BREAKAWAY BATTERY MONITOR QUOTE

Dougwe · Chief one feather

BREAKAWAY BATTERY MONITOR QUOTE

Froggos · Veteran Member

from what I've just heard at a caravan dealer it's a cost thats a bit over the top. I'm staying with the simple system using the vans batteries and no monitor in tug.

Phillipn · Guru

Breakaway battery monitors are only required if you live in NSW. I agree with you Doug, the price you received is a rip off.

Our vans breakaway system is powered from the vans house batteries and not a seperate battery as some are. The breakaway system has to hold on for 15 minutes.

If you live in a state other than NSW, their is no need to have a monitoring system and I am not going to fit one until Qld make it a requirement.

It is good practice to pull the pin out and spray WD40 on the points to stop the contact points from rusting.

Bass · Senior Member

Mine is getting done this week as part of the service. they rang me up and said it needed to be replaced... cost $80.00. I said go ahead. Bloody glad they aint servicing my van.

Cheers bass

iana · Guru

The unit is $50 on the net. Attached is the installation diagram, three wires, looks pretty simple to do by ones self.

macka17 · Guru

I paid $64 del for mine.
Wired into van and it's battery.
has own battery.
Hr to fit taking it easy, and shrink wrapping joints.

The Belmont Bear · Guru

Dougwe I had one supplied and fitted by an auto electrician by memory I think I paid somewhere around $200 I'm not in Oz at the moment so I can't check my receipts. There was the cost of the unit plus they had to run the wiring through the car and mount it under the dash so that you can see or hear it if it happened to go off. Personally I think it's a pretty stupid law that I had to fit one just because I lived in NSW when any visitor to the state doesn't - in my opinion it should be all or none.

cheers BB

-- Edited by The Belmont Bear on Saturday 29th of July 2017 01:45:13 PM

Phil C · Guru

Gday Doug

I was on the understanding that the monitor needed to be a voltmeter. There is a unit on ebay that monitors the battery systems, I believe 4 monitors. Forgotten its name but around $250, dead easy to install.

Hope you are well old mate

jontee · Veteran Member

Hi Dougwe,
It sounds like you have a quote to supply and fit a breakaway unit and a monitor , not just the monitor.
Cheers,
Jontee

PeterD · Guru

Phil C wrote:
I was on the understanding that the monitor needed to be a voltmeter.

The breakaway units and their monitors work together. Each time you apply the brakes the monitoring circuitry puts a load across the battery. The monitor puts out an alarm if the voltage drop is excessive.

A simple volt meter does not comply. The monitor is required to report when the battery does not have sufficient capacity to apply the vans brakes for 15 minutes when the van separates from the tug. It is possible for a crook battery to measure sufficiently high volts when it is on charge or off charge but not have sufficient capacity.

macka17 · Guru

Why not just pass a wire from car battery. to Voltmeter to Van plug at rear. through to Breakaway.

That way it'll show good volts all the time. and both charge B\Away battery
and operate it if batt dead?.

Cover all 3 desirables.
Good battery feed. Meter meets law. and breakaway always works.

Or. Just like everybody else.
Install B\Away with own battery in front boot. Wired to either van battery. or to van plug and car battery.

having a little dial that says you have a weak battery in breakaway and you coupla weeks away from civilisation.
Ain't gonna do anybody any good.
Apart from NSW Gov't getting another fine payment in their coffers.

Typical Idiotic NSW I suppose. Nearly as bad as their police hey.