Leisure battery question (1 Viewer)

[Mags52]

Last September when we were in France and on a site with no electric for a week our leisure battery ran flat after about 6 days. We hadn't used it much because there were facilities on site so it was maybe half an hour's light in the evenings and using the water to clean our teeth and wash up coffee mugs a couple of times a day. It has been on hook up outside the house all winter and it definitely charges from hook up. A couple of days ago we drove 150 miles to the Highlands to a CL. After 24 hours the battery went flat again with very little warning. The question is, is it bxxxxgered or do we need to take it out of the van and put it onto a proper charger? I suspect it's at the end of its life as the van will be 6 years old this year but don't want to chuck it if it's salvageable. As you can probably tell I know nothing about batteries.

 

[Terry]

Take your van to local car spares shop and ask them to test it :thumb:--sounds lik it's on it's last legs
terry

 

[scotjimland]

sounds knackered to me also ... It's done pretty well if it lasted 6 years

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[ukbill]

its buggered get a new 1

 

[Mags52]

Thanks guys. When I replace it I'll get two ready for the solar panel I'm waiting for my son to put on. Mags

 

[John & Joan]

Batteries perform badly if they are cold. Like us they like to be at room temperature about 20c.

Our batteries seemed to be knackered in France last winter but when we got back to the UK (believe it or not the UK was warmer than France) they were tested at Conrad Andersons and were found to be OK.

This winter in Spain they had a bit of a problem if we didn't move every other day or so. We didn't have EHU and were wild parking so basically relying on solar charge. Moving about they coped but coming up through France it started getting colder and their performance deteriorated again. So far we have still been quite cold, so I am waiting for the warmer weather.

I am now considering extending the blown air into the battery locker.

John

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[oldun]

Batteries perform badly if they are cold. Like us they like to be at room temperature about 20c.

Our batteries seemed to be knackered in France last winter but when we got back to the UK (believe it or not the UK was warmer than France) they were tested at Conrad Andersons and were found to be OK.

This winter in Spain they had a bit of a problem if we didn't move every other day or so. We didn't have EHU and were wild parking so basically relying on solar charge. Moving about they coped but coming up through France it started getting colder and their performance deteriorated again. So far we have still been quite cold, so I am waiting for the warmer weather.

I am now considering extending the blown air into the battery locker.

John

They also don't like getting too hot as this can easily warp some of the plates.

I had two batteries go in the very hot summer whnen there were a hige number of wild fires all over southern Europe.

Yes, I am not making it up - once we did have a good, hot summer holiday in France.

 

[John & Joan]

We don't like too much heat so spend the summer in the UK and head south with the other winter migrants. Winter in Southern Spain. Travel through France in spring and autumn.

Last winter we had to go to Italy and it was very cold. I tried to wash my rear window a Narbonne Plage only meters from the Med. The brush froze to the window. It was minus 11c

We had to return early this year for my licence renewal medical and hit blizzards in northern Spain and it was very cold all the way through France. Snow lying at Cap Bretton.

On both of these trips the batteries that are in the old gas locker performed very poorly once the temperatures dropped.

John

 

[Ash]

Take your van to local car spares shop and ask them to test it :thumb:--sounds lik it's on it's last legs
terry

Sounds like the battery's but always have the charger checked aswel just to be safe.:thumb:

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