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Prevent battery drain
tegwin - 1/4/10 at 02:32 PM

Slightly OT...

But I am fitting a leisure battery into my sisters van at the moment... It charges via a cunning voltage sensing relay which contacts when the engine is running..

thats simple..

BUT..

My sister is a bit of a muppet sometimes... chances are she might accidentally leave the lights on in the camper, or leave something plugged in etc..

Is there a device which can be made/purchased that sits between the battery and the "load" that cuts off supply when the 12V leisure battery starts to drain out? (I guess triggering around 10.5V?)

All I can find on ebay are 20A battery guards... but 20A is a bit low... and they look like they might get pretty hot!!

Any thoughts?

[Edited on 1/4/10 by tegwin]

blakep82 - 1/4/10 at 02:34 PM

ooh, my dad america ford aerostar used to do that. when the battery got to about 10v, it cut everything off so you could still start it.

so i guess it can be done yourself, i don't know how, but they system is out there, and this was a 1986 van

Madinventions - 1/4/10 at 03:04 PM

I would've thought that pretty much any of the camping/caravan outlets would stock something designed for this application?

Ed

dan__wright - 1/4/10 at 03:38 PM

but isnt the whole point of the leisure battery the fact that it doesn't matter if you drain it (aslong as your not repeatedly deep discharge it?)

tegwin - 1/4/10 at 03:54 PM

quote:
Originally posted by dan__wright
but isnt the whole point of the leisure battery the fact that it doesn't matter if you drain it (aslong as your not repeatedly deep discharge it?)



The battery will get quickly killed if someone leaves the lights on... I dont want to cycle the battery right down to 1V.... it wont last long atall!

dan__wright - 1/4/10 at 03:56 PM

use the battery guard to drive a larger relay?

use several battery guards or just put the circuts likeley to be cause problems (lights etc) on it and keep other things directly connected?

speedyxjs - 1/4/10 at 04:41 PM

Why not fit one of those solar panels that charges the battery during the daytime? Most of them plug into the ciggy socket but i have seen them disquised as spoilers, scuttle panels etc

omega 24 v6 - 1/4/10 at 05:56 PM

We use these at work and they seem to do the job OK. Intellitec battery gaurd

Bluemoon - 1/4/10 at 08:09 PM

quote:
Originally posted by speedyxjs
Why not fit one of those solar panels that charges the battery during the daytime? Most of them plug into the ciggy socket but i have seen them disquised as spoilers, scuttle panels etc


My solar panel charge controllers have the facility they disconnect the load with the battery goes <10.5V or so. I guess if you could find one with a suitable high current you could use that (mines only small 5A one)? The charging side would be wired direct to the battery I guess rather than via the Solar cell input??

Dan

Canada EH! - 1/4/10 at 10:05 PM

Our 2008 Jeep Wrangler has something like that, I can leave all the lights on and walk away, they go out by themselves about 10 minutes after.
One click of the door open fob and they all come on again. It's a security vehicle so helps out on very dark nights.