zilspeed
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| posted on 27/2/10 at 06:50 PM |
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Campervan stuff - any gurus ?
I know it's off topic, but this is Locostbuilders, there's always an answer.
The new Zilbus has a Webasto water heater in it. It is primarily used to heat the engine quicker, but can be upgraded via some controls to provide
heat to the interior of the vehicle with the engine and ignition completely off.
Seeing as we would like to press the vehicle into basic 'camper' duties (The back is plenty big enough for sleeping in), it seems that
some sort of leisure battery and charging circuit makes sense to run the leccy side of the webasto and leave the main battery well alone for such
frippery as starting the engine in the morning.
Any DIY campervan builders out there who might have experience of a suitable layout for the leisure battery ?
Anyone with experience of the Webasto heaters ? This one works fine, but needs the control circuit upgrade to keep the interior toasty with everything
else off.
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MakeEverything
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| posted on 27/2/10 at 06:54 PM |
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A split charging system would be best, with an additional high Ah high capacity battery.
With this, you could also put a photovoltaic (solar) system on it to charge it when using it during the day. this will save having to start the
engine to charge the battery.
Kindest Regards,
Richard.
...You can make it foolProof, but youll never make it Idiot Proof!...
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rusty nuts
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| posted on 27/2/10 at 07:13 PM |
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I used a split charging relay in my old camper to charge a leasure battery to operate telly , fan etc . Worked well. Not sure how good a solar panel
would be ? Might be worth looking at a wind driven generator ?
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fatfranky
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| posted on 27/2/10 at 08:29 PM |
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I did a home brew camper about 15 years ago, in terms of split charge circuit it is nothing more than a common or garden relay that links the cars
main ignition/charging circuit to the leisure battery. I used a relay from a VW which only operates when the ignition is on, this then charges the
leisure battery, when on site the leisure battery is 'disconnected' from the main circuit meaning that it cannot flatten the car battery,
obviously all fridges/lights are connected to the leisure battery.
Hope this makes sense, sorry can't advise on wind or solar power.
Regards
Frank
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lsdweb
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| posted on 27/2/10 at 08:43 PM |
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I think the more modern split charge relays work disconnect the secondary battery from the charging circuit when the voltage drops below a certain
level.
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thunderace
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| posted on 27/2/10 at 10:25 PM |
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http://scottishvanners.50.forumer.com
there are a lot of guys who do campers on this forum
and loads from around cumbernauld.
and this
http://www.campervanconversion.co.uk/campervan-electrics.html
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MakeEverything
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| posted on 28/2/10 at 08:48 AM |
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Or just connect it to a mains power supply outside a block of flats in Kent... 
Kindest Regards,
Richard.
...You can make it foolProof, but youll never make it Idiot Proof!...
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Ninehigh
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| posted on 28/2/10 at 09:39 AM |
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I'd have thought connecting a couple of diodes between the leisure battery and the alternator would have sufficed, so power can go to charging
but that battery would do nothing for the engine.
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