Shore Power Battery Chargers

[shays4me]

I'm curious what others are using for charging their batteries in a smaller SUV or truck when shore power is available? I've seen a few Jeeps like mine on the forum with shore power receptacles. Are people charging batteries or just using the 110vac to run the fridge? My Jeep will most likely not be driven more than once a week in the future and it's parked out of the sun so I'll probably need to be plugged in to a current bush keep the fridge running (when I get one). I finished installing my dual batteries and an aux fuse panel last week. Also, is there a preferred shore power receptacle?

 

[Superduty]

Have you thought about a solar panel?

 

[DaveInDenver]

Have you thought about a solar panel?

I figured he was thinking of that with the statement "My Jeep will most likely not be driven more than once a week in the future and it's parked out of the sun" maybe? Not to say he couldn't put one outside if he's got the truck inside a garage but if you have an outlet on the wall it's probably easier just to plug it in.

 

[dstefan]

The Noco goes through my camper wall near the ARB and allows me to run the fridge overnight pre-trip with the camper locked

The charger is excellent. Can custom build charging profiles if you need. Has good profiles built in for all battery types. Can run at 5 or 15 amps. I particularly like that it has a setting to use it as a 12v power source, so I can run my camper through it with shore power. Works with the Victron app via Blurtooth.

 

[shays4me]

The charger is excellent. Can custom build charging profiles if you need. Has good profiles built in for all battery types. Can run at 5 or 15 amps. I particularly like that it has a setting to use it as a 12v power source, so I can run my camper through it with shore power. Works with the Victron app via Blurtooth.

If this is a permanent mount in your vehicle do you need to select the mode every time you plug it in or does it remember where it was set? I might have to get creative to find a place to mount it and I’m not sure it’ll be easy to get to, but I’m definitely liking that unit!

 

[Superduty]

If you have it permanently mounted in your vehicle then you can mount of THESE. This way there are no wires hanging off the vehicle. The other option is to have two wires from the battery to a 2 pole flush mount receptacle (maybe an anderson) and then have the charger outside the vehicle that simply plugs into the flush mount plug.

 

[dstefan]

If this is a permanent mount in your vehicle do you need to select the mode every time you plug it in or does it remember where it was set? I might have to get creative to find a place to mount it and I’m not sure it’ll be easy to get to, but I’m definitely liking that unit!

I dont permanently mount the charger as I usually dont need it on the road (my 100ah Battleborn charges from the alternator via DCDC charger and I have portable solar if needed and I rarely camp where there’s shorepower). You could if you want. I use a custom profile when I do charge with it, usually at home, and and it does remember the last setting mode, whether charging or 12v power source.

Its not huge. I took it on my last trip (didnt use it though) just tucked away out of the way.

 

[dstefan]

My Jeep will most likely not be driven more than once a week in the future and it's parked out of the sun so I'll probably need to be plugged in to a current bush keep the fridge running (when I get one)

BTW — are you talking about on the road or at home? I’ve seen some folks say they run their fridges all the time even when not traveling, which I don’t understand If you mean at home, between trips just turn it off, of course.

 

[shays4me]

BTW — are you talking about on the road or at home? I’ve seen some folks say they run their fridges all the time even when not traveling, which I don’t understand If you mean at home, between trips just turn it off, of course.

Yes I was considering just letting it run. I know that standard refrigerators last a lot longer if they are allowed to stay running. My dad had one from the fifties, left it running all the time! From the research I've done the last couple days it looks like I could just wire a 110vac cable into the fridge and plug it in with a shore power receptacle of my choosing. The fridge I was looking at automatically runs on AC when it's available. I wouldn't be needing to add a charger and that would save weight and complexity. We like to spend time on the coast in the summer and a shore power plug to the fridge would be nice in those instances too! I might be overthinking this though......Let me think on that for a bit.

 

[dstefan]

Yes I was considering just letting it run. I know that standard refrigerators last a lot longer if they are allowed to stay running. My dad had one from the fifties, left it running all the time! From the research I've done the last couple days it looks like I could just wire a 110vac cable into the fridge and plug it in with a shore power receptacle of my choosing. The fridge I was looking at automatically runs on AC when it's available. I wouldn't be needing to add a charger and that would save weight and complexity. We like to spend time on the coast in the summer and a shore power plug to the fridge would be nice in those instances too! I might be overthinking this though......Let me think on that for a bit.

Well, FWIW, my ARB 50 L fridge is 10 years old. Hasn’t ever missed a beat. I turn it on when I’m gonna use it and I turn it off when I’m at home between trips when I’m not using it. I really think you probably shorten the life of the fridge by running it constantly. That said, I have run mine constantly for up to six months in the house as a back up Freezer as well. Definitely the shore power plug really helps managing the fridge in the truck. I frequently load it the night before when it’s cool and run overnight on shorepower and then just unplug it in the morning, ler it automatically switch to DC power and takeoff.

 

[Florida Native]

I have a NOCO Genius 5 inside the vehicle that is attached to the house (AGM) battery with ring terminals. It remembers the battery setting and is a 3 stage charger, so it’s truly plug and play.

This is what I installed for a shore power connection:

Journeyman-Pro 15 Amp 125V AC...
I also added a 25A 12VDC power supply and a relay so all of my 12VDC appliances (fridge, fans, 12V outlets) are powered off of shore power whenever it’s plugged in versus having to go through the battery.

-Mike

 

[86scotty]

I'm a big fan of the Noco stuff. I recently did a full power system on my new Jeep. Hood solar, isolator and shore.

Noco impresses me from every angle. Packaging, fit and finish, performance, etc. It's the second one I've installed in a vehicle in as many months. Quality stuff.

66164663873__097FE564-AE95-43BD-8CFB-F5402E4C5463 by E A, on Flickr

IMG_0435 by E A, on Flickr

 

[hour]

Holy moly, looks like they added VE Smart Networking to these chargers via a firmware update since I last considered buying one less than a year ago. Some note about it having to be produced after a certain date, so I'll have to double check when I order. I've been powering SmartSolar MPPTs with 24v power supplies for shore power charging all because I really wanted that super accurate voltage cutoff for my lithium builds that you get from Victron Smart Battery Senses / Smart Shunts / BMVs broadcasting data (and temperature). This is an infinitely more tidy solution.

Now if only they'd do the Orion TR-Smart...

 

[emtmark]

This thing


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Borrego60]

My truck charges all the time. I have a solar system tied to the main starting battery and the aux battery, switching is provide by an Blue seas ACR never looked back!!