Charging a battery on the bike and on a vehicle - 12V charger?

[LittleGreyCat]

I have been tempted by a
Turbo Vado SL 4.0 Step-Through
which is on sale at Specialized at the moment.

However I now realise that the SL platform doesn't allow the removal of the battery for charging.

We have a motor home (without a garage) so when travelling the battery would need to be charged outside.

Ideally it could be charged whilst on the carrier, which implies a 12V weatherproof(ish) charging system.

Has anyone solved this kind of issue?

 

[saneagle]

I have been tempted by a
Turbo Vado SL 4.0 Step-Through
which is on sale at Specialized at the moment.

However I now realise that the SL platform doesn't allow the removal of the battery for charging.

We have a motor home (without a garage) so when travelling the battery would need to be charged outside.

Ideally it could be charged whilst on the carrier, which implies a 12V weatherproof(ish) charging system.

Has anyone solved this kind of issue?

Don't you have an inverter on your motorhome?

 

[matthewslack]

Just run a high efficiency inverter from your 'house' battery, plug your bike charger into that, and add more solar to your motorhome roof.

Charge the bike during daylight hours, when sun can be used, rather than at night, which would deplete your house battery quite quickly.

All the conversions (solar charge controller, inverter, charger) mean less than ideal efficiency but more solar compensates for that.

 

[LittleGreyCat]

Nobody so far has addressed the main issue.
The eBike will be outside locked to the bike rack at all times when it is not in use.
There needs to be a safe method of exporting the power from the 240V charger inside to the bike rack outside.
Or a 12V charger which can use the external 13 pin connecter on the towbar.

 

[saneagle]

Nobody so far has addressed the main issue.
The eBike will be outside locked to the bike rack at all times when it is not in use.
There needs to be a safe method of exporting the power from the 240V charger inside to the bike rack outside.
Or a 12V charger which can use the external 13 pin connecter on the towbar.

I think it's called the charger lead. You know, the thing with a jack on the end that goes into the battery charge socket. On the other end is normally a black brick shaped thing that has a mains lead that you plug into a mains socket.

 

[LittleGreyCat]

I think it's called the charger lead. You know, the thing with a jack on the end that goes into the battery charge socket. On the other end is normally a black brick shaped thing that has a mains lead that you plug into a mains socket.

Indeed.
All that is needed now is a safe and weatherproof method of getting this lead (which will obviously need extending quite a lot) from inside the motor home to the bike rack outside the motor home and a weatherproof connection to the charging connection on the bike frame.
Transmission losses may, perhaps, reduce the effectiveness of the charging.
Exporting 12V to the outside of the motor home may be a more safe and effective route to providing external power.

 

[StuartsProjects]

Transmission losses may, perhaps, reduce the effectiveness of the charging.

The lower the voltage (used for the extension cable) the greater the transmission losses .....

 

[Waspy]

So you haven't actually bought the bike yet?

Well then, simple answer is get a bike that DOES have a removeable battery.

 

[saneagle]

Indeed.
All that is needed now is a safe and weatherproof method of getting this lead (which will obviously need extending quite a lot) from inside the motor home to the bike rack outside the motor home and a weatherproof connection to the charging connection on the bike frame.
Transmission losses may, perhaps, reduce the effectiveness of the charging.
Exporting 12V to the outside of the motor home may be a more safe and effective route to providing external power.

If you have a back door, open the door plug in and close the door. The door has its own seal that leaves plenty of room for wires going through.

If you need to get a socket nearer the back, use one of these:

Pardon our interruption...

 

[LittleGreyCat]

If you have a back door, open the door plug in and close the door. The door has its own seal that leaves plenty of room for wires going through.

<snip>

Interesting thought.
We have a side door, but that is near the rear of the vehicle.
That still leaves the issue of the length of 12/36/48V cable from inside the vehicle to the connection on the bike, and possible transmission losses.

 

[matthewslack]

Indeed.
All that is needed now is a safe and weatherproof method of getting this lead (which will obviously need extending quite a lot) from inside the motor home to the bike rack outside the motor home and a weatherproof connection to the charging connection on the bike frame.
Transmission losses may, perhaps, reduce the effectiveness of the charging.
Exporting 12V to the outside of the motor home may be a more safe and effective route to providing external power.

Don't mess with the cable from charger to bike. On mid-drives like Bosch etc it is not just power cables, but comms too.

What's needed is (1) an external weatherproof mains socket from your inverter, and (2) a secure place for the charger, and (3) enough weather protection for the bike charging socket.

Or if there is a storage locker on the motor home close enough for the charger, a hole for the cable to go through.

Any IP6x box of a suitable size could be (2).
Make (1) easy to isolate from the inverter and independently fused to protect your inverter and the contents of your house battery.
A simple plastic bike cover would do for (3).

 

[LittleGreyCat]

Don't mess with the cable from charger to bike. On mid-drives like Bosch etc it is not just power cables, but comms too.

What's needed is (1) an external weatherproof mains socket from your inverter, and (2) a secure place for the charger, and (3) enough weather protection for the bike charging socket.

Or if there is a storage locker on the motor home close enough for the charger, a hole for the cable to go through.

Any IP6x box of a suitable size could be (2).
Make (1) easy to isolate from the inverter and independently fused to protect your inverter and the contents of your house battery.
A simple plastic bike cover would do for (3).

Thank you.
The first reply which covers everything I needed to know.
Much appreciated.

 

[matthewslack]

Depending on your approach to modifying the motor home, it might be possible to mount a container on the inside of one of the external access panels for socket and charger, if there is one close enough to the bike, and then just a hole for the charger output cable to the bike.

 

[Saracen]

Get a bike with a removable battery