EHU When Stored (1 Viewer)

[steveski]

Hi Guys,
I have been worried about my batteries discharging while the van is parked at home, it will be for about a month unused. its mainly because of the alarm etc, so I was thinking of connecting to the house electric via a timer and having it come on for 15 minutes maybe 1/2 hour a day, this is because I have been told not to leave it connected to the mains for long periods as it may damage the batteries, my question is would this amount of time be enough to keep topped up without damage

 

[Alistair33]

We have a land rover that gets very little use, so have had a cigar lighter socket fitted directly to the battery and plug in a small solar panel which does the job brilliantly, battery has never gone flat since

 

[ambulancekidd]

Our motorhome stays on charge all the time while at home. Always ran caravans this way too with no ill effects. The charger will keep your battery in perfect condition that way.

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[treetops1]

I think providing your batteries are checked (top up ect) you should not have a problem .I used to keep mine plugged in over winter and never had a problem .I now have solar panels and still have no problems .

 

[hilldweller]

via a timer and having it come on for 15 minutes maybe 1/2 hour a day

Some chargers can damage a battery doing this because they do a boost charge when turned on.

We just leave ours plugged in.

 

[eddie]

Mine is always plugged in

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[TheCaller]

It depends on the charger fitted to your van. Most modern vans have 'smart' chargers which switch to float mode once the batteries are fully charged. Most people are happy to leave these plugged in all the time.

If you do decide to unplug, I would be more inclined to plug in for 12 hours once a fortnight rather than 1/2 an hour once a day.

 

[WillH]

Ours is plugged in all winter, we run a small thermostatically controlled heater as well. During the lighter months the solar panel does the job more than adequately.

 

[scotjimland]

I recently fitted two new 85 ah Exide Gel batteries and read conflicting opinions on what was best practice when not being used, endless debates that usually end up in a stalemate.. with two Google Engineers battling it out..

My own view was it was better not to keep on charge, but to have a charging program.

As I have Hymer with a Schaudt EBL 99, I sought advice from Udo Lang at Schaudt.

I wrote:

Dear Udo

Can you advise, what is the best procedure for keeping GEL batteries charged when motorhome not being used.

I have read it is better not to have them on charge continually as it will shorten the life of both batteries and the EBL

Other have said it does no harm to have the 240v mains connected all the time, what is your advice ?

Regards

Udo's reply

Dear James,

thank you for your mail.

I would charge with a timer once a month for 24 hours or each couple of weeks for 24 hours to keep the battery on level over 12V.

To stay longer than 3 weeks on the mains when the camper is not in usage, may create a kind of memory effect on the leisure battery.


With Best Regards,

i. o. Udo Lang.

So my advice is to consult the owners manual.. or speak direct to the charger manufacture for specific advice.. alternatively,

the above advice is good general advice and will not harm either batteries or charger.

In the Hymer manual they don't give specific advice, but say that the leisure batteries should be put on charge for 48 hours before a trip.. by implication they are not on EHU continually

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[davidathomas42]

All good advice and not too much conflict

I also spoke to Swift who built mine and they said the charger I have has a float charge on it when full so it's fine to leave it plugged in all the time which is what I do

I also have a Harley Davidson that lives permanently on a battery conditioner thru an accessory wire direct to the battery to keep it topped up when not in use which is about 359 days of the year, the battery is 9 years old and still kicks over a 1690CC V-Twin with no effort at all.

 

[RogerThat]

Same here, mine is plugged in to EHU for weeks on end, no issues to report. In fact, this winter we've been off the road due to gearbox problems and it sat on the drive for three months on EHU!

Also as per @davidathomas42 my bike spends weeks or months at a time on an Optimate.

 

[steveski]

thanks for all the help guys, as the van is only 12 months old I think I it would be worth checking with the manufacturers if it has the 'soft' charge function on it so i can leave on all the time, I have noticed a guy a couple of streets away who's van hasn't moved for months is always plugged in ( I pass it every day) but obviously I don't know if its always switched on.

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[treetops1]

I think you will find your van has a smart charger and no problem to leave it to charge ,unless of course they found an old one in a cupboard and decided to get rid of it by fitting it to yours lol