BMPRO J35 Battery Management System

Worst customer service I've ever experienced! When it gets to hard they stop replying to you. After constantly contacting them eventually got to speak to someone who is supposed to be senior and knowledgeable who simply put the blame on the DC-DC… Read more

charger not being BMPRO. Spoke with several auto electrician who all said that's garbage! Ripped it out and replaced with Redarc

I have had the BMPRO battery management system on our van for 5 yrs now and since day one the Comm link and BC300 have been an ongoing problem. The Commlink constantly drops its bluetooth connectivity with the shunt and despite numerous returns,… Read more

adjustments and one replacement it continues to do the same thing. Given BMPRO now has a direct link system it would suggest others have also had issues. Despite contacting BMPRO the best I can get is a 10% discount off the new direct wired system. I would have expected, given the widespread issues with the commlink ( as per many forum threads) that they would offer their customers a replacement kit free of charge. Goes without saying that I will not recommend BMPRO to anyone who asks.

Having used the BMPRO gas bottle sensors for some time, I was hopeful when I ordered the SmartLink package. Product and service both proved disappointing. Pressure sensors shipped with dead batteries. It took 4 emails over the course of a week to establish that was the problem. SmartLink unit refuses to update firmware but keeps prompting me to… Read more

update firmware every time you look at the App. Tried it multiple times on 2 different phones - same error each time. It also took a week of back and forth emails before BMPro support said " It sounds like there may be a known glitch with the iOS app that can interfere with the firmware update process, even though Bluetooth appears to be working fine. If you have any friends or family with an Android device, it might be worth trying the update through that, just as a workaround..."

So they ship with flat batteries, knowing that it doesn't work properly with IOS (iPhones) and then tell you to borrow a friend's Android or ship it back to them.

Then there is the range. Its pathetic. The gas bottle sensors had great range but the SmartLink has around half the range.

UPDATE: I left a very similar review on their website and today they contacted me with a an obviously pre-scripted response. My review was 1 star - you will note there are NO negative reviews on their web site (mine has been removed). Just another indication as to the utter lack of professionalism and integrity of this company.

FURTHER UPDATE: BMPRO Did ultimately provide me with a fair solution. My review and any other such negative reviews are still not displayed on their website. The app still disconnects from the device so you have to reconnect every time you want to check your tyre pressure which is completely useless in a moving vehicle when you are not allowed to touch your phone.

I would not recommend this product.

Avoid any caravan using BMPro products – Zero accountability for product warranty or product suitable fit for intended purpose. Don't bother with after sales support, been 2 weeks still no accountability regarding faulty BMPro Odessy Link. Useless product. Show details

Poor back up of products – Pretty poor after sales service. Had some faulty parts, they did not have replacements available so asked me to get in touch after my trip. When i got back to them after trip, caravan being in for warranty work etc BM refused to replace the previously diagnosed faulty parts. Nothing had changed in terms of parts miraculously repairing… Read more

themselves, but apparently due to their own inability to replace in a timely fashion, the warranty expired. Would avoid their products and service as much as possible for future.

Good Service Outcome – Had an issue with our BM Pro system in our van. It was just on 2 years old. BM Pro were very good at trouble shooting over the phone when we eventuallygot hold of them. System sent back for repairs, we were kept reasonably informed of the progress. Took 4 weeks and returned to us. Hopefully no further issues but service from BM Pro was good. Show details

Lack of after service – Tried 6 times to get through left 6 messages there after service is a joke.spoke to reception and put on hold for 31 min then was played a recorded message saying the are closed

BMPRO Commlink and shunt – Extremely disappointed with after sales service. Can't get thru to tech support at all. They are always busy and not one phone call has been returned. I was supposedly given an RMA number to follow up the repair of a commlink and shunt but never got one and now they can't find the missing parts. This has been now ongoing for over a month. I'm just… Read more

about to ditch the whole battery management system and buy a different product. As an update..... the issue was resolved and BMPRO sent a replacement unit which has since worked well. So whilst my initial review was quite scathing they did eventually help me to resolve the problem.

BMPRO – Hi I have a 2020 silverline Jayco my BMPRO has gone into sleep mode can you please tell why this would happen and how to get it out of sleep mode thank you Rob

BM Pro – Their system is quite good in my Jayco outback. They have a lot of good helpful information online and answer lots of common questions. Just wish the battery in the bm pro tablet was replaceable. It only lasted 4 years and it won’t hold more than 2min charge. Show details

Rubbish – Product kept failing for 2 years, finally replaced with a new one. New one has failed as well, continually gives wrong readings, ie, water tanks full when we know they are empty, shows battery reading 13.8v but display shows NO power what so ever. Now out of warranty and we are left with a dud or buy a new one, about $400. Show details

Does an alright job of the basics – I have recently purchased a Journey 17.58-1 OB with the J35B management unit. Without being able to go into too much detail (because, frankly, there isn't that much to see here) my opinion is that the J35B is alright... but not fantastic. 240VAC management is decent enough, it does the job of distributing throughout the van and charging the… Read more

installed battery when mains are connected. Ditto when it comes to charging from the vehicle: sufficient, but nothing outstanding.

Where this unit really falls down, and will soon be supported by something better, is in the solar realm. My desire is to add more solar capacity to my van, and the J35B is going to have its solar duties taken away immediately, because its maximum input voltage is far too low. In the process of installing a decent wattage panel to bolster the existing baby one, it soon becomes obvious that the 18-28VDC open circuit range is pretty anaemic, and the 300w max input is almost a bad joke. This will soon be rectified with a suitable alternative, with the J35B left in place to manage the basic 240VAC and 12VDC distribution throughout the van.

Overall, if you're looking to do a decent job of what this unit does, I'd be looking more towards Victron or Enerdrive options. More expensive, but almost guaranteed to leave this thing in the dust.

BMPRO JHUB-J35C RV-12V BATTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (JAYCO FD19 CAMPERVAN-MOTORHOME) – (6th revision 28 Dec 2018 - rating and links updated) This Review of Setec's BMPRO JHUB-J35C RV BATTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (BMS) deals with the DC charging power in a Jayco Panelvan (as opposed to AC). DC charge for a recreational Battery comes the vehicles alternator and/or the vans solar panels. For a Campervan-RV to be suitable for "self… Read more

contained living off the grid" in an eco friendly manner, rapid AUX-charge and Solar-charge are vital. The minimum expectancy for the FD19's charge system is to keep a "one way fridge" (12V) going 24/7 every day while travelling for 4 hours a day and provide sufficient daily re-charge for up to 2 Leisure batteries from the vehicles alternator and/or up to 2 Solar panels.

So, how does the JHub system fare ?

The system performance falls way short of best in class performance, which is aggravated by it not being sufficiently expandable. Even after installing the BMPRO Miniboost I only get 15A Aux charge and I suspect the Solar charger uses the inferior PWM method rather than the more effective MPPT method. Other systems, such as enerdrive are far superior !

http://www.enerdrive.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DC2DC-PLUS-User-Manual-WEB-1.0.pdf (Manual)

http://www.enerdrive.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/DC2DC-Plus-A4-2pp-WEB-01.pdf (Brochure)

http://www.enerdrive.com.au/product/epower-dc-to-dc-battery-charger-40a-plus/ (Overview)

http://www.enerdrive.com.au/mppt-vs-pwm-solar-controllers/ (Discussion Solar controllers MPPT vs PWM).

Review Details

My Campervan requires frequent and sustained access to AC Mains power (the grid). What's the problem ?

I have travelled more than 10 000 km and tested the system extensively. I have experienced black outs multiple times and was forced to return to the grid frequently after entering the battery charge red zone (charge indicator bars on jHub). The system is often not sufficiently capable to just power a fridge 24/7. I have restricted energy use for other loads i.e. lights, TV, pump, showers and set the fridge to medium cool.

At 10..15A the BMPRO JHUB-J35C under performs in AUX charging mode. Combined AUX and Solar charging is load dependent when blended and hence frequently NOT activated. A Solenoid bypass (Redarc) installed by Jayco underpins my point that BmPro's JHub on its own does not perform well enough. Further proof of my point is that BmPro has suggested I install their Miniboost (to be paid for as an Aftermarket improvement). It is designed to boost AUX charge. But in my opinion neither the crude solenoid (battery isolator) in the BMPRO-J35 circuit, nor the Miniboost make enough of a difference and match the Enerdrive DC2DC 40+ system (40 Amps Plus). Modern vehicles have smart alternator charge systems and people want to be able to run 300W+ Solar Systems with 200Ah+ Batteries.

The BMPRO Miniboost is offered as Aftermarket system supplement and should have been installed by OEM Jayco, so that the Redarc SBI (solenoid) can be removed and the JHub tablet readings don't get messed up. With a Miniboost installed the Jhub-J35 performs better at 15A output combined for loads and charge (spec rates Miniboost capability at 18..20A). Jayco's original thin wiring for the J35-Aux Input appears to be sufficient to drive 15A when a Miniboost is installed. The Miniboost seems to outperform the thick wire Redarc solenoid bypass that Jayco has installed to boost the AUX charging mode. Now the weakest link is the J35's charging algo. It is capable of running a twin charge mode, but often selects only one charging source instead of both, i.e. either AUX or Solar and frequently the weaker one.

DC CHARGE MODE EXPECTATIONS

I expect that AUX charging and Solar charging via J35 work in tandem all the time full blast until the House battery is at least 80% charged. The currently implemented charge source priority & activation algo that tests loads should only kick in when the battery is nearly fully charged (if at all). Furthermore the J35 may to often give the highly fluctuating solar charging circuit dominant source preference. With a Miniboost installed and only one solar panel available in a FD19, Solar is always the weaker source compared to AUX (15A constant vs 9A max). If we can get 15A+9A=24A most of the time, then the fridge (4A) can be sustained in a typical mixed cycle of daily driving and occasional sunshine.

In AC charge mode The JHub system bulk charges with 15A from the grid and provides additional current to power all loads. This is quite acceptable for charging one 100Ah battery, but marginal for 200..300 Ah battery blocks. The J35-AUX/Solar DC twin charge mode in my opinion only deserves 2 stars, but the innovative tablet features would have deserved 3 stars. The JHub with its SBI bypass (by Redarc) has not scored too well in the caravanersforum (see link below).

Conclusion

Considering that Jayco and Setec are in a system development partnership and that none of their Engineers are accessible to their customers is frustrating. It takes lots of emails with their respective Service departments to slowly get a picture of the systems performance. I can see no reason why DC charging of Jayco's RV leisure battery bank could not be improved.

The JHub has been promoted as an advanced technology innovation that makes system modifications fast and easy (via Tablet). It appears that there are virtually no programmable performance options. I would love to upgrade my grading to 3 stars or better once some of my concerns have been addressed. I love the idea of having a tablet controlling my energy system, but an improved energy balance for off grid camping is currently my main concern.

I suggest that Australia's dominant mass manufacturer of Australian RV's (Jayco) and their System Partner (BMPRO/Setec) will consider Enerdrive's benchmark and improve their JHUB.

------------------------------------------------------------ Links -----------------------------------------------------------------

BMPRO JHUB-J35C RV-POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (JAYCO FD19 CAMPERVAN-MOTORHOME)

https://www.catchyadreams.com/Jayco-FD19

https://caravanersforum.com/viewforum.php?f=111

https://teambmpro.com/products/solar-battery-management-system-j35c/

https://www.jayco.com.au/blog/jhub-and-bmpro-make-the-perfect-team

http://www.enerdrive.com.au/mppt-vs-pwm-solar-controllers/

http://www.enerdrive.com.au/product/epower-dc-to-dc-battery-charger-40a-plus/

Available in Australia since early 2017, BMPRO’s JHub is one the World’s first portable power management systems for monitoring and controlling caravans and motorhomes, operating from Android tablet. Designed specifically for Jayco Australia