Sure Power 1314 versus 1315 Battery Separator

NorCalSteve

NorCalSteve

Senior Member
Joined
May 28, 2012
Messages
198
Location
Chico, CA
Since my old 94 Chevy Silverado (Hawk camper stays in it through the winter) spends much of the winter not getting used, my truck battery sometimes goes dead because of lack of use. Since I have solar panels on my camper, it seems like I should be able to keep my truck battery charged using my camper batteries and my camper solar panels.

So, my current experiment is a Schottky diode in series with three 10 ohm (3.33 ohm), 5 watt resistors in parallel, which I have connected across the the Sure Power relay. So, when the camper battery gets about a half of a volt above the truck battery, a small amount of charge goes into the truck battery. And the greater the voltage on the camper batteries, the more current will go to the truck battery. Because of the Schottky diode, no power goes from the truck to the camper. I just set this up two days ago so I am still not sure how well it is going to work. My first night of testing shows the truck battery fully charged.

While coming up with this plan, I also looked into the Sure Power 1315A Battery Separator. This seems like it might also be a good solution to keeping the truck battery charged because the 1314 (which came with my camper) will not connect the camper to the truck battery unless the truck is running. And, in this case, the relay closes to allow the truck to charge the camper batteries. It seems like the Sure Power 1315A will charge the truck battery using the solar panels.

I don't remember any conversation on this site about the 1315A Battery Separator. It seems like a better choice than what came with my Hawk camper in 2012. So, should I consider buying the 1315A Separator?

Steve
 
+1 on the Blue Sea ML-7622 ACR.

Another advantage of the Blue Sea ACR is that after switching to connect the truck & camper batteries, it requires only milliamps to keep them connected. The ML means Magnetic Latching. The Sure Power requires about 3/4 amp constantly to keep the batteries connected.
That is 3/4 amp not available for charging batteries or running devices.
Paul
 
Is it as easy as switching out wires to swap a Sure Power for a Blue Sea or is there a need to run new wires to the plug etc. Thanks.
 
Yes and no. I used the remote switch in my setup. That required wires to the cab overhead console. I added voltage gauges too, so I could see what the batteries were at separately and connected. I ran 2g wire from the alternator back to the camper batteries so I can get near full output of my HD altenator to the camper. I've seen 80A go across those wires - because I have a gauge for that in the cab too.

full

full


I like to know what's going on.

If you just want to replace the SurePower, you don't need the remote switch and the wiring is much simpler
http://assets.bluesea.com/files/resources/wiring_diagram/ML-ACRs.jpg
 
Thanks. I’m going to look into a swap out. I don’t need all the bells and whistles but would like the option of keeping my truck batteries charged while I am parked.
 
Outnabout said:
Thanks. I’m going to look into a swap out. I don’t need all the bells and whistles but would like the option of keeping my truck batteries charged while I am parked.
Click to expand...
Guess I am too cheap. The surepower failed me when the camper batteries got low and would not reconnect. I went old school with a 12v solenoid and a switch to bypass it when I have my truck parked. This allows the solar to charge all the batteries when parked. Put the switch under the hood to keep it simple.
 

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Yep that is old school. Spring coil energized by the on key switched positive lead. When energized then all batteries see each other. 4 Runners spare battery under the hood has one of those and If (when)the starter battery was dead the other would jump start the Runner. Wonder how long that was going on?

That is the can that FWC used for years to wire up the rig.
 
Thanks everyone for the great information. I love Vic's installation. Very cool!

So, I am ordering the ML-7622 with any extra bells and whistles. I plan to let my experiment with the diode and resistors run for a week just to see how well it keeps the truck battery charged. Then I will replace the Sure Power with the 7622. I doubt it will look as nice as Vic's.

Steve
 
I love having the metering and controls in place. Blue Sea makes great gear. The little ammeter in my overhead console was a brand new product for them when I bought it about a year ago. Pricey, but there is nothing else like it on the market. With the little toggle switch I can flip between measuring the voltage of the camper batteries or the truck battery. The ammeter lets me see if the alternator is pushing current into the camper or if the solar panels are charging the truck. The remote switch for the ACR let's me disconnect the battery banks if I want.

The only time I disconnect them is when I can see (via bluetooth dongle on my Victron Battery Monitor) that the camper batteries are fully charged, and the alternator still wants to push current into them. Usually this is just an amp or so, and only if it is cold out so the truck ECU bumps the voltage up to 15+V. In the summer, the solar panels put out more and i've seen them charging the truck while running down the highway.
 
At the moment, Amazon seems to be the most expensive option for the ML-7622. Looks like I will need to look around some. Vic, where did you purchase the amp meter and volt meter that you show in your photos? I am sure, if I looked, I can find the answers on the Blue Sea web site. Is the bezel something you made? It looks great!

Steve
 
NorCalSteve said:
At the moment, Amazon seems to be the most expensive option for the ML-7622. Looks like I will need to look around some. Vic, where did you purchase the amp meter and volt meter that you show in your photos? I am sure, if I looked, I can find the answers on the Blue Sea web site. Is the bezel something you made? It looks great!

Steve
Click to expand...
PKYS.com is where I got my stuff. This is the battery monitor I use - http://shop.pkys.com/Victron-Energy-BMV-702-Precision-Battery-Monitor_p_2807.html


THis is the ammeter - https://www.bluesea.com/products/1732/Mini_OLED_Ammeter

The bezel is the existing insert for that space in my truck. Some upgraded trucks had switches there or something. Mine was blank, and I cut the right holes.
 
Help me understand this. I've got a 2012 Hawk with a SurePower 1314A battery isolator. What is it about the SurePower unit that people don't like?
 
The primary issue is that it is uni-directional (ie it only closes when the truck battery is above 13.X volts). If you have solar or leave the camper plugged in while in storage, the isolator won't engage and charge the truck battery.
 
I will stick my neck out and take a shot at this. Others can correct my mistakes..

My camper remains on the truck through the winter, when I may not drive it as much. I am also thinking that the computer in the truck draws a small amount of amps from the truck battery even when the truck is not running. Having a truck/car battery go dead is hard on the battery and will shorten the battery life and this is a brand new battery in my truck. So I don't want it to go low or dead.

RV batteries are designed to hold up longer when discharged but it is still hard on the battery. This is one reason to consider solar panels for the camper. The solar panels will help keep the camper batteries full. One might even think that you are helping pay for the solar panels because your camper batteries (I have 2) will last longer.

So many of us have solar panels on our camper which, with the correct setup, can keep the truck battery charged. The 1314A is designed to connect the truck alternator to the camper batteries when the truck is on. But will not connect the camper batteries to the truck when the solar panels are getting lots of sun. This solar power does not get used, even though the truck battery could use a charge. That is where the 1315A comes in. It WILL connect the camper battery to the truck battery if there is extra power available from the solar panels.

Above, Vic points out that it takes some power to keep the relay closed to connect the truck and camper batteries together. Blue Sea uses a "latching relay" to connect the two batteries together. A latching relay has a magnet that will keep the relay contacts closed after power is removed. And yes, it can "unlatch" the relay as well. Some people might argue that they are not worried about the extra power used to keep the non latching relay closed on the 1315A. Some of us don't wan't to waste those amps and would opt for the Blue Sea battery separator. It probably is not that much loss of amps using the 1315A but just call me anal. I have the Blue Sea ML-7622 on order. Looking forward to hooking it up next week!

Steve
 
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