#85 AMP SMART BATTERY ISOLATOR MANUAL#

#85 AMP SMART BATTERY ISOLATOR MANUAL#

In our now-being-retired CaRV vehicle - as both vehicle and house batteries were of the same AGM type - we simply interconnected the two systems with two series interrupt switches, one ignition driven so we wouldn't inadvertently drain our vehicle battery while camped 'engine off' and a second manual switch to interrupt house battery charging if we felt our house batteries were at a satisfactory charge level. We got on-line and tried to research this topic - found lots of flowery hype about their benefits but really no technical explanation concerning their insides and how they achieve the promised results. We hate to be a troublemaker, but after reading so much in this forum about 'battery isolators' we feel compelled to inquire, firstly, what really is a battery isolator? And, secondly, why is everyone installing them? I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Even with your low Sun climate you have twice everything I have. I have used shore power perhaps a couple of times camping in prolonged rain although I can only think of one really- Dauphin Island,MS, May 2016. I seldom close the battery interconnect as I like the charging rate and profile the Tracer solar controller gives. My 200+amp hours of battery remain in the SOC range you suggest you want and my solar has them back to 100% in about 2 1/2 hours. I have 200 watts of solar and I could easily do with 100. You are going to have a load of electricity for normal campervan stuff. The reverse, to build for 80 and get 150 presents all sort of problems. Once the system is in put in a fuse at 80 and see if it blows. Can it exceed 80? It may not but I’m betting it won’t exceed 150 and I’m standing by that estimate. The output is not linear with speed either i bet. The 220 amp alternator reaches that output at near maximum engine rpm, lets say 3500.

If these breakers are the 60 or 80 amp range, then your isolator is never going to see more than that.īe thankful that you don't have to contend with 180 amps, as this would require at least 2/0 wire between van and house battery

There are large current sources on both ends (van battery on one end and house battery on other end), so to protect the wire you need a breaker near each current source. Important to note that this wire from the van battery to the house battery that your isolator goes in should have a breaker on BOTH ends. AGM batteries might pull somewhat more current than my FLAs.

I've also measured the current with a clamp on meter and not seen more than 38 amps. I wanted to know when the charging current was much over the recommended level. I picked the 60 amp breaker because the battery manufacturer says I should not be charging at more than 35 amps (this is for to Flooded Lead Acid 220 amp-hr 6 volt golf cart batteries) as it will damage or shorten the life of the batteries. I use 60 amp breakers on the line from van battery to house batteries.

85 amp smart battery isolator