charging leisure battery (1 Viewer)

[oddjob]

Advice please

Just got back from our first little venture,spot on
I think i understand that whilst on hook up the leisure battery charges up,
but when on the move am i right in saying that the engine charges the leisure battery up ,or do i need to keep hooking up to charge???
told you to get ready for silly questions
oddjob

 

[dellwood33]

The split charger should charge your leisure batteries as you drive along.

 

[oddjob]

Thanks for your reply.
So if after a 60 mile round trip plus it was on charge for days before we left,
Would you say the battery's knackered, or could it be the split charger?
If you think its the battery what do you guys recommend ,the seller did say it was about 3 and1/2 years old
oddjob

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[derekfaeberwick]

It does sound as if you need a new battery, go for the biggest one, ones, that fit.

 

[Wildman]

you don't actually say what the problem is, is the battery not charged, does it run flat quick, or what. what 12v usage do you have, what size battery.
You may need to select which battery to charge on the zig or equivalent panel. does it not say in the handbook?

 

[pappajohn]

was the battery flat from the outset even though it had been on charge for a few days ?

if it was ok at first you may be expecting too much of the battery if not on hookup on site.

could also be knackered of course.oh:

easiest way to check if the engine is charging it is a multimeter across the battery terminals both with and without the engine running.

a higher reading with the engine running will show the systems working ok.
same with the onboard charger...check it both on hookup and off, same as above.

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[Bulletguy]

Worth getting it checked. If you don't have a meter or 'know how', any decent auto electrics place or battery fitters will do it for free (only takes a few seconds). But as you say its 3.5 years old then it's quite probably at the end of its life, especially if not been in regular use and cared for.

 

[spiritsfree]

Help with advice and understanding on 12volt please ??

I`m not totally thick, but where electricity is concerned i have to admit, although i am trying, i`m not grasping it.

My question, bearing in mind I wild camp, is about what i need to power 2 x laptop, a TV...and the occasional battery chargers......and how i can understand what power they use...and for how long ?

I am in the process of upgrading from a Pilote Galaxy 75......to an A Class Dethleffs.....and want to get it right.....as i have a solar panel on the Pilote, and we generally head to Scotland early Spring and Late Autumn (for photography)....and most days find the inverter is "screaming at us" after say 4 hours of TV ( not 12 volt ). In trying to get it right this time, I`d like to add what is necessary to the new motorhome in order that we have peace of mind...and relaxation.

I`m going to get a couple of "ciggy" connection adapters for the Pc`s...and maybe a 12 volt TV, as well as a second leisure battery.

Now the man at the shop said that if the leisure batteries were running low, I could switch on the engine for say an hour and recharge the batteries......also that as we move around Scotland it will charge as we are travelling, (generally we`ve only stayed in one place for 3 days ).

Obviously weather wise, Scotland is not the place and at that time of year, where solar panels are effective. This time I`d like any advice, in order to get it right, as to what I need to put our minds at rest. Our normal pattern is to wild camp for 6 days, and then stay over on a camp site, if that helps.

I hope I`ve explained my concerns in a simple way, for what to me is unknown territory, and do`nt come across as a complete dork !! oh:

Any advice , no matter how big or small, will be very much appreciated

 

[barnybg]

Battery or not ?

Also check that you haven't by accident left something on,like a light or a fridge etc as this will drain the battery,faster than you can drive/recharge it !!
I assume you are new to your vehicle and to motorhoming,so sit down in the comfort of the van,read all your books/manuals,checking everything is 'unplugged and switched off',then go from there.

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[Bulletguy]

Also check that you haven't by accident left something on,like a light or a fridge etc as this will drain the battery,faster than you can drive/recharge it !!

Good point.........forgot to mention that myself despite experiencing!

Had just fitted a brand new 110ah batt, then took my van in for MOT. Drove around for couple of days before I went to put on one of the internal lights and......no light! Eventually found some guy at the Garage had switched my fridge on, no doubt thinking he had switched it off due to the 'upside down' switches!

 

[pappajohn]

Good point.........forgot to mention that myself despite experiencing!

Had just fitted a brand new 110ah batt, then took my van in for MOT. Drove around for couple of days before I went to put on one of the internal lights and......no light! Eventually found some guy at the Garage had switched my fridge on, no doubt thinking he had switched it off due to the 'upside down' switches!

bit puzzled here....why would the mot tester need to be in the living area of the van in the first place ? nowt for him to test there !

 

[Bulletguy]

bit puzzled here....why would the mot tester need to be in the living area of the van in the first place ? nowt for him to test there !

When I picked the van up he asked me if i'd got anything connected in the van as he'd "had a spark" off the van battery. I casually dismissed it as I knew i'd got nothing running and thought no more about it.

When I discovered the leisure battery had gone down, I looked at the fridge switch and his remark came back to me.....like a flash! Just a pity he hadn't said 'by the mate I think you left your fridge on so i've switched it off', then i'd have looked straight away as I know anyone thats unfamiliar with them will always think 'on' is off.

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[wireman]

as mentioned elsewhere, 2 x 110 amp batteries at least (bigger if you can fit them, deffo still go for as big a solar panel as you can (given its scotland).

Look on your equipment and you will see a voltage or wattage rating ; you can work it out from the wattage and voltage . Basically if it draws say 120 watts at 12 volts then it will draw 10 amps. Remember that the batteries should never be discharged more than 50% if you can avoid it then you have 110 amps safely available from 2 x 110 amp hour batteries. so you should be able to run that equiment for 11 hours give or take safely. Now just add up all your power requirements in amps and divide that into 50% of your avaiable battery power and you have how many hours you can run your electrical bits without needing a recharge.

So lights, tele, lappies, water pump, etc add them all up (apmerage remember) and you have a reasonable idea of the daily draw. Then add back in the solar power (120 watt will maybe give you 4-5 amps an hour back into the system) to give yuorself a very good idea of how long you have. The biigger the batteries and the bigger the solar the better.

 

[oddjob]

Thanks for your replies
Anyway had the motorhome serviced today mechanic tested leisure battery totally Knackered,
oddjob

 

[pappajohn]

When I picked the van up he asked me if i'd got anything connected in the van as he'd "had a spark" off the van battery. I casually dismissed it as I knew i'd got nothing running and thought no more about it.

When I discovered the leisure battery had gone down, I looked at the fridge switch and his remark came back to me.....like a flash! Just a pity he hadn't said 'by the mate I think you left your fridge on so i've switched it off', then i'd have looked straight away as I know anyone thats unfamiliar with them will always think 'on' is off.

even more puzzled now.....

the only way he's going to 'get a spark' from the battey is if he removed one of the battery leads while something was running or dropped/touched a spanner or similar across live and earth.

no reason to disconnect the leisure battery and to drop something on it from under the bonnet would be difficult with a leisure battery (unless its under the bonnet)oh:

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[philipjackson]

Battery charging

We have been having a similar problem. I am waiting for a new onboard battery charger after ours failed. I don't think it has worked since we purchased the van 5 months ago. The lights were getting dimmer and dimmer, even though we were hooked up to the mains. It has turnd out that the onboard charger ws at fault. Fortunately, it is covered by the warranty. It is worth having it checked before you buy a battery. Apparently the chargers are approx. £300 to replace.

 

[movan]

Just word of warning, after having my first service my leisure battery suddenly wasn't charging and I was told needed new one.

Paid out for this only to find that it too ran down. It turned out that the split fuse was missing (about 75p) and for some reason it had been removed during the service and not replaced.... no reason to remove it other than to try it out on another van maybe? Anyway the company who did service now not in existence ... no names mentioned and really cheesed off as not rolling in money.:Sad: