Battery charging

johndailey
johndailey Forum Participant Posts: 520
100 Comments
edited May 2016 in Caravans #1

When towing, is your leisure battery getting a charge and if so is it at a reasonable rate?

Comments

  • Tirril
    Tirril Forum Participant Posts: 439 ✭
    100 Comments
    edited May 2016 #2

    Yes to both questions John. Mind I always keep mine topped up when not in use so the battery does not get low. If a battery gets down too low many chargers struggle to then fully charge it. Having said that I have on one occasion needed to use the motor mover to bring a caravan about 20 yards across grass and then shunt about but the battery was fully charged by the time I got to the next pitch. You could do a voltage test on what the car is pushing out at the socket. 

  • johndailey
    johndailey Forum Participant Posts: 520
    100 Comments
    edited May 2016 #3

    Thanks for the reply Tirril. I am tempted to buy a solar panel but I have taken the battery home for the winter period a charged it once a month with a Ctek charger. In the Summer, I plug into a EHU for 24 hours prior to going away for a holliday. I often
    wonder how much the motor mover uses to get the van in position to connect up. (I would love to connect up without the mover but it would entail driving on the grass to achieve it).

  • Nuggy
    Nuggy Forum Participant Posts: 512
    edited May 2016 #4

    When towing, is your leisure battery getting a charge and if so is it at a reasonable rate?

    Write your comments here...I would have thought that it is dependant on how your wiring is set up.

  • Tirril
    Tirril Forum Participant Posts: 439 ✭
    100 Comments
    edited May 2016 #5

    I have a 120 watt solar panel which more than keeps the battery topped up when not in use. I have noticed that leaving the master switch on in the caravan certainly certainly draws some power and if I switch the solarpanel off the battery does go down over a month or so. Depending on you outfit things such as a tracker alarm etc do take a little power. My motormover is heavy on battery demand (twin axle) so I find the panel is really ideal although a much smaller one would be sufficient just for battery topping up (I have the 120 watt size becaue we use a lot of basic CLs without EHU's)

  • holmesonwheels24
    holmesonwheels24 Forum Participant Posts: 148
    edited May 2016 #6

    HI John ,if you have a simple multi meter or a voltmeter ,connect across the battery terminals, note voltage and then start engine and at speeds above tickover the voltage reading should rise. Hope this is of use.

  • johndailey
    johndailey Forum Participant Posts: 520
    100 Comments
    edited May 2016 #7

    HI John ,if you have a simple multi meter or a voltmeter ,connect across the battery terminals, note voltage and then start engine and at speeds above tickover the voltage reading should rise. Hope this is of use.

    Write your comments here...That is such a simple procedure. I do have a multimeter and will follow your advice. Thank you and the previous people who kindly replied.

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