Consider using a standard industrial power supply. Meanwell is a well known brand.

The S350 series work to charge batteries since they run Constant Current (CC)

up to the set voltage and then constant voltage (CV), so it will work exactly as 

a vehicle alternator.

Here is one seller. They are also common on ebay, though some without the 

"MW" logo on ebay may be inferior copies.

http://epbuddy.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=28
This one is nominally 15V, but has a trim pot for +- 10% so you can turn it down 

to 14 V.

Note that Meanwells newer S320 series may not work to charge a deeply 
depleted battery. Unlike the S350 which does CC mode, the S320 series 
simply shuts off when the current limit is reached.

I have both S320 and S350's and I'm satisfied with the quality.

Martin

----- Original Message -----
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Cc: 
Sent: Friday, October 7, 2011 9:47:19 AM
Subject: Battery Charger ?

� Not totally Vanagon but it will be used for my Vanagon's batteries.

� Where the he** can I find a "manual" battery charger, one that is small
enough to carry in a vehicle, not a shop sized wheel around one?�  I am told
I need to have a charging rate of 14volts (amps?), minimum, in order to get
my deep cycle batteries back to full charge.

� We have a camp trailer with a 'power center' that supplies a low rate (a
couple of amps, I guess) charge to the house batteries when the trailer is
plugged into shore power or connected to our Coleman generator in an
emergency.� I can't afford a new expensive inverter/charger/powercenter.

� I am told the newer 'power centers' in most RVs and trailers have
invertor/chargers that put� at least 14 volts into the house batteries when
a generator is connected or they ar plugged into the grid....and that we
need one of "these"....or alternatly, we can use a seperate battery charger
that supplies 14volts, connected right to the house batteries.

� I have about 3 of those so called "Smart Chargers" that� work seldom on a
dead battery..... when a battery is dead or actually needs a charge... (I am
being sarcastic there) the chargers won't do it.
You clip em on and the� circuitry somehow prevents them from adding juice
to the battery that is dead.
� I also have an old style manual charger...it has a dual rate...2amps and
10 amps-It 'sort of' works but it is old and funky with bad switches and no
operating dial....So I want to replace that ,but I am told that I need at
least 14 amps(?) to get our deep cycle NAPA (almost new) house batteries up
again after an extended cloudy camping period....

� Online, I have found only one "manual" battery charger of the portable
style...Shumacher....but it only delivers 10amps..

� So can someone point me to a manual battery charger that puts out about 15
amps?� One that is portable and that is under about $75?� One that is
"On....or....off" without any 'smart programming' that 'needs to see a
certain reading before it operates or that diminishes the charging rate as
the battery gains, or any of that fancy stuff?�  I want one to work, every
time.

� Last winter I was� sometimes using our vehicle to charge the batteries in
the trailer with jumper cables when my SO ran the house batteries totally
flat........Not the most efficient use of fossil fuel...� In a perfect
world, we would just go to the RV park and pay the $78/night fee to
camp....but that is not going to happen...

� Don Hanson

� Sorry for the imprecise terminology about things electrical...I hope I got
my info request across, despite being an electrical dunce.