Help Motorhome battery DEAD....can you help please? (1 Viewer)

Apr 21, 2015
64
59
Spalding, uk
Funster No
35,985
MH
Autosleeper Winchcom
Exp
Newbie!!
Hi please can some one help?

Nuevo Autosleeper Peugot Boxer van 2014

Our motor home appears to have no battery power at all. Everything has stopped working. Although this morning after plugging in electric hook up the Leisure battery is now showing up and has power. We are parked at home, thankfully

Nothing else is working, ignition etc

Does any one have any idea what may be wrong?
Thanks
 

Badknee

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Aug 25, 2014
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How long has it been stood? Days, week, months? It will help to understand if indeed there is a fault.
 
?

****

Deleted User
Get a multimeter direct to see if you have 12.5v or higher on the battery. 12 i would say is low. are you even getting a click from the starter solenoid? Bit of luck you left a light on and battery is flat. Slightly less luck battery is 100% dead and even less luck is you have 12.5v and its something else (Could be a fuse((Fingers crossed)) If you dont have a meter you can get them in B&Q or halfords for around £8

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Feb 9, 2008
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Since 2008 after caravanning for 20 years
3 weeks is about how long my chassis battery would last before needing a charge, okay now since I had a solar panel fitted.
 

Brisey

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Sep 4, 2007
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Due to current drain and the cold weather your batteries are flat.
Best solution to stop this happening again is to have a solar panel
and a Battery Master fitted.

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glenn2926

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Sounds like your vehicle battery is discharged. Mine did that a few weeks ago. If you are on hook up at home plug a battery charger into one of the sockets ( I used my motorbike one) and charge up the vehicle battery. This will require leaving at least 24 hours. Should then be good to go. I have since wired in a system where by the vehicle battery is charged whilst on hook up. Can't remember what make it is but it was recommended on here.
 
Jul 29, 2013
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If your charger trickles the vehicle battery it's a good idea to leave on hook up when parked up at home but sounds like you need to get a new battery
 

denisejoe

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Wouldn't a battery master put excess charge into the leisure battery but would need the engine running a solar panel with a regulator that charged both batteries would be better

joe
 

Brisey

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The solar panel charges the leisure battery. Once the leisure battery is charged the Battery Master allows the charge, which is no longer needed by the leisure battery to go to the engine battery if needed. There is no need to have the engine running.
 
OP
OP
Miss Daisy
Apr 21, 2015
64
59
Spalding, uk
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Autosleeper Winchcom
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Newbie!!
Thank you for your replies. We do already have a solar panel, which as far as I understand feeds the Leisure Battery. I have no idea if it feeds the Vehicle battery

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Badknee

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Thank you for your replies. We do already have a solar panel, which as far as I understand feeds the Leisure Battery. I have no idea if it feeds the Vehicle battery
As far as I know we have a relay on ours that when our starter battery is full the alternator switches over to charge the leisure batteries. I don't thing this works in reverse so your solar panel may or may not be of help but at this time of year it won't be working flat out anyway.
 
Nov 2, 2012
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Hi Miss Daisy,
on autosleepers you can charge the vehicle battery from the hook up cable by selecting the vehicle battery on the panel. my Autosleeper also switches between batteries automatically.
I have owned 3 autosleepers and none of them would last 3 weeks without charging. the built in operating discharge is about 0.3 amps/hr. this is approx. 50 amp/hrs per week, enough to kill a battery in 2 weeks. leaving a battery flat can kill it permanently.
Regards Phil
 
Oct 5, 2012
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Hi Miss Daisy,
on autosleepers you can charge the vehicle battery from the hook up cable by selecting the vehicle battery on the panel. my Autosleeper also switches between batteries automatically.
I have owned 3 autosleepers and none of them would last 3 weeks without charging. the built in operating discharge is about 0.3 amps/hr. this is approx. 50 amp/hrs per week, enough to kill a battery in 2 weeks. leaving a battery flat can kill it permanently.
Regards Phil
Can you say What is causing that kind of discharge ?

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Oct 5, 2012
4,283
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Ayrshire
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Carado T132
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5 years, feel free to ask me about the Carado!!
Hi please can some one help?

Nuevo Autosleeper Peugot Boxer van 2014

Our motor home appears to have no battery power at all. Everything has stopped working. Although this morning after plugging in electric hook up the Leisure battery is now showing up and has power. We are parked at home, thankfully

Nothing else is working, ignition etc

Does any one have any idea what may be wrong?
Thanks
If you get a multimeter there are some more indepth but easy to do tests as outlined in post 11 in this thread http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/solar-batteries-wild-camping.124933/#post-1747488
 

denisejoe

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Aug 6, 2014
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The solar panel charges the leisure battery. Once the leisure battery is charged the Battery Master allows the charge, which is no longer needed by the leisure battery to go to the engine battery if needed. There is no need to have the engine running.
Thought it worked of alternator
 
Feb 9, 2008
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You need to understand how your electrical system works otherwise you are in danger of repeating this problem again. (if you always do what you've always dome you will always get what you've always got!). You have a modern motorhome so you should have an up to date sophisticated electrical system and I strongly suggest you read your operating manuals so you know how to ensure your batteries are being charged when in use and more importantly when not in use.
Your flat battery may be recoverable after charging so do not replace it until you have established if a, it's buggered and b, you know what to do to prevent this from happening again.

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PeteH

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Just Cut and Pasted this from another Post earlier this evening. (my Post).

ALL. Modern Vehicles have "Ghost" current drain. Things like. Clocks, ECM`s, Alarm systems?. even the fridge "memory", And a myriad other small drains, which will take down a Battery. The solutions are as diverse as Keeping it on an EHU. Fitting sufficiently sized Solar charging Panels. Taking it out REGULARLY , Not just once, now and again!. Using a Battery master, type device will ONLY delay the inevitable as eventually you will have 2 (or more) flat batteries.

In the "Olden days". I would keep two batteries. One on the (then) Caravan, one at home Charging. Swap them over every week or two. That was for an early day Alarm / Tracker.

Pete
 
Feb 9, 2008
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My solar panel has 90% of the charge going to the leisure battery and the remaining 10% to the chassis battery. This more than adequate. One tip, when not using the van switch off the control panel that cuts 'ghost' discharge right down. Also, if you have rear view camera, check where the supply comes from, ours was permanently on powered from the leisure battery, now fitted with a flick switch in the dash. I only noticed it one night when walking round the back of the van and noticed the infra-red LED's were glowing.
 

Neckender

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Hi Miss Daisy,
on autosleepers you can charge the vehicle battery from the hook up cable by selecting the vehicle battery on the panel. my Autosleeper also switches between batteries automatically.
I have owned 3 autosleepers and none of them would last 3 weeks without charging. the built in operating discharge is about 0.3 amps/hr. this is approx. 50 amp/hrs per week, enough to kill a battery in 2 weeks. leaving a battery flat can kill it permanently.
Regards Phil

Phils post is spot on we have a 2014 Auto Sleeper Broadway, if on hook up or solar the batteries charge automatically once leisure is charged automatic charges cab battery, we also have the 0.3amps/hr drain.

Also have a look on the Auto Sleepers forum. ASOF

John.
 

jollyrodger

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Preferring an elderly moho I don't get half the ptoblems of more modern units .have to tat of 4 x 110 amph. batteries
Starter batteries will drain ice stood for a while the alternator being battery sensed will drain it just as it is solution isolate it .£1.99 on fleabags.
Have you reversing cameras fitted .? You turn off the monitor but does it turn of the camera/s? As this will drain it fast if wired into vehicle let system.
I have a 60w solar taking care of the starter battery.only but can select a trickle charge if connected EHU.
The standard auxiliary battery is on a separate system 200w
Of solar panel taking care of 3x 110amph . batteries.
And again If on ehu I can flick a Switch and trickle charge all
And automatically charge the lesser
Works well for me
 

Kool Kroozer

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We had the same problem with PVC - Autocruise Rythm, we already had a solar panel on the roof but no Battery Master- when the opportunity came along i fitted one and never had a flat battery after that - highly recommended set... Have just fitted 2 solar panels and 2 new leisure batteries, ordered a split charger off eBay lastnight, does exactly the same as a Battery Master but its half the price !

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Charlie

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May 16, 2015
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The newer Auto Sleepers do not need a battery master.

John.

They don't. All the information is on the control panels. Well some of it is. Problem is its not brilliant kit the AS install and a battery master gives not only all and more info than we need but is spot on accurate .

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Jul 29, 2013
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Think about this.

You pull up at the kerb and your overun compresses bring the brakes on and the brake lights on.

This may convince you the brake lights are stuck on. They are NOT.

Try this.

Pull up as normal. You brake lights will come on and the overun compress . Brake lights will come on and stay on.

Now just gently ease the outfit forward.

This will uncompress the overun and your brake lights will go off.

This is just the way the system works ! You very likely have NO problems with your system other than a tiny drain as I described above.

The multiple helpful answers above are unfortunately confusing to say the least.

Read the above and its obvious I hope and you will understand exactly what is happening.

In short you brakes are Not sticking on !
@Charlie are you sure you posted in the correct thread this one was about batteries in Feb:)
(y)
 
Jul 29, 2013
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MY PC is playing silly buggers tonight ! Sorry must have been me as well !
No problem I don't know why I was looking at it myself must be catching but thought you might have wanted to put in the correct thread.

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