You will want your PD 4500 series Converter/Charger unit to have Smart Mode multiple DC Voltages and 17-20AMPS DC Current available for each 12V battery you will have in your battery bank. Running a single battery a 30AMP system would be ok to have. Two batteries a 45 AMP system... A 60AMP system may be border line for four batteries but if it can be done in 4-5 hours charge time verses the three hours you should still be ok...
I have the PD9260C model which has 60AMPS DC Current available. This has worked out great charging my three 12VDC 85AH Interstate batteries in parallel and was very easy for me to get from my depleted down to 50% charge state back up to the 90% charge state in around three hours of charge time. My new battery bank is going to be using GC2 6V batteries and I am hearing I may need 14.8VDC for my BOOST Charge mode. My current PD9260C only provides for 14.4VDC for BOOST MODE. I am hoping this will only make me charge alitle longer than the three hours charge time I have been seeing since 2009. Otherwise i will be looking for a 80AMP Charger Smart Mode system.
When camping off-grid with no shore power I will do this every morning around 8AM when allowed to run my 2KW Generator with the trailer shore power cable plugged in using a 30A to 15A long dogbone adapter for the generator 120VAC receptacle. I would see my DC Current running around 52AMPS DC Current for the first 30-45 minutes charging my three Interstate batteries in parallel and then the DC CURRENT would start tapering back to around 6-8AMPS. This will take around three hours of generator run time to get me back to the 90% charge state.
The amount of DC CURRENT available was important to me mainly becuase of the three hours time it would take to go from 50% to 90% charge state. In your case this may not be an issue and you can get away with a lower DC Current Converter model to use. i.e. a 45 AMP DC Current mdl will still charge your battery bank but will take longer perhaps...
In my case the fastest I can get from 50% charge to 90% charge and not boil out any excessive amount of battery fluids is three hours smart mode charge time. I only have a short time period using my 2KW Generator due to the camp ground run time restrictions to take into account. I have learned from experience I must be at the 90% charge state to get almost all of my battery performance when camping off-grid with out shore power. I will be in a big problem if I don't get my batteries charged up to their 90% charge before staring my large DC Current drains staring around 4:30 each day. Then I have to honor the noise curfew at 10-PM each day. Also I usually cannot run my generator after 8PM due to run time restrictions at most camp grounds...
This is really why I want to be back at the 90% charge state before 4:30PM each day when camping off grid. This insures me I will make it until 8AM the next morning running off my battery bank.
Been doing this since 2009 so it is mostly all routine now...
Roy Ken
Linear Mode
