Winter Battery Charging Problem! (1 Viewer)

[IanF]

Hi we keep our MH in a secure storage site away from home. Unfortunately there is no EHU possibility there and in this continual poor weather the solar panels are obviously ineffective in keeping the Leisure batteries charged. Like others have I'm sure, they are located under the front seats and are quite awkward to remove as the seats and swivel plates require to be removed first.

My question then is this;- Are there any gizmos available on the market which can be charged at home then taken to the MH and recharge the Leisure batteries from it?
Thanks again
Ian

 

[Boringfrog]

I removed both seats, both with swivel bases, 4 allen bolts 10 minute job. I must admit the seats are heavy, but I don't think there is any easier way.

 

[JeanLuc]

I have a 130 watt solar panel and it keeps 2 habitation batteries topped up at this time of year. Obviously, you need to start with them fully charged first. I checked them yesterday and the voltage was 14.2 v. It has not been plugged in to mains since November.

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[andy63]

Hi Ian as above.. It's a matter of removing 4 or 5 bolts... Once you have done it a time or two it's no hardship..
That's on my transit anyway... worth looking..
Thought the solar would do something even in winter if panel is clear of snow leaves etc..
Ta Andy. .

 

[GJH]

Thought the solar would do something even in winter if panel is clear of snow leaves etc..

It depends how much sun the location gets really. Where our van is kept on our drive the low sun in December/January is blocked from the panel by buildings for enough of the day to mean that it doesn't cope on its own (especially with all the clouds and rain we've had recently). Luckily, being on the drive, I can plug it in to the mains when I need to.

 

[IanF]

Thought the solar would do something even in winter if panel is clear of snow leaves etc..
Ta Andy. .[/QUOTE]
Hi Andy the solar panels have provided over this extremely cloudy winter so far a very limited amount of charge and having just replaced all the batteries in the MH I just hoped there was a bit of kit on the market I had no knowledge of but it does not seem to be the case lol
Regards
Ian

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[andy63]

Thought the solar would do something even in winter if panel is clear of snow leaves etc..
Ta Andy. .

Hi Andy the solar panels have provided over this extremely cloudy winter so far a very limited amount of charge and having just replaced all the batteries in the MH I just hoped there was a bit of kit on the market I had no knowledge of but it does not seem to be the case lol
Regards
Ian[/QUOTE]
As @GJH has said.. depends on whether the panel gets any worthwhile light I suppose... mine isn't in storage and in street the battery's always show a healthy voltage...
Can't think of anything other than visits to run engine,or having a Genny you can run for a bit while you visit...
Andy

 

[daveandsan]

Hi Ian, how far away from you is your storage? Even though my solar panel seems to cope with topping up batteries at this time of year I still like to take the motorhome out for a 20-30 mile run every 2-3 weeks because I don't think it does it any good to leave them standing for to long. This also helps keep the batteries topped up.
Dave.

 

[HymerB544]

Hi, do you really need a gizmo? I ask because we also keep our van stored securely, some 12 miles from home. Admittedly we use it at least once a month through the Winter, but sometimes it stays unused for two to three weeks. Just to be on the safe side, I drive over at least once a fortnight to check the van, including checking the state of the two leisure batteries and of course the base vehicle battery. Occasionally I will take it for a twenty mile spin down the A30, but more often than not, I don't need to do anything. But that wasn't always the case. Until I learned from fellow Hymer MHF members that there is a leisure battery isolator switch on the Electroblock, I used to bring the van home every week or so in Winter and hook it up to the house supply. Now I find that with the isolator switched to "batterie aus" when I leave the van in storage, the charge holds very well........but I still check it as often as before!

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[IanF]

Hi Ian, how far away from you is your storage? Even though my solar panel seems to cope with topping up batteries at this time of year I still like to take the motorhome out for a 20-30 mile run every 2-3 weeks because I don't think it does it any good to leave them standing for to long. This also helps keep the batteries topped up.
Dave.

Hi Dave It is only the Leisure batteries I am concerned about. I too take the MH out every two to three weeks so no problem with the engine battery but running the MH provides nothing for the Leisure batteries
Ian

 

[JeanLuc]

Hi Dave It is only the Leisure batteries I am concerned about. I too take the MH out every two to three weeks so no problem with the engine battery but running the MH provides nothing for the Leisure batteries
Ian

It should do: the alternator should charge the leisure batteries as well as the starter battery when the engine is running.

 

[IanF]

It should do: the alternator should charge the leisure batteries as well as the starter battery when the engine is running.

Hi I thought it would do too but I'm afraid on the Lunar Roadstar you only can charge the batteries via EHU or Solar. There is total electrical separation of the engine and habitation systems
Regards
Ian

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[musson]

Try roadpro or someone like them, may be something or way to link batteries as other MHs

 

[irnbru]

Why would the leisure batteries run down a lot if nothing is getting used.?

 

[Chocy boy]

Cold weather for one

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[Don Quixote]

I have a 130 watt solar panel and it keeps 2 habitation batteries topped up at this time of year. Obviously, you need to start with them fully charged first. I checked them yesterday and the voltage was 14.2 v. It has not been plugged in to mains since November.

When you check the batteries was the sun down and the solar panel providing no charge? - Many MH owners assume that because they have a solar panel the batteries will be fine as they see 14.4 volts mid afternoon and assume their batteries are fully charged.

 

[Boringfrog]

Hi I thought it would do too but I'm afraid on the Lunar Roadstar you only can charge the batteries via EHU or Solar. There is total electrical separation of the engine and habitation systems
Regards
Ian

That doesn't sound right to me?

 

[Lenny HB]

Hi I thought it would do too but I'm afraid on the Lunar Roadstar you only can charge the batteries via EHU or Solar. There is total electrical separation of the engine and habitation systems
Regards
Ian

That does not sound right, never come across a Motorhome that does not have a split charge relay of some type to charge the leisure batteries when the engine is running.
As others have said solar should keep the batteries top up in storage even at this time of year. Last van I had an 80 watt solar panel never plugged the van into mains. Current van I have 200 watts of solar, just fitted a new regulator so I have been monitoring it. With the cloud and rain this year output have been a lot lower virtually nothing today, but most days a couple of amps an hour or two either side of midday.

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[Don Quixote]

Guy's UK sun this time of year it is not possible to get 1 or 2 amps per hour constant. If you have a regulator that show the amps watch it and you will see it showing .6 amp then 1 amp, then 2 amps then .2 amp and so on this is not 2 amps per hour................... Therefore at the end of a UK day you might and I say might have put 6 to 10 amps back after the short daylight.

 

[IanF]

That doesn't sound right to me?

I agree however it has been proved to be the case after I had Marquis Durham carry out extensive electrical tests to check the systems out.They claimed the Leisure batteries were being drawn down by the engine battery. This was proved to be erroneous and also conversely we had it proved that only on EHU or solar were the Leisure batteries being charged

 

[awg]

Is this the time to introduce generators to the thread?

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[Don Quixote]

Is this the time to introduce generators to the thread?

I don't see why not as that will sort all the problems out right away.

 

[jonandshell]

You need someone COMPETENT to look at your vans electrics!

 

[IanF]

You need someone COMPETENT to look at your vans electrics!

In truth I was hoping some competent Funster on here would in fact inform me definitively that Marquis have got it wrong
Ian

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[jonandshell]

The Mother in Law has a Lunar Premier on an 06 plate.
It has a very good electrical system which definitely includes a split charge circuit with decently specced cables.

 

[JeanLuc]

I cannot believe that a manufacturer would build a motor home that was unable to charge its habitation batteries from the alternator whilst on the move. Assuming that solar panels are not fitted as standard, that would make the van virtually unusable other than on campsites with hook-up points.

 

[IanF]

I cannot believe that a manufacturer would build a motor home that was unable to charge its habitation batteries from the alternator whilst on the move. Assuming that solar panels are not fitted as standard, that would make the van virtually unusable other than on campsites with hook-up points.

That is exactly what I thought however both Leisure batteries failed totally recently with the engine being run for an hour every two weeks. After this happened the MH was returned to Marquis who over the last two weeks have carried out extensive tests and are now replacing all 3 batteries
Ian

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[Don Quixote]

Ian, running your MH for 1 hour is not enough to charge one battery never mind 3 batteries. Depending how discharged they are depends on charging time. Around 7 hours driving is about right or on EHU 24/48 hours unless you have something like a B2B charger that can push up 48 amps in then charging time comes down to around 30/45 minutes.

 

[JeanLuc]

I appreciate the frustration you must be feeling. I suggest there may be a fault in the wiring or relays. Perhaps it would be worth visiting a good motor home engineer for another opinion. I don't know of any in your area, but if you were nearer to the Midlands, I would recommend Dave Newell in Telford.

 

[tick59]

My battery was not charging and it was a wire in the loom had broke the auto electrician found the fault in seconds.D PAuto Electrics.Units 22 and 23. Tyneside Auto Parc. Sandy Lane. Gosforth NE3 5 HE. Tel No. 0191217221 or Mobile 07932409771 Ask for Darren Percival. This is down Sandy Lane and inside the Old Autoparc, Watch for his van parcked on grass verge then turn left into Autoparc. Good Luck. fun!!! fun!!! fun!!!