Dead battery

roamingfree
roamingfree Forum Participant Posts: 4
edited April 2021 in Parts & Accessories #1

Just realised my battery is dead & was planning to use the van this weekend. Do I need a working battery if I'm connected fo EHU?? Checked the manual & its says the 12v system is designed to operate with a leisure battery in circuit & should not be turned on without one? Am totally confused & any help would be appreciated 😊😊

Comments

  • LLM
    LLM Forum Participant Posts: 1,555 ✭✭
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    edited April 2021 #2

    If your battery is dead it can't do its job whilst you are on EHU and you could damage the on board charger.  Much cheaper to invest in a replacement. 

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2021 #3

    My thoughts, too.

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited April 2021 #4

    Agree with LLM and TW, definitely don't hook up to EHU if the battery is dead. By all means try removing it and charging it up at home. At one of our annual services some years ago they discovered our battery was pretty much completely dead and  fitted a new one there and then. They said if we'd gone away and hooked up we'd have been risking a bill in the high three figures!

    (We took their word for it, though I suppose it could just have been sales talk!  laughing)

  • compass362
    compass362 Forum Participant Posts: 619
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    edited April 2021 #5

    Am I the only caravanner that uses the belt & braces method 🤔 that as never let us down this last 10+years.

    My last 3 tow cars have only ever had a standard 7 pin trailer socket & towbar fitted, that's how they were purchased & I've had no inclination to have any of them changed to 13 pin or double 7 pin sockets to enable charging the battery & running the fridge when towing. 

    Therefore the caravan leisure battery was never charged while we towed, my solution was to have 2 leisure batteries, one lives in the caravan while in storage connected to a solar panel & the other is kept at home charged & is placed in the car when we tour, we have a fully charged battery 24/7 365 days a year. 

    I rotate the batteries usage throughout the season, the cost of the second battery is way less than having had all 3 cars converted.

    It suits us fine. 

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited April 2021 #6

     .... Am I the only caravanner that uses the belt & braces method 🤔 that as never let us down this last 10+years.

    It would appear so. I like having my caravan fridge powered while being towed. The caravan's leisure battery is large & heavy & I'm not inclined to fit & remove it any more than is necessary and how do you secure the other leisure battery in the car while touring? 

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited April 2021 #7

    And I disagree with the above posts re using electric hook up while the caravan battery is flat. The charger will charge the flat battery.

    I'd contest the possibility of the potential 3 figure bill .... what was going to fail?

  • LLM
    LLM Forum Participant Posts: 1,555 ✭✭
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    edited April 2021 #8

    Pleased to see your extremely bad advice has been taken down John VB.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited April 2021 #9

    It may depend on whether the battery is totally dead or just flat. If just flat then recovery "may" be possible although the onboard charger isn't going to do a thorough job of recharging. If it's completely dead with shorted out cells, then it could upset the van systems although it's never been explained why.

  • LLM
    LLM Forum Participant Posts: 1,555 ✭✭
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    edited April 2021 #10

    A flat battery, i.e. one that has dropped below about 11.9v and been left standing will be dead.  Recharging with a good quality smart charger may appear to cause a recovery but it is unlikely to hold up under load.  I think the risk of damaging the car alternator, the van on board charger and having the battery burn out and damage to van is just not worth it.   

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