Welcome to part 3 of the power in your van compilation. If you haven’t already, check back in to see the concepts related to electricity in a campervan, and our second installment all about batteries. This guide is all about recharging your battery in your campervan.
To enjoy the comforts of electrical appliances in your home on wheels, you need a reliable power source for your campervan’s various appliances, gadgets, and lighting. This is where leisure batteries come into play. These trusty energy reservoirs ensure that your adventures are powered up, cosy, and hassle-free.
In this article, we’ll delve into the essentials of getting electricity into your leisure battery and explore the main methods for keeping it charged and ready for action. From harnessing the power of the sun with solar panels to utilising the energy generated by your vehicle’s alternator, we’ll cover a range of solutions to suit different needs and preferences.
Considerations for charging your battery
Energy requirements: Assess your daily power consumption and the capacity of your leisure battery, how much charge are you going to need? How many full recharges? If you have an AGM battery, it’s going to be more than if you go Lithium.
Travel habits: Consider how often you drive, park in campsites with shore power, or stay off-grid. Frequent driving might make a split charge relay more practical, while extended off-grid stays might require solar power or a combination of methods.
Climate and location: Solar power is more effective in areas with abundant sunlight, while it may be less reliable in cloudy or rainy regions. Consider the weather patterns in the locations you plan to travel to when choosing your charging method.
Budget: Different charging methods have varying costs associated with the gear, installation, and maintenance. The bottom dollar matters.
Space availability: Solar panels require roof space, and larger battery banks might need additional storage space. Assess the available space in your campervan and choose a charging method that fits your layout and design. If you havent already seen, we have a guide on how to plan the layout of your campervan.
Type of leisure battery: Some batteries, like lithium-ion, have specific charging requirements and may require compatible equipment, such as a Battery-to-Battery charger or an MPPT solar charge controller.
Ease of installation and maintenance: Some charging methods are easier to install and maintain than others.
Environmental impact: If you’re concerned about your carbon footprint then perhaps solar power is a clean and renewable energy source, while using shore power depends on the energy mix of the local grid.
Flexibility and expandability: Consider whether the charging method you choose can be easily expanded or adapted in the future if your energy needs change.
Ways to recharge your battery
Option 1: Solar
A solar power system for a campervan consists of one or more solar panels, a cable, a charge controller, a fuse, and a leisure battery. Solar panels generate electricity by converting sunlight into electricity, and solar cables transfer this energy to the battery via a charge controller.
The charge controller regulates the incoming voltage and current from the solar panels, ensuring optimal charging and battery protection. A fuse safeguards the system against electrical surges, while the leisure battery stores the electricity for later use.
Pros of solar power in campervans:
- Off-grid living: Solar power allows you to recharge your campervan’s service batteries without relying on external power sources, enabling true off-grid adventures.
- Eco-friendly: Solar energy is a renewable and clean source of power, reducing your carbon footprint.
- Cost-effective: After the initial investment in solar panels and accessories, solar energy is virtually free. Woo!
- Utilising roof space: The roof of your campervan is an ideal location for solar panels, maximising their exposure to sunlight.
Cons of solar power in campervans:
- Initial investment: Solar panels, charge controllers, and other components can be expensive upfront, although the long-term savings often outweigh this cost.
- Limited by sunlight: Solar power generation is dependent on sunlight, which can be affected by weather conditions, the season and where you are able to park.
- Loss of roof space: Installing solar panels on the roof of your campervan will reduce the available space for roof racks/ decks/ sky lights.
Option 2: Split Charge Relay
How Split Charge Relays Work:
The alternator is an electrical device in your engine bay that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. All vans have them. The trick here is that that energy can also be used to charge your campervan’s leisure batteries from your starter battery, which is always topped up by your alternator.
However, if you were to directly connect the leisure batteries to the ignition battery may drain the ignition battery. To prevent this, a split charge relay (manual or intelligent) or a Battery-to-Battery (B2B) charger is needed.
The split charge relay means that your leisure battery will only be charged from your starter battery when the engine is on and running, so you’ll never get stuck with no way to start your van.
Types of Split Charge Relays
Manual Battery Isolator: A switch that requires manual activation and deactivation. This budget-friendly option works well for Flooded Lead Acid (FLA), Gel, and Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) batteries.
Intelligent Battery Isolator: Automatically senses when the vehicle is in motion and connects the batteries. This higher-quality option also works for FLA, Gel, and AGM batteries.
B2B Battery Charger: The premium choice for charging LifePO4 lithium batteries via the alternator. This option can be monitored via Bluetooth and offers easy installation.
Pros of split charge relays:
- Charges while driving: The system takes advantage of the vehicle’s movement to generate power for your leisure battery.
- Alternative to solar: Provides an additional charging method when solar panels or charging stations are not available, such as during boondocking or wild camping.
- Trouble-free operation: Split charge systems are generally easy to install, monitor, and maintain.
Cons of split charge relays:
- Engine must be running: The vehicle’s engine has to be running for the system to work.
- Limited charging efficiency: Split charge relays may not provide the most efficient way of charging your leisure battery.
Option 3: Shore Power
Shore power is an excellent option for charging your campervan’s leisure battery when you have access to a grid connection, such as at your home, garage, or a camping site.
In factory-built campervans there are typically two separate circuits; a 12V DC circuit for powering low-consumption devices like lights and a 230V AC circuit that only functions when the campervan is connected to the grid (or, via an inverter). This power can be converted into 12v and used to charge your battery, as well as any 3 pinned plug appliances you have.
Most DIY van conversion projects aim for energy independence for extended periods and only have 12v systems, plus an inverter for specific 3 pin/ 240v appliance use.
It is possible to fit a 230v system into your campervan, and one element of that system would be 230v input for you to take electricity from the campsite that you are staying in.
To charge your campervan’s leisure battery using shore power, alongside the 230v input, you’ll need a battery charger to adapt the campsites/ your grid’s electrical current to the appropriate level for your battery.
Shore power system components:
- Mains power inlet
- Consumer unit/breaker panel
- 230-volt battery charger
- Connecting wires
Pros of shore power:
- Convenience: Easily charge your leisure battery when you have access to a grid connection.
- Guaranteed power: Shore power provides a reliable source of energy when solar panels or other charging methods aren’t available or sufficient.
- Mains-power system: A shore power system also allows you to create a mains-power system aboard your campervan for operating high-voltage appliances whenever you are plugged in.
Cons of shore power:
- Limited availability: Depending on your travel style and destinations, you may not always have access to a grid connection, making it challenging to rely solely on shore power for charging your leisure battery.
- Cost: Utilising shore power at campsites comes with additional fees for electricity usage, and the fees will add up over long trips.
- Lack of mobility: When using shore power, your campervan needs to be stationary and connected to an electrical outlet. This can limit your mobility and flexibility when exploring.
- Dependency on grid electricity: Relying on shore power means you’re dependent on the grid for electricity, which may not always be the most environmentally friendly or sustainable option.
- Additional equipment and installation: Setting up a shore power system for your campervan requires installing and purchasing additional components such as a mains power inlet, consumer unit/breaker panel, and battery charger. You should really be paying someone to install this for you.
How to actually do it?
We are going to have a guide just focussed on Solar. You’ll see it when this link appears here.
You probably shouldn’t be installing Shore Power on your own, this is really a job for a qualified electrician.
That leaves us with a split charge relay. We’ll show you how to do this. Although, you should really get an electrician to do it if you can. Don’t F*** with electricity.
Installing a split charge relay in your campervan
Step 1 Choose the right split charge relay: There are various types of split charge relays available, including Voltage Sensing Relay (VSR) and Battery-to-Battery Charger. For this guide, we will focus on installing a VSR.
Step 2 Gather necessary tools and materials: You’ll need a VSR, appropriately-sized (read: FAT) cables, cable lugs, a fuse or circuit breaker, cable ties, and basic tools like a wrench, wire stripper, and a crimping tool.
Step 3 Identify the battery locations: Locate both the starter battery (main vehicle battery) and the leisure battery (auxiliary battery) in your campervan.
Step 4 Mount the VSR: Find a suitable location for the VSR, ideally close to the leisure battery and away from any heat sources. Securely mount the VSR using screws or mounting brackets.
Step 5 Measure and prepare the cables: Measure the distance between the starter battery, VSR, and leisure battery to determine the appropriate cable length. Cut the cables to the required length, strip the ends, and attach cable lugs using a crimping tool.
Step 6 Connect the starter battery to the VSR: Attach one end of a cable to the positive (+) terminal of the starter battery and the other end to the input terminal of the VSR. Ensure the connection is secure and tight.
Step 7 Install a fuse or circuit breaker: Place a fuse or circuit breaker on the cable connecting the starter battery to the VSR. This will protect your system from potential electrical issues.
Step 8 Connect the VSR to the leisure battery: Attach one end of another cable to the output terminal of the VSR and the other end to the positive (+) terminal of the leisure battery.
Step 9 Connect the ground cables: Attach a ground cable from the negative (-) terminal of the leisure battery to a suitable grounding point on the vehicle’s chassis. Similarly, ensure that the starter battery’s negative terminal is connected to the vehicle’s chassis.
Step 10 Test the system: Start the vehicle’s engine to check if the VSR is working correctly. The VSR should activate when the engine is running and charge the leisure battery. Once the engine is turned off, the VSR should disconnect the starter and leisure batteries, ensuring they don’t drain each other.
Secure the cables: Use cable ties to neatly secure the cables ensuring they are not in contact with any moving parts or heat sources. Don’t forget to label everything.
What we did
We inherited 2 batteries that live under our drivers seat. Already professionally installed by the previous owner, is a split charge relay.
It works great. And, another massive bonus when it comes to buying a crap looking van with good components in it.
We knew we would be stationary sometimes and we figured we were chasing the sun the whole trip, so thought it would be a good idea to add solar panels to the split charge relay.
We also had shore power installed, but because we knew we weren’t going to be spending much time in campsites, we decided to not bother with adding a charger from the 240 system to the 12v battery.
We monitor the split charge relay quite closely and it’s really effective. An hour or so’s drive will charge a significant chunk of the battery.
The solar panel is also fantastic, and comes with a feel good factor that is hard to understand when you have it. You see the number of volts increasing when the sun is out, and you know that you’re using your phone, that is powered by the sun, and it’s all completely free, and there are no bills, and it’s really bloody incredible.
We also do things like try and charge up electronics if we are going on a drive, for example. Battery management is important.
As a minimum, you should fit a split charge relay in your van. They are inexpensive, quite easy to fit and you’re in a van, which you will be driving, so you should be making the most of the electricity being generated when doing so.
If you think you need more energy than a split charge relay will provide, then consider the solar panel. They can be quite a lot of money, but they do provide you with an incredible amount of free energy and satisfaction.