Battery top up in storage
We think our battery needs replacing as it has discharged too much whilst in storage as we haven't been out as much as normal this year. I wondered if anyone has used a small solar panel 5/10/20watts to keep their battery topped up just in storage. (We have a large solar panel but it is too bulky for this job and want something we can just ciip on and leave (maybe even just leave it outside the caravan at the front as they are not particularly expensive). Has anyone used a small solar panel for this purpose?
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You can get a small solar panel (10-15 Watts) which plugs directly into a 12 volt socket without a regulator so you can place it in a window. Maplins sell them. Although it doesn't sound big enough to me, there seem to be positive reports on this forum.
Without a solar panel you will get a current drain from alarm systems etc. and you need to take the battery out and recharge it using a proper leisure battery charger about every 1-2 months. I used to keep a spare battery for this purpose.
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We have something similar that we put on the car when we're in NZ for several weeks in the winter. Works well. Ours clips onto he battery. The fitted solar panel on the motorhome trickles into the engine battery too. So that's taken care of.
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I use a portable solar charging panel in the front window of the van
( lucky that I am south facing ).
It keeps my battery topped up all the time It's in storage at an average of 12.75 volts.
Got it off ebay - cost me approx £9.80 then - just ordered one for my lad and this one cost me £11.35 ( 2weeks to arrive though.)
Look for the new flexible solar panel giving 10 watts no controller needed.
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Thanks for your comments folks, it's good to know that this should probably work ok when my van is in storage and I'm definitely going to go for it. I thought it was always best to have a charge controller/regulator thing but it seems I don't need it with a panel this size from what people are saying?
I hadn't seen or thought about ones which just plug into the 12 volt socket inside the van. Is this what you have brightstar or do you just put the wires from the battery area through a window or internally through the van?
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I am going to do something like this to just maintain the battery when not in use, fitting it and testing it tomorrow. I have bought one of these 6W solar panel I paid £22 for it with my trade card and will place it in the caravan directly under the front skylight resting on 2 battens loosely placed in the roof light blind/fly screen channels.
I hope to plug directly in to one of the 12v outlets for the TV but suspect they are not live all the time but there is a solar panel socket in the battery box on my Elddis so will probably have to connect something to the back of this accessed from under the N/S/F bench seat.
I have used the same set up with a smaller SP behind a double glazed window for a few years now on my motorbike with no issues. So feel confident this will also work.
I'll try and get some pictures and post them over the weekend.
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Why not just buy a proper 10w rigid panel and mount it permanently on the roof? ( a few blobs of sikaflex will do for such a small panel). At this power it does not need a regulator.
I have a small 12 x12 inch panel on my boat which keeps 2x110Ah batteries happily topped up on my mooring (where I do not deploy the main panels).
On the 'van the big roof mounted panel, via a regulator, does the job.
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If you have a cigarette lighter style socket in the caravan you should be able to "back-feed" the battery and the supply will be connected through the 12 volt fused system but alternatively clip to the battery terminals as suggested, however, if clipping direct make sure there is a fuse in the circuit because if you have a fault in the panel it could short out the battery which might be catastrophic!
Much depends on the battery arrangement as they can often be tightly cabled, particularly if a mover is fitted. Take care with the connected cables (which will have to be routed into the battery box somehow), ensure they are properly insulated and separated and take care when connecting. Batteries have a lot of stored energy and should be handled with respect.
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1 Tracey 1.
Mine is almost permanently in the front of the van on the parcel shelf,
This allows me to "feed" the cable behind the cushions and into the locker beneath front bed / seat - straight into the battery box through a hole in the casing where my motor mover cables enter to the control box. I then have an automotive in line fuse wired in to the positive cable and then hardwired straight on to battery terminals.
As previously mentiond - wiring can be "tight" if motor mover installed.
When on site - on rare sunny days I just turn solar panel over or put behind the cushion - it' s not charging tgen as I let ehu and built in smart charger do the rest.
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Hi 1 Tracey1,
As promised here are the pictures. As I suspected the TV 12v sockets are mater switch controlled but the socket in the battery box is feed direct from the battery (via a fuse) So it was a simple case of removing the crocodile clips that were attached to one of the two means of connection supplied with the panel and crimping two piggyback spade connectors to the cables and fitting them to the connections on the 12v socket from under the seat so the fuse would also isolate the SP. A quick test with a multi meter and all is working fine. And more importantly no need to drill any holes in the caravan. Stick anything on the roof or have cables running through windows. Hope this helps
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Thanks MM,
I wanted something just to keep the battery topped up when in storage. I doubt I'll have a need for a large SP as we only do EHU sites.
My storage site has EHU''s but I don't like the idea of the charger being on for weeks on end when the caravans not being used and taking the battery out is not an option because of the alarm.
The whole thing has cost me less than £25 and nothing in the caravan has been drilled, attached or adapted.
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It's not the battery I'm concerned about TF, It's the charger. I also spoke to the workshop manager at the dealers I bought the caravan from. He agreed with me and advised against it.
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