Who
Allan Whiting is a veteran journalist of the Australian Outback Travel scene. His website Outback Travel Australia has an unrivalled background of articles, photos and videos of 4WDs, outback and remote destinations. Last year Allan embarked on a two month trip in the remote Australian outback. Before he left he had The Manager30 Battery Management System installed in his vehicle. With ample time to test The Manager30, we were interested in what Allan had to say about the battery management system.
The Set Up
Allan knew he was going to be on the road for a substantial amount of time, he planned on going off the beaten track and knew that powered sites were out of the question. The need for a battery management system was identified.
Allan drives a 75 series Toyota Landcruiser with a slide on camper; previously he had an older generation REDARC dual battery charger. He decided that he would switch from a dual battery charger to a battery management system as it would provide “extra insurance” when heading to remote destinations.
How it benefitted his campsite
The number one benefit that The Manager30 bought to Allan’s campsite was the comfort and alleviation of knowing his battery setup would take care of itself and not having to worry about his vehicle's charging status.
The Manager30 operates like six separate products in one: an auxiliary vehicle battery charger whilst on the move, a 240-volt charger; a solar regulator; a battery isolator; a remote battery monitor and a load-disconnect controller. With these features, it means you can relax and let it do all the hard work ensuring that your beers are always cold. Even in the most remote locations, The Manager30 ensured optimum charging every time.
Allan also enjoyed the speed that The Manager30 charged his Lithium Batteries after an overnight fridge operation. On a sunny morning, the battery was back up to 100% charge after receiving a couple of hours of sunlight on a 200-watt portable solar panel. Allan said, “The Manager30 edged slightly over its rated 30-amp charge capacity with mains or alternator input, giving a very fast recharge. However, even with typical solar input around 6.5 amps the lithium battery recovered in a couple of hours every sunny morning.”
Favourite Feature
On a unit that has so many features which are constantly being used it’s hard to pinpoint one that stands out. Allan was impressed by all these features and the fact it could do so much at the same time. The fact that it manages inputs from mains, solar and the vehicle alternator and displays the state of charge in real time on the remote panel was one feature that really stood out.
The reliability of the unit was also an important feature, as Allan spends so much time in remote environments he cannot risk his electrical equipment failing on him. Reliability is paramount, says Allan.
The Verdict
So would Allan recommend The Manager 30 battery management system to his friends? Constantly he says, he has already talked his brother into getting one for his new caravan as well as numerous others he has met along the road and in the bush.
Currently, he is fitting another one to his brand new off-road caravan where it will manage two 100-Amp Lithium Batteries.
Speaking of The Manager30 Allan says, “REDARC’s Manager30 isn’t cheap, but our first 6 months of testing shows that it’s the best battery charger and management system we have used”
To read the review in full click here
Visit Allan’s website Outback Travel Australia: http://www.outbacktravelaustralia.com.au/
This article has been published with Allan Whiting’s permission.
