Charging booster in the motorhome
The installation of a charging booster in a motorhome is always recommended. In this article, you can find out why this is the case and what a charging booster actually does.
Table of Contents
What does a charging booster do?
A charging booster ensures that your body battery is optimally charged by the alternator while driving. It is installed in the motorhome between the starter battery and the body battery and thus forms a bridge between the two batteries.
The installation of a charge booster is always recommended! You can find out why this is the case and what other important tasks a charge booster performs in the motorhome in the next section.
Functions of a charging booster
In addition to optimally charging the body battery while driving, a charging booster in the motorhome also performs other important functions.
Adjusting the charging voltage
A charging booster ensures an optimum charging voltage for the body battery. This is particularly important for newer vehicles with intelligent alternator control, as the charging voltage is reduced to save fuel.
Modern charge boosters have a selection function for different battery types. This ensures that the body battery is charged with exactly the right charging voltage.
Efficient charging
Increasing the charging voltage ensures the highest possible charging efficiency. This greatly reduces the charging time of the body battery. Even on short trips with the motorhome, the body battery is charged quickly and efficiently.
Safe charging
Thanks to the correct charging voltage, the body battery is optimally charged. This has a positive effect on the service life of the battery.
High-quality charging boosters also have several charging phases that recognize the charging status of the body battery and can therefore also regulate the charging voltage based on the charging status.
Disconnecting the batteries
By installing a charge booster, the starter and body batteries are separated electronically. This prevents the starter battery from discharging when the engine is off and the body battery is being discharged by consumers.
⇨ This also eliminates the need to install an additional cut-off relay.
Does my motorhome need a charging booster?
Due to the many advantages of a charge booster, we always recommend installing a charge booster in the motorhome.
With newer vehicle makes, especially with EURO 6, the installation of a charge booster is almost unavoidable. We explain why this is the case.
Newer vehicles
Newer vehicles usually have a so-called intelligent alternator control system. Intelligent alternators control the output voltage via the engine control unit in order to save fuel and reduce emissions instead of supplying a constant voltage. They switch off the charging of the battery when the engine is heavily used and can charge it up when required (e.g. when coasting).
As this fluctuating charging voltage can cause problems when charging secondary batteries, separate charging boosters are often used to regulate the voltage independently of the alternator in order to charge the batteries optimally and gently.
Older vehicles
Although the above-mentioned problem does not (usually) exist with older vehicle types, it is still worth installing a charging booster.
The installation of a charge booster can optimize charging by the alternator. This is because the charging voltage of the alternator can vary greatly. The built-in charge booster ensures that the body battery is always charged with the correct voltage.
This not only shortens the charging time, but also has a positive effect on the service life of your body battery.
Which charging booster do I need?
Charging boosters are available in different versions. A basic distinction is made between the different charging strengths. The power of a charge booster is specified in A (amperes).
The input and output voltage is important when selecting the charge booster. Example: Your starter battery and body battery have a nominal voltage of 12V. This means that the charging booster must also have an input and output voltage of 12V. 12V is standard for most motorhomes.
At Supervolt you will find a 30A and a 60A charging booster (12V). This covers most applications.
30A charging booster (12V)
Our “small” 30A charging booster is sufficient for batteries with a storage capacity of up to 300 Ah.
To fully charge a 100Ah battery, this charging booster requires just over 3 hours.
60A charging booster (12V)
For battery capacities over 300 Ah, we clearly recommend our 60A charging booster.
This powerful charging booster can charge 2x150AH lithium batteries from 0 to 100% in just 5 hours.
How do you connect a charging booster?
Installing a charge booster in your motorhome is not difficult. However, before you install the charging booster, you should read the operating instructions carefully.
In the case of our Supervolt charging boosters two positive cables are connected from the charge booster to the starter battery and the body battery. A further negative cable connects the charging booster to the negative terminal of the body battery.
A cable is connected from the charging booster to the vehicle’s D+ signal so that the charging booster knows when the engine is running. The booster then switches on automatically as soon as the engine starts.
Here is a small circuit diagram for the Supervolt charging boosters:
External fuses are not required for the Supervolt charging booster, as internal flat fuses are built into the device.
Pay attention to the correct cable cross-section when laying the cables. You can find a suitable online calculator for the correct cable thickness here: Calculate cable cross-section.
Conclusion - charging boosters in the motorhome
In our opinion, the use of a charge booster is always recommended. It doesn’t matter whether you have a vehicle with intelligent alternator control with EURO6 or an older vehicle. In both cases, the advantages speak for themselves:
- More efficient and faster charging with alternator
- Safe charging - battery life is increased
- Separation of starter battery and body battery
- Body battery continues to be charged even when the starter battery is full (EURO6)
Supervolt charging booster
With a charging booster from Supervolt, you are ideally equipped. Our charging boosters can be used for all common battery types and are easy to install.
- Charges the supply battery via the alternator and the starter battery.
- Specially developed for motorhomes, caravans & boats.
- Suitable for all battery technologies (lithium, gel, AGM, lead-acid)
- Several protective functions such as overheating protection, overvoltage protection, short-circuit protection and protection against faulty connections.
- Automatic wake-up of the lithium battery when the BMS is in protection mode
