in the angled bit above your mains fuse box

[mikeonb4c]

If you are going to run a coolbox, or fridge, absolutely forget any optimate chargers, or lidle chargers. They are great for topping up/conditioning your battery, but absolutely hopeless at providing real usable power when you are on hookup.

Something like this:

http://www.amperorassociates.co.uk/c-ba ... 3_18A.html

Not only charges your battery properly, but also provides oodles of power for coolboxes etc. A fraction of the cost of a C-tek, charges with the same technology (charging lead acid batteries is very very simple technology, and gives you oodles of spare power (18 amps). I paid a tenner extra and have the 25 amp version

Incidentally, I fitted a solar kit to the same conversion as yours a few weeks ago. I mounted the control panel in the angled bit above your mains fuse box

With you 100% Dodgey. My Aldi/c_tek charger is unreliable as it doesn't always sense the battery needs charging. My old Halfords one is simple, powerful, cheap, and will get to work on a flat battery and/or keep the lb topped up when I'm running a coolbox.