Caravan Breakaway Brake problem.

Submitted: Friday, Nov 01, 2013 at 12:24
ThreadID: 104957 Views:5464 Replies:4 FollowUps:41
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I think I have a problem.

I have bought and installed a new Tekonsha Brake kit, Switch, Battery and Battery Charger.

On fitting it all up I checked voltages (powering charger from house battery which is solar charged) and had 13.6v at charger input. The new battery had 12.3v prior to connection.

Returning some hours later I again checked voltages, 13.6 house battery, 12.3 new battery.

Putting voltmeter across the output wires from the charger does not register any volts.

I disconnected the power input as it didn't seem right and the charger was quite warm.

I just went out again next day and reconnected power....14.1 from house battery (good sunshine) but only 12.2 at new battery with charger connected.

I just went out this morning with the charger having been on for 15 hours straight and find the 'new' battery with 12.08v. (I did try to put some loads on it yesterday which would have pulled the voltage down some).

To me the charger is faulty but an email to the seller was replied that all seems ok.

What do the knowledgeable ones reckon? Can someone with this system fitted tell me what voltage the charger keeps the battery at and what voltage output they get from the charger please.

I always considered a battery technically 'flat' at 12.2v, perhaps it is different with these little Gel batteries.

Cheers Neil
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Reply By: Brian 01 - Friday, Nov 01, 2013 at 14:39

Friday, Nov 01, 2013 at 14:39
First thing would be to check that the switch is installed correctly and that the insert is separating the switch contacts.
If this is not the case, then the brake coils will be drawing current constantly and draining the battery.
A voltmeter connected across the switch contact wires (with the insert in) should read around battery voltage, if it is much lower than that, you need to check the switch.
An ammeter inserted between the positive battery terminal and the red wire, with the house battery disconnected would be an alternative test, any reading would indicate a discharge problem.
If you have the house battery permanently connected to the breakaway system, then consider replacing the breakaway charger with a Schottky diode (between the black wire to the charger and the red wire to the battery,(Diode connections - black to anode, red to cathode) and terminate the white).
This will allow the small battery to be charged from the house, but will stop backfeed at other times.
Otherwise you could install a VSR in the black charge line, but this is a more expensive option.
You would have been well advised to purchase the ABCD unit for a connected house battery rather than the integrated charger unit.
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Follow Up By: landseka - Friday, Nov 01, 2013 at 15:04

Friday, Nov 01, 2013 at 15:04
Thanks for your time Brian, the switch, as with the other componets are brand new so shouldn't be a problem. Also the fact that being connected now on & off for 24 hours if the switch were faulty then the battery should be totally discharged.

I have wired it such that the charger feed will come from the tow car when connected but for testing purposes I am running it from the house battery.

Perhaps the charger is only meant to keep the battery at 12v as the sticker on it states 12v output but I can't detect any output.
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Follow Up By: Brian 01 - Friday, Nov 01, 2013 at 16:09

Friday, Nov 01, 2013 at 16:09
I would still check all connections again, including the internal ones that you didn't touch.
The reed contacts in some of those switches can fold up and short out if the insert is not installed carefully.
The battery should definitely be up to 12.7 or so rested, and higher when under charge conditions, you will kill it if you leave it as is.
When connected to power, you should see a gradual rise in the terminal voltage of that battery, but bear in mind that the charger is only capable of a bit over 1 amp or C/4 at best.
All other things being right, the charger would then appear to be the culprit, you may need to be a little more forceful with the supplier.
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Reply By: olcoolone - Friday, Nov 01, 2013 at 16:34

Friday, Nov 01, 2013 at 16:34
Seeing it is something to do with safety and if not working right it could cause a loss of life I would strongly recommend taking it to a qualified autoelec instead of asking on a forum and getting 20 answers confusing the matter.
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Follow Up By: landseka - Friday, Nov 01, 2013 at 20:04

Friday, Nov 01, 2013 at 20:04
Thanks....
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Follow Up By: John and Regina M - Friday, Nov 01, 2013 at 22:59

Friday, Nov 01, 2013 at 22:59
X2 olcoolone
You are dealing with safety equipment.
Just remember, it's ok to kill yourself farting around with stuff you know nothing about..
But what usually happens is others suffer and that's not ok.
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Follow Up By: landseka - Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 01:05

Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 01:05
Thanks John, or Regina, so far I have never heard of anyone killing themselves "farting around" with 12v stuff.

My breakaway brakes are working just fine thank you very much so won't kill you either. I am just trying to sort out the auto charging of the battery.

You have nothing constructive to contribute so obviously know nothing about the system either.
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Follow Up By: fisho64 - Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 11:05

Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 11:05
ya gotta love these sort of self righteous responses.
Landseka-theres a great benefit in gaining a greater understanding of how these systems work-you often find that the "experts" you take it to have NFI, as I found when I went to get a controller installed in my cruiser.
Turns out that there is no one who cares about your gear more than yourself.

You can chuck a small smart charger on the breakaway battery to boost it while investigating.
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Follow Up By: olcoolone - Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 11:10

Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 11:10
I don't think anyone is being smart in their comments, we see thing that people don't think are important or will cause a problem to the overall function of something but it's always the 1%ers that will come back and bite you.

Any part of a braking system is just as important as the other parts.

If the battery charger wasn't an important part they would not of supplied it and if you can't work it out without the help of a forum it shows your lack of knowledge on the subject.

If you have 240v going in and nothing coming out when a load like a battery is applied, then it's either the charger or battery.

Please don't take it the wrong way.



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Follow Up By: landseka - Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 12:07

Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 12:07
"Please don't take it the wrong way."

No thoughts of taking it the wrong way. I don't think you really understand how these things work.

There is no, repeat NO 240v anywhere near this system! If you looked at the links I provided you would see just what it is.

The part I am having issues is the part that is called a 'charger'. After reading the HELPFUL posts on this thread I now feel this 'charger' is nothing more than a box with a hotwire input and a hotwire output via the diode in the box that other posters mentioned.

All I was trying to establish was to get confirmation from someone that know about these kits that in fact my 'charger' was faulty. I am now convinced it is.

I have now this morning run a hotwire direct to the battery (via fuses each end before anyone jumps) and it is working fine. I just need to get the diode now to complete the instal.
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Follow Up By: olcoolone - Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 13:08

Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 13:08
OK...... you so called charger may also have a current limiting device in it to limit charge current and volt to the 7ah battery.
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Follow Up By: John and Regina M - Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 23:33

Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 23:33
Olcoolone,
Sometimes we misinterpret, sometimes not.

To the original poster...
My comment was not about 12 volts killing anyone. It was about someone who doesn't understand how electrical systems work trying to install an electrical system. And the possible consequences when they get it wrong. You fell into this category.

Like someone who knows nothing about brakes getting all their info from a public forum to service said brakes. Stupid.

Many experts on public forums. Some know what they're talking about. Most do not. Most guess, or speculate.

And yes, possibly my 38 years as an auto electrician may not qualify me to comment to your post. So be it.
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Follow Up By: landseka - Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 11:58

Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 11:58
Yes, I guess I could have taken the van to one of your so called experts, an auto electrician with 38 years or so experience, he would have told his 1st year apprentice to "join that red wire to that red wire, that red wire to that blue wire, that black wire to that black wire, make it neat & we'll charge this sucker $300 for doing it". Ha! It is not rocket science.

I made the mistake of doing that last year with an issue that I couldn't quite fathom, no 12v power to the house at all. Next day picking it up I was told that they weren't sure what was the problem, undid switches from the wall & jiggled the wires, re-wired the 12 pin plug back through the chassis and took $650 from me for doing it.
On the way home I noticed the van rear view camera wasn't working, later checked inside thee 12 pin plug & they had omitted to connect 2 of the 4 camera wires. No biggie, I fixed it. The issue that really bleep me off was when I started doing the breakaway system this week, I removed the old breakaway switch and gently tugged the wires that disappeared into the chassis....guess what...not connected to anything!

Your 'experts' had me caravanning for over 12 months with NO functioning breakaway brakes.

Excuse me for daring to ask a question on a forum, being "stupid" as you point out, I thought that was part of what a forum was for.
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Follow Up By: fisho64 - Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 12:19

Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 12:19
I can relate to your experience Landseka.
And the comment above by someone "because its fitted by the manufacturer it must be essential".
Does that apply to your wing mirrors also?
if you broke one would you have your rig towed home?
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Follow Up By: olcoolone - Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 14:06

Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 14:06
Mirrors form part of the adr and if you had an accident due to it being broken ...... it would of been cheaper to get it fixed.

If you have to come on here and ask a question about something so simple then yes you don't have the knowledge or experience.

How hard can it be ....... wired up correctly (accordingly) with power going in and nothing coming out..... please you don't need to ask a friend for advice, and if you do you should not be touching it.

Quote" undid switches from the wall & jiggled the wires, re-wired the 12 pin plug back through the chassis and took $650 from me for doing it."...... how many hours did they spend trying to fix the problem, thats right; we are not allowed to charge for diagnostics are we.

Yes... us who charge should know that we are not allowed to make money off someone and it should be done for FREE!

Caravans are some of the worst time consuming things around and most faults can be traced back to poor manufacturing practices that have usually been done by monkeys...... Have a look at Jayco, all the same wiring with no real identification.

And please don't tar all with qualifications with the same brush. I get really bleep of when I have to fix another tradies work who should've known better, yes even the so called experts can be rough as guts and shonky...... mostly driven by what they think customer want to pay.
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Follow Up By: fisho64 - Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 14:39

Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 14:39
So you are saying if you broke a mirror and couldnt fix it youd have your rig towed-your sounding a little foolish? Never cut a corner? Never bent the rules?
Funny how you can never find those people in real life, but they abound here :-)
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Follow Up By: John and Regina M - Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 16:18

Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 16:18
No that's not what he said. Read it again.

It's this sort of disrespect from people who know it all because they read about it, and who still don't understand simple concepts that usually keeps me from replying.

If you know it all then fix it yourself.
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Follow Up By: olcoolone - Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 16:18

Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 16:18
No different to if you didn't have indicators working or a light blown..... you can run the risk and try not to get caught or worst case be involved in an accident that you were not the cause of but the indicators or blown light contributed to it........ for me I would take the risk and it's up to everyone to work out for them selve what the risk is and the consequences are.

It's like a truck driver who is overloaded by 3-5%...... run the risk and accept the penalty or don't over load.

I'm sure people driving under the influence take the same calculated risk...... drink and drive you may get caught.......

So what are you trying to say?

Like all things, there is only a YES or NO, RIGHT or WRONG answer..... it's all good until that one time when something happens!

But thats OK, you can be like the rest and blame something or someone else for your mistake.
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Follow Up By: fisho64 - Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 17:30

Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 17:30
"It's this sort of disrespect from people who know it all because they read about it, and who still don't understand simple concepts that usually keeps me from replying.

If you know it all then fix it yourself."

It didnt stop some of you from replying negatively though did it? Or disrespectively
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Follow Up By: olcoolone - Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 18:34

Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 18:34
Well here you go fisho...... your quote regarding my comments MY QUOTE "If the battery charger wasn't an important part they would not of supplied it"....... YOUR QUOTE "And the comment above by someone "because its fitted by the manufacturer it must be essential". Does that apply to your wing mirrors also?"

This shows a TOTAL lack of care or understanding on your behalf and is a bad comment showing lack of knowledge or forethought.

landseka with the advice from this forum; he was advised he could bypass the box with and a cheap simple diode something like a 1N5404 would be ideal and was all that was needed.....

The charger is there for a reason to limit charge rates to an acceptable amount..... by bypassing the charger as mentioned below and if his house batteries were low or when they are charging there is a very good chance he would overcharge the 7ah battery destroying it...... the diode would fail due to a to higher current going through it and if the trailer did come disconnected from the tow vehicle and the break away system was activated the chances are of it working with no battery power is ZERO.

Have you ever seen what happens when you charge a small battery with a big charge rate not designed for it....... charging a 7ah battery with 30-100 amps make them go BANG!

If it did happen and someone got injured or killed from this shonky modification heads would roll and people on this forum may be prosecuted due to the simple fact of supply unqualified information.

This is a classic example of people not understanding the reasoning of why there is this little charger module attached to the battery.

And yes what may seem innocent may all of a sudden become criminal.......

People must be stupid if they think Tekonsha just put this module in for the hell of it when it wasn't really needed....... when they could of just used a 20cent diode....... hell perhaps some on this forum should advise Tekonsha that they have done it wrong.

So if he followed the advice given he would of been any more wiser in knowing he had a caravan with a non operating break away system.

Maybe professionals have a better understanding and logical approach then some "i've read about it EXPERTS".

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Follow Up By: landseka - Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 19:00

Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 19:00
Slowly, slowly I am getting my original question answered, which was, if you remember... (quote)"What do the knowledgeable ones reckon? Can someone with this system fitted tell me what voltage the charger keeps the battery at and what voltage output they get from the charger please.

I always considered a battery technically 'flat' at 12.2v, perhaps it is different with these little Gel batteries." (end quote)

With the 'charger' connected I couldn't see an increase in residual voltage in the battery after much time connected. But...perhaps the 'charger' is designed to maintain 12v only, not the approx 12.6v as I would have expected.

As the 'charger' gets quite warm without any discernible output I suspect it is faulty but just wanted to try for confirmation prior to returning it.

Cheers Neil
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Follow Up By: olcoolone - Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 19:12

Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 19:12
What brand and model of battery is it?.

In most cases 13.8-14.4 is OK but should be somewhere between 14.4-15v with current limiting.

Here are some specs of a brand of battery we use and sell that is close to your battery size.

http://www.sealedperformance.com.au/uploaded_files/ps_pg_long_life/-PG12V7-5-AUS.pdf

have a look at the end for charging rates.

What you have to remember is the battery only has to store enough energy for applying power to the brakes for maybe 20 second to a few minutes when the trailer becomes disconnected from the tow vehicle.
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Follow Up By: Slow one - Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 19:58

Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 19:58
Queensland regulations state, the battery must maintain power to the brakes for 15 minutes after a breakaway to keep them locked.

I imagine this is done to stop the van running away if the incident happened in hilly country, so someone can secure the van brakes in that 15 minutes.
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Follow Up By: olcoolone - Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 20:26

Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 20:26
Show one...... your right and it is Australia wide.
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Follow Up By: Brian 01 - Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 21:03

Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 21:03
Olcoolone said
"The charger is there for a reason to limit charge rates to an acceptable amount..... by bypassing the charger as mentioned below and if his house batteries were low or when they are charging there is a very good chance he would overcharge the 7ah battery destroying it...... the diode would fail due to a to higher current going through it and if the trailer did come disconnected from the tow vehicle and the break away system was activated the chances are of it working with no battery power is ZERO."

The above statement is simply not correct.

Firstly:- All batteries in a parallel charging network will take whatever charge they require and no more.
As their individual states of charge climb to maximum, they will cease to accept current flow, they will not over charge unless an unreasonably high voltage is applied.
The diode actually limits this voltage to about 0.6v less than that which is being applied to the house batteries which is advantageous to a gel battery which requires a slightly lower charge voltage than does an AGM.
Secondly:- The internal resistance of the small battery together with its rising terminal voltage will prevent any large charge currents from flowing, the diode will not be destroyed and neither will the battery.
Thirdly:- Even if the house battery is heavily discharged, the diode will have kept the small battery at full charge so therefore very little charge current would go to it, again, the diode will not be destroyed and neither will the small battery.
Fourthly:- Even if the small gel battery were to be totally removed from the system, the house battery will still power the brakes in the event of a disconnection from the tow vehicle, this is one of the advantages of using the house battery in this manner.
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Follow Up By: landseka - Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 22:17

Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 22:17
Thanks Olcool for now attempting to help instead of blasting me down in flames. Is it any wonder people are reluctant to ask questions on this forum.

I do see your thinking on this risk of overcharging but I can also see Brian's point too and I appreciate both sides unlike the comments of another twit on here that I won't justify with a reply again.

What I will do is pack the charger up & return it to the seller for test and/or exchange. Whatever is returned I will re-fit as for sure the manufacturer meant it to be there.

Currently I have charged and then disconnected the gel battery from the house battery which, whilst the van is parked and not being used is always on 'float' from the solar panels.

Cheers Neil
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Follow Up By: landseka - Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 22:24

Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 22:24
Sorry Olcool, the battery you asked about is the one supplied with the Tekonsha Kit.

Neata. NT12-5.0(12v5.0AH/20HR

Cycle use 14.4 - 15v
Standby use 13.5 - 13.8v
Initial Current less than1.5A

Cheers Neil
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Follow Up By: olcoolone - Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 22:48

Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 22:48
So the three warnings starting maximum 1.2amps charge rate that Tekonsha have in their instructions is just there for the hell of it and they are wrong and you know better?

Why do batteries have current and voltage limits when charging, or is this just rubbish the battery manufactures want you to believe.

Brian are you going to guarantee Landseka 100% reliability and function and if something goes wrong and is a direct cause of your instructions you will pay for repairs, accept all legal costs and take the rap for it?



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Follow Up By: fisho64 - Monday, Nov 04, 2013 at 00:26

Monday, Nov 04, 2013 at 00:26
probably need to live up to your chosen non-de-plume and "chill" a bit.
The weight of the world neednt be on your shoulders, nor do you need to try and put it on anyone elses
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Reply By: Member - Bruce C (NSW) - Friday, Nov 01, 2013 at 19:29

Friday, Nov 01, 2013 at 19:29
Hi Neil,

I am unsure why you need a battery charger to charge the Brake Safe 7Ah battery.

In speaking to the guys at RV electronics I advised them that I wanted to connect the 7Ah Brake Safe battery to my house batteries and they suggested that would be OK provided I connected the charge wire from the house batteries to the black charge wire input of the Brake Safe unit. This black wire is normally connected to the car battery system for charging.

This would be the best solution for you also especially since your house batteries are also solar charged, as are mine.

The battery charger merely adds a level of complexity which can be avoided if following the above method. That also gives the Brake Safe unit an unlimited charge capability while ever the solar is connected to the house batteries.

Mine works very well and I know I will always have a fully charged Brake Safe Battery.

Hope this is of some help.
Cheers, Bruce
At home and at ease on a track that I know not and
restless and lost on a track that I know. HL.

Lifetime Member
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AnswerID: 520734

Follow Up By: landseka - Friday, Nov 01, 2013 at 20:03

Friday, Nov 01, 2013 at 20:03
Hi Bruce,

Perhaps I am not using correct terminology which is confusing things.

This is the Kit I bought http://tinyurl.com/nejdl64 and the fitting instructions are this http://www.tekonsha.com/content/downloads/installation/N1028.pdf

The top illustration for the trailer part is the relevant section. The car is already wired with electric brake controller.

I have wired it to be charged via an existing andersen plug but for the purpose of checking I am powering the charger from the house battery.

Cheers Neil

In hindsight I could have powered it from the house battery but figured that if WA go the way of NSW in needing a battery monitor that the driver can see then this may be easier.
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Follow Up By: landseka - Friday, Nov 01, 2013 at 20:08

Friday, Nov 01, 2013 at 20:08
Bruce, do you mean that I do away with the charger and just run a hot wire from, either the car or the house battery directly to my new small gel battery?
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Follow Up By: Brian 01 - Friday, Nov 01, 2013 at 21:59

Friday, Nov 01, 2013 at 21:59
That's what I suggested you do on my first post on this thread.
However, you also need to include a diode or other isolation to prevent draining the battery via other sources.
The diode won't interfere with charging on this small battery as it has plenty of time and volts to get up there.
I would suggest coming from the house battery rather than the car as that will then be connected permanently and so keep the small battery at float.
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Follow Up By: landseka - Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 01:00

Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 01:00
Yep, saw that Brian. What would the diode be please? I guess Jaycar would have them?
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Follow Up By: Brian 01 - Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 10:06

Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 10:06
Just about any diode with minimum 40v and 3 amp capability would do the job.
Something like a 1N5404 would be ideal as it is a DO201 package where you can simply bend the leads at right angles to the body and insert them into a two pole screw terminal strip, with the connecting wires going to the other side.
Cost is about 20 cents each from memory.
The forward voltage drop of these diodes is about 0.6v, so you can use multiples in series if required to keep the charge voltage of a gel battery down to the max of about 14.4v if your charger puts out more than that.
One diode would normally be all that is required, but more can be needed if using flooded house batteries where the charger utilises an equalization mode at up to 16v from time to time.
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Follow Up By: Member - Bruce C (NSW) - Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 10:30

Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 10:30
I would imagine that the breakaway unit would have its own diodes as the last thing you would want is the 7Ah battery feeding back into the main supply. This would be a logical event without diodes so I am sure the manufacturers would have foreseen this and included the circuitry to prevent it.
However if you guys feel happier fitting a diode then do so, it can't hurt.

There is no problem fitting a vehicle mounted monitor as it is a straight forward thing as well. I cant remember which wire the monitor goes to but if needed I can check this for you.

The law in NSW at the moment says that you must have a VISUAL OR an AUDIBLE monitor or both if you wish. The monitor I got was for my Brake Safe unit manufactured by RV Electronics in SA., They have a web site for more info, and it cost around $70 which was a little steep considering its size and the circuit involved.

You can also get one of those cheap battery voltage monitors as it merely needs to monitor the voltage and be visible to the driver while driving.

Monitor like this

Yes you can wire from the vehicle straight to the Break Away device for charging but as I have done and as Brian suggests, go from the house batteries. This is the best of all worlds in my opinion as there is virtually unlimited supply and backup, especially considering you are solar powered.

Hope this helps,
Cheers, Bruce.
At home and at ease on a track that I know not and
restless and lost on a track that I know. HL.

Lifetime Member
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FollowupID: 801250

Follow Up By: Member - Bruce C (NSW) - Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 10:49

Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 10:49
Neil,
I should have added, in answer to your specific question

"Bruce, do you mean that I do away with the charger and just run a hot wire from, either the car or the house battery directly to my new small gel battery?

Yes, ditch the charger.

It is unnecessary in my opinion as you already have a couple of charging options.

Bruce.
At home and at ease on a track that I know not and
restless and lost on a track that I know. HL.

Lifetime Member
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FollowupID: 801251

Follow Up By: Brian 01 - Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 12:02

Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 12:02
It is my understanding that the unit that is being discussed here, which has an included battery charge module, does not have separate diodes as the internal battery is effectively isolated from the other battery by the charger Mosfets.
Therefore, removing that original charger and its inherent electronic isolation will require the addition of a diode to restore said isolation.
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Reply By: landseka - Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 12:13

Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 at 12:13
Thanks Brian & Bruce, as you have suggested I have bypassed the 'charger' and have run a fused hotwire from house battery to the gel battery. I will purchase a Diode next trip to town to complete the instal.

Totally agree with your comment too fisho64.

Thanks for your help.

Cheers Neil
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Follow Up By: olcoolone - Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 14:13

Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 14:13
I don't think they would have placed a diode in a nice flash box when they could of put it simply in line, please make sure that charger box is not a current/voltage limiting device. If it is and you bypass it chances are you're going to have a battery twice the size as when you started. Batteries have this habit of expanding and exploding if overcharged.

Can' see a 7ah battery accepting 30-100 amps on charge, but what would I know.

If I was you I would be finding the real function of that little box.
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Follow Up By: olcoolone - Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 14:31

Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 14:31
Found this in the fitting instructions....

"Maximum charge current must be limited to 1.2 amps"

"Charge the battery at the proper rate. Current should be limited to 1.2 amps or less.

"If excessive discharging of the breakaway battery occurs, check battery and recharge using a Heavy Duty Two Stage /Maintenance Charger. If using a commercial (AC to DC) make certain the 12 volt charge is limited to 1.2 amps or less."

Good luck with connecting the battery via a diode to the house battery!
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Follow Up By: John and Regina M - Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 19:46

Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 19:46
Yes good luck.
And please advise the forum yr next on the road..

So we can all stay clear.
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Follow Up By: Slow one - Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 19:55

Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 19:55
Queensland regulations state, the battery must maintain power to the brakes for 15 minutes after a breakaway to keep them locked.

I imagine this is done to stop the van running away if the incident happened in hilly country, so someone can secure the van brakes in that 15 minutes.
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Follow Up By: Slow one - Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 19:59

Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 19:59
Whoops wrong reply. Have a look further up the page.
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FollowupID: 801358

Follow Up By: landseka - Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 22:02

Sunday, Nov 03, 2013 at 22:02
Ha ha ha, you are so funny John or Regina, I suppose you will also stay off the road permanently in case any of the other million vans which are on the road that weigh 100kg less than mine and so do not require a breakaway break system to be fitted and because they don't have one will surely disconnect from their tow car and hurtle into you.
I feel sorry for such a sad person that knows everything but can contribute nothing but negativity when a simple question is asked.

Cheers Neil
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FollowupID: 801366

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