New Product
This has come in thru the technical enquiry on the site...
Maybe of interest to some of you...
Hi, I am getting in touch to let you know about a new product we are
launching on Kickstarter for the 4x4, camper, caravan and boat markets.
Vertex is a smart dual battery manager and universal voltage converter
specifically aimed at the do-it-yourself market for both 12V and 24V systems.
Vertex is seriously tough, water proof and is really easy to install. It
perfectly charges your batteries from the engine, solar panels, mains
chargers, or generators which none of the competitors can do.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1777161324/vertex-vehicle-auxiliary-power-you-can-count-on
I would like to send you a pdf brochure that your club members may be
interested in, so would appreciate it if you could provide me an email
address.
We are a small company so I hope you don’t mind me contacting you
directly.
Kind regards
Stuart Reedman Director of R&D
Sensiotech +44 7766 768 275
Nice product recommend looking at their web site and video
Thanks for posting Gav. Interesting idea.
Glad you guys are talking about this. I'd like to add a second battery in mine but there doesn't seem to be enough space in the engine compartment. Not sure I"m keen on adding one down low as in their drawing where it'd get rather wet back there. Ideas or experience in this from anyone?
Hi Gandore,
It really depends on what you want the second battery to do. If you need to power a winch, you'd want a high-ampere draw system, compared to running a fridge where you could get away with a far simpler affair. Give us a little more background of what you are planning to do and I'm sure the people of this forum can give their tuppence worth to provide you with a solution.
Ph
Thanks Ph,
I'm not sure that I'll install a winch or not, still thinking through my options as a new owner. But I would like to install a second battery with enough juice to run one in case I go that route.
Mainly I'm thinking air compressor and things along the lines of household appliance amperages for airing up tires and enjoying a few luxuries while camping.
My main concern is battery placement. I wouldn't want to mount it where the above source shows it above the wheels. Too many chances of either crushing or drowning it under the carriage, unless I missed something in the installation view. And I'd prefer to get it under the hood, but didn't see enough space in my first look at things under there.
Gary
Hi Gary,
Personally, I think your best bet is to either make your own battery box, running off the main battery via a simple marine-rated VSR, or alternatively you can buy one: national luna make one. The link is
http://www.nationalluna.com/PPPack.htm
All you need to do for this one is to fit a starter-motor-gauge equivalent thickness wire from the battery with a 50-Amp Andersen Plug at the end to plug to the box. If you did this, you can put the battery box in the boot of your car, next to the fridge/compressor/etc and when you're not offroading/camping put it away into your garage and leave it on a trickle charger. Also, if you want to put the fridge outside (for a bbq somewhere for example), you can just uncouple the battery box from the cord and move it out too.
+++
If you want to run a winch off the secondary battery, please bear in mind that you'll need a much more robust set-up to take the much higher amps that are being pushed through the wires. If you're not sure about fitting one, if you can afford it, I'd advise that you get the battery box first and see how you go. If you change your mind, they tend to hold their value very well anyway and you could then go all-out on fitting a proper secondary-battery setup and flog the box on.
Good luck and happy camping,
Phileas
Thanks, Phileas.
Looks like I've got some digging to do. One thing the Japanese have is an abundance of aftermarket parts in their auto stores. I'll start taking some measurements and go the route of putting it in the rear cargo area, maybe inside the storage bins if a battery might fit in there.
I take it the newer batteries don't have fume issues that used to be a concern many years ago? Is it because marine batteries are sealed?
Gary
Hi Gary,
Some batteries will still 'leak' or fume if they are being overcharged, especially if they have gone completely flat. Make sure, you are buying a sealed gel battery and you should be OK.
Good luck,
Ph
Hi Gary,
Some batteries will still 'leak' or fume if they are being overcharged, especially if they have gone completely flat. Make sure, you are buying a sealed gel battery and you should be OK.
Good luck,
Ph
If you do go down the route of buying a sealed gel battery don't let it fully discharge, they don't come back to life like the non gel batteries do.
Good advise from both of you. Thank you.
Gary
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