Battery jumper/charger recommendations

[kromboy]

Well it finally happened, I was going to turn my bus on since it'd been cold and I hadn't worked on it in a while and the battery's drained.

I'm going to be installing a disconnect (any recommendations would be great, simpler the better)

I also need to get either a jumper or a charger, I'd prefer a jumper that I can carry with me in the bus for emergencies but if it's simply too big of an ask, then charger it is and I can always run that off a generator in emergencies.

I have a full size bus with an 8.3 ISC, currently has an array of 3 batteries. What range of amperage should I shoot for when shopping around for a jumper?

 

[Albatross]

As for a disconnect, I would go to a NAPA or other auto-parts store and ask to see what they have in stock. I would buy whichever style they have that fits on my battery and would allows my wires to remain as close to stock as possible.



For a jump-box, there is no other option than going with the biggest that they have, should cost about $200 or less.

 

[Gareth Ellis]

I leave one of these connected when I am not using the bus.

Victron Battery Charger

 

[kromboy]

A quick update:

I decided to buy this off of Amazon and just kept my fingers crossed it would work

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NPGCFSG?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

I had to let it go for a few cycles before cranking the engine but it actually was able to jumpstart my 8.3 ISC with 3 950CCA batteries, I'm impressed to say the least.

Got the battery disconnect ordered and also have a battery maintainer so I don't have this problem again at least while I'm parked at home and working on the bus, I just thought it was neat that a portable jump starter was able to actually get my engine going and wanted to share.

 

[nikitis]

I had the same problems as you. I do not use a battery maintainer however just the disconnect has worked for two years so far for me and my batteries are always charged when ready to go. I haven't had need of a maintainer thus far.

I'll PM you my phone number if you want help with battery disconnect in installation

 

[Iceni John]

A quick update:

I decided to buy this off of Amazon and just kept my fingers crossed it would work

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NPGCFSG?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

I had to let it go for a few cycles before cranking the engine but it actually was able to jumpstart my 8.3 ISC with 3 950CCA batteries, I'm impressed to say the least.

Got the battery disconnect ordered and also have a battery maintainer so I don't have this problem again at least while I'm parked at home and working on the bus, I just thought it was neat that a portable jump starter was able to actually get my engine going and wanted to share.

6000 amps through those wires would be interesting... That's more current than a railway locomotive. Maybe Chinese amps are smaller? It's like those Chinese 600 dB train horns or multi-million CP spotlights or 8kW diesel air heaters!

Seriously though, it's a good idea to always have an emergency starter in every vehicle. However, as soon as you have several hundred AH of house batteries available, they'll serve the same purpose. I can easily start my engine just from the house batteries, and that's with a 42MT starter motor that's rated at up to 10.5 HP (650 amps at 12V), using 4/0 cables throughout.

John

 

[Rucker]

6000 amps through those wires would be interesting... That's more current than a railway locomotive. Maybe Chinese amps are smaller? It's like those Chinese 600 dB train horns or multi-million CP spotlights or 8kW diesel air heaters!

Seriously though, it's a good idea to always have an emergency starter in every vehicle. However, as soon as you have several hundred AH of house batteries available, they'll serve the same purpose. I can easily start my engine just from the house batteries, and that's with a 42MT starter motor that's rated at up to 10.5 HP (650 amps at 12V), using 4/0 cables throughout.

John

Yeah, I thought the same thing. I looked at some of those other chargers and they all say similar, like three thousand amps five thousand amps. All copycatting.

Here's the math: kromboy's has like 32 amp hours capacity, so if the starter pulls 600 cold cranking amps you will get about three minutes of cranking before the thing dies.

And after one use it'll take a couple of hours to overnight to recharge with a USB C, similar to how a George Foreman USB Grill would.