The Rego 60A Renogy DC to DC battery charger is a game changer for RVers and van lifers who spend time off-grid. Check out our complete review of the best bidirectional DC to DC battery charger on the market.
Are you looking for maximum convenience on your RV trip? Look no further than the Rego 60A Renogy DC to DC Charger!
This bidirectional charger makes managing your RV energy needs a breeze, allowing you to charge your starter and house battery while driving.
With its advanced design, easy installation, and hard-wearing construction, the Rego is set to become the go-to choice for powering up on the move.
Functionally, there’s no better option for boondocking and off-grid living. But it carries a high price tag.
Keep reading for our full review of the Rego 60A Renogy DC to DC battery charger to see if it’s worth it and how it measures up against the alternatives.
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At A Glance: Rego 60A Renogy DC to DC Charger Review
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The Rego 60A Renogy DC to DC Charger is the perfect solution for managing your RV energy needs on the go.
As one of the only bidirectional chargers available on the market today, it makes charging house batteries while driving easy AND helps ensure your starter battery never flattens again.
The bidirectional feature of this DC to DC charger means you get maximum usage out of your solar panel setup.
When living off-grid or boondocking, there’s no better choice.
It’s got a solid, durable metal case with large cooling vents to assist ventilation and cooling.
Installation is super easy, too. It’s mounted to a vertical wall with four screws. Plus, the Anderson cables mean setting up is a matter of plug & play.
It’s suitable for any battery bank size. However, if charging your starter battery is less important for your lifestyle, it’s oversized for battery banks less than 100ah lithium or 200 lead-acid deep cycle batteries.
What We Like
- Bidirectional charging – charge your starter battery when off-grid and house battery while driving. Never get stranded with a flat starter battery again.
- Cut-off & cut in-parameters are low, meaning more protection for the starter battery.
- The Reg 60A Renogy DC to DC Charger is compatible with the Renogy One out of the box.
- Bluetooth enabled.
What We Don’t Like
- The high price tag compared to unidirectional DC to DC chargers.
- Size & amount of space needed for installation compared to unidirectional DC to DC chargers.
- The battery selection knob is too big, especially as you’ll only ever use it once.
- Anderson cables are included as standard in the US, but in the UK & EU, they are optional. You can buy non-Renogy cables for a fraction of the price. We prefer the same choice for US, UK & EU customers.
Disclaimer: Renogy sent us a Rego 12v 60A Renogy DC to DC Charger for this review. However, the content of this post is not sponsored by Renogy, and all opinions are our own.
Where To Buy The Rego 60A Renogy DC to DC Charger
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Rego 60A Renogy DC to DC Charger Specification
General
- System Voltage: 12VDC
- Operating Temperature: -20 ℃ – 60℃ / -4 ℉ – 140℉
- Weight: 7 lbs/ 3.12kg
- Dimensions: 13.91 x 8.37 x 4.02 in / 353.53 X 212.75 X 102.21mm
- Terminals: Anderson PP75
- Certification: CB ; FCC ; CE ; UKCA ; MIC
- Warranty: 5-year material & “workmanship” warranty
Charging House Battery
- Rated Charge Current: 60A
- Idle Power Consumption: <0.05A
- Input Voltage Range: 10V-16V
- Float Voltage: 13.8V
- Boost Voltage: 14.2 – 14.6V
- Recommended Input fuse 90A
- Recommended Output Fuse 80A
Charging Starter Battery
- Smart Alternator Cut-In: <11.5v
- Smart Alternator Cut-Off: >12v
- Traditional Alternator Cut-In: <12.7v
- Traditional Alternator Cut-Off: >13.2v
Why Do You Need A Bidirectional DC To DC Battery Charger In An RV Camper?
Most DC to DC battery chargers are unidirectional and work by charging RV batteries when the engine’s alternator is running and after the starter battery is fully charged.
When the vehicle’s engine is turned off, the work of the battery charger is done. You can live off-grid for as long as your house battery can support your energy use.
However, no matter how large your battery bank is, how much solar you’ve installed, or how long you’re hooked up, a unidirectional charger can’t charge your starter battery.
That can be a significant problem for long-term RVers.
An RVs starter battery is essential for starting the engine. But, they are prone to flattening when the engine isn’t running for extended periods.
A bidirectional DC to DC battery charger like Renogy’s Rego 60A device eliminates this problem.
It ensures you protect your starter battery over the house battery. After all, you’d probably prefer to drive out of your boondocking pitch than enjoy a cold beer!
Plus, a bidirectional charger can use all your other charging sources to charge the starter battery.
Without it, your only option for charging your starter battery is to use a separate maintainer.
They’re a cheap solution and rely heavily on a small solar panel in your windscreen, so they’re not incredibly reliable.
How Does It Work?
The way the Rego DC to DC battery charger works is the same whether you have a smart or traditional alternator.
There is a difference in the operating voltages for the different alternators, but otherwise, it works the same way.
Charging The House Battery
When you start your engine, the charger checks the starter battery’s voltage exceeds the operating voltage based on the alternator type and waits 15 seconds.
By checking the starter battery voltage before anything else, the Rego charger prioritizes charging the starter battery over the house battery.
The Rego charger will operate only once the starter battery is sufficiently charged.
It will charge the battery bank at a maximum of 60A per hour of driving.
We have 2 x Renogy 200ah lithium batteries to give us a 400ah battery bank.
That means we need to provide 400A to fully recharge from empty.
Therefore, we could completely recharge our 400ah lithium batteries in almost 7 hours while driving with Rego 60A DC to DC charger.
The charger will only stop charging the house battery under two scenarios:
- The house battery is fully charged,
- The starter battery’s voltage drops close to the operating voltage needed to restart the engine.
When you reach your destination and switch off the engine, your starter battery’s voltage will settle. However, this isn’t instant and usually takes a few minutes, so you may find the starter battery continues to charge your RV’s electrical system.
It’ll soon stop once the cut-out voltage for the alternator type is reached.
Charging The Starter Battery
With the engine off, your starter battery will slowly but surely lose voltage. You don’t want to lose so much voltage that you cannot restart your engine.
Renogy’s Rego DC to DC battery charger monitors the voltage of the starter and house battery.
When these conditions are both met:
- the starter battery’s voltage falls within the parameters for your alternator, AND
- the house battery’s voltage exceeds the parameter for your alternator,
the Rego battery charger will charge the starter battery at a rate of 30A for 1 minute.
It then pauses for 30 seconds, retesting the voltage at the starter battery.
If both conditions apply, the charger will charge the starter battery for another minute and retest.
If one or neither of the conditions apply, the battery charger will stop charging the starter battery.
How Does It Rate Against The Competition?
Renogy claims the Rego DC to DC charger uses exclusive bidirectional charging technology.
That may be the case, but there are competitive products.
These include:
- Sterling Power 2023 Model 12V To 12V DC To DC Chargers 40A, 70A &120A
- Dual Sensing Split Charger Relays
- Regular Renogy DC to DC Chargers (and non-Renogy brands too)
And some of those options can charge the starter and house battery.
Rego 60A Renogy DC to DC charger Vs. Sterling Power 2023 Model
Sterling Power has three models of bidirectional charger:
- 40A,
- 70A,
- 120A
That means you can buy the charger that closely matches your house battery’s maximum charging current without over specing.
The Rego is only available in 60A, albeit you can adjust the charging current downwards.
The Sterling model charges the starter battery at 20A compared to 30A from the Renogy charger. That means the starter battery will charge more slowly with the Sterling charger.
Sterling’s cut-in and cut-off battery voltages are much higher than Renogy’s. That means that although the Sterling charger prioritizes the starter battery, it doesn’t give it the same attention as the Rego.
The house batteries need to be well charged at 13.5v to charge the starter battery. That will probably work best when your RV is hooked up to shore power, but it may not be ideal when running solely from solar.
The Sterling bidirectional charger is compatible with electric vehicles.
Electric vehicles are on an upward trend, and there’s plenty in the press about Winnebago’s Concept electric RV and rumors (or hope) that Tesla will design one.
At this time, there are no electric RVs, so the fact that Sterling is on the front foot may be irrelevant. For Now.
How Does The Rego 60A Renogy DC to DC Charger Compare To The Renogy 60A DC to DC Charger?
- The regular charger is unidirectional, so unlike the Rego, it cannot charge the starter battery.
- The Rego is twice the size of the regular battery charger and needs much more installation space to provide sufficient ventilation.
- The Rego battery charger is 50% heavier than the regular charger.
- The Rego is significantly more efficient than a regular battery charger. However, that’s less relevant for battery chargers as they operate mainly while the alternator is kicking out plenty of voltage.
- The Rego has a far better warranty – 5 years compared to only one year for the regular battery charger.
- The Rego is about twice the price of a regular 60A battery charger. But, if charging the starter battery is a crucial aspect of your lifestyle (and it’s a game changer for long-term RVers and boondockers), it’s well worth the investment.
Bidirectional DC to DC Charger Vs. Dual Sensing Split Charger Relays
Dual-sensing split charger relays can also charge house and starter batteries and don’t cost anywhere near the same as a DC to DC charger, let alone this bidirectional model.
So, why not use a split charge relay instead of this bidirectional battery charger?
Dual-sensing split charge relays are low cost, but they have limitations. If your RV electrical setup and lifestyle mean you can work within these limitations, then they’re a more economical option.
- Dual-sensing split charge relays are not compatible with lithium batteries.
- They’re not compatible with smart alternators.
- A split charge relay can only charge your house batteries to about 80%. This isn’t a great option if you rely on driving as a primary source of recharging your battery bank.
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Rego 60A DC to DC Charger’s Key Features
Bidirectional Charging
Rego’s bidirectional charging feature is a revolutionary way to use solar energy in a modern RV, campervan, or motorhome.
Allowing energy from the leisure batteries to be used both to power appliances and feed back into the starter battery helps conserve energy and maintain a steady charge on both types of batteries.
With Rego’s bidirectional charging, you can make the most of your solar panels and have peace of mind knowing that you always have enough power for the journey ahead.
Compatible With Multiple Battery Types & Alternators
Rego’s is the perfect choice for RV, campervan, and motorhome owners, as it is compatible with multiple battery types and traditional and smart alternators.
This means that you can easily switch between battery types without any hassle or extra costs.
If you’re still running on lead acid and want to switch to lithium batteries in the future, the Rego DC to DC charger will continue to work.
With Renogy’s Rego battery charger, there’s no need to worry about compatibility issues or running out of power – all you have to do is plug in and go!
Various Protections For Ultra Safety
Rego’s chargers are designed with safety in mind and come loaded with various features that guarantee a safe and reliable charging experience.
Industry-leading technology such as:
- over & under voltage protection,
- over-temperature protection,
- short-circuit warnings, and
- reverse polarity protection.
It ensures that your leisure batteries stay charged and maintained safely, giving you greater peace of mind throughout your journey.
Renogy DC Home App
With the Rego DC-DC Battery Charger, you can monitor your charging status easily with the Bluetooth module and Renogy DC Home App.
For more customized control, switch the battery type selector to USER MODE to adjust Boost Voltage, Float Voltage, and Boost Duration time from your smartphone.
Alternatively, if your system runs with a maximum charge voltage of less than 60A, you can adjust the charging current in USER MODE for optimal performance.
RV-C comms port allows you to connect the charger to other Rego devices via drop tab components so you can hard wire it to the Renogy One.
You can connect it via Bluetooth, but hardwired connections are generally more reliable.
Aside from selecting your battery type (with an oversized knob), the Rego battery charger has no device controls.
Instead, everything is operated from the DC Home App or the Renogy One if installed.
The following are some of the parameters you can adjust via the app:
- Maximum charging current – essential to synchronize with your batteries’ maximum charging current.
- Equalization Boost & Float voltages – so you can configure it to your specific battery. That’s especially useful for lead-acid batteries.
- Undervoltage warning trip level
- Duration of boost and equalization phases – so you can configure it to your specific battery. Again, that’s especially useful for lead-acid batteries.
The app also allows you to monitor the state of both starter and house batteries and their charging status.
Affordability
Let’s be clear; the Rego DC-DC Battery Charger is costly.
In the US, it’ll set you back about $500. However, you can get it a little cheaper (around £300) in the UK if you opt to supply your cables and Anderson connectors separately.
Plus, you need a couple of ANL fuses which are roughly $15 each.
But Renogy doesn’t sell the recommended fuse sizes, so you either need to go larger or buy the correct size elsewhere. Do not buy smaller fuses than recommended, or you will not be protected.
The total cost is almost twice that of Renogy’s unidirectional 60A DC to DC charger. So, if you don’t need the feature of charging the starter battery, it’s a high price to pay.
However, if you spend much of your RV time off-grid, stationery, or in a remote place and want to rely on a charged starter battery, the price difference is well worth it.
Plus, if you compare the cost to the only other viable bidirectional DC to DC battery charger from Sterling, it’s about 20% cheaper.
The Full Renogy DC to DC Charger Range
Rego 12V 60A DC-DC Battery Charger 12V 60A DC to DC Battery Charger 12V 40A DC to DC On-Board Battery Charger 12V 20A DC to DC On-Board Battery Charger DCC50S 12V 50A DC-DC On-Board Battery Charger with MPPT DCC30S 12V 30A Dual Input DC-DC On-Board Battery Charger with MPPT
Resources
- Rego 60A Renogy DC to DC Charger Specification
- Rego 60A Renogy DC to DC Charger Manual
- Rego 60A Renogy DC to DC Charger Warranty
In Conclusion
The
With its powerful bidirectional capabilities and adjustable parameters, you can customize it to your specific needs and ensure your batteries are charged efficiently and safely.
Although not cheap at around $500, it still offers excellent value compared to other similar products on the market. It’s worth investing in if you spend much of your time off the grid or away from power sources.
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Got a question about battery charging? Share it in the comments section below!
No, the price is NOT $500. The price is $500 plus $300 to $500 for a high power alternator. A 60 amp draw will rapidly destroy a standard alternator.