Onboard charging for your leisure battery with CTEK

With the Spring upon us, it is time to start thinking about getting your motorhomes, caravans and camper vans ready for the new touring season.  The freedom that comes from taking in the spectacular views and stunning scenery from your leisure vehicle is only possible when you have the peace of mind that you are not going to be left stranded, out in the open, with a problematic battery.

A stable supply of electricity in your unit is vital, especially for long trips. It lights your van, powers up your switchboards and sockets, and activates your fridge, heating system, and water pumps.  Onboard battery charging specialists CTEK are on hand to offer some advice when it comes to battery-to-battery charging systems.

Battery to battery chargers, sometimes known as DC/DC chargers, are a great way to charge your leisure batteries safely and efficiently from the power of your vehicle’s alternator or solar panel, or a combination of both.  The benefit of a DC/DC charger is that it converts the output from your primary battery or solar panel, and charges your secondary battery using optimal charging. Having solar power means that as long as you have daylight, you will still be charging, even when the engine is switched off.

The reason you need a DC/DC charger instead of a traditional relay charger is that generally your vehicle battery is a lead acid battery, so your alternator is designed to charge a lead acid battery, a job it doesn’t do so well*. The charging profile to charge your leisure battery can be different. The DC/DC charger can be programmed to whatever type of leisure battery you have, flooded, AGM or lithium, and to what the charging requirements are. It can also maximize charging to 100% and condition the battery to increase its lifespan.

There are many important factors to consider when selecting a battery-to-battery charger: How quickly you need to recharge your leisure battery and how quickly the leisure battery you have can be safely recharged.  The higher the current rating of a battery to battery charger, the faster your leisure battery will charge. However, the current rating is limited by your battery size and type as well as alternator output. Lithium batteries can often handle much larger charge currents than lead acid batteries so it is it’s important to consider the type of battery you’re charging when selecting the size of your battery to battery charger.  This is where CTEK can help.

Peace of mind, whether it’s work, rest or play.

CTEK’s DC/DC onboard charging system quickly charges your service battery and distributes power safely and reliably. It takes power from the vehicle alternator as well as solar power whilst on the move. There are two different units both of which can work independently or together as part of a powerful system.

The D250SE is a fully automatic, 5 step charger that supplies up to 20A of power to any 12V lead-acid or lithium service battery from 40–300Ah. It has selectable charge algorithms for flooded, AGM and lithium batteries and can use power from both the alternator and a solar panel. It is designed for use with solar panels rated at up to 300W, as long as the voltage from the panel is no more than 23V.

The D250SE can maintain a stable output up to 20A to vehicles fitted with smart, ECU controlled alternators and also has a temperature sensor for optimised charging, regardless of weather conditions.  It also features a starter battery maintenance function, which charges the starter battery via the solar panel when the engine is switched off. Ideal for use in campervans, particularly if they have smart alternators, the D250SE can be used standalone or with the CTEK Smartpass.

The Smartpass 120S is also lithium compatible. Smartpass 120S is a power management solution which distributes, controls and maximises up to 120A of power from the vehicle alternator and can also ensure that the charging of critical equipment takes priority.

Both units can maintain a stable output to vehicles fitted with Smart ECU controlled alternators.  Combine these two products together for a powerful and smart 140A charging and power management system.

For more support with DC/DC charging click here:  https://www.ctek.com/uk/customer-guides/dc-dc-support