Battery Separator Problem

hdblair wrote:
Hi All: Am having some problems with my battery separator on my Lance TC 1161 2003 truck camper. The battery separator is not charging while truck/camper are connected and the truck is operating. I have replaced the separator (twice), put in a new gel cell battery and replaced the converter. Tested the voltage from the truck at 14v and the voltage from the camper battery at 13v (made the voltage tests at the separator).
Basically the separator cycles on and off. Anyone have any ideas on what to check?
Thanks, Harold

Bypass the separator that has caused you problems twice and now three times. Clean all connections even if they look clean and tight. Twelve volts has a very weak push and cannot flow across dirty connections. I helped another Lance owner over a year ago and don't have the schematic any longer. After bypassing his he reports his troubles are gone. The concept of the device is nice but it seems in the real world it often causes more problems than it solves.

Another possibility is the Gel cell voltage is different by a bit and causes the separator to think it is fully charged. I could do some research on the Gel versus Flooded cell but you already spent the money on a battery.

Which smart RELAY are you using... I am planning on using the BLUE SEA SIACR model here for charging additional battery bank at the same time the alternator is charging the truck start battery. When not in charge mode then the additional batteries are switched out of the truck start battery circuit. This keeps you from ever running down your truck start battery by accident.


I would imagine the controlling factor is going to be the truck start battery since it is very close proximately to the alternator.

This is the basic concept for my planned setup


(Disregard the boat motor-this will be my truck alternator system)

I'm hoping this is going to work for me. I will be charging additional deep cycle flooded cell batteries.

Roy Ken