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Battery to battery charger

CHWS

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Bangor
I’m looking some information on a battery to battery charger for the van. Has anyone any recommendations? From what I gather with my van having a start stop battery it will not be the normal split charge relay. How quickly does it charge a leisure battery etc ? 

 
I’m looking some information on a battery to battery charger for the van. Has anyone any recommendations? From what I gather with my van having a start stop battery it will not be the normal split charge relay. How quickly does it charge a leisure battery etc ? 
U need advice of @spruce . I gather sterling battery chargers are the most commonly used & are better than the regular split charge relays 

 
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U need advice of @spruce . I gather sterling battery chargers are the most commonly used & are better than the regular split charge relays 
When I wrote this I had only used a split charge relay. But I was aware of the work the George Sterling had done with ambulances.

https://windowcleaningforums.co.uk/topic/22375-split-charge-relay/#comments

I felt that as I had written the article I needed to upgrade the SCR on my 'new' van.

These Battery to Battery chargers from Sterling are brilliant. My leisure battery has been fully charged for the past 2 weeks without me having to put a charger on to it. We do limited mileage and also don't have a heavy battery current demand. I purchased a BB1260 but a BB1230 is perfectly good enough. I totally recommend this B2B charger.

Running the same system the same way with the old van and SCR we needed to supplementary charge that battery every 2 days at least to keep it fully charged.

If the van @CHWS has has stop start then I would want to switch it off. Having a van without the engine running in traffic might help the environment but isn't going to help keeping his leisure battery charged up.

It is a simple DIY fit, but if the vehicle has regen braking then the unit needs another feed wire from the ignition to activate it.

 
If I got the one then you mean just turn the start stop function off? I haven’t a clue if my van has regen braking ?
I would be doing usually 20-30 min drive to and from work and also whatever driving we would do round the run. 2 pumps and 2 electric reels going 

 
I would be doing usually 20-30 min drive to and from work and also whatever driving we would do round the run. 2 pumps and 2 electric reels going 
 Based on this a B2B charger would be pointless both your leisure batteries will need charging overnight or if you are just using one battery for 2 pumps and 2 reels the battery will need charging via the mains, my leisure battery with one pump and a PowerUp reel gets depleted by 50-75% each working day,

that's my simple way to put it, @spruce will provide an answer that will have you in deep thought and scratching your head ?

 
 Based on this a B2B charger would be pointless both your leisure batteries will need charging overnight or if you are just using one battery for 2 pumps and 2 reels the battery will need charging via the mains, my leisure battery with one pump and a PowerUp reel gets depleted by 50-75% each working day,

that's my simple way to put it, @spruce will provide an answer that will have you in deep thought and scratching your head ?
Flip sake so really it’s no use ?

 
@CHWS.

When I asked George Sterling jnr to elaborate on the charging performance between my split charge relay and the Sterling B2B charger he diplomatically avoided answering the question.

All I can say from my personal experience and usage that I haven't needed to charge my leisure battery for sometime now because its fully charged.

My 04 plate Citroen Relay used to charge my leisure battery through a split charge relay. Even although the alternator charge output reached 14.6v when the leisure battery was nearing fully charged it never completely charged the battery in daily use.

My current Boxer has a reduced alternator voltage output of 13.9v. The Sterling unit pushes the charge rate up to 14.6 volts immediately - set at 14.6v because my leisure battery is a flooded type. From my observations over the years with my old van, this Sterling unit has roughly doubled the charge input rate into the same leisure battery in my new van. (A 3 amp input with the scr seems to be around 5 to 6 amps with the B2B charger. None of this is scientific, its just my observation over time.)

This morning was interesting. I parked the van and completed 3 houses before the heavens opened up and I got soaked finishing off the last conservatory. My battery monitor advised that I had used 3 amps of current from the leisure battery which meant I had 98% capacity remaining. The short 4 mile drive home with a minimal traffic has replenished that charge to 100%. (I've just woken the battery monitor up to confirm the current status of my leisure battery.)

When we did the local school we worked all day on the glass for several days. The van virtually stayed in the same place all day. The trip home was about 1/2 a mile. No matter what batteries we would have this drive time isn't sufficient to replace what we took out of the battery that day. So the first thing that happened when I got home was to put my 230v charger onto the battery.

The battery manufacturers also advise that it isn't good to charge a leisure battery at a higher rate than 10% of the battery's capacity. So my 110 amph battery should be charged at a rate no higher than 11 amps.

As I mentioned earlier, we don't have a high power demand. Our day at most will consist of us using both Shurflo pumps - that's it. Dazmond on the other hand has a single wfp pump, a diesel heater and an electric reel. He also has a Grippa B2B charger, but puts his leisure batteries on charge overnight each time he uses the van. I don't have any idea of how the Grippa and Sterling units compare performance wise, but I would also have to have my leisure battery on charge if I used the same amount of power Dazmond does.

Would I recommend it? Yes, but its not the total solution if you are driving short distances and have a heavy power demand on the van. You will still have to 'bench charge' your battery regularly.

Why would I spend hundred of £'s on a B2B charger when I still have to bench charge my leisure battery anyway? Its a good question and my answer will not make economic sense.Once we had a large commercial job quite a way a way from home. My leisure battery decided to fail just as we started the job. We were able to finish the job with the van's engine running and get back in time to order a replacement leisure battery. This happened a second time and the scr bailed us out again. The original scr paid for itself then.

So what I'm saying is that this split charge relay was like a baby's dummy. When in use it does a marvelous job of stopping a crying baby if there is nothing else wrong. The Americans call a dummy a soother. Having a working on board charger makes me happy. It also saves me from needing to run an extension cable out to the van every night to replenish the charge in the leisure battery I've used up that day.

I can't make a decision to buy a B2B charger for you. You have to make that decision for yourself based on your round.  Its one of those buys you will never know the answer to yourself until you install a unit. It could work well for you, but it also may not and you could be disappointed.

 
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 Based on this a B2B charger would be pointless both your leisure batteries will need charging overnight or if you are just using one battery for 2 pumps and 2 reels the battery will need charging via the mains, my leisure battery with one pump and a PowerUp reel gets depleted by 50-75% each working day,

that's my simple way to put it, @spruce will provide an answer that will have you in deep thought and scratching your head ?
You only drive around your tiny village all day, it's basically Royston Vasey, so it probably doesn't get chance to charge up en route ?

This video helped me to understand....




Only had my B2B charger fitted since Saturday but the battery is fully charged. All seems to be working great.

 
You only drive around your tiny village all day, it's basically Royston Vasey, so it probably doesn't get chance to charge up en route ?
Royston Vasey is were we used the live the place was full of weridos and inbreds so we moved  ? , Better than driving around all day to keep my battery charged ?

 
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@CHWS.

When I asked George Sterling jnr to elaborate on the charging performance between my split charge relay and the Sterling B2B charger he diplomatically avoided answering the question.

All I can say from my personal experience and usage that I haven't needed to charge my leisure battery for sometime now because its fully charged.

My 04 plate Citroen Relay used to charge my leisure battery through a split charge relay. Even although the alternator charge output reached 14.6v when the leisure battery was nearing fully charged it never completely charged the battery in daily use.

My current Boxer has a reduced alternator voltage output of 13.9v. The Sterling unit pushes the charge rate up to 14.6 volts immediately - set at 14.6v because my leisure battery is a flooded type. From my observations over the years with my old van, this Sterling unit has roughly doubled the charge input rate into the same leisure battery in my new van. (A 3 amp input with the scr seems to be around 5 to 6 amps with the B2B charger. None of this is scientific, its just my observation over time.)

This morning was interesting. I parked the van and completed 3 houses before the heavens opened up and I got soaked finishing off the last conservatory. My battery monitor advised that I had used 3 amps of current from the leisure battery which meant I had 98% capacity remaining. The short 4 mile drive home with a minimal traffic has replenished that charge to 100%. (I've just woken the battery monitor up to confirm the current status of my leisure battery.)

When we did the local school we worked all day on the glass for several days. The van virtually stayed in the same place all day. The trip home was about 1/2 a mile. No matter what batteries we would have this drive time isn't sufficient to replace what we took out of the battery that day. So the first thing that happened when I got home was to put my 230v charger onto the battery.

The battery manufacturers also advise that it isn't good to charge a leisure battery at a higher rate than 10% of the battery's capacity. So my 110 amph battery should be charged at a rate no higher than 11 amps.

As I mentioned earlier, we don't have a high power demand. Our day at most will consist of us using both Shurflo pumps - that's it. Dazmond on the other hand has a single wfp pump, a diesel heater and an electric reel. He also has a Grippa B2B charger, but puts his leisure batteries on charge overnight each time he uses the van. I don't have any idea of how the Grippa and Sterling units compare performance wise, but I would also have to have my leisure battery on charge if I used the same amount of power Dazmond does.

Would I recommend it? Yes, but its not the total solution if you are driving short distances and have a heavy power demand on the van. You will still have to 'bench charge' your battery regularly.

Why would I spend hundred of £'s on a B2B charger when I still have to bench charge my leisure battery anyway? Its a good question and my answer with not make economic sense.Once we had a large commercial job quite a way a way from home. My leisure battery decided to fail just as we started the job. We were able to finish the job with the van's engine running and get back in time to order a replacement leisure battery. This happened a second time and the scr bailed us out again. The original scr paid for itself then.

So what I'm saying is that this split charge relay was like a baby's dummy. When in use it does a marvelous job of stopping a crying baby if there is nothing else wrong. The Americans call a dummy a soother. Having a working on board charger makes me happy. It also saves me from needing to run an extension cable out to the van every night to replenish the charge in the leisure battery I've used up that day.

I can't make a decision to buy a B2B charger for you. You have to make that decision for yourself based on your round.  Its one of those buys you will never know the answer to yourself until you install a unit. It could work well for you, but it also may not and you could be disappointed.
I’ve noticed my battery not lasting with working an hour later. I’m hammering it with 2 reels and 2 pumps. I think it would possibly benifit me to finish a working day without having to change a battery over. But then again I have a spare battery than can be used. Anything to save me to take 4 screws out to unbolt the cabinet ? 

I’ll maybe put a couple of terminals on the front of the cabinet to make charging it at home a bit handier and then also carry a spare just 

 
I’ve noticed my battery not lasting with working an hour later. I’m hammering it with 2 reels and 2 pumps. I think it would possibly benifit me to finish a working day without having to change a battery over. But then again I have a spare battery than can be used. Anything to save me to take 4 screws out to unbolt the cabinet ? 

I’ll maybe put a couple of terminals on the front of the cabinet to make charging it at home a bit handier and then also carry a spare just 
I have had a fixed charge lead attached to the battery for years so I just plug my charger in when needed. I've used Anderson Torberry 30 amp golf cart charger connectors for this.

 
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I have had a fixed charge lead attached to the battery for years so I just plug my charger in when needed. I've used Anderson Torberry 30 amp golf cart charger connectors for this.
Yep, I have two Numax chargers permanently fixed in my van with the same terminals you mentioned.

With the van mount battery, just a case of plugging in one charger as the charger terminals are permanently fixed to the battery.

With the trolley, I just connect the mini connectors together as the terminals are permanently fixed on the trolley battery as well, but obviously it has to be mobile so the mini connectors work a treat ??‍?

 
I have had a fixed charge lead attached to the battery for years so I just plug my charger in when needed. I've used Anderson Torberry 30 amp golf cart charger connectors for this.
I use SAE connectors permanently installed on my batteryf for quick snap on release defo makes life easy. 

I didn’t bother to install vsr on this van as I wasn’t. Doing enough mileage to warrant installing, was thinking about getting a ring b2b charger with-combined  solar. 

Not sure as would have to weigh the cost compared to a few pence using electrical smart charger each night. 

 
I use SAE connectors permanently installed on my batteryf for quick snap on release defo makes life easy. 

I didn’t bother to install vsr on this van as I wasn’t. Doing enough mileage to warrant installing, was thinking about getting a ring b2b charger with-combined  solar. 

Not sure as would have to weigh the cost compared to a few pence using electrical smart charger each night. 
One of the lads on the south coast has experimented with solar. It works great through most of late spring, summer and early winter. Its a waste of time the rest of the year. On one post he reported that he got 1 amp on one day in winter but needed 15 to break even. He uses 120 watt of solar.

He replaced the starter battery in his van with a combination leisure and starter battery and run his pump off that. Solar was wired up to charge that combo battery during the day and over weekends. The van's alternator also provides charge.

 
On 19/02/2020 at 21:39, P4dstar said:

You only drive around your tiny village all day, it's basically Royston Vasey, so it probably doesn't get chance to charge up en route ?

This video helped me to understand....


It sounds like these charges are much better than scr but even for vehicles that are before euro 6?

 
It sounds like these charges are much better than scr but even for vehicles that are before euro 6?
I would probably go with that one. I have a Battery to battery charger on my 2012 Peugeot Boxer and it does appear to recharge better than on an older 2004 Citroen Relay van the Boxer replaced. I could have transferred my VSR across from the old van to the 'new' one but went for the B2B to experience the difference.

But this is the reason on my van.

The 04 plate Relay's alternator regulator was set to charge at 14.6v. This was fine as the starter battery was a flooded type and the starter battery was located in the engine compartment. If the battery started to gas then those harmful fumes were outside the driver's cabin.

My 12 plate Boxer has the flooded starter battery located inside the driver's cabin in a recess in the floor. Although they run a gas outlet tube to the outside they have opted to recharge the starter battery at 13.9v. This lower voltage basically is another small step toward safety.

The downside is that the battery will never reach a full charge as it would with 14.6v being thrown at it. So the Boxer's battery essentially has a smaller capacity. No bother for Fiat as they just increased the size of the starter battery to compensate.

My Boxer would have happily recharged my current leisure battery at 13.9v. Once the battery was fully charged it would have read fully charged showing a battery voltage of 12.7/12.8v after a 4 hour rest. My leisure battery charger also puts out a maximum of 13.9v. My Battery to Battery charger takes that 13.9v and immediately boosts it to the charge voltage I set it at. Currently, it is set at 14.2v as the current battery is maintenance free and should only be charged at 14.2v. My previous leisure battery was flooded so I set the output to 14.6v. That slightly higher charge rate will recharge the leisure battery fractionally quicker, but not dramatically quicker.

On one of the Sterling how to video clips they suggested that a B2B charger would recharge a battery at up to 5 times quicker. I asked George Sterling jnr to confirm this and he ducked the question. In my experience the difference is hardly noticeable, but then I've had a good installation on both vans.

If I was just running both pumps only then the B2B charger would work fine. I would probably plug my charger in once a week to top everything up. But now I've added a diesel heater into the mix I need to recharge my leisure battery every night. The other day I used one pump and the diesel heater all day. I then went up to the wife's job to pick her up and take her back to the garage to pick up her car after MOT. I added around 15 miles of travelling that afternoon. My B2B charger hadn't fully recharged my leisure battery by the time I got home.

For me a VSR or a B2B charger isn't the total recharging solution. I need to bench charge my battery every night, probably more so in winter than summer.

 
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