Gem E580 48v pack and charger ???

ibcleary

On friday I take delivery of a Gem E580 48v cart. The current owner is using 4 miss matched 12v batteries charge by 4 separate car chargers since the on-board charger quit. I am betting that they are all junk. Since the frame has trays for 6 batteries the plan is to replace the pack with 6 8v interstates ( i know ) and charge with a 48v off-board charger. Either a Schauer or a LVS. After talking to the Gem guys they said any 48v system is doable, and since the original and Zivan upgrade are no longer available, the golf cart forums are probably the best place for info. The only warning given was to make sure that the charger could match the capacity of the pack. I only know about matching voltage. Since these are auto chargers that decrease down to a float and have an auto low detection do they fit the bill? Is one better than the other for this pack? Is this just a way to sell their $1000 charger? Any help is appreciated. Here are some pics.

BGW

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dougmcp

I am only familiar with the Schauer charger but looking at the LVS, it appears to be similar. I know the Schauer is a 3 stage charger and IMHO it is better than any of the ferro resonant chargers out there. Schauers can be had for around $240.
I would ask them what you get for their $1000 charger, does it come with new batteries?
Here's the Schauer info I have:

pggroves

Also check the DeltaQ QuiQ on board chargers. Pricier than LVS but solid state, designed for your pack, incl. maintenance feature, etc. Also available with a DC-DC converter. A very good charger IMO.