Blue Sea Automatic Charging Relay

Jim SoG · 10-06-2020, 07:09 AM

I ordered one for the Adventurer, anyone have one and can you tell me how you wired it in please?

TIA

Seon · 10-06-2020, 02:11 PM

This is a great video that explains the how to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyzgfLTQruA

**creativepart** · 10-06-2020, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seon

This is a great video that explains the how to.

Seems like in that video you would want the House battery bank to be the "main" battery and the Chassis battery to be the "aux".

You want your House batteries to be fully charged via the alternator and when they are then you'd want it to connect the Chassis battery to top up that battery.

Also, that video has the "main" battery being charged by the alternator but in use on your RV you'd want your RV's charger (converter or inverter whichever you have) to be the charge connection.

It's a helpful video but it's totally backward from the way you'd want it to work in an RV. Unless I'm thinking wrong... which is always a possibility.

imnprsd · 10-06-2020, 03:58 PM

The first week I owned my 2004 Itasca Horizon, I discovered my house battery was empty when I got to my camp spot.

I had to do some investigating, but I found the early model 2004 Winnebago models did NOT come with a B.I.R.D. house battery charging circuit vs. later model 2004 Horizons which did have this option.

I while I can't remember who told me about the Blue Sea ACR, I can tell you it was my first and one of the best upgrades I ever put on my RV!!!

5 years ago the Blue Sea was mostly available at all boat stores for $240. ...So I took to Amazon and then found a KeyLine VSR (Voltage Sensitive Relay) for $140, which did the same thing for less, so I bought the KeyLine.

The Keyline also is rated for 140A vs. the Blue Sea at 120A, and my Keyline has been working flawlessly with my diesel 160A alternator ever since. If you have a gas rig then the 120A Blue Sea should be fine too.

Now, my house batteries are fully charged when I arrive at my camp spot, and that's even with my inverter powering my residential refrigerator in route! So if your coach does NOT come with a battery isolator, ACR or VSR (they are called by many different names but do the same thing), then you need one of these things for your RV. (Just 2 power-cables connected to each of the (+) battery posts. And I used #6 solar charge controller wire, but that's because my house and engine batteries are located next to one another. I.e., thicker wire is best, but you don't need solid battery cable wire which is stiff and difficult to connect to a battery slideout tray.

Upside: With both house and engine batteries COMBINED you only need one battery maintainer to keep both maintained when in storage.

Side Comment: I also elected to add a Victron 17A "bluetooth" battery charger to my coach that I now use as a battery maintainer when my coach is in storage; and I use the Victron when I am camping with shore power. I went this route for several reasons:

* I believe the Victron modern charging algorithms would help to extend my house battery life. TBD. And I wanted to know how many AH my system was using without installing a battery monitor for more money and time to install. And the Victron bluetooth capability achieves this.

* Charging your house batteries slower is better than charging them quickly. So 17A is plenty of you spend 5+ days at time with shore power available. And when I don't I then use the Dimensions Inverter/Charger (60A-100A) for a faster charge.

* My 2004 Dimensions Inverter/Charger is known for being reliable as much as it is known that the charger portion fails over time and use. ...And you only need 100A of charging when you need a fast charger, and I rarely do. ...So now I use the smarter Victron 17A charger and I can monitor it on my cell phone with bluetooth. I also mounted this Victron inside my bedroom so I can just pull the plug when I'm driving the RV, so it's disconnected when the inverter is providing power to my residential refrigerator "on the road", and because you don't want the inverter to power the Victron "on the road", and when I'm camping I turn off the Dimensions Charger function on my EMS panel. Works great. And when I put my RV in storage I just fish an extension cord inside my bedroom tip-out window, which also is very convenient. The 17A version is available for $135 and the 25A Victron charger is about $40 more.

https://www.amazon.com/Victron-Blue-...ve&sr=1-6&th=1

The above configuration will probably work for most Diesel coaches where the engine and house batteries are located in the back by the engine and bedroom, but in a gas coach you will have figure out the best configuration for your setup.

...And in RVs that came with an OEM battery combiner circuit, and if that circuit should ever fail or shorts to ground... then just disconnect it and add a VSR by Keyline.

Also, I called KeyLine and asked why there are now "knock-offs" available and they told me the patent expired. Hence you can now get a KeyLine or Blue Sea device on Amazon for $85 due to all the competition in the market. (Good news for us!) In addition, I would stay with these KNOWN suppliers, because you know their QC has been proven over time.

Jim SoG · 10-06-2020, 05:38 PM

Thank you guys, so I do not need to disconnect anything (MH equipment or?) correct, just wire in the ACR?

Jim

imnprsd · 10-06-2020, 05:47 PM

Just connect your choice of battery combiner to the (+) terminals. Just like the diagram shows.

Note: The Blue Sea video suggests you can connect a 12V accessory that may be helpful if you need switchable light in this area? Otherwise, I have to stand by the KeyLine VSR I use.

CharlesMoore · 10-16-2020, 09:05 AM

We like Blue Sea equipment. The combiner is well known in the sailboat community and we used them to great advantage for years to keep the house batteries charged on the boat(s) and to separate the start and house battery systems. Most combiners house battery charge current is limited only by the alternator charge current. One of the most critical electrical considerations, arguably, on a sailboat is that the engine start battery be fully charged so the combiner circuit is hooked up for that function. Secondarily the house battery(s) are charged when the start battery reaches a certain voltage.

At this stage of electronics products availability we use Amp-L-Start to accomplish almost the same thing: Keeping the "Start" (Chassis Batteries) charged up while on shore power (or generator or solar). Our 2002 Journey did not have this device added by the factory so we easily added ourselves. Later vintages did include a trickle charger. The ALS limits the start battery charge to 15 Amps DC or less. The cost of this device is <$75 and functions well in a battery maintainer mode.

Our Journey alternator charges both the House and Start battery groups while the engine is running. The ALS is idle at this time since when the battery voltage exceeds 13.2 VDC nominal (or 12.7 when a jumper is added) the ALS is idled. Even though the combiner and ALS function in a slightly different manner they work well in keeping the start battery topped up while limiting the charge current of the start battery to 15 A or less.

Full disclosure - I am in no way connected to ALS or the parent company. I just use their products and think they work well. I thought this might be of interest to the group so I presented it here.

Jim SoG · 10-19-2020, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CharlesMoore

We like Blue Sea equipment. The combiner is well known in the sailboat community and we used them to great advantage for years to keep the house batteries charged on the boat(s) and to separate the start and house battery systems. Most combiners house battery charge current is limited only by the alternator charge current. One of the most critical electrical considerations, arguably, on a sailboat is that the engine start battery be fully charged so the combiner circuit is hooked up for that function. Secondarily the house battery(s) are charged when the start battery reaches a certain voltage.

At this stage of electronics products availability we use Amp-L-Start to accomplish almost the same thing: Keeping the "Start" (Chassis Batteries) charged up while on shore power (or generator or solar). Our 2002 Journey did not have this device added by the factory so we easily added ourselves. Later vintages did include a trickle charger. The ALS limits the start battery charge to 15 Amps DC or less. The cost of this device is <$75 and functions well in a battery maintainer mode.

Our Journey alternator charges both the House and Start battery groups while the engine is running. The ALS is idle at this time since when the battery voltage exceeds 13.2 VDC nominal (or 12.7 when a jumper is added) the ALS is idled. Even though the combiner and ALS function in a slightly different manner they work well in keeping the start battery topped up while limiting the charge current of the start battery to 15 A or less.

Full disclosure - I am in no way connected to ALS or the parent company. I just use their products and think they work well. I thought this might be of interest to the group so I presented it here.

Interesting! So Charles do you have a wiring diagram showing both wired in? I can see the value of a "system" that would charge the batteries whils on shore power.... I like this idea.....

Jim