Accessory battery Charging option?

[TimBinNC]

I currently have a 100AH AGM battery in the rear storage area of my Bronco, which runs the Fridge/Freezer, air compressor, lighting, and CPAP when camping. I noticed there was 12V power in the rear. I know it will turn off after a certain amount of time, but I was wondering if I could take advantage of the power supplied here to top off the battery when on the trail.

From my research, a completely drained 100AH battery can be charged in 5+ hours @ 12v/15amp source. My question is, what is best for accomplishing this? I have also looked at the VEVOR Split Charge Relay Kit VEVOR US charger.

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[cr117]

Battery isolators, like the one you linked, don't work all that well with smart alternators like the ones we have in our Broncos. The voltage fluctuates based on a number of variables and isn't designed for charging an additional battery in parallel.

You'll need a DC-DC charger to charge and isolate the aux battery from the starter battery. Something like this Victron Orion 12/12-18 (18A charger) will do the trick. Keep in mind though, with AGM, you don't want to discharge past 50%. Otherwise, you can damage the battery. Switching to an LFP battery will let you go down to 10-20% (depending on the manufacturer's specs).

 

[TimBinNC]

@cr117 Thanks for the input. I will look into one of those.

 

[Beach_Bum]

EcoFlow 800W Alternator Charger thread.

@KT_bronco mentioned it worked well on his recent trip to Yellowstone.

 

[KT_bronco]

The ecoflow alternator charger worked for me but right now it only works in their ecosystem. I think eventually they will have a generic output.

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