Jump to content


Photo
- - - - -

Automatic Charge Relay - How to Improve your battery isolator

Battery isolator ACR Truck charging

  • Please log in to reply
99 replies to this topic

#1 DrJ

DrJ

    Senior Member

  • Members
  • 514 posts
  • LocationSouthern Idaho

Posted 19 February 2016 - 11:08 PM

There have been several topics and frustrations about charging our camper batteries from the truck.

I researched a few different options and came up with this mod which I thought might be helpful to share.

A special thanks to Ntsqd - his several great posts gave me the idea.

 

My FWC had been ordered with a compressor fridge that uses a fair amount of power. One of the sources to replenish the camper's batteries is charging directly from the truck's alternator. The stock system for this by FWC does provide some charging ability but has a few drawbacks. The stock system charges through a sure power 1314a battery isolator. This provides power to the camper but as a battery isolator has three main drawbacks:

1- loss of voltage to heat through the isolator

2- the isolator will not turn on if your voltage in the camper is too low (like 12.5 volts or lower). So when you need the power the very most from your truck you cannot get it.

3- No power could ever been transferred from the camper to the truck batteries in an emergency.

 

I replaced the Sure Power 1314a battery isolator with a Blue Sea ML-ACR with manual control.

First I had to remove the old battery isolator and label the connections for the new system. The Blue Sea ML-ACR was installed in the same position as the Sure Power isolator. It has an addition manual control that needed to be wired to the ML-ACR along with the negative and positive terminals of the camper battery. The wiring did require custom lengths of wire, modifying the wire ends and shrink wrapping the ends for protection. Then I had to pull the wiring and cut a hole for the switch into my camper's power center. Finally, since my Blue Sea ML-ACR was much larger than the prior Sure Power, I had to build a wood box around it to protect it while it was in a storage area of my camper.

 

The new system is a big improvement from the prior stock setup up. Overall I am very happy with the setup.

Here are some of the benefits of the system:

1- Enhanced charging capacity from the truck. I was able to charge 3-4 amps/hour faster with the new Blue Sea equipment. There is very little loss of energy to heat.

2- I am aware and in control of charging from my truck to camper. I can override the automatic system and connect the batteries to allow charge no matter how low my camper batteries are. The monitor switch always lets me know when the systems are connected. No more suprises when I show up at my camping spot thinking that the truck is charging the camper.

3- My camper's solar system can charge my camper batteries and truck batteries if I want it to. If I only want to charge the camper batteries I can do just that too.

4- If my truck batteries were ever too low to start the truck I could charge them from the camper batteries. This is a great safety feature.

5- A manual switch on the ACR allows you to work on the camper electronics without any power source from the truck if you need to do repairs.

6- In the automatic mode the system functions just like the stock FWC system was meant to. It allows charging of the truck camper batteries from the truck without discharging the truck batteries unless you override the system. It's just better. :)

 

prior stock setup with battery isolator
IMG 2496
 
New Blue Sea in place and connected
IMG 2510
 
Wiring that needs to be feed for the manual switch and monitor
IMG 2513
 
New switch in place by the trimetric monitor
IMG 2514
 
Blue sea switch is on indicating the batteries are connected
IMG 2515
 
New box to protect the electronics and wiring
IMG 2518
 
Box completed. Now I can still store my stuff under the front dinette seat.
IMG 2521

 

 

The cost of the modification was about $240. Most of this is the cost of the Blue Sea equipment - $210 for just that.

 

You could improve your system with just using the Blue Sea SI-ACR. It would be a direct replacement for your battery isolator and the cost of it is only about $75. However you would not get the cool switch to know when you batteries are connected and the ability to override the automatic system if you wanted.

This was a huge positive for me and worth the extra expense.


  • 1

2015 Silverado Crew Cab Duramax and 2015 Front Dinette Grandby

One can change the world, it only requires kindness

http://www.truckcamp...g-family-earth/

 


#2 Wallowa

Wallowa

    Double Ought

  • Members
  • 2,173 posts
  • LocationNE Oregon

Posted 20 February 2016 - 01:33 AM

As always...excellent description and photos...thanks.

 

Phil


  • 0

#3 ntsqd

ntsqd

    Custom User Title

  • Members
  • 2,881 posts
  • LocationNorth So.CA

Posted 20 February 2016 - 02:19 AM

I'm glad that someone found my blatherings to be helpful!


  • 0
Thom

Where does that road go?

#4 elmo_4_vt

elmo_4_vt

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 81 posts

Posted 20 February 2016 - 04:22 AM

Nice!  I was thinking about the same thing for the indication.  The 1314 says that it will only not connect below 10V, but it would still be nice to have the peace of mind to know that it's connected.  Do you know off hand what the load is on circuit when the batteries are connected?

 

Don

 

-


  • 0

#5 DrJ

DrJ

    Senior Member

  • Members
  • 514 posts
  • LocationSouthern Idaho

Posted 20 February 2016 - 04:43 AM

Don,

I am not sure that I know how to answer your question but this reference might be helpful:

http://assets.bluese...s/990180180.pdf

I have noticed that the sure power isolator struggles to connect under 12.5 volts. I believe below a certain voltage it may not connect at all.

Truth be told on the automatic settings the Blue Sea ACR does a similar thing.

I turned on my fridge, rear flood lights and heater to draw 11-12 amps and lower the voltage to 12.2. The ACR would switch on and off while on automatic mode just like the sure power would. But the difference was I was able to override this setting while the truck was running to connect them. That part is one of the reasons I wanted to do this.
  • 0

2015 Silverado Crew Cab Duramax and 2015 Front Dinette Grandby

One can change the world, it only requires kindness

http://www.truckcamp...g-family-earth/

 


#6 pvstoy

pvstoy

    Senior Member

  • Members
  • 2,768 posts
  • LocationCarson City, NV

Posted 20 February 2016 - 05:04 AM

Great job making the system the way it should be. 
 
Please refer to what you are calling "Sure Power 1314a battery isolator" properly as a "battery separator"

 

A isolator has a diode to prevent the camper battery every seeing the truck battery.  There is some voltage drop because of the diode, but I prefer using a isolator over the separator.

 

Once again great work having control over what and when charging batteries. 


Edited by pvstoy, 20 February 2016 - 05:28 PM.

  • 0

Patrick

2015 FWC Hawk Flatbed


#7 PaulT

PaulT

    Need gumbo

  • Members
  • 2,611 posts
  • LocationHillsboro, Oregon

Posted 20 February 2016 - 07:04 AM

It could be a lot cheaper to buy a couple of waterproof digital voltmeters. Attach one to the camper batteries and the other upstream of the isolator/separator relay.

When the relay connects the truck to the camper batteries, there will be very little difference between the meters. When the relay disconnects the circuit, the voltage difference will be larger.

Looking at the two meters, you will be able to tell if the two circuits are connected and for less than $20, (maybe less than $10).

Paul
  • 1
I thought getting old would take longer.

#8 DrJ

DrJ

    Senior Member

  • Members
  • 514 posts
  • LocationSouthern Idaho

Posted 20 February 2016 - 02:33 PM

Pvstoy,

I believe you are correct on the Sure Power isolator vs separator. I pulled up the information from the company and it is labeled as a battery separator.
Thanks for the correction.
  • 0

2015 Silverado Crew Cab Duramax and 2015 Front Dinette Grandby

One can change the world, it only requires kindness

http://www.truckcamp...g-family-earth/

 


#9 Trailbob

Trailbob

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 89 posts
  • LocationSouthwest Idaho

Posted 20 February 2016 - 02:48 PM

Great post and write up.  I have also read with interest what ntsqd has written about the marine ACRs.  A couple of things:

 

-I'm not sure if my Hawk is wired like your camper, but the Sure Power separator in my camper disconnects if the truck battery drops below a set voltage, and will not re-connect until the truck battery comes up to that voltage again (when the alternator is charging it).  I found this out this winter when I was hoping to keep my truck and camper battery charged off of the 160 W panel on the camper.  At night, the truck electronics would draw the batteries down to the disconnect point.  The next day, the camper would come back up to 100% (Trimetric), but the battery separator would not re-connect to charge the truck battery.  I eventually got frustrated with this and connected the camper and truck battery together in the camper.  After that, on a sunny day, the truck and camper would both come back to 100% each day.  I should mention that when I say truck battery, it is an aux battery in the truck which is separated from the starting battery with a smart separator under the hood.  If I want to disconnect the camper from the truck (aux) battery now, I have to pull the fuse under the hood. 

 

-I noticed from your photos that the original Sure Power separator was mounted in a mesh box.  Your new ACR is mounted in an enclosed wood box.  Are there any concerns about ventilation and heat dissipation from the new ACR in the enclosed wood box?

 

Thanks again for your post.  Your system is the gold standard, and how FWC should wire them from the factory.


  • 0

#10 ntsqd

ntsqd

    Custom User Title

  • Members
  • 2,881 posts
  • LocationNorth So.CA

Posted 20 February 2016 - 03:50 PM

If an ACR  (or VSR) is making heat then something is wrong. Heat from an electrical item means current is flowing thru a resistance. There is a little resistance in the coil holding the contacts closed (assuming its not a solid state circuit), but it should be on the order of milli-amps or nearly so and that heat would be undectectable or very close to it. Some of these units employ a PWM circuit to hold the contacts closed, so they use even less current.


  • 1
Thom

Where does that road go?





Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: Battery isolator, ACR, Truck charging

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users