[T town]

So now is when I have a sad because I think this is not an option when you get a push down parking brake.
Is there some std. battery guard? The only one I know for 2020 is an option.

 

[T town]

So now is when I have a sad because I think this is not an option when you get a push down parking brake.
Is there some std. battery guard? The only one I know for 2020 is an option.

Is this question part of the thread? Maybe I should ask this somewhere else.

 

[Michael Ophus]

You da man Michael! Will have to check under my parking brake console to see if I have it.

Only if you have a 2018 or newer Transit, Until recently it was an option few people chose.
On the 2020 it is now standard equipment I believe.

 

[Michael Ophus]

Is this question part of the thread? Maybe I should ask this somewhere else.

Much has been discussed about aftermarket battery isolators on this forum, Search: ACR (Automatic Charge Relay)

ACR or B2B charging house battery?

What are the pros and cons of an ACR and B2B for charging house batteries? Trying to choose best bulk charge device.

www.fordtransitusaforum.com

 

[Vanpackr]

Is this question part of the thread? Maybe I should ask this somewhere else.

There is a standard battery guard on the 2020 that is not programmable and does not provide the additional 200A power point.. One would have to check the BEMM for other years. THE FPBG is optional and I hear is "late availability" for 2020.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

 

[Sparky961]

Still seems like a fairly useless thing to me. A $30 high current relay/solenoid correctly connected to be on only with engine run signal gives you the same or better functionality.

 

[Vanpackr]

Still seems like a fairly useless thing to me. A $30 high current relay/solenoid correctly connected to be on only with engine run signal gives you the same or better functionality.

I would agree with the following caveats:

1. You are OK with the lower voltage/charge profile supplied to your coach battery bank by the vehicle charging system in "smart regenerative mode". If you are using lithium house batteries the voltage may be insufficient to fully charge them without a step up or "buck" charger between the vehicle charging system and the house batteries.
2. You are OK with charging cycling every time the start/stop system is activated on vehicles so equipped.
3. You are willing to ignore the recommendations in the BEMM for any loads connected directly to the battery be controlled by a relay activated by the load shed signal from the vehicle.
4. You are willing to supply +12v for the engine run signal using a relay that responds to vehicle engine run lead.

Everyone is going to have their own use case and preferred approach given the common constraints and behaviors of their selected vehicles and componentry.

 

[dirtyboy250]

After reading the BEMM information I'm impressed with the way the electrical system works and specifically the Battery Guard (FPBG). They even have a schematic for adding additional batteries when using the FPBG. It really protects against issues like overloading if you follow their directions. There are 2 pages of features listed there just for the FPBG.

Now can be buy it later since it's listed as "late availability" for 2020?

 

[Otterishly]

One thing that a lot of people don't consider is that you can run the engine when running large loads. On my current camper, I have good but not great capacity (350 AH lead acid). I regularly use a hot water kettle, which draws over 1200 watts (100 amps). If I am in a situation where I might run low on electricity, I use my autostart to fire up the engine while running the kettle. On my particular setup, I will get about 80 amps from the alternator, so I am only using 20 amps from the battery. Using a strategy like this can allow you to design a less robust (and less expensive) storage and charging system, and still meet your needs.

I'm interested in taking this approach, but I think that to meet my energy requirements, I'd probably end up idling for 20 minutes or so on an almost daily basis. Do anyone have any insight as to whether this would result in significant excess wear on the engine (e.g., due to running it cold(er) more often--concerns here involve less efficient lubrication and less completely combusted fuel; and "putting it to bed wet--," that is turning it off when combustion moisture has been generated, but perhaps the system hasn't gotten hot enough to effectively evaporate the moisture in the exhaust system?) It might seem like I've answered my own question (Namely: Yes, idling is less good for the engine than running it normally), but I guess my REAL question is, is it "less good" enough to matter much? (Note: I would like this van to last a long time. But, I'd also like to save big bucks on my electrical system, while being able to still use some fairly high-wattage items.

 

[tthrsn]

Here's a link about using SEIC to minimize battery drain when using high amperage appliances. The battery drain using electric appliances can be quite small when properly managed. And implementing the SEIC is cheap and easy.

Cheers.

 

[Otterishly]

Here's a link about using SEIC to minimize battery drain when using high amperage appliances. The battery drain using electric appliances can be quite small when properly managed. And implementing the SEIC is cheap and easy.

Cheers.

I'll check it out. Thanks!