Leaving EHU connected (1 Viewer)

[simbadog]

What do people suggest, M/H sits in driveway on EHU, should I leave the battery charger on the Sargent EC200 turned on all the time or just occasionally?
Also, I'm going to run a small oil filled radiator set on low this winter & wondered about sticking my dehumidifier in there as well?
Thoughts please

 

[Lenny HB]

Should be fine with the mains left permantly connected with an EC200.
I wouldn't bother with the heater, warm air holds more moistuer, never heat our van when not in use, never had any problems. If you don't heat it you won't need the the dehmidifier.

 

[scotjimland]

I keep mine plugged in.. ventilated and I pop in every other day just to check all is well.. and just as well, as I found a leak at the rooflight a couple of weeks ago.. now remedied..

using a heater and de-humidfier has been discussed at length many times... it has it advocates ..I'm not on of them

if you van is weatherproof, ie no leaks.. and no dampness.. you don't get condensation when no one is living in the van generating it..

so in my opinion, no benefit.. and a waste of money.. best of all would be covered storage.. but few of us have that luxury.

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[Don Quixote]

Ours is left on EHU 24/7 when no in use with charger on. Now and then I switch charger off use some power to drain batteries a bit over a 48 hour period and then back on charger.

 

[Badknee]

We don't heat ours just open all the cupboards and drawers to help keep condensation at bay.

 

[Jim]

Oops was just going to move this thread; my Dyslexic brain saw this as another Euro in out thread

Plenty of people leave their van on extended hook up. But they should be aware that some vans have very poor quality battery chargers fitted and its not uncommon for batteries to be cooked. My last couple of vans I have had quality chargers fitted that constantly monitor the battery and do all sorts of magic stuff to keep them in good nick.

Cheap oil filled radiators can be dangerous to leave on long term unnatended and I've read of a few that have caused fires. I have in the past used tubular heaters to keep the frost out and they work well. Mostly though, when its cold its much better to move the whole motorhome to somewhere warm. This post comes from the shade of my awning in strong Portugese sun

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[Badknee]

This post comes from the shade of my awning in strong Portugese sun

In my best doctor voice, k'off Jim

 

[scotjimland]

If you decide to use a potable heater or de humidifier, please check your insurance..in all probably it won't cover their use.

I remember Brian @hilldweller checked with his insurance company and they said .. NO..

 

[GJH]

Our van is parked on the drive. The solar panel keeps the leisure battery topped up but needs a bit of assistance in the winter to keep the starter battery topped. I tend to put the mains on for about 24 hours every 2 or 3 weeks but only after checking the battery meters to see if it is needed.
I don't use a dehumidifier but do open all cupboards &c so that the air can flow freely around the van.

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[Deleted member 29692]

No EHU at the storage site our van lives at so can't use any electrical devices, not that I would anyway.

During the winter I put a couple of these in the van and they seem to do the job. Never had a problem so far, apart from a little bit of condensation on the windows one time when the traps weren't there.

 

[simbadog]

Thanks Think I'll leave heating off, open cupboards & power up battery charger every couple of weeks.
Will fit my solar when weather warms up (might be a while!)

 

[haganap]

i leave mine plugged in 24/7 and also when the real frosts sets in I leave the electric heating on anti frost, interesting point about leaving a heater in there as I had never thought about that

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[TheBig1]

yes, i leave mine connected 24/7 at home. the van doubles as my man cave with stocked fridge and satellite tv. i switch the onboard charger off though and use a ctek type maintenance charger

 

[MyDogsTooBig]

As Jim rightly states, not all chargers are created equal and a lot will not automatically shut down to just a trickle charge, so be very careful. Dehumidifier is really the only good option. It is moisture in the air that causes damp and it's damp that destroys your van. A heater does not remove moisture effectively. A dehumidifier will remove the moisture from the air and put it into a tank for you to empty. There are fundamentally two types. One works on the principle of an air conditioner and the other uses a micro membrane to extract the moisture from the air. The former uses more current, is noisier and has to go through a de-ice phase, so is not dehumidifying continuously. All automatic, but I think it is old technology now. The micro filter one just has a fan and that's it. Quieter and cheap to run. A byproduct is that the do generate a small amount of heat, which is a bonus in this application. Most also have a facility to fix a drainage pipe, so you don't have to empty it every day. I have both and the air conditioner one is in the shed keeping my tools from rusting. Cost effective, cheap and very safe to use and far far less power used than a heater. Guaranteed dry as when you bought your van. Oh and make sure you keep the van shut tight and go in and out quickly. You want to be drying the van, not the Earth.

 

[scotjimland]

Oh and make sure you keep the van shut tight and go in and out quickly. You want to be drying the van, not the Earth.

therein lies the fundamental problem.. no van is hermetically sealed.. and no sooner have you removed moisture than it is replaced.. nature abhors differentials in heat, moisture and pressure.. it will always balance out..

besides , during winter the ambient moisture is very low.. if your van has a high moisture level it means you have water ingress..
running a de-humidifier is just a waste of time and money.. fix the leak.. and you won't have damp.

Ventilation is the key..

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[Don Quixote]

The only answer is fresh air, fresh air and then some more fresh air.

 

[MyDogsTooBig]

Who mentioned Hermits? Buggers get in everywhere when you aren't looking. Next time I see damp and mould, I will remember that it is the Hermits and I have a leak.

 

[robnchris]

We rely on our solar panel to keep the batteries topped up, so far since owning a motorhome we haven`t had any problems with flat batteries.
We open all cupboards and remove all soft furnishings, don`t think it`s possible to keep a motorhome shut tight as most roof vents allow movement of air, the cabs are generally draughty places so wouldn't bother with a dehumidifier as it will just pull moisture from outside.

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[funflair]

Keep the batteries charged either with onboard unit or good aftermarket. Wouldn't worry about heating the van or trying to dehumidify the whole local area as any dry air in the van will be replaced with ambient from outside.

The only argument I can see for heating is if you are not bothering draining down so you are ready to go anytime.

Martin

Oops sorry, what robnchris said.

 

[scotjimland]

Next time I see damp and mould,

look for the source of the damp.. .. and keep your van ventilated .

 

[tonyidle]

Regardless of ventilation there are times when condensation will form - normally on those days when everything else is covered in it outside the van. I saw its effect when exposed & untreated metalwork inside previous vans rusted - locker hinges in caravans seemed to be most affected. I'm not convinced sub-zero temperatures do plastics any good either. I leave mine on EHU (it has a smart charger), with a de-humidifier draining into the sink, and with a 500W heater with frost-stat in it during Winter. Whenever I go into it (we use it as a spare bedroom) it feels and smells just as it does when it is in normal use.

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[MyDogsTooBig]

A sensible approach. Remove the moisture in the air, then no damp, no mould, no rust. Everyone complains about condensation misted up windows when on site. I just leave my dehumidifier on over night. No condensation. No brainer really. Remove the water from the air.