Short term storage

[Oldgustaf]

Now the weather has turned we are keeping our MH in the barn. Said MH has a solar panel that keeps the leisure battery topped up. Obviously the panel is not going to work very well in the barn, so do I need to plug the electric in to keep the battery topped up, or is it okay to let the battery lose charge?

 

[Nirvanauk]

Now the weather has turned we are keeping our MH in the barn. Said MH has a solar panel that keeps the leisure battery topped up. Obviously the panel is not going to work very well in the barn, so do I need to plug the electric in to keep the battery topped up, or is it okay to let the battery lose charge?

Plug it into leccie, other wise your batteries will go flat.

 

[Oldgustaf]

So it won't 'over-charge' the battery?

 

[Nirvanauk]

So it won't 'over-charge' the battery?

No, but I’m sure someone may correct me on that.

 

[Podney]

Plug it in permanently if it has a device to control the charge.....see handbook.
If it doesn’t,put it on charge for 48 hours every 2 or 3 weeks.

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[The Wino]

Does your solar also charge the cab battery if so plugging it into the mains will keep your hab battery happy but not the cab battery!

 

[Yorick]

Plug it into leccie, other wise your batteries will go flat.

It won't if it has nothing drawing on it.

 

[mitzimad]

It won't if it has nothing drawing on it.

cab batteries will go flat surprisingly quickly nowadays alarms radios and central locking will flatten a battery

 

[autorouter]

So it won't 'over-charge' the battery?

Most built-in motorhome chargers are smart chargers with at least three charging phases. The final phase is 'float charge', which applies a voltage very slightly above the natural battery voltage, so it pushes in a tiny current that just compensates for the natural battery self-discharge. It will also supply the necessary power for things like the alarm and tracker. It can be left on indefinitely. However some like to switch it on for 24 hours every couple of weeks, to be sure of avoiding any possibility of overcharging.

What is the make and model of the battery charger?

 

[Nirvanauk]

It won't if it has nothing drawing on it.

Surely with modern vehicles they all have something drawing on it?

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[Oldgustaf]

Most built-in motorhome chargers are smart chargers with at least three charging phases. The final phase is 'float charge', which applies a voltage very slightly above the natural battery voltage, so it pushes in a tiny current that just compensates for the natural battery self-discharge. It will also supply the necessary power for things like the alarm and tracker. It can be left on indefinitely. However some like to switch it on for 24 hours every couple of weeks, to be sure of avoiding any possibility of overcharging.

What is the make and model of the battery charger?

Thanks for that. I have no idea of the make and model of battery charger. Do you mean the solar panel 'box' thing in the cupboard?

 

[Minxy]

If you have access to mains hook-up get yourself a cheap household timer and programme it to come on for a day or two each week, that way the MH batteries will be kept in good condition, with no worry about causing issues with the charger being on all the time and you don't then have to keep remembering to go and do it.

 

[Oldgustaf]

If you have access to mains hook-up get yourself a cheap household timer and programme it to come on for a day or two each week, that way the MH batteries will be kept in good condition, with no worry about causing issues with the charger being on all the time and you don't then have to keep remembering to go and do it.

Now that is a truly brilliant idea! Thank you - that is exactly what I will do.

 

[Yorick]

Surely with modern vehicles they all have something drawing on it?

If they were designed right, there'd be nothing drawing power.

 

[Nirvanauk]

If they were designed right, there'd be nothing drawing power.

But they do.....

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[autorouter]

Thanks for that. I have no idea of the make and model of battery charger. Do you mean the solar panel 'box' thing in the cupboard?

No, I meant the mains charger. If it's not a separate unit, it's often built inside a 'control box', like an Electroblok or a Sargent Control unit. If it's a Dethleffs MH, I'd guess it has a Schaudt Electroblok (EBL), which will have a smart charger inside it.

 

[MyrtleGuru]

If you have the traditional lead acid (wet cell) batteries and keep them on hook-up or even constantly charged by solar, check the electrolyte levels as they do lose a bit of volume through gassing. Most manufacturers, I think, suggest check every 12 months. I check ours every six -- I have had to top up a bit with de-ionised water (was called distilled water when I was younger!). Ours have survived five and a half years so far.

 

[Yorick]

But they do.....

My camper had a switch to turn everything off. Maybe too complicated for some folk.

 

[Gellyneck]

My camper had a switch to turn everything off. Maybe too complicated for some folk.

As does ours however there is power still drawn by the alarms \ trackers but it's miniscule. Solar still charges both hab and cab batteries however when we stored indoors the batteries could \ did go for a good couple of months without discharging to a dangerous level.