hey guys, I'm back! I've dug through forums and other resources, but cannot find a direct comparison to what id like done. I restored a '79 ford class C (E350 chassis). it was really poorly rigged and quite dangerous when I bought it, I had a mechanic go through it and bring me back up to code and safety standards. this included disconnecting the house battery from the alternator for some reason.. I'm no mechanic. the reason was everything was being run off the starter+house battery in parallel, there was zero options to turn one off, the other, or both. it was both batteries, all the time.now, its ready to have power again. I purchased an 85ah flooded deep cycle a Duralast 27 series, its dual purpose but for me will work great. I only need 150w output at any given time. what id like to do is charge both batteries while driving/engine running, and be able to turn off the starter battery manually, or automatically though I've heard the automatic ACRs will kill your battery in about a month if left sitting. I've heard conflicting information about this, and. really need it cleared up. I only need 150w because it will be charging my goal zero yeti generator at 150w, and everything else runs form the yeti(for now). is this a good option? is it as simple as it seems? connect starter battery to one side, house to other, and be done with it? if thats the case, its perfect. https://www.bluesea.com/products/7610/SI-ACR_Automatic_Charging_Relay_-_12_24V_DC_120Aor should I do a manual switch, and if so, basic disconnect between battery A and B? or a 4 position?

This was/is a common method of isolating the chassis from house batteries and is used for charging house batteries while rig is running.Charge relay

What enblethen posted is probably about the simplest to understand and quite commonly used. I would put a fuse or circuit breaker between the auxiliary (house) battery and the wire to the solenoid, like the one at the engine battery end, to protect the wire run, and maybe upgrade the size of the wire and the breakers/fuses correspondingly (and the rating of the solenoid, if needed), but the general idea is the same. This is what I have on my class C, in fact, and it works out just fine in practice.Often there is a pushbutton switch in the control line to the solenoid for an emergency start circuit. The common contact goes to the solenoid, and the normally closed to the vehicle accessory power source as indicated. The normally open contact is wired to a circuit on the house 12V system. Pushing the button then closes the solenoid switch (and so connects the batteries together) in case the chassis battery is drained, basically a built-in jumper cable set.Your "generator" is nothing more than a battery pack and inverter. You would probably be better off for many things (certainly 12V things) connecting them to the house battery rather than having another intermediate battery. I'm assuming you do have some 12V lights and appliances.

well it is a solar generator, the lithium 1400. it handles up to 700w solar input with half PWM and half MPPT. it also accepts 2x ac adapters (charge input) at the same time, which id use at night. it apparently* has the cleanest most efficient sine wave inverter available. I also have the lights for it that produce 350 lumens at 4w. it has a 20amp 12v output, with 2x propriety 12v outputs as well for goal zero ****, has 4x usb out (2.1A), and a 1500w continuous/3000 surge(though they say it can and does handle 5000w surge) inverter. I trust it entirely, and already blew the boku bucks on it. I see what you mean though, instead of 12v to 120v to 12v. this is just what I've been thinking... actual practice will of course change things.

oh! the inverter I have currently has 2x usb out, I forgot. I already picked dup a 750w cheapo inverter (ampeak 750w), that also has usb out. I can a the very least charge a few things from that, while I would have probably thought of it, thank you so much for the tip! so much going on, the simple little things go right over. whoosh. that 3 terminal relay is solid? it won't kill my battery not in use? thank you guys!

The relay is wired so that the only time it is engaged (batteries connected together) is when the vehicle is running. Make sure the solenoid/relay you get is rated 100% or "continuous" duty cycle. You can get them at Napa, Amazon, etc. for about $20. The correct part will have a metal, not plastic, body.

house battery install, basic | Good Sam Community

Mako_Kupo
Explorer
Jan 07, 2018
house battery to positive post pictured, then again from house battery positive post to solenoid, then again from house positive output post to inverter?
enblethen
Nomad
Jan 07, 2018
Yes, your house battery can be connected here. then routed through the isolator relay.
Mako_Kupo
Explorer
Jan 07, 2018
MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
With a Ford that has a separate starter motor relay, the relay has large copper studs. Select the stud on the battery side of the relay to manifold extra wires out. Using the battery post clamping bolt is bad juju. Too vulnerable for corrosion, the clamp bolt and nut should be reserved to do only that and nothing else.

ANY TIME A LARGE RELAY HAS A WIRE RUN TO IT VIA A DASH SWITCH, THE SWITCH, AND WIRE BECOMES A HUGE LIABILITY. Vulnerable.

The solid state controlled relays, the ones that are contained in one unit not a relay and separate control box, use almost no power. Unlike the ones that have separate boxes.

Either Blue Seas or Sure Power is a good "SMART SOLENOID"

When I was in business I supervised Armando and repaired a few tens of dozens of failed relay/switch charging relays. They are a POOR CHOICE for doing this kind of duty.

here we go. so next to and tucked behind the starter battery is this, I must have missed it in the dark and cold haha. so just to make sure, the new battery will also have the positive connected to the same spot the positive from the starter battery goes?
Mako_Kupo
Explorer
Jan 07, 2018
Artum Snowbird wrote:
These uses come in pretty light.

Check out Escape trailers and their mini fifth wheel too.

Escape 17

thanks! I think ill stick with mine, since I put going on 430 hours into building it. can't beat the price I payed, and now its fully rebuilt. warming up and preparing to head out!

checklist for today
-Investigate window shrink-wrap
-finish battery install
-test my new 1 pound refillable tanks (YSN164) https://www.rvautoparts.com/search.asp?keyword=ysn164
Artum_Snowbird
Explorer
Jan 07, 2018
These uses come in pretty light.

Check out Escape trailers and their mini fifth wheel too.

Escape 17
enblethen
Nomad
Jan 06, 2018
A Ford starter relay looks very similar to the isolation relay except it will have two small posts. On the battery side will be a couple smaller wires coming off that feed the fuse blocks. They should have fuse links with-in a few inches.
Mako_Kupo
Explorer
Jan 06, 2018
MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
With a Ford that has a separate starter motor relay, the relay has large copper studs. Select the stud on the battery side of the relay to manifold extra wires out. Using the battery post clamping bolt is bad juju. Too vulnerable for corrosion, the clamp bolt and nut should be reserved to do only that and nothing else.

ANY TIME A LARGE RELAY HAS A WIRE RUN TO IT VIA A DASH SWITCH, THE SWITCH, AND WIRE BECOMES A HUGE LIABILITY. Vulnerable.

The solid state controlled relays, the ones that are contained in one unit not a relay and separate control box, use almost no power. Unlike the ones that have separate boxes.

Either Blue Seas or Sure Power is a good "SMART SOLENOID"

When I was in business I supervised Armando and repaired a few tens of dozens of failed relay/switch charging relays. They are a POOR CHOICE for doing this kind of duty.

I will have to look a little closer, and make sure I do this right. right now its 2 degrees F out and ill be waiting until morning for this. thank you all and I will be back in the morning! stay warm.

side note-managed to catch a BRAND new auction on Ebay for a Coleman 5031 heater, 1000 btu catalytic propane. awesome find!
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Jan 06, 2018
With a Ford that has a separate starter motor relay, the relay has large copper studs. Select the stud on the battery side of the relay to manifold extra wires out. Using the battery post clamping bolt is bad juju. Too vulnerable for corrosion, the clamp bolt and nut should be reserved to do only that and nothing else.

ANY TIME A LARGE RELAY HAS A WIRE RUN TO IT VIA A DASH SWITCH, THE SWITCH, AND WIRE BECOMES A HUGE LIABILITY. Vulnerable.

The solid state controlled relays, the ones that are contained in one unit not a relay and separate control box, use almost no power. Unlike the ones that have separate boxes.

Either Blue Seas or Sure Power is a good "SMART SOLENOID"

When I was in business I supervised Armando and repaired a few tens of dozens of failed relay/switch charging relays. They are a POOR CHOICE for doing this kind of duty.
enblethen
Nomad
Jan 06, 2018
Yes, the horizontal bolt. Get the correct size ring terminal for it.
A bad, rusted resistor assembly can cause the motor to run irratically.
Mako_Kupo
Explorer
Jan 06, 2018
enblethen wrote:
Heater could have a bad resistor assembly. It is located in the air box normally by the passenger feet area.
You could put ring terminal under the battery clamp post. You can also get an adapter from most auto parts stores.

by battery clamp post, you mean the horizontal bolt that is holding the clamp on?

the heater for the last few weeks, I was able to go out pop the hood, tap it in a few places with something hard and it would get the motor going. it sounded really, really dirty. the colder it got the worse it got, seeming to struggle harder the colder it got. it could be related to that, bu there are weird things gong on with the heat.. I have a furnace though, so for now I wanna focus on the battery. thank you so much by the way you have been amazing!

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