Leisure Battery Charging

Post by **Dubmeister** » 23 Jul 2006, 10:18

Can anyone help on this one?.

We are off on a trip shortly and I would like to get the leisure battery to work on tow charge. The battery did charge when I first had the van but hasn't charged for about the last year.

Van is a Holdsworth conversion fitted with a Warner CTF 5000 electrics unit.

I have checked for a current at the leisure battery connection terminals with the unit on tow charge and the engine running, but nothing.
Where abouts is the split charger fitted on theis setup or is it all controlled within the Warner unit. If it is a fuse gone then where would that be?
I notice there are fuses adjacent to the main van battery. Are these anything to do with the split charging.

Any help appreciated thankyou.

Post by **kevtherev** » 23 Jul 2006, 18:24

Website · Post by **dbroada** » 23 Jul 2006, 20:34

I would recommend that you vench charge your LB before fitting new fuses. If the LB is flat you will get current from the alternator (as expected) AND from the starter battery. This will blow any fuses you have replaced.

kev, I know skorpio did that sketch originally but there is a flaw with it. It relys on the owner remembering to turn the fridge off when not running as it will continue to be fed by the LB. It is safer (if your memory is like mine) to add a 2nd relay for just the fridge.

Post by **kevtherev** » 23 Jul 2006, 20:41

Oh yes....so it would..... I didn't spot that

where?...on the feed next to the L batt?

mine must have two relays then

Post by **guz** » 23 Jul 2006, 20:42

dunno if this is better...

Post by **Dubmeister** » 23 Jul 2006, 21:22

Thanks for the advice posted.

I will do more investigations this week and hopefully solve it.

Website · Post by **dbroada** » 24 Jul 2006, 12:28

2 relays

there are various ways of having both the fridge and the LB isolate themselves from the alternator on stopping.

One way is to have 2 relays. Wire the first as the sketch (originally posted on this site by me!!

(not drawn by me though)). The 2nd relay can be wired terminal to terminal from the first but with 87 to the fridge IYSWIM.

Even simpler is to replace your relay with a double pole device. Be carefull here though as some double pole relays do not have two switched contacts but 2 connections on one contact, which puts you back where you started.

I have 3 relays! My first takes its trigger from the charge light but then uses the output to switch the 2 other relays as though it is the charge light.

A much better (technically) solution is available from the man who drew that sketch using diodes. (But not cheap)

http://marcleleisure.co.uk/Sund001/Spli ... DiodeBlock

it would appear my link isn't working, cut & paste to view.

thanks Kev (next post). Seems some spaces got added.

Post by **kevtherev** » 24 Jul 2006, 13:47

http://marcleleisure.co.uk/Sund001/Spli ... DiodeBlock