Split charge relay quote

[Woodsclan]

Does this sound about right? I'm just swapping over to a 21 plate van and the company dealing with the change over has told me that I need a newer split charge relay which will cost me in the region of £500. Sounds a bit steep to me.

 

[tench0771]

sounds pricy but everything window cleaning wise is blady pricy im asuming thats with fitting streamline sell one £164+vat im gesing the newer the van means more hitec relays who no's

 

[RyeCleanLiam]

The smart relays themselves cost around £250. Plus the wiring, connectors, fuses plus labour etc it soon adds up. Though £500 does sound a tad expensive I think you'd be hard pressed to find it much cheaper than £450 with fitting.

 

[ched999uk]

With a 21 plate van you will have a 'smart' alternator. Basically when you let go of the throttle the alternator is 'switched on' and charges the starter battery. The starter batter on your van is not a normal one, it can take the higher voltage a smart alternator puts out - getting towards 20 volts.

So to harness this alternator behaviour a Battery to Battery (B2B) charger is required that takes the high alternator voltage and lowers it to be able to charge your leisure battery. That's why the 'split charger' for your van is so much more expensive.

Personally I would say if you can mains charge each night then I wouldn't spend the £500. I would even be tempted to get a 100Ah lithium ion (LiFePO4) battery from FogStar and one of their mains chargers. This would give you about 100Ah whereas a 100Ah lead acid only gives you 50Ah. The Lithium should last about 5 times longer than a lead acid. I think it's guarantee is 10 years, has Bluetooth monitoring so you can see state of charge etc and a heater to ensure you only charge it when it's at the right temp. No need to connect that to the alternator at all.