Battery Chargers

Battery chargers do exactly what they sound like they should do, but the important bit is how they do it. A decent charger should not just throw current at the battery and hope for the best — it should suit the battery chemistry, charge it properly, and look after it when the system is parked up or only used occasionally.

In practical campervan, leisure and off-grid systems, battery chargers usually fall into two broad groups: mains chargers that work from shore power or workshop power, and DC-DC chargers that charge from a vehicle or other DC source. They are not interchangeable, and choosing the right type matters just as much as choosing the right size.

If you are choosing between charger models, the key things to compare are charging source, battery chemistry, charge current and whether the charger is intended for permanent installation, maintenance charging or day-to-day system use. The aim is not to buy the biggest charger for the sake of it, but to choose one that genuinely suits the battery bank and how the system is used.