Lately it is becoming 'fashionable' to mount what they call monitors or battery controllers in motorhomes, and I would like to make some reflections on that. I think it is important because I have had several cases of clients with confusion on the subject.
Just looking at the voltage of a battery We do not know if it is good or bad or if we have a lot or little load in it. SEspecially if the voltage that marks the device is below 9 or 10 volts is when we really know that we have very little charge.
If, for example, we take a battery that is nearly sulfated and we charge it to the maximum it may reach us up to 12.5 volts, for example. Confident, we started using it. However, surely that in a very few minutes it will run out and we will run out of power. Although it read 12.5 volts, it had almost no accumulated current and it returned an erroneous data.
The capacity of a battery is the current it has accumulated inside but this is not proportional to the volts that it marks. Only in cases where it is a new battery does it give us a certain indication. For this reason, in automobile electrical workshops, to see how a battery is doing, they do not measure volts with a multimeter. It is likely that you have perhaps seen that in these workshops they use large tweezers that put between the positive and negative with a resistance in between (which heats up).
What really matters to many of us caravanners to know is how many hours we have of current in the batteries for the use that we are giving them, without having to start the engine. In this case there is another type of device that really it does measure how much charge is left in the battery in each case. Depending on the consumption we have at all times, it tells us the hours that we have left of use, with a fairly close approximation. So we can decide if we turn off lights or reduce consumption.
Speaking in the first person I must say that I have this system installed in my caravan and it is very comfortable for me. If, for example, I am watching television, I have a light on and also the heating turbo and 'I have battery for 6 hours' I turn off the lights. In this case, it happened that, after 6 hours of battery life, after turning off the lights, it started telling me that I had 18 hours left. In this way, you manage what you spend to avoid surprises and suddenly run out of battery.
Finally, it should be noted that in these other devices the way of mounting is very important (distances, cable sections, ...) so that it works well or badly. If you are interested I am always at your disposal to answer all questions or doubts. You can leave a comment on this article or, if you prefer, send me an email and I will answer you personally.
Once again, enjoy traveling!
A hug and see you on the road.
Hello,
I have a question about the batteries in the house of my motorhome, when trying to turn on the generator I get a low battery, I start the car and sometimes it starts and sometimes it doesn't, do you know what could be the reason? Could it be that the batteries are not charging correctly?
a greeting
Good Morning! Can you tell me which device is the one that measures how many hours of battery I have?
I think the battery is not working well
Hello good day.
Could you guide me which device is the one you describe in the article?
I have a 170 AMG battery and a 150 board. Controller with meter display. I would like to install a display that measures consumption and tells me how many hours I have left on the battery, taking into account the charge on the board.
Many thanks
What device measures the remaining battery charge and the consumption we have at all times, to know how many hours I have left of use? Thank you
Where do I buy this meter, is that I am doing it all myself
I have a Knaus sport sun traveler and I would like you to do a complete revision of the electrical system when I can take it to you?
My phone is 625407939
Hello I have a blucam and it ran out of battery I charged it and fine but now the S-TTK control panel does not turn on. I guess it will have a reset or something like that. Would you know what can happen to him?
Hi Cristian, thanks for the comment, my workshop partner will get in touch with you.
The specialty of Comercial Caravaning is the close relationship with our clients. You can come check it out at Comercial Caravaning in Alcorcón, very close to Madrid, Móstoles, Leganés... Very close to TI (experts in caravans, motorhomes and campers in the south of Madrid).
