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Old 06-30-2014, 12:05 PM   #1
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Your thoughts on battery chargers?

I've never used anything other than a bulk charger. Having just purchased a new Interstate battery, I figured I would get a charger/maintainer.

The two primary contenders are BatteryMINDer and CTEK.

Any thoughts on these, or recommendations on different manufacturers or models?
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Old 06-30-2014, 12:25 PM   #2
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Being OFF-ROAD alot and having alot of PLAN B things i went ahead and picked up a B&D VEC1093DBD SMART MODE 40AMP Battery Charger.

This will charge two 12VDC DEEP CYCLE batteries back to their 90% charge state in around three hours time.

The VEC1093DBD unit can replace my on-board CONVERTER/CHARGER if it fails on me when I am off the power grid using my generator.

If you are just interested in keeping your fully charged battery maintained while in storage mode the low amp battery minder type units would be just find.

Just my thoughts for my situation here...
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Old 06-30-2014, 12:30 PM   #3
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I guess I am lucky again. I have never used an external battery charger on my batteries. I have had 3 popups and now on my 3rd Jayco unit in the last 15 years. Never even had to replace a battery. Lots of use and just keep plugged in at home. Don't really go off grid so just keep my batteries clean and water levels good and have not had any problems. Probably just jinxed myself!
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Old 06-30-2014, 02:02 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RoyBraddy View Post
If you are just interested in keeping your fully charged battery maintained while in storage mode the low amp battery minder type units would be just find.
That was my thinking Roy.
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Old 06-30-2014, 02:04 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by namusmc65 View Post
I guess I am lucky again. I have never used an external battery charger on my batteries. I have had 3 popups and now on my 3rd Jayco unit in the last 15 years. Never even had to replace a battery. Lots of use and just keep plugged in at home. Don't really go off grid so just keep my batteries clean and water levels good and have not had any problems. Probably just jinxed myself!
I have a popup, and the owner's manual says not to keep plugged in when the camper is folded down... I guess there is some risk of the converter overheating. Which is why I was considering the battery maintainer.
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Old 07-01-2014, 12:42 PM   #6
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So, I am down to two different CTEK models... the CTEK Multi US 7002 says it "Charges 12-volt lead-acid batteries (Wet, MF, Gel, AGM and Ca) from 14Ah to 150Ah (charging) or 14Ah to 225Ah (maintenance)".

The CTEK Multi US 43 says it is for charging batteries up to 110 Ah, and maintenance up to 160Ah.

So, if my battery is rated at 140Ah, do I need the 7002 ($100) model, or will the 43 model ($58) be sufficient?

The key differences I see between the to models, aside from the $40 price difference, is that the 7002 has a higher maximum current of 7amps compared to the 4.3's output of ... well, 4.3 amps. The 7002 also has the ability to continue supplying power if a battery is removed... something I really don't need.

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