# Rapido and Battery Master



## SaddleTramp

A warning to Rapido owners.

I am in France and have been here a week, after the first night I had to stay on sites as the power in my batteries would not keep up even though there is a 1600 Efoy on board, This was running constantly even when on Hook Up, after driving over 200 miles the Batteries showed 11.8v.

I contacted Rapido and we tried various things, I was in contact with an English Guy called Anthony who certainly knew his onions, anyway we couldnt find out what the problem was so he asked me if it was out of my way to go to Mayenne to the factory, as it happened it was actually on route so we arranged to go there on Wednesday.

We got to Mayenne and handed the MH over, we then went into the town and we had a look around, after a while we got a call to go back to the factory.

When we got there he explained that the Rapido system already has a system installed that does the same as a Battery Master so in fact they were working against each other and as a result a couple of main fuses had been blown, They removed the Battery master and checked everything and all was now as it should be, That was three days ago, It is now running and charging perfectly.

So if you have a Rapido, You don't need a Battery Master.


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## Hydrocell

*Rapido*

Hi Les
Thanks for the information, dose this include all models, we are waiting for our 9048df to be delivered to Highbridge, it was supposed to been at the end of May but Lewis told me last week that it's more likely to be the third week of June before they get it.

Regards
Ray


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## geraldandannie

Great information, Les. Sorry you had a scare.

Our 2007 Chausson is the same - the electronic gubbins automatically shares the charge between the habitation and engine batteries, whether from the engine or the hookup. Ours, however, doesn't have the built-in solar panel input, which means at the moment, the solar only charges the habitation batteries.

I'm surprised that the inclusion of a Battery Master had such a catastrophic effect, though. Have you only recently had it installed?

Gerald


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## SaddleTramp

Hi Ray
Yes it is all Rapido MH so don'e even think about it.


Hi Gerald, I had it fitted when I got the MH in March, we tried it out in May and had a problem with the Master Battery, took it to MB in Sheffield, They replaced Master battery as they said it had gone, so we thought that was it, Then this, it is fine now off Hook Up and all running well.


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## geraldandannie

SaddleTramp said:


> had a problem with the Master Battery, took it to MB in Sheffield, They replaced Master battery as they said it had gone


I'm a bit confused, Les. Is this the Battery Master, as sold by VanBitz? http://www.vanbitz.com/product/Battery_Master_BMaster I wasn't aware that they had a place in Sheffield.

Gerald


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## SaddleTramp

Gerald sorry mate I can see how it has confused you, Yes I do mean the "Battery Master", When I took it to Mercedes Benz in Sheffield it was because I was having the problems with no charging etc, They changed the "ENGINE" Battery and we thought that was the problem solved, It turns out it wasn't that that was the problem but the "Battery Master" which was shorting everything out.


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## geraldandannie

Ah! Now I understand :wink: 

I've sent a PM to Eddievanbitz, drawing his attention to this. Maybe the Battery Master itself is faulty? It's the first time I've heard of this sort of problem.

Gerald


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## eddievanbitz

Whilst we would not normally suggest that a Battery Master be installed on a Rapido as they have a similar system, I am at a loss as to how the Battery Master would cause a problem as described, if it is installed correctly.

The Battery Master will only work when it measures a difference in voltage of more than circa 0.75 volt. If the Rapido system was operating when on mains, the voltages in the two batteries should be the same, therefore the BM would do nothing.

Even so, the BM is fused at 2amp so how it is blowing the main fuse is a mystery.

However, we didn't supply it or install it so are not really able to comment more than that.

I suspect that it was a fitting issue rather than a product conflict giving the very low charging current, and the fact that a main fuse was blowing.

Who supplied it? and who installed it?

Eddie


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## kaacee

This is an interesting post, because I have an Augusta fitted with a Sargent charger, which also maintains both leisure and vehicle batteries automatically, a point I must admit, I was blissfully unaware of until very recently when on EHU at home I noticed the indicator
on the control panel was showing as charging the vehicle battery when I was sure I had earlier selected the leisure battery. 

After studying the handbook more closely, I read this was exactly what should happen, because it monitors the charge to both batteries and compensates each when required.

Now, I also have a Battery Master fitted (by Vanbitz), and my question is: Do I need it and when if ever would it operate given the above.?

Thanks for any response.

Keith


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## SaddleTramp

Eddie please don't misunderstand me, I am not calling the Battery Master, I have used this on my MH for a while and think it is a fantastic bit of kit.

All I know is what actually happened and I am by no means an electrical expert.
Snelly wired me the system in and as far as I was concerned it was working fine, I try to list below the events to discovery by Rapido.

After I got the MH and had various bits of equipment fitted we decided on a weekend away at Chapel St Leonards, we spent the weekend on Hook Up and all was great, On the way home we pulled into a Lay by for the wife to have a smoke, I saw the display panel flashing and wondered why, I hecked and saw that the Engine Battery warning light was flashing and showing 11.9v, I then went home, as it was Bank Holiday Monday I waited till next day and Telephoned Mercedes Benz and explained what was happening, They told me to take the MH right to them, I did, the next morning they called me and told me it was done and they had replaced the engine battery as it had gone, I fetched it and all seemed OK.
Over the next few days it was parked on Hook Up on our drive except for 1 day when it was taken to Camper UK to have the awning installed, After that it was back on Hook Up on the drive.
On 4th June we went to docks at Hull and left UK for France, when I went to MH next morning on Ferry again I noticed the display panel flashing with exactly the same as before I thought I must have left something switched on, I managed to start the engine, We had a 300 mile journey so I thought it would all charge OK on trip, after about 3 hours we decided to stop for a cuppa the panel was still flashing and the voltage was still 11.9v so I then thought Oh crap it must be the alternator, we set off for our destination as it was Sunday so nothing could be done anyway, We got to Luc sur Mur and checked into a campsite on Hook up, next morning I phone Brownhill's and they suggested I contact Rapido direct and gave me the phone number, I did and was put through to Anthony, we went through various things and none worked, ie uncouple Solar panel, reset Display panel, uncouple batteries, recouple etc, He then asked if it was possible for us to go to Mayenne to Rapido Factory, I agreed and went there on Wednesday morning, He checked everything and found that the Main Fuse @ 50 amp was blown and so everything had been running off the Hab batteries including Fridge and when the engine was running it wasn't charging them back up.
The Battery Master was removed as he explained the Rapido had a similar system already installed and so it wasn't needed and had probably been the cause of the problem, ever since then everything has worked brilliantly.

I originally purchased the BM from Outdoor Bits, But as I have said I have had it a while now as it has been fitted on 3 different Motorhomes and in my opinion is worth every penny, But not on a Rapido.


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## eddievanbitz

kaacee said:


> Do I need it and when if ever would it operate given the above.?
> 
> Thanks for any response.
> 
> Keith


Battery Master was originally devised to help "prop" up the engine battery over the long winter months.

Your Battery Master has three main functions. When mains is available it will allow a very small trickle charge to compensate for the quiescent drain on the vehicle. Nowadays more and more charging systems have the ability to charge the engine battery automatically. About time as they should always have had this function.

When no mains is available, a van say in storage, the Battery Master will as the engine battery drains, top up the engine battery from the leisure battery extending the time that the motorhome can be left before the sitauation becomes critical and starting is an issue.

And lastly when installed in conjunction with a solar panel, when the sun is out and the leisure battery is charging well, Battery Master will ensure that the engine battery benefits from the additional charge available.

As Clive has said loads of times you can do the same with a switch, and a couple of fuses so lone as your prepared to remember to switch back and forth all the time.

Eddie


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## Coulstock

CBE or Schreiber electrics ??

Harry (Rapido owner)


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## SaddleTramp

Schreiber


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## kaacee

Many thanks Eddie, you have clarified the situation admirably even for a thicko like me.   

Keith


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## SwampThing

Hi there, 
very interesting post as we have just purchased our first Motorhome (a 3 year old Rapido 9010DF).
We will be leaving this in secure storage and I was considering fitting a battery master so the leisure batteries would support the cab battery in powering the alarm (no ehu available).
Having read the above it seems that Rapido already fit something similar to the battery master but I am not sure whether this does what I need?
Can anyone enlighten me or point me in the direction of how I might find out?
Many thanks


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## eddievanbitz

Save your money and spend it on wine you don't need a Battery Master or even the cheap inferior copies as you have some thing similar that does the same job

Cheers

Eddie (Battery Master) Van Bitz


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## lgbzone

Would a Battery Master be appropriate in a situation similar to Geralds? i.e. on hook up or with the engine running both batteries are charged, but the solar charger is only connected to the leisure [email protected]

Thanks


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## SaddleTramp

lgbzone said:


> Would a Battery Master be appropriate in a situation similar to Geralds? i.e. on hook up or with the engine running both batteries are charged, but the solar charger is only connected to the leisure [email protected]
> 
> Thanks


The Battery Master is an excellent piece of equipment, and yes it would be Ok in the example you describe, BUT NOT on a Rapido, I see you have a Hymer according to your avitar so yes it would be ideal there.


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## SwampThing

Thanks to all for the quick and informative posts.


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