24v system

karakachan

Just made an enquiry to a forum relating to the batteries on my Merc 814.It turns out according to a forum member that it's a 24v system....''bummer''...been in touch with the very nice people at 12 volt planet,and was originally going to put a VSR on.30 quid+.They, have since found out that the system is 24v and have said and recommended that I fit a b2b 24v/12v Sterling oogamacallit thingy....300 squid+...there goes something else I'll have to do without.
I'm sure that someone on here will know if there is another alternative, if not,I suppose it will have to be...
What you all say folks..lol..................I'm not crying yet
Cheers
Steve
 

wildebus

Forum Member
out of curiosity, the 24V battery system in your van is provided from a single 24V battery or a pair of 12V batteries in series?
 
trevskoda

trevskoda

Forum Member
It will be split between two 12 batterys ,so you can do the same for hab batts,but only tap into one battery for say light/tv then the other one for gas/oil blown heater,also for usb charge points etc.
 

wildebus

Forum Member
trevskoda said:
It will be split between two 12 batterys ,so you can do the same for hab batts,but only tap into one battery for say light/tv then the other one for gas/oil blown heater,also for usb charge points etc.
Click to expand...
That is what I was thinking ....

take the split charge off just one of the 12V starter batteries and have a standard 12V habitation setup at the back. Be much less complicated
 
mistericeman

mistericeman

Forum Member
Not good practice to draw from only one battery ...
i did it for a short while on my 24v FFR landrover and it soon knackered one of a pair of new lucas batteries ...as the battery NOT being drawn from will try to discharge into the one you are drawing from

Far better to go the proper route ...

Viewing item BBW2412A.

OR keep everything 24v and use a dropper to feed your lights etc (obviously not the most efficient way AND you'll need a fairly hefty dropper IF you are running anything heavy at 12v off your leisure batteries .
 

vwalan

i use a durite 24v to 12v battery charger. or split charger . bought it at lucas years ago. lots mates with truck campers use the same . seems to work a treat.
 
trevskoda

trevskoda

Forum Member
mistericeman said:
Not good practice to draw from only one battery ...
i did it for a short while on my 24v FFR landrover and it soon knackered one of a pair of new lucas batteries ...as the battery NOT being drawn from will try to discharge into the one you are drawing from

Far better to go the proper route ...

Viewing item BBW2412A.

OR keep everything 24v and use a dropper to feed your lights etc (obviously not the most efficient way AND you'll need a fairly hefty dropper IF you are running anything heavy at 12v off your leisure batteries .
Click to expand...

He wont be drawing of one battery,he is only tapping of it when engine is running to feed the hab bank,so no harm done.
 

wildebus

Forum Member
mistericeman said:
Not good practice to draw from only one battery ...
i did it for a short while on my 24v FFR landrover and it soon knackered one of a pair of new lucas batteries ...as the battery NOT being drawn from will try to discharge into the one you are drawing from

Far better to go the proper route ...

Viewing item BBW2412A.

OR keep everything 24v and use a dropper to feed your lights etc (obviously not the most efficient way AND you'll need a fairly hefty dropper IF you are running anything heavy at 12v off your leisure batteries .
Click to expand...

I would agree with what you are saying above, but ...
If your leisure electrics are on their own 12V system (which is what is proposed I think going by initial post) and the split charge is only active when the engine is running (so you are not really drawing off the battery, it is just a conduit from the alternator) is it a problem though to tap off between the two starter batteries?
 
mistericeman

mistericeman

Forum Member
trevskoda said:
He wont be drawing of one battery,he is only tapping of it when engine is running to feed the hab bank,so no harm done.
Click to expand...


Can only go from my experience of trying it on my FFR ....only used the 12v to run sat nav/lights etc when the engine was running ...

Result was £100 odd quids worth of knacked battery shortly afterwards ...
possibly coincidence BUT, I'll not be chancing it again .

Same goes when replacing 1 duff battery on a 24v pair,
Most HGV guys I know will just replace the pair matched.
 

karakachan

Thanks for all your replies....would you believe I've not even stepped foot in it yet.My stepson have driven it,no problems there,but he's as useful as the chip shop without any fish.
I do believe though,that it is 2 x 12v batteries,so that I assume,that they will be wired in series giving 24v...am I right so farView attachment 59700

Jeez,I'm such a rookie at this game.....if you can see this attachment please just explain to a novice what you mean by taking the split charger off one of the batteries.This is why I never made it as a trician at the training centre and ended up just making things like electric arc furnaces..how time flies..lol
Thanks for your patience
 
trevskoda

trevskoda

Forum Member
mistericeman said:
Can only go from my experience of trying it on my FFR ....only used the 12v to run sat nav/lights etc when the engine was running ...

Result was £100 odd quids worth of knacked battery shortly afterwards ...
possibly coincidence BUT, I'll not be chancing it again .

Same goes when replacing 1 duff battery on a 24v pair,
Most HGV guys I know will just replace the pair matched.
Click to expand...

You have missed the point,he is not running of the engine batterys,he has a bank of hab batterys which can be 12v charged of one of the 12v batterys from the 24v engine batts,but only when the motor is running,so it will not do anything to it as out of circuit when donky stopped.
He will have to use a man/switch to run the relay as he cannot use the alt to do switching.
 
mistericeman

mistericeman

Forum Member
trevskoda said:
You have missed the point,he is not running of the engine batterys,he has a bank of hab batterys which can be 12v charged of one of the 12v batterys from the 24v engine batts,but only when the motor is running,so it will not do anything to it as out of circuit when donky stopped.
Click to expand...


Well I'm obviously missing the bit that's different from me only having anything drawing off ONE of the starter batteries on the FFR (it's all 24v via 2 x 12v batteries )when the engine was running ...
Nothing drawing when it wasn't running with me in the vehicle ....

Not to worry though .
 
trevskoda

trevskoda

Forum Member
mistericeman said:
Well I'm obviously missing the bit that's different from me only having anything drawing off ONE of the starter batteries on the FFR (it's all 24v via 2 x 12v batteries )when the engine was running ...
Nothing drawing when it wasn't running with me in the vehicle ....

Not to worry though .
Click to expand...

Yes it will pull one down more when trying to charge hab batts up,but unless the hab batts are flat as a pancake i dont see to much trouble, he could always swap batterys every few weeks,but as others have said use a 24 to 12 v dropper unit if he dont want the hastle.
 

skippy

Forum Member
Sterling power products occasionally sell used or used older stock b-b chargers including 24-12v on their ebay site look on their feedback and you will see selling prices 24-12 go much cheaper than 12-12v.
 

karakachan

Well it's really good to know that people out there will give you there recommendations,and experiences,thanks....I found this one made by Sterling Power......It seems to,by the bit of info it has,do the same job,and is £100 ish cheaper...I'm assuming that is because it's not rated as high[20amp]..looks simple to wire in,maybe even for me...what do you think?...or I found one made by Ring...I thought I saw someone on here say they had one,but can't find the post now....
 

FULL TIMER

forgot to say, the advice you were given re the Sterling B2B is good advice, far better than just using a VSR in my opinion and to be honest probably dosn't work out much more expensive than buying all the other bits and should be far more efficient.
 

karakachan

thanks F/T....so would the red Sterling model pictured above be sufficient to do the job,even though it's rated lower than the one I was quoted..which was £308...I think I read in all the info I've been trying to take in that the red one above is for non smart alternators,where as the more expensive one IS rated higher,but is also for the newer ''smart alternators on euro 5/6 and above.
 
trevskoda

trevskoda

Forum Member
FULL TIMER said:
forgot to say, the advice you were given re the Sterling B2B is good advice, far better than just using a VSR in my opinion and to be honest probably dosn't work out much more expensive than buying all the other bits and should be far more efficient.
Click to expand...

A relay is about £6 a switch £4 seems el cheepo to me,do agree fancy chargers are good but to each there own.
 
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