Dennis & Terry (Recently Retired) (1 Viewer)

[Dennisad]

My wife and I are new to motorhomes having recently April 15 purchased the MH below:
Broken Link Removed
Auto Trail Frontier Arapaho
We love it but don't really have a clue what we are doing.

Did our first trip to Cornwall in July and think we got on really well for our first time.
Then in August we went to Spain using the tunnel and travelled down and back through France, had a couple of mishaps didn't close the small toilet window correctly and found it missing on our next stopping point.

Then we managed to get a flat battery, I think I left the lights switched on when I turned the ignition off, but I'm not sure. Fortunately we were on a site plugged in to electric so eventually it recharged and we were off again.

We have had it parked on the drive and been checking the vehicle & leisure batteries and they seemed okay, we put it into storage about three weeks ago and after about a week we got a signal from the tracker to say the battery was flat. Sure enough when we went down both were flat.


We didn't shut the system down as you would for winter as we are going away soon after the new year.

If anyone has any ideas what we might be doing wrong we would be very grateful.

 

[bryandh]

Sorry, cannot help with your question, just wanted to say nice van and welcome to the forum.
As to your enquiry, give it some time and the "techno mob" will be along with more solutions than you can shake a stick at!!!




Bryan

 

[gus-lopez]

The battery will go flat on it after a few weeks due to the small amount of current drawn by alarm, radio ,etc; 3-4 weeks is about the limit. You need some way of keeping it topped up.

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[scousebird]

Hello

Can't help with your problem, may be ask on a tech thread

 

[Armytwowheels]

Hello and welcome. Do you have a solar panel fitted?

 

[CWH]

Hello and welcome to the FUN

Hope you enjoyed your trip down here to Cornwall

I assume you can't plug into a trickle charger where you store the van, can you not keep it on your drive longer-term, or do you prefer the security of a storage site? You could take it for a short drive every couple of weeks to top up the battery, but more sensibly, I expect somebody will be along shortly to tell you all about solar

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[Brian and Jo]

Hi there and welcome to MHF we have been motorhoming for about 15yrs and we are still forgetting to do things and making mistakes
Brian & Jo

 

[f6c]

Welcome aboard

 

[funflair]

You are not doing much wrong its just a steep learning curve, as gus-lopez says batteries on motorhomes go flat pretty quickly if there is nothing charging/topping them up while in store.

Is it stored inside or outside if outside solar panels should keep the batteries tip top.

Good to see you got something nice and small to start with.

Martin

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[Taran_Las]

'ello & welcome​

 

[Puddleduck]

 

[Dennisad]

Thanks to all your replies so far all very welcome and some really made us smile.

Back to the subject we do have a solar panel fitted and the vehicle is stored outside, so I would also have thought the solar panel would keep the battery charged, but the weather has been dull, but even so!!!

We do not have a facility to trickle charge at the storage site.

We have a generator so we will be able to charge it up again, but we don't want to be doing that all the time.

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[Hollyberry]

I had to have a " crash" course in driving the motorhome as we'd only owned it a week when I was left on my own. I was told to walk round the outside of the vehicle, checking doors, windows, lockers, checking nothing's loose. Then do same inside. I've still had things like drawers open a minute after setting off!
A solar panel I think would solve your charging problem but there'll be Funsters more technical than me along to advise!
Welcome from Devon.

 

[davidbaldam]

Hi and welcome to FUN, we had the same problem, our battery went flat in storage so I now disconnect the battery when in storage, seems to work for me.

 

[daveandsan]

What size solar panel do you have? I have 140 watts and it keeps 4 batteries topped up 2 leisure and 2 engine while it is in storage.
Could be your batteries are on the way out.

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[Crusty jack]

Welcome from West Wales !

 

[The Dudess]

Can't answer your problem but ............

 

[Southdowners]

Hello and welcome!

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[Marvic]

Hi nice van. We had this problem .had cut off switch fitted. But took it outevery 3x4 weeks for drives to lakes to have sunday dinner. Van is in storage no charging allowed.

 

[teddybard]

Sorry can't help welcome to the forum

Congrats on making the final of X factor

 

[Judge Mental]

welcome! if in storage and not under cover will have to invest in solar

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[DBK]

Welcome, your solar panel should keep the batteries charged up, if it isn't, something is wrong. There should be a meter somewhere showing if the panel is charging or not, we have such a meter and it shows the charging or discharging current going into the batteries. If you haven't got one it is worth getting one fitted otherwise you will never really know what is going on, charging wise. If the batteries are being charged but still going flat then as already suggested they could be duff. I suggest have a look at them and see if they are conventional wet cell types as you might be lucky and find they just need topping up but I suspect even that won't revive them if they are past their lifespan.

If everything checks out then there may be a fault causing a significant drain as the solar panel should generate enough power to keep any tracker or alarm working even in winter.

 

[Dennisad]

Many thanks for all your replies, unfortunately I do not know the wattage on the solar panel. There was no paperwork with it. Is there anyway I can find out by looking at it. More roof climbing.

Once I get it charged up again, I will get the batteries checked.

I presume if I had done a complete shutdown on it the batteries wouldn't be used at all, is that right?

Regards
TND (Terry&Dennis