Charging Vehicle Battery

JamesBeGone1977
JamesBeGone1977 Forum Participant Posts: 3
edited August 2023 in Motorhomes #1

Hello - a basic question, and I suspect there is an existing thread on this but I can't find it, so any pointers or advice is appreciated.

I have a 2019 RollerTeam Toleno L - built by Autotrail. (Based on a Ducato, of course)

When the van is stored on the drive I want to charge the vehicle battery - I have a CTEK charger.

Can I connect the CTEK to the battery in situ, without disconnecting the van electrics connections, or do I need to disassemble the wiring connected to the battery before connecting the battery charger?

Thanks

Jim

Comments

  • Vulcan
    Vulcan Forum Participant Posts: 670
    edited August 2023 #2

    Yes you can, although most manufacturers advise against it in the handbooks it appears to be universally ignored and C Tek are clear that it is safe.

    6. Can I charge the battery without removing it from the vehicle, or opening the caps?

    There is no reason to disconnect or remove the battery from the vehicle – or open the battery caps – while charging. CTEK chargers are spark proof, reverse polarity protected and electronically safe.

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,856 ✭✭✭
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited August 2023 #3

    Is that the best way of doing it? I assume you have to connect the CTEK to the mains for it to be able to charge the cab battery? I am also making the assumption that the inbuilt charger does not charge to cab battery? If you regularly connect the motorhome to the mains at home perhaps a Battery Master might be an alternative choice?

    David

  • JamesBeGone1977
    JamesBeGone1977 Forum Participant Posts: 3
    edited August 2023 #4

    Hello - thanks for the replies.  I will hook up and see what transpires.  Looks like a battery Master would do the job - my leisure is a long way from the cab and would have to traverse a bathroom, so not a straightforward cable run.  Cheers  Jim

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,856 ✭✭✭
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited August 2023 #5

    Jim

    Peedee who posts on this forum, put me onto the Battery Master some years ago and I have had them fitted to both my Bailey motorhomes. It still amazes me that manufacturers don't already provide this facility in some form or another but it seems it is just not UK manufacturers? An alternative would be a feed from the solar panel, if you have one, to both hab and cab batteries. However most people set the panel to prioritise the leisure battery and only a much smaller charge going to the cab battery and of course in the winter that charge might not amount to much? I don't think the Battery Master pushes a massive amount of charge to the cab battery but it is enough to keep it topped up. I understand there is an alternative to the Battery Master which sends a higher charge but the name escapes me at the moment.

    David

  • Randomcamper
    Randomcamper Club Member Posts: 1,062 ✭✭
    500 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited August 2023 #6

    It still amazes me that manufacturers don't already provide this facility in some form or another but it seems it is just not UK manufacturers?

     

    My Wildax came with a Votronic B2B as standard..........wink

  • JamesBeGone1977
    JamesBeGone1977 Forum Participant Posts: 3
    edited September 2023 #7

    Quick update - I found a video which showed that I can switch over which battery is being charged by the system when hooked up to mains.

    Details were of couse buried deep in the manual which I had not properly read.

    Thanks again to all for suggestions and advice.

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
    1000 Comments
    edited September 2023 #8

    If you have a solar panel fitted already, it's possible that the regulator may be able to support charging of the vehicle battery as well as the leisure battery. All our vans have had this facility but, as DK says, converters seem loath to spend a few quid more to do this, preferring to leave their customers to sort things out.

    if the regulator can't perform split charging, then the battery master is the best solution provided that you have a means of charging the leisure battery...solar or EHU cable.

    BTW, don't get confused with the phrase B2B (battery to battery charging) as in todays vans this refers to the leisure batteries being charged (when driving) at a very high rate from the vehicle battery which is, in turn, charged from the alternator.

    this usually is in place to allow fast charging to lithium leisure batteries which can support very high rates of charge, meaning short trips can replenish depleted leisure batteries.

    in your case, you are looking to charge the cab battery from the leisure battery which is the reverse of what a modern B2B set up does.

Categories