Battery on charge
Comments
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I leave mine connected over winter, to run the Alde heating system, but I do check the battery every few days in case it's overheating.
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The simple answer is "no". Some Swift vans have the Sargent intelligent charger system but assuming yours is just the basic charger then it will be forcing current into a fully charged battery which will cause it to deteriorate. It is far better to leave
it off charge then top-up with a proper charger (off the van) every couple of months.0 -
Or keep mains off and use a £10 solar panel top-up charger from Half Rods. They seem to have the thing in the inards to stop when the battery is full.
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I use a small 5w solar charger plugged in all the time when in storage. It powers the alarm and is more than enough to keep the battery in tip top condition. My last battery lasted 7 years and never was disconnected. My current battery is 5 years old and
shows no signs of ageing ..yetTj
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Well, there you are then.
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is it safe to leave my van coonected to the mains over the winter im thinking more about my battery charger doing its job as i dont want to cook my battery ???
ita a swift 2016 sprite major 4sb
Suggest you ask on Swift's forum......SwiftTalk. They will know what type of charger is fitted to your van.
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I'm no expert, but our Swift 2016 vans charger has a two stage output. Something like 13.8V when battery is low, then switches to a lower output (float charge) to maintain the battery. The manual would suggest that the charger can be left on, but whether
this means for several months would need more clarification. In theory, if the float charge is like those chargers you can get for classic cars and the like, then I would think it can.An email to Swift or the charger manufacturer might be in order. Then you have something in writing. Let us know how you get on.
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I have to say this is my veiw on this , We use our van over winter . but if i know the van is being left for 4 weeks or so I whip the battery off and bring it home ,stick it on a C-Tek charger (had it for my motorbike , stopped the battery going flat and
failing prematurly ) Allthough its covered and sheltered it might drop down below freezing lead acid's dont like that . Yesterday the PSU charger just failed and battery voltage went down to its standing voltage . so spotted it before lasting damage is done
to the battery . . . I think I've looked before but couldnt se a date stamp on the battery (Vans is 2010 so how much longer it will last I dont know )Seems caravans are a money pit0 -
I have a Lunar Clubman SB, and according to Lunar, it is perfectly safe to leave it plugged into the mains over winter.
I must admit however, I do remove the battery and charge it occassionaly on my conditioning charger, and only put it back and plug in the mains when we are going to have a really cold spell so that I can run my Alde heating system.
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There is no reason to remove the battery if you have the caravan on mains.
A 3 stage charger as fitted to a 2017 Conqueror for example will do anything a ctek or similar will.
I don't recommend leaving one powered up simply because they can and have malfunctioned, whether due to a faulty battery, or charger makes little difference.
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There is no reason to remove the battery if you have the caravan on mains.
A 3 stage charger as fitted to a 2017 Conqueror for example will do anything a ctek or similar will.
I don't recommend leaving one powered up simply because they can and have malfunctioned, whether due to a faulty battery, or charger makes little difference.
Yes, but that is the Conqueror which is top if the range. I would doubt that the Sprite has this charger. See my post above.
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There is no reason to remove the battery if you have the caravan on mains.
A 3 stage charger as fitted to a 2017 Conqueror for example will do anything a ctek or similar will.
I don't recommend leaving one powered up simply because they can and have malfunctioned, whether due to a faulty battery, or charger makes little difference.
Write your comments here...When the vans on the drive its plugged in all the time its only at the storage place that I take the battery off and only in the winter . What does the third stage on the 2017van charger do? . C-Tek goes upto 14.4 and then drops off to a full charge voltage tojust over 13v 2 stage I preume . Charger on my van has two 12v outputs but joined together so single stage . Personally dont see any point doing anything else. I cant rember wether its constant current or not , Forgotten if there our benefits from that type of charger , I know I have read up in the past on that, Its a bit frustrating not remembering it .
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I have a Lunar Clubman SB, and according to Lunar, it is perfectly safe to leave it plugged into the mains over winter.
I must admit however, I do remove the battery and charge it occassionaly on my conditioning charger, and only put it back and plug in the mains when we are going to have a really cold spell so that I can run my Alde heating system.
Write your comments here...Thats more or less what happens to mine .We have the van at home over the Xmas period and the heating on to air it and having it as overspill sleeping quarters . Keep it warm with onboard tank filled and the toilet primed up .
there's actually a fight to use it with my sons .once its finished with,its back to its storage place and if its staying for a month ,the battery stays at home in a slightly heated garage on the C-Tek charger . Its cycled with another couple of batteries I
have .0 -
I was about to buy a cheap trickle charger from Halfords as we were going to Australia for two months and wanted to keep the cars on charge. In the end I bought a second Ctek which cost me £60 instead of £20 - why? Well, when I read the small print on the trickle charger can you believe that it said not to leave connected for long periods?
Cheap chargers do not cut off the current when the battery reaches full voltge. If you read what a smart charger does it measures the battery condition and simply maintains the optimum charge level without pushing continuous current into the battery when it is not needed.
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HI Guys our motorhome is not connected through the summer months ,solar panels keep the 3 batteries topped up.but through the winter months it is connected to the mains and we leave the Alde heating on low .seems to work for us.
Brian & Jo
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The simple answer is "no". Some Swift vans have the Sargent intelligent charger system but assuming yours is just the basic charger then it will be forcing current into a fully charged battery which will cause it to deteriorate. It is far better to leave
it off charge then top-up with a proper charger (off the van) every couple of months.Write your comments here..Last year when my charger failed I had it repaired by a respected electrical engineering company specialising in this field Apuljack Engineering. I was considering upgrading it for an intelligent version when the engineer advised
me not to bother "because most main stream caravan makers including this one fit them as standard equipment".0 -
Just a gentle reminder that the original post concerned a Sprite caravan which I have said above has more than likely got a basic charger which generates 13.7 volts rain or shine. In that case, firstly it won't properly recharge a discharged battery (you
need 14.4 volts) and secondly will provide too much current when fully charged and could damage the battery in the long term.If you have an upmarket caravan or a motorhome with multiple batteries, solar panel etc. then almost certainly you will have a Sargent system or similar which balances mains, engine/habitation, solar etc. and is fine to leave permanently on EHU.
You just need to understand what you've got in your caravan or motorhome.
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