Batteries in Storage.

Graham Laurie
Graham Laurie Forum Participant Posts: 2
edited December 2020 in New to Caravanning & Touring #1

Hi, 

I'm brand new to the hobby and just bought a motorhome. I'm picking it up next weekend, yes, in just as we're heading into winter! I live in London, so have found a CASSOA site to store it, so my first trip will be from the showroom to the site, spend a couple of nights at the site and then leave it there.

What I'm wondering though is what happens to the batteries if it's left in storage for a couple of months or so? It has two leisure batteries and a 125w solar panel and I guess the solar panel will trickle charge the batteries but is there enough light in the UK over winter to stop them draining too much? And what about the engine battery?

What do other people do in this situation? Take the batteries out and home with them?

I'm very excited about all of this.

Thanks

Graham

Comments

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
    1000 Comments
    edited January 2021 #2

    Assuming you only have things like alarms and trackers running, the solar panel will keep your habitation batteries topped up. The engine battery can be either similarly maintained by the solar panel if the controller is a dual battery type or possibly by a 'battery master' which tops up the engine battery from the others on an 'as required basis' based on voltage differential. It is also possible that there is no supply to the engine battery, in which case it'll probably need a bit of a boost on a monthly basis.

    You need to check these things out with the dealer when picking up the van.

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,300 ✭✭✭
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited January 2021 #3

    I was about to reply to this yesterday, when I noticed that it was almost two months old and GL would have gone elsewhere for information. Why did it suddenly appear at the top of the list, where has it been since  November. The mysteries of CT.🤔

  • SeasideBill
    SeasideBill Forum Participant Posts: 2,112
    1000 Comments
    edited January 2021 #4

    Yes, a bit odd to surface now, did exactly the same thing.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
    1000 Comments
    edited January 2021 #5

    I hadn't noticed the date. Interestingly he posted in another thread about the same time which appears to have uploaded successfully. Perhaps it was as a newbie starting a new thread that proved too much for CAMC IT.

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