Thread: Anderson plug question

I wouldn't - far better off to put in a proper dual battery controller with matched wiring and fuses etc: Discovery 4 DBS Kits | TRAXIDE - RV | Traxide - RV

Eg what happens if you happen to deeply discharge your camper batteries then connect up the Anderson plug and start the car?

Run an Isolator in between, That way it saves your battery.
I run a Red Arc SBI12 On all Anderson Plug installs without a 2nd battery.

Cheers

Hi catch-22, I have been getting so many requests for this type of set up in the D4 that I have reintroduced a voltage selectable version of my SC80.

In installations like yours, where you are not fitting a second battery, the standard 12.0v cut-out voltage level of the SC80 is of no real advantage while not connected to the camper trailer or caravan.

The SC80 with the selectable voltage, comes set with a 12.7v Cut-out voltage, so it operates like any other ordinary isolator.

But if down the line, you decide to fit a second battery or you transfer the SC80 to another vehicle, with a second battery, there is a small shunt inside the SC80.

You simply remove the shunt and the SC80 now operates with the 12.0v Cut-out setting, giving you all the unique advantages of the normal SC80 operation.

My MY14 D4 tows a camper with 210ah of batteries in it.
Under the bonnet I have a 55ah Optima as an auxiliary with a Redarc SBI12 manager. Charge to the camper is direct from the auxiliary via an Anderson plug. Works a treat.. yet there is one issue that can cause me a problem, and the issue existed with the same set-up on a previous vehicle. The aux. and the camper batteries will equalize voltage when hitched up. If the 210 ah in the camper are very depleted then it can and does suck a lot of power out of the aux. I have had a situation several times when the fridge in the back of the vehicle has stopped when the aux. has run out of juice well before I expected.
What I would like to do is put in a system that ensures priority charging for Main, aux. and camper in that order, but not charging the camper until the aux. is fully charged.

You could install two 150A interVolt PSR (programmable (voltage) sensing relays) first one after the main and the second after the aux battery that you have to charge in sequence.

The interVolt will allow you to set HV & LV cut offs to suit your/battery needs.

Have no affiliation with interVolt, just a happy user.

Hope this helps, if not someone smarter will chip in

Cheers
Peter

Originally Posted by de7158

You could install two 150A interVolt PSR (programmable (voltage) sensing relays) first one after the main and the second after the aux battery that you have to charge in sequence.

The interVolt will allow you to set HV & LV cut offs to suit your/battery needs.

Have no affiliation with interVolt, just a happy user.

Hope this helps, if not someone smarter will chip in

Cheers
Peter

Interesting.. I suppose if the REDARC is already doing that for the main (albeit non-programmable, aka maintains minimum voltage for cranking) then I would only need one for the aux.?

Originally Posted by Boggs

Interesting.. I suppose if the REDARC is already doing that for the main (albeit non-programmable, aka maintains minimum voltage for cranking) then I would only need one for the aux.?

Phone Tim.... Traxide.... I'd be amazed if you come away wanting...

Thanks Tombie.

Hi Boggs and because of the size of your alternator, there is absolutely no need to have staged charging, as all the batteries will be charged at the same time.

Furthermore, if you did add staged charging, you would very quickly find, if your auxiliary battery was flat, that your house batteries would not be charged properly unless you drove constantly for about 6+ hours.

MY system not only allows the auxiliary battery's capacity to be used to assist the house batteries, which is how your system is working right now, but my system also allows 50% of the cranking battery's capacity to be used as well.

Then, even if you have used heaps of battery capacity while camped, the D4 alternator will have no problem charging all the batteries at the same time.

BTW, your isolator does not wait till your cranking battery is fully charged and then starts charging your auxiliary and house batteries.

Even if your cranking battery was that flat that you just managed to start your motor, with in a minute or so of the motor starting, your isolator will already be turned on and charging your other batteries.