Batteries during storage

[PG’s trips]

MH is currently in covered storage but I try and give it a 15 mile run every 2-3 weeks on a dry day. This also incorporates 4-5 hours at the house on EHU. It this enough to keep BOTH the starter and leisure batteries in good shape? Thanks.

 

[Podney]

Well I don’t know,but my guess is Yes...probably!

It depends partly on whether the batteries are in good condition and not too old.

But you can keep an eye on them by looking at their charge level each time you visit i.e. before you go for a drive. Btw,make it a longer drive would be better for vehicle generally imo

And batteries don’t much like extreme cold,so if temps go down watch out.

Shame you can’t access ehu.

 

[PG’s trips]

Batteries are 4 years old. My control panel doesn't give much of an indicator....just a green light for fully charged or a green light for half charged. Not sure I would rely on it too much. Thanks anyway.

 

[Clickem]

MH is currently in covered storage but I try and give it a 15 mile run every 2-3 weeks on a dry day. This also incorporates 4-5 hours at the house on EHU. It this enough to keep BOTH the starter and leisure batteries in good shape? Thanks.

It will be the hours on EHU and not the 15 mile run that keeps them up, so don't skimp on the time on charge

 

[Peskyrabbitt]

I keep one of these battery testers in the motorhome and check my engine and leisure battery with it simple to use and cheap, tells me exactly what I need to know, I am lucky though motorhome on my drive and on ehu when not being used.
Amazon product ASIN B06XRQHH96

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[PG’s trips]

Whats the recommended minimum hours on EHU for a good charge...sorry still new to all of this! Don't want to leave MH at house overnight as mice have recently ate through my car fuel line twice in one week.

 

[Lenny HB]

The state of the Hab batteries will depend on the standby current which can be anything from 0.2 amps to 0.6 amps, at 0.3 amps 3 weeks would take 151amps out of the batteries.
You don't say what your batteries are but assuming 2 x 100 a/h at 4 years old they will around 90 a/h total 180. On a regular basis you don't want to take them down below 50% (unless they are Gels). So you want to keep the drain to around 90 a/h, 150 a/h will shorten their life considerably.

They are going to be fairly flat when you put the van on EHU so they will need 24 hours to make sure they are fully charged.

 

[Jaws]

Most on board chargers do not do much better than 10 amps.. so if you have one 100a battery which chances are will drain at ABOUT .3amps ( mean average of what is usual ) after ONE week it will effectively be flat ( at least down to a safe limit )
It will take at least 5 hours on hook up to recover that which has been depleted
Same sums stand good for any number of batteries as the draw remains the same as does the charge rate..
So in two weeks ( if you have more than 1 battery ) it will be 10 hours on hook up etc etc

Having said all that if you have a master switch which turns the power from the hab batteries right off, an hour or so would be enough to replace any standing losses..
At 4 years old I would be replacing them very soon anyway, unless they are LiPo or similar

 

[Lenny HB]

Most on board chargers do not do much better than 10 amps.

Most German vans have 18 amp chargers & with a factory fit 2nd battery 36 amps.

 

[Jaws]

Most German vans have 18 amp chargers & with a factory fit 2nd battery 36 amps.

Yerrrr... but ever measured what they actually deliver !!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Jaws]

MH is currently in covered storage but I try and give it a 15 mile run every 2-3 weeks on a dry day. This also incorporates 4-5 hours at the house on EHU. It this enough to keep BOTH the starter and leisure batteries in good shape? Thanks.

All this talk of the hab batteries.. should also say it takes about 19 minutes driving just to put back in what it took to start the engine..
So ideally you want to be driving for about 30 minutes + each way to keep it well topped up

 

[Lenny HB]

Yerrrr... but ever measured what they actually deliver !!

Been running my batteries down over the last couple of weeks and changing settings on my BMV.
Charger has been charging at just over its 18 amp rated capacity.

 

[PG’s trips]

2 .5 weeks in storage ...panel still showing up both batteries in ‘full‘ condition...of course how reliable is a control panel ??? so hooked up now to EHU for 24 hours and before rain returns. What’s the amp loss on a leisure battery per week if nothing running on it, it’s not a gel?

 

[Lenny HB]

2 .5 weeks in storage ...panel still showing up both batteries in ‘full‘ condition...of course how reliable is a control panel ??? so hooked up now to EHU for 24 hours and before rain returns. What’s the amp loss on a leisure battery per week if nothing running on it, it’s not a gel?

Unless you have an isolation switch there will always be a draw on it, see my post #7.
Natural discharge about 4% a week.