Battery problem
Hi. Currently in Italy in our Sprite 2. Unfortunately we have a battery charging issue. We are only staying on sites with EHU but battery is not being recharged. I have a spare old battery and a charger and am currently swapping the new and the old battery over when panel displays ‘leisure battery poor’. However the time between battery changes is decreasing and as we are away for another 3 weeks I’m worried we may end up without power. My question is would a portable solar panel help to extend the time between charges.. We are moving on Monday and will be passing very close to Milan where there are a number of caravan accessory shops.
Many thanks for any advice Paul.
Comments
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I had always thought that the electrical control unit in the caravan/motorhome provided 12v power when on hook-up? So whilst on hook-up the state of the battery shouldn't make a difference to 12v services within the caravan. However if you have a mover that will be impacted. Does the battery charge any better whilst towing? It it does I think that would point to a problem with the inbuilt charger. If it makes no difference it suggests you have a problem battery. Hope you get it sorted as you don't need that sort of worry whilst on holiday.
David
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Hi David. Thanks for replying. Haven’t used motor mover recently so that’s not involved. Not sure if battery is recharging on towing. We are on hook up and battery is losing charge. Could this be as a result of faulty battery? However it is happening with both batteries so both would have to be faulty. Obviously really hoping to get through next 3 weeks and get it looked at properly when we get home.
regards Paul.0 -
Sounds to me as if the van's on board charger is not functioning. I suggest you check if it is switched on when you are using EHU and if it is then check that power is getting through to the battery. You may have a blown fuse.
As a matter of interest what devices are you using the battery to run when you're on EHU?
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How would I tell if it’s switched on? Fuses seem ok. Just normal stuff-fridge, phone chargers, toaster etc.
If this onboard charger is the problem would a solar panel not make any difference?
Thanks Paul.
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The items you list will be powered by mains, not 12v.
Any 12v items, such as lights and water pump, will be powered by 12v with the battery being recharged (in theory) by the 230v mains. I agree with LLM that the issue is with the charging system, either the charger itself or some other factor preventing the charge reaching the battery.
Without knowing your particular van, I can’t advise how to check if your charger is turned on but your handbook should tell you.
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It is not beyond the pssiblity that both batteries are not in very good condition. What type are they and how old? Do you have any means of measuring the voltage at the battery terminals? If it is poor battery condition a solar panel is not going to solve your problem.
peedee
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Hi Tinwheeler. Thanks for that. I didn’t realise some things are taken from EHU and others from the battery. So in theory if we limit the use of the battery things our battery should not run down so quickly. You mentioned the lights and water pump. I guess the motor mover would also be on that list. Is there anything else?
I’ll check my hand book for details of charger. The van is a Sprite 2 and the charger is a Sargeant PX300.Thanks so much for the advice.
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"Both batteries", PD?🤔
If the battery is past it, that could certainly be one of the possible factors preventing the charge reaching the battery, as per my previous post.
I know very little about solar but if the battery has had its day, it’s not going to hold a charge from any source as you say, PD.👍🏻
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You have a problem which you need to resolve. Turning a couple of lights off or flushing the loo less often is not going to help to any meaningful degree. As a general rule, if you’re plugging into a domestic type 3 pin socket, you’re using 230v. Those sockets will be dead if not on EHU. Your TV may be powered by 12v and/or an aerial booster.
Study the handbook or any other literature supplied with the van to find out how things work. I don’t know your van or the Sargent controller but it should all be in the book. If you’ve not got it with you, search on line. Sargent have a helpline and may be able to advise. If all else fails, you may need the help of a caravan electrical tech person.
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"Both batteries", PD? Like I said, not impossible TW, the author has indicate one of them is definitely old. If it has been very hot in Italy that can cause battery problems. If lead acid open type the electrolyte can disappear at an alarming rate leading to battery failure. I have had a sealed lead acid battery in a car fail on me in the heat as well. What really needs to be done is voltage measuremts in order to check the charger is working but it reads as though the OP has also been charging the batteries with an external charger, still with poor results. That would indicate to me the batteries are in poor condition rather than two faulty chargers.
peedee
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I’m afraid I’m not very technically minded. I fully intend to get the problems resolved when we get home at my local repair centre. I was just trying to avoid cutting short our trip or trying to find a repair place in Italy. Potentially difficult especially not speaking any Italian.
Thanks for the help anyway. Paul.
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I’m with you now, PD. The spare old battery which, strictly speaking, shouldn’t be needed at all, as well as the in use battery👍🏻.
I wonder what prompted the OP to take a spare with him? Maybe he’s had issues previously. 🤷🏻♂️
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Do you have any sort of breakdown cover which includes this sort of fault on the caravan? I suspect you will find English speaking people who can help you in Milan and there’s always the translator app.
Good luck.
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Nobody thinks my solar panel idea will help anyway. I think the battery is ok. It’s new and a Platinum class A. I think it’s the onboard charger that’s the problem.
Thanks for advice received. Paul.0 -
Perhaps an easy thing to do would be to go to a local DIY store and buy a voltage meter. You could then check the amount of charge going into the battery. If there is nothing or a reduced charge going in that would point to a problem with the charger. However if the voltage going in is fine it is clearly a battery problem. If it is the battery I am sure you could source a new one locally. If you are near the Lakes a boat factor could also help as well. Don't think there is any need to cut the trip short.
David
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Read the User Manual for your charger: PX 300 UM. Check the indicator light if it's working (light on) check the output to your battery. Simply disconnect the earth and meter across the connected live terminal and the disconnected earth wire ( not the battery earth terminal ) you should get a reading of between 13.6v and 14.4v. Your EHU should be connected and on.
PS. A solar panel won't get you out of this problem.
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Hello friend, I bet you are more technically minded than me!
We had a leisure battery that was past its sell by . It got very hot and smelly. So I simply disconnected it and carried on without it. The fridge, kettle and fridge worked directly off mains power. If the 12 volt lights didn’t work we bought a plug-in table lamp which worked off mains too. If the water pump didn’t work we poured water from a bottle. There would have been no battery power for a mover but we didn’t have a mover - we just waved at nearby Dutchmen to come and push.
So please don’t worry. Enjoy Italy. Don’t give in. Caravan life without a battery is perfectly possible.1 -
How did we manage in olden times when all we had was gas?😄😄
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Thanks to everyone for the advice. Going to try reducing use of lights, water pump etc. Current battery has been reading a steady 12.7v all day so so far so good. I am also surrounded by lovely Dutch people who can replace the motor mover. Hopefully that will get us through if not I think I’ll find some friendly camper with a meter to help me.
The sun is out at Lake Iseo so things are looking up from this morning.Regards Paul.
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You are showing the exact same faults my caravan displayed a few years ago and it was the charger at fault. I watched the techi replace it and it was very straight forward. If you have caravan breakdown insurance (eg Red Pennant) give them a call and they will sort it out with you probably only having to pay for the part. If not, get a battery charger and top up the battery for a few hrs every day. Have you asked the campsite reception if they know of a local caravan techi who can come and check; most parts are common to nearly all caravans these days and who knows he may be able to sort it. Absolutely no need to cut short your holiday.
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