Battery Charging

Jennyeb
Jennyeb Forum Participant Posts: 36
edited October 2016 in New to Caravanning & Touring #1

I can now charge the caravan battery where I store the van! My question is, is it ok to charge just once a month for a about a week at a time as I won't be using the van until March. I have to have new shock absorbers done on my tow car (boo Hoo). I can't
afford new shocks, Christmas and take another holiday. So advise would be great.

Comments

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,303 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 2016 #2

    What is it powering while in storage? Ours powers the tracker and alarm and in winter I have to swap it every 4 to 6 weeks and recharge it. So as to charging it every month, if your power drain is similar that would be about right. As to leaving it on charge, that depends on what sort of charger is in your van. When I remove mine and charge it at home I use a smart charger, which can be left connected until I return it to the van.

  • EJB986
    EJB986 Forum Participant Posts: 1,153
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    edited October 2016 #3

    Buy a low priced volt meter and check the voltage every few weeks.

    If the voltage is down to 12.3 volts charge it for a day or so.

    My leisure battery maintains it's charge for many weeks as there is no current drawn from it.....However, if you have an alarm fitted that will draw a current check the battery every three weeks.

  • EJB986
    EJB986 Forum Participant Posts: 1,153
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    edited October 2016 #4

    Meant to include a sample but can't insert a live link on the CC forum!!!!

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/XL830L-Testing-Digital-Multimeter-Multi-Tester/dp/B008U96UQQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1477837961&sr=1-4&keywords=multimeter

  • Pippah45
    Pippah45 Forum Participant Posts: 2,452
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    edited October 2016 #5

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/XL830L-Testing-Digital-Multimeter-Multi-Tester/dp/B008U96UQQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1477837961&sr=1-4&keywords=multimeter

  • Jennyeb
    Jennyeb Forum Participant Posts: 36
    edited October 2016 #6

    Thanks all! There isnt anything that drains the battery except for the alarm so I'm guessing don't need to charge unless it goes under 12 volts. I have learnt a lot from this forum. If you don't know just ask!!!!

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited October 2016 #7

    Don't let it go down that far. Recharge, as has been said, if it drops to 12.3

  • Unknown
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    edited October 2016 #8
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  • Unknown
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    edited October 2016 #9
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  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
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    edited October 2016 #10

    You should recharge every 4 - 6 weeks but preferably only for a day or so. Much depends on what kind of charger you have in the van but unless it is a "smart" charger e.g. Sargent, you should not leave it on charge permanently nor should you let the battery
    voltage drop significantly. An ordinary caravan charger does not produce a high enough voltage to properly charge a discharged battery.

  • bootneck248
    bootneck248 Forum Participant Posts: 30
    edited October 2016 #11

    The best answer is a roof mounted solar panel, I kept forgetting to connect  charger,  Had panel fitted perfect batt always fully charged, if you are capable DIYer saves quite a few £ to fit it yourself, ( only need one entry hole in roof.)

  • JimE
    JimE Club Member Posts: 353 ✭
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    edited October 2016 #12

    I use a CTEK smart battery charger to keep the batteries on my cars and ride-on mower in tip-top condition when they are laid up for prolonged periods.  See
    this link

    You can just connect it and leave it as it has smart technology that maintains the battery in optimum condition.

  • Jennyeb
    Jennyeb Forum Participant Posts: 36
    edited October 2016 #13

    Hi JimE, I have got a battery charger which I purchased a couple of months ago. It means that I have to take the battery out of the van and bring it home! A friend of mine told me that the battery is heavy and I would need help lifting it?  I might give
    it a go!! At least the battery would be in good condition when I  use the van in March.

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,303 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 2016 #14

    Hi JimE, I have got a battery charger which I purchased a couple of months ago. It means that I have to take the battery out of the van and bring it home!
    A friend of mine told me that the battery is heavy and I would need help lifting it?  I might give it a go!! At least the battery would be in good condition when I  use the van in March.

    They are, I am starting to struggle with ours and my OH can't lift it. I think it is about 24 KG's. So about the same weight as those large sacks of potatoes you can buy.

  • Jennyeb
    Jennyeb Forum Participant Posts: 36
    edited October 2016 #15

    That's out of the question then SteveL, just have to charge the battery once a month for a couple of days where I keep the van stored.

  • Fozzie
    Fozzie Club Member Posts: 550 ✭
    500 Comments
    edited October 2016 #16

    Hi JimE, I have got a battery charger which I purchased a couple of months ago. It means that I have to take the battery out of the van and bring it home!
    A friend of mine told me that the battery is heavy and I would need help lifting it?  I might give it a go!! At least the battery would be in good condition when I  use the van in March.

    They are, I am starting to struggle with ours and my OH can't lift it. I think it is about 24 KG's. So about the same weight as those large sacks of potatoes you can buy.

    Write your comments here...one tip for lifting heavy batteries in and out of their boxes is to use the caravan step.With my double caravan step it is the same height as the battery box allowing me to connect/disconnect at a reasonable height without putting
    strain on your back with wires attached.

  • Unknown
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    edited October 2016 #17
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  • Jennyeb
    Jennyeb Forum Participant Posts: 36
    edited October 2016 #18

    Hi Dorsetdriver, yes that's what intend to do, can't see no point having the battery charger now! Just have to sell it. Brought from Halfords thinking I would need it until I happened to see several sockets where I keep the van and as luck would have it,
    one quite close to the van.... happy days.

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited October 2016 #19
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  • Jennyeb
    Jennyeb Forum Participant Posts: 36
    edited November 2016 #20

    Don't want to seem thick!!! Do you mean the one on the van or the Halfords one?Laughing

  • Unknown
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    edited November 2016 #21
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  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
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    edited November 2016 #22

    Rather than take the battery out you could switch off all the DC loads, unplug the hook-up, shuffle the battery forward, disconnect the NEGATIVE  terminal and connect your Halfords charger direct to the battery using an extension lead from one of the socket
    outlets. Do it on a dry day and take care with the connections.

    If the battery is in a good state of charge then hooking up the van should be OK to give a top-up, however, generally speaking a van charger will not properly recharge a discharged battery unless you have a smart charger in the van. Some  Swift and Coachman
    models do have such a system such as Sargent.

  • Jennyeb
    Jennyeb Forum Participant Posts: 36
    edited November 2016 #23

    I don't think I have a smart charger in my van!!! It's a Bailey Pagaent Monach S7, I couldn't afford an all singing and dancing oneHappy If
    I come into any money I.e. Postcode Lottery or inherit from along lost relativeKiss ( some hope) then I will probably get a top of the range and
    live in it.

  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
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    edited November 2016 #24

    Unless Bailey have changed in the last year or so they don't fit smart chargers in any of their caravans, even top of the range.

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited November 2016 #25
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  • Jennyeb
    Jennyeb Forum Participant Posts: 36
    edited November 2016 #26

    Thanks for all your input, most helpful. Winking

  • davida71uk
    davida71uk Forum Participant Posts: 31
    edited November 2016 #27

    If a caravan is in a gold indoor site, would it really be necessary to leave the battery in for the tracker and charger? If it's locked away behind steel barriers that need a JCB to move them then perhaps the alarm is surpluss to current needs and the battery
    can be taken home and left on charge. Or is that putting too much faith in the storage facility? Perhaps.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited November 2016 #28

    Depends on the conditions of your imsurance

  • davida71uk
    davida71uk Forum Participant Posts: 31
    edited November 2016 #29

    Depends on the conditions of your imsurance

    True, and when you've purchased insurance stating tracker and alarm are fitted they need to be operational.

  • Sanchas
    Sanchas Forum Participant Posts: 35
    edited November 2016 #30

    On my Ctek mxs 7 charger instrucions it states that once a year a battery needs to to have a recondition charge to rejuvinate the battery, that I think the charging system in the caravan cannot do

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