Technical specifications of leisure battery charger

[Eber123]

Hello,

In the next few weeks we will get an EcoFlow Delta Mini. While we will use it at home, I thought we could also use the power station in the Grand California.

In general I was wondering how to increase the electricity in the camper, but everything I looked up was to complicated (it seems that the entire topic of increasing battery power is complicated).

Everybody said there is a lot of electricity wasted if the power station was just connected to the EHU to charge the leisure battery. But what does that mean? How much will be lost? So I contacted EcoFlow to give me some indication how much it is. If I didn't get it wrong the EcoFlow Delta Mini has 882 Wh which should be 73 Ah. If that all is true, I wouldn't mind to lose up to 20 Ah.

But EcoFlow asked if I have the technical specification from the VW leisure battery charger. Of course I haven't. I spent 2 hours this morning to find it, but with no luck.

If by chance you know the technical specification from the battery charger could you let me know please? I would love to get back to EcoFlow with the information and maybe get some info of how much the loss auf electricity is.

Thank you.
Eberhard

 

[Eber123]

Hello,

I was looking more into the issue of connecting the EcoFlow Delta Mini with a cable to the EHU. But not even that is straight forward.

In general it is possible and will work and there might be many people doing this. But this seems to be not recommended or even forbidden.

The way I understood (and please correct me when I am wrong) the EcoFlow Delta Mini has an IT-Net (like all the power stations) and the Grand California has a TN-Net. Connection those electric networks means that the "Earth" is missing in the camper. If there is an issue with a device a person can be electricuted.

So, it seems that is not a solution either. I will look more into this, but I don't believe I ever will increase the power in the camper. 46 Ah are a lot and will help us to stay 18 h to 24 h without service. Better than nothing.

Regards,
Eberhard

 

[Steve1]

Hello,

I was looking more into the issue of connecting the EcoFlow Delta Mini with a cable to the EHU. But not even that is straight forward.

In general it is possible and will work and there might be many people doing this. But this seems to be not recommended or even forbidden.

The way I understood (and please correct me when I am wrong) the EcoFlow Delta Mini has an IT-Net (like all the power stations) and the Grand California has a TN-Net. Connection those electric networks means that the "Earth" is missing in the camper. If there is an issue with a device a person can be electricuted.

So, it seems that is not a solution either. I will look more into this, but I don't believe I ever will increase the power in the camper. 46 Ah are a lot and will help us to stay 18 h to 24 h without service. Better than nothing.

Regards,
Eberhard

I'm not too sure on the safety implications, although I know you can (in a house) add a copper earth rod to convert between system types perhaps that's possible here. But what I do know is most mains to DC PSUs like that in the VW achieve between 80 and 90% efficiency converting mains to DC low voltage. There will also be an efficiency loss from low voltage DC stored in batteries to mains output by your power pack. Boosting battery voltage to mains will perhaps manage 70 - 80% efficiency boosting is more difficult so a bit lower. So if your 882Wh is what's stored in your DC batteries perhaps approx. 660Wh could be released through the mains outlet if fully depleting the batteries. Then maybe 560Wh of that would be converted back to DC again to charge VW batteries. Efficiency is then again lost in the charging process, you might get 90% there, eventually resulting in around 40Ah of charge. These figures are approximate because I don't have any actual specified efficiency figures only typical ones for other PSUs I've used and even if you did they would follow a curve based on load etc so hard to be exact.
So it is that conversion from DC low voltage to AC high voltage then AC high voltage to DC low voltage a double hit of efficiency loss why it isn't recommended generally. If you add an extra leisure battery of same voltage you avoid both conversions but that isn't always convenient.

 

[Eber123]

Hello,

@Steve1 thank you for your reply.

I was hoping just to charge the leisure battery only. Even if we are hooked up to electricity we very seldom use the 230 V sockets. I was just hoping to increase the free standing time but still use the fridge, heating and the USB sockets (and of course lights).

In Caliboard there is good information to add another AGM battery in the back. It seems easy to install, so they say. But if we have the power station for other reasons, why not use it for the camper as well.

I will look into this a bit more, maybe there is a solution.

Regards,
Eberhard

 

[AndrewCook680]

there have been a few discussions on this forum about extra battery’s or portable power packs. Something I too am researching even though not got van yet.

e.g.

Adding a portable Lithium generator to Grand California?

Hi again folks, perhaps someone has already thought of or done this?… To extend the “off grid” capability of the van (particularly during winter trips when I’ll get little solar and campsites in the north west close, and partly as a backup after recent experiences!), I’m thinking of getting one...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[Stuartosmith]

Hello,

In the next few weeks we will get an EcoFlow Delta Mini. While we will use it at home, I thought we could also use the power station in the Grand California.

In general I was wondering how to increase the electricity in the camper, but everything I looked up was to complicated (it seems that the entire topic of increasing battery power is complicated).

Everybody said there is a lot of electricity wasted if the power station was just connected to the EHU to charge the leisure battery. But what does that mean? How much will be lost? So I contacted EcoFlow to give me some indication how much it is. If I didn't get it wrong the EcoFlow Delta Mini has 882 Wh which should be 73 Ah. If that all is true, I wouldn't mind to lose up to 20 Ah.

But EcoFlow asked if I have the technical specification from the VW leisure battery charger. Of course I haven't. I spent 2 hours this morning to find it, but with no luck.

If by chance you know the technical specification from the battery charger could you let me know please? I would love to get back to EcoFlow with the information and maybe get some info of how much the loss auf electricity is.

Thank you.
Eberhard

Connect the dc outlet of the BLUETTI to the dc outlet of the GC (male to male cigarette lighter plugs). Connect BLUETTI solar and it charges the GC

 

[Eber123]

Connect the dc outlet of the BLUETTI to the dc outlet of the GC (male to male cigarette lighter plugs). Connect BLUETTI solar and it charges the GC

View attachment 99408

Hello @Stuartosmith,

Thank you for the picture. Just double checking what I picked up from you rpost, because I can't get my head around it.

You connected your power station DC 12 V outlet (cigarette lighter type) to the DC 12 V outlet (cigarette lighter type) of the Grand California.

Doing so will charge the leisure battery?

Regards,
Eberhard

 

[Stuartosmith]

Hello @Stuartosmith,

Thank you for the picture. Just double checking what I picked up from you rpost, because I can't get my head around it.

You connected your power station DC 12 V outlet (cigarette lighter type) to the DC 12 V outlet (cigarette lighter type) of the Grand California.

Doing so will charge the leisure battery?

Regards,
Eberhard

Actually it supports the leisure battery from being discharged, the leisure battery display shows a + current reading

 

[WelshGas]

Hello @Stuartosmith,

Thank you for the picture. Just double checking what I picked up from you rpost, because I can't get my head around it.

You connected your power station DC 12 V outlet (cigarette lighter type) to the DC 12 V outlet (cigarette lighter type) of the Grand California.

Doing so will charge the leisure battery?

Regards,
Eberhard

Actually it supports the leisure battery from being discharged, the leisure battery display shows a + current reading

Connecting any Battery in that manner is equivalent of wiring a 2nd Leisure Battery in Parallel, so your Leisure Power supply is then
Built in Leisure Battery X amp hours + External Battery Y amp hours = Combined X + Y hours.

Ideally you would want both batteries to be fully charged when connected and also of similar capacity.