The A'van as supplied as standard is not set up for battery charging as you drive along using your vehicle's alternator. Some other brand campers do allow this and we have received several emails on this subject. We don't do it as we have never found it necessary. The reason for this is probably because we get so much sun for solar in the north and we tend to be outside the van more due to the climate. Just about all motorhomes use this system even those with multiple solar panels. So here is our research for those wishing to give this system a go. You can't just connect your A'van battery up to a hot wire coming from your vehicle. There are two reasons for this. Firstly for the batteries to charge properly they must be very similar in capacity otherwise you will ruin some cells. Secondly if your car battery goes flat the motor will attempt to start using the A'van battery using the SMALL WIRES. This will have a disastrous effect on your wiring. You can get around this problem by simply using a small normally open relay connected to the oil pressure switch. This switches off the line to the A'van until the engine has physically started - a good trick given to us by an "old-timer"! However there is no quick fix for the batteries charging evenly. Various battery isolators are available and "sort of" work. By spending a little extra you can get a state of the art device for around $200.00. Now this amount of money may give you a fit of the horrors but balance it up against the cost of a new deep cycle battery if you happen to ruin it! The ARRID Advanced Charge Controller is the complete package, delivering total battery management. A fully automatic charging system, the Advanced Charge Controller has all the standard functions such as battery isolation and spike protection, but also includes features not normally associated with dual battery controllers. One such feature is the charge control method.

The Advanced Charge Controller operates using an advanced battery voltage sensing system. The Advanced Charge Controller is designed to preferentially charge the main battery until reaching a preset voltage, and only then divert charge to the auxiliary battery. The Advanced Charge Controller ensures you will always be able to start the vehicle and for those venturing way out into the bush, this is exactly what we require. The unit is feature packed but we feel that this is not overkill.

Another feature is the full function LED display that provides information on operational status. With the added ability to charge a second auxiliary battery the ARRID Advanced Charge Controller is everything you always wanted in a battery management system and so much more! You can get more information from the 12 Volt Shop in Perth. http://www.12volt.com.au/

Bob Eustace