Split charge (VSR) and battery grounding.

[real_vibes]

Hello

 

This is a cheeky question for my land boat (A Vito camper conversion).

 

I am installing a leisure battery with a voltage sensing relay to charge it. The two batteries are quite close (passenger seat and drivers seat).

 

Can I ground the new leisure battery to the negative terminal on the starter or does it have to be to the body work? If I can, then can I also ground everything else to the negative on the leisure battery (as it's only about 1.5 feet to the cupboard that houses all the electrics). Or again, is there a reason that it all need to be grounded to the chassis / bidywork somewhere.

 

(I am assuming all the above could be replicated in a boat hence the battery whizzes may be able to help!)

 

Thanks in advance.

Edited May 3, 2015 by real_vibes

[Bacchus]

Presumably the negative terminal on the starter is grounded to chassis/earth anyway? So attaching your leisure battery to this would have the same net effect as grouning to chassis, or am I missing something?

[lockedout]

No problem - as long as the ground connections have continuity all is well.

 

From a 'neat and tidy' perspective, I would think about a bus bar so you haven't got everything hanging off the battery terminal, but that is probably just me....

[pearley]

Having installed many split charge/second battery setups in vans and motorhomes before I retired, I would ground the battery earth as near the battery as possible. The grounds for all the domestic services would then be taken to a common point on the body, this could be the same bolt as the battery earth but it wouldn't be the terminal.

[by'eck]

Best ensure the battery negatives are connected with hull grounding point for same at engine starter/block end. This to ensure that the starter battery negative is direct to starter motor with no direct secondary path via starter casing/boat hull to tempt the electrons. Also benefits other engine ancillaries such as alternators that probably have a negative return via casing hence engine block.

 

ETA: This assumes that all electrics are cabled for negative return as they should be, and do not rely on hull/ground return. Ideally no current should flow in the hull/ground strap except under fault conditions.

Edited May 3, 2015 by by'eck

[pearley]

Richard

OP is talking about a camper van, not a boat.

[Arnot]

It's best if you can to earth the secondary battery to the same point on the chassis as the main battery earth is bolted to. This is not really because of any current path problems for power distribution but more to reduce the possibility of interference with any audio and phone systems when the engine is running.

 

Hope this helps...

 

Arnot

[by'eck]

Richard

OP is talking about a camper van, not a boat.

 

Whoops missed that although this is a canal forum and OP did use the word boat. Ideally the comments apply equally though assuming vehicle has a metal chassis and uses wired returns.

[real_vibes]

Thanks all

 

Yes sorry for taking it a little off topic but I figured the systems are pretty similar!!

 

Thanks again