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DC to DC Chargers


Glen and Debbie

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Hi All,

I'm sure I could learn a thing or two or three from you Russ about DC application, I enjoy reading your posts as they are very informative, we may in fact have a similar trade background (which may or may not be a good thing :lol: ). That said I'm tackling this issue from a different point of view, perhaps misguidedly. Simple and low tech is always the best option, but (there always is), sometimes the need arises to take advantage of the technology of the day to extend your options and that is where I'm coming from.

I'm going to try not to seem defensive (which probably won't work). The truth is I'm just trying to advance a alternative point of view to that of Russ. The reality is the solutions are at the extremities of the possibilities that one could consider. It's up to the end reader to come to their own conclusion as to what suits their individual circumstances, that's the rub with opinions or advice, they are just that, in the end you have to decide what's best for you. So far I've seen nothing wrong with the opinions or advice, just a different way to skin the cat (apologies to the feline lovers). One extreme or the other or somewhere in the middle, know your needs and proceed accordingly.

I'll admit to being a victim of technology, gadgets and quite often the luxuries that just can't be left behind, my DC load is probably best not spoken about, a 2,000VA inverter would be a clue, but, I do know what it is and manage things accordingly. Unfortunately what likely happens and it is a guess on my part, is that the general travelling community embraces some of what is promoted in the shows, magazines and the like without fully understanding what is needed back of house to support their investment. Even when advice is sought how best to incorporate a new toy there is a real risk that the advice is not all together on the money.

We are not always blessed with fair weather when we travel and we are trying to cut down the amount of time we spend behind the wheel. All this means that in unfavourable conditions we rely heavily on the vehicle providing the boost charging to avoid the need to drag out the generator when free camping which I don't like to do, hence the choice to have a managed charge system such as a DC/DC charger for the van.

The Landcruiser is a little more complicated, these batteries (2) are mounted inside the cab of he vehicle, one each side of the drawer set, so needed to be AGM or similar, the DC/DC charging option was no more expensive that any other automated system, but, has the advantage of charging at optimal boost voltage. Oh, I have redundancy built in by having a starter solenoid which at the flick of a switch parallel's the auxiliary batteries with the vehicle batteries (which I have used, flat battery, failure of under rated fuses to the DC/DC charger)

I'm not particularly lazy, but, like things to just work without too much intervention on my part, We've invested so much in my van and the two vehicle, a little extra to make life easier and settle into Happy Hour knowing we have all bases covered provides us with comfort, plug and play, the easy way out works for us but then it was easier than it might be for others and it was all DIY, a real and tangible advantage I often forget about.

Thanks again Russ for advancing the discussion, I don't disagree with you, I'm simply and hopefully respectfully posing an alternative solution.

We'll be sure to swing by Cossack on our way back south later in the year to say g'day.

Cheers, travel safely.

John

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G'day John

No worries mate. I see no technical errors in anything that we have written to this forum. All that I see in this particular thread are two blokes offering two different approaches to the same problem. By all accounts, both systems work and it is simply a matter of those reading this thread to decide which method suits their particular requirements. Nothing wrong with having options!

Look forward to catching up with you someday. If you drop into Cossack, you can find Sue and/or I by asking at the kiosk, or going to the office (located in the old Police Barracks.) Sue and I make up the entire population of Cossack, so we aren't hard to find :)

Cheers

Russ

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