Leisure battery lifting advice
I have a Bailey 2022 Cabrera and which is fitted with a Tracker Monitor alarm. The person at the dealer where I bought it (whom I trust, being ex-Bailey) has stated that the current draw from the alarm is about the same as that supplied by the solar charger, so the leisure battery won't get much in the way of charging current. He recommended charging it every 6 weeks and, if I have a second leisure battery, to swap them so that the alarm gets power still. The alarm does have its own backup rechargeable battery but this won't last long. The only problem with all this is the lifting of the 21Kg batteries. I use a ramp from the caravan doorway to slide it down onto a wheeled dolly, wheel to my vehicle and slide the battery up into it. The only part I struggle with is lifting it out of its compartment, which is inside the caravan on the floor (see photo). I do keep my back as straight as possible when lifting to avoid injury and the caravan is in storage with usually no-one around to ask for help. There is a nylon strap that goes under the battery but I suspect that this is just retaining strap (given that it passes through plastic guides either side and is quite narrow). Has anyone who has a battery in this kind of location devised a method other than just using the battery's lifting handles to get it out? I see there are battery lifters available (https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/sealey-bt91-9-battery-carrier-seabt91_9) which offer the slight advantage of not having crouch down so low to reach the battery handles (I think I would need two, though). Any advice would be very welcome!
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Would it not be easier to add a second/larger solar panel?
Colin
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I too have similar issues, but only need to charge mine during the short and scant sunlight days of winter. The battery takes about five weeks before the voltage decays from 13.2 volts to 12.6 at which point I need to lift it. I keep a check on the state of the batteries from the sergeant app.
Yes it’s a pain and I need to position and prepare myself for the lift but with care I can still do it without causing a mischief to myself. Only a few years back it was no issue at all. What I keep meaning to do, as the battery is under the bed, is reposition it to the front rather than at the back of the compartment. This should make for a more vertical lift rather than leaning forward under the upturned bed base and arching my back. Repositioning shouldn’t be too difficult for me as the securing strap will still do its job with a slight modification but the cables will need lengthening a little. Something I’ve wanted to do anyway as they do appear rather thin compared to other motorhome I’ve owned so I’ll replace them with heavier cables which may help a tiny tad in the charging regime.As far a bigger solar panel, no chance as there is no space on the roof to take one.
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Hiya. I don’t have this particular problem, the battery is in the ‘normal’ place. It is however not easy to remove it as the van is left in storage with not a lot of room for manoeuvre. Coupled with the fact that the battery is a snug fit within the compartment makes removing it hard work, trying to make the connections is a right fiddle. So, in the not too distant future I intend to change both of my regular batteries in favour of Lithium. Smaller and lighter. I realise these aren’t cheap ( I think I’ve seen them for around £200), but might this be a solution?
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@Freddy55 Can you swap a wet battery for a lithium without upgrading the charging system? I have had two Bailey motorhomes and both would have required different chargers to accommodate lithium. From a weight point of view they would be ideal for the OP. Obviously not sure of the OP's circumstances but wouldn't it be a lot easier just to take the van out of storage and take it for a tow to charge the battery, say every four weeks during the colder months of the year?
David
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I thought the Carbrera was a caravan🤷🏻♂️
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@Tinwheeler Yes it is. I have edited my original post so its clear I meant tow.
David
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Hiya @DavidKlyne . Yes, apparently you can get Lithium batteries with BMS (battery management system), which are supposed to be ok with ‘normal’ charging systems.
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I would have found it much more work @DavidKlyne to extract our caravan from storage and take it for a run than change over the battery. I used to struggle with that, due to the weight and close confines of the storage compound but getting the van out was very time consuming and as it used to require the power mover, would have further emptied the battery. It was the main reason that when we switched to a Motorhome I had sufficient solar added to keep both batteries charged, even in the winter months. Although a bonus has been it has been great for stopping in off grid Aires.
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@SteveL I was fortunate that I always kept my caravan at home so didn't have the issue of trying to keep batteries topped up. If the OP is happy to follow Freddy's advice on the lithium, assuming the charger in the caravan is OK then that sounds like a workable solution. I swapped the motorhome leisure battery from a smaller Banner to a larger AMG and it was much heavier so can see the OP's difficulties.
David
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Since the OP hasn't elaborated on his circumstances - could I ask - how far away from home is the storage compound? - and has he got the facility to store the van at home for a couple of days? If so - why can't you bring it home, put it on charge and then take it back. Most insurers allow storage at home for 48 hours on a temporary basis.
I do fully sympathise with his predicament though. Although I keep ours at home - on permanent charge - on the odd couple of occasions I have had to take the battery out - I have really struggled - especially as I already suffer from back pain!
The tracker fitted to ours does drain the battery fairly quickly and if it spends any time at the dealers - I can see, remotely, how the voltage degrades noticeably within a few days and I usually ask them to put it on charge before it comes back.
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On the subject of voltage degradation in storage, this I now understand is a fairly good indicator of the condition of a battery. After charging at home the voltage once returned to van will degrade from 13v to 12.8 in a couple of days, There it will remain for about three or four weeks. After this I can expect another week at 12.7 and it is then that I need to consider getting it home for an other boost. If it drops to 12.6 I’ll get it home immediately. This is typical for my battery during the winter months with little if any solar input due to seasonal issues and the position of the van in storage which, even if sunny, direct sunlight is limited to the panel.
If a battery’s charge is degrading quickly over a matter of days then it may be time to have it checked and possibly replace it. For those sunnier 8 or so months my battery needs little if any attention at all due to sunnier times and use. Incidentally, my van does have a tracker and I can monitor the state of the batteries remotely via a phone app.0 -
@devaprem. I would simply purchase a battery jump starter such as a:
Makes sure it's charged and connect it to the battery to recharge it in situ. If you leave it there for the 6 weeks you mention it will keep your battery in good condition and just need a recharge in due course, plus you will have a decent bit of kit should you need it for other reasons.
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I would try to avoid the lifting involved Unless you are very fit. The best solution to me would be to fit an additional solar panel if you find the one fitted is not up to the job. I would monitor the battery to see if it does lose charge first though. If you need extra power I doubt the extra panel need be very large though.
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I have a Unicorn Valencia 3. It’s still on its original battery. The solar panel keeps it charged without a problem. In fact during lockdown, the battery on my Nissan Navara was suffering from lack of use and had to be charged to start it. To stop this reoccurring, I wired up a lead to the second battery terminals on the solar charge controller and fitted an accessory plug to the other end. I would pass the cable through a window and plug this into a permanent live accessory socket on the Nissan. The problem never occurred again. Just make sure that your solar panel is clean and unobstructed
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Many thanks to all of you for your helpful replies (for some reason, I didn't get an email when each of you sent them so that I could reply individually. I’m not sure why. I'll try to cover everyone's response but please let me know if you think I've missed the one from you.
Mickysf – I sympathise with your difficulty, especially in having the battery space under the bed. I wish you luck in repositioning it. Your other comment about voltage degradation in storage was very interesting. I am going to check mine shortly to see how it is holding up.
Freddy55 – LiFePO4 batteries are available and lighter but I’m not sure if my Truma solar charge would be compatible. Also, I’m not sure if the extended warranty cover would be compromised. I’ll check both. Also, thanks for the link. Interestingly, Eco-Worthy don’t state if the battery shown is NCC class A, B or C although it does mention camping and RV.
Richardandros - I am 50 mins drive away from the storage and, sadly, parking the caravan at home isn’t an option. I have two batteries - my recently recharged battery (using the recondition cycle due to it not previously holding charge) and a recently bought AGM one (which I’m checking a possible issue with the dealer). Assuming both are OK, I could do a swap over every so often.
LLM – thanks for the link and suggestion. I already have a CTEK MXS 7 which was recommended to me. It seems to have breathed life back in to my old Numax battery which wasn’t holding charge (I used the recondition cycle).
Wildwood – thanks for your suggestion but I think I’ll have to wait until the caravan is out of warranty
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@Devaprem You don't state what size solar panel is fitted or whether it has an unshaded aspect but I'm surprised that it's not keeping pace with the power consumed by the tracker.
Provided I isolate the caravan systems on our 2020 Swift Challenger by releasing the 12v master power switch, the 80w roof mounted solar panel maintains both the tracker and alarm system as well as the battery - in fact, it will bring the battery back to a fully charged state over a few days of bright weather and thereafter keep it charged.
If I fail to press the isolator switch, in very dull weather coupled with short hours of winter daylight the battery will very slowly discharge but over a good few weeks.
Concerning your question - "Has anyone who has a battery in this kind of location devised a method other than just using the battery's lifting handles to get it out?" - maybe two looped 30mm webbing straps through the fitted lifting handles that you could also pass your hands through?
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I did think after I replied that help with lifting might be the answer. Bending right down to lift the battery is not good practice but a lot will depend on what the battery has as lifting handles. I am not sure what type of battery is fitted but if the lifting handles can take it, two strong straps through them to enable you to lift from a suitable height should help.
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