I'm still working on my installation of a 4 gauge charge wire connection from my truck to my truck camper. I had the circuit working with a solenoid switch but the switch failed after three days. I am looking into a dual battery isolator for charge control but most of them have a .7 volt drop due to the semiconductors used in the design of the devices. I find there are three types of isolators offering different levels of efficiency. Here is the one I've found that appears to be most efficient from Perfect Switch, Power gate Isolator approaching the efficiency of a direct connection solenoid. More information on the Power Gate Isolator.. I have not yet got a price on their DR200, 200 amp version but I think it is about $200.00. Sure Power makes an isolator that sells for $84.00 as a comparison or I can get another relay for $30.00. I'll decide what method I will use in the next couple days, complete the installation, then write up a pictorial about it for others thinking about doing the same.
Has anybody had any experience with the Power Gate Isolater?
**********************************************************************
Here are early pictures of my Truck Camper, 4 AWG Battery Cable Installation.
This is the negative return cable connected to the battery from the TC. I am also going to install a connection the the truck frame from the Lift gate socket in the truck bed.
Both the wire to the Solenoid and battery are connected to the alternator. This will change if I convert to using a battery isolator.
This is where the solenoid was mounted. This will change if I change to an Isolator.
This is the socket connection in the truck bed. The terminals were soldered.
This is the socket in the truck bed.
This shows the lift gate plug left, with the slack pushed up into the TC for storage and the still in use seven pin plug to the right still in use.
This is the lift gate plug pulled out for connection to the truck connection in the bed. Split loom still needs to be installed.
This is the connection at the batteries. I used premade, 6 foot, battery cables for this as they already had soldered post connectors.
This is the slack cable pushed up into the TC.
This is a power distribution block. I plan to connect other things up to this in the future.
Supply cables entering into the battery box.
More scenery under the sink.
* This post was
last
edited 10/12/11 03:04am by Camper_Jeff_&_Kelli *
View edit history
You may have bought an intermittant duty solenoid is why it gave up.
If you use a continous duty relay/ solenoid, about an 85 amp should work well for you. A return ground wire in 4 gauge should help with charging voltage as well due to the resistance often found between the camper and truck chassie on the return wire.
I've been using two powergate single rectifiers the past four years to charge my TC battery banks from the truck alternator. The first rectifier was located behind my second battery in the engine compartment to isolate the two truck batteries. The 2nd rectifier in the TC to isolate the TC batteries. I've had no issues with them at all.
I went this route because I wanted a system that I could just install and forget. No 0.7 VDC voltage drop across less expensive diodes (OK for running 12 VDC appliances, bad for charging batteries). No voltage drop from undersized wire or undersized connections. No voltage drop from pitted solenoid contacts. No welded solenoid contacts and dead batteries. 0.01 VDC drop @ 100 A for my 150A rated single rectifiers, means little heat generated in the device.
They didn't have the double rectifer DR200 unit when I purchased my setup. It is the equivalent to my two rectifiers in a single package.
You might call them up and ask about the "Voltage sensitive relay" that they have and its price. By programming in a low voltage disconnect voltage, of say 13 VDC, the relay would be off until the Vcc of the alternator was more than 13 VDC. So it would be off during boondocking, as well as starting the truck. Once the output of the alternator was above 13 VDC it would charge the TC batteries while driving. They mention a time delay that could be programmed in as well.
With the voltage sensitive relay the only thing you'd need to mount in the engine compartment is a megafuse and the solid state relay could go inside the nicer environment of the TC.
I used 2 AWG welding cable in split loom from the alternator to a 150A fuse then back to a bulkhead connector on the TC to the powergate rectifier, on through a switch and to the TC batteries. I also ran 2 AWG cable for the negative side back up to the truck engine compartment.
No measurable voltage drop back to the 440 Ahr TC battery bank. I have seen >95A at 14.8 VDC (measured at the batteries) going into the TC battery bank from the truck alternator.
I used Megafuses from VTE Warehouse, as well as other terminals from them.
I put in the Perko battery switch as an on/off switch as the Dodge alternator would put out 14.5 VDC all the time and didn't want to overcharge my TC battery bank on longer trips when starting out with full batteries. You could pick up either a Perko or Blue Sea switch at Fisheries Supply in Seattle.
* This post was
last
edited 10/11/11 11:24pm by bb_94401 *
View edit history
covered wagon wrote: You may have bought an intermittant duty solenoid is why it gave up.
If you use a continous duty relay/ solenoid, about an 85 amp should work well for you. A return ground wire in 4 gauge should help with charging voltage as well due to the resistance often found between the camper and truck chassie on the return wire.
I asked for a solenoid to separate the truck and camper batteries and they gave me what I got at the NAPA store. I should have checked and known what I was getting rather than rely on them.
I have a 4 AWG cable running back to the truck battery. I will also install a connection to the truck frame from the truck bed recepticle. It's optional to do that extra frame connection but it will lower the overall resistance by some amount. I'll compare using the frame as a negative return as a second 4 AWG wire back to the truck battery.
I have a Hellroaring technologies isolator on my boat and like it a lot, it has been on the boat for probably 6 years now. Ran about $175 IIRC
here is the link to their site. http://www.hellroaring.com/
Hutch
Thanks Matthew_B,
Your post on battery cable installation in TC University has been a goldmine of information already. I'm strongly considering the Power Gate DR 200. One thing I like about the isolators is the alleged inherent ability of the devices of this type to direct charge to the weaker battery. I will confirm if this is true or not with the Tech's at Power Gate.
drhutch wrote: I have a Hellroaring technologies isolator on my boat and like it a lot, it has been on the boat for probably 6 years now. Ran about $175 IIRC
here is the link to their site. http://www.hellroaring.com/
Hutch
Thanks drhutch,
I read about the Hellroaring and that they use more efficient Schottky diodes. They still have a voltage drop of .45V, about half of a standard diode types .7V. The Power Gate is supposed to have virtually no voltage drop which is why I'm interested in it. It requires no current to close contacts or corrosion of points over time. I'll know for sure after I talk to their Rep.
My only concern with the Powergate system would be the fact that if it fails, you completely remove all the batteries from the circuit and the alternator goes "Poof!" really quickly.
With the standard constant duty solenoid, if it goes poof, the only thing that happens (if wired correctly) is the camper becomes disconnected from the circuit.
Follow me as I full-time the Redneck Way at The Journey of the Redneck Express CBChannel 17Redneck Express '1992Dodge W-250 "Dually" Power Wagon - Club Cab Long Bed 4x4 V8 5.9L gashog w/4.10 Geared axles '1974KIT Kamper 1106 - 11' Slide-in
Offline
