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Subject Topic: Charging a second battery Post Reply Post New Topic
Persondavetom
22/7/2015 at 11:34pm
 Location: North Norfolk
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Hi all, Having only in the past been on caravan sites with electric hookup, I am looking at staying on sites without electric. I have already got 2 leisure batteries to use. My question is :- when one needs recharging is it possible to charge a leisure battery in the boot of the car when driving around. ie - connected to car electrics via cigar lighter and vented to the outside of car. It would have to be securely fixed so it wouldn't be thrown about. I would obviously need to pull the plug when the car is stopped. Is this all possible and SAFE or am I living in cloud cuckoo land. Thanks

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dave


PersonGrampian91
22/7/2015 at 11:47pm
 Location: Midlands
 Outfit: Mondeo Avondale Gram View Grampian91's Profile View Profile   Reply to Grampian91 Reply   Quote Grampian91 Quote  
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Is the car fitted with a split charge relay for the 13 pin or 12S socket?

I wouldnt wire it direct to the lighter socket, If you forget and start the car with it connect there is a risk of it pulling power from the spare battery.

If you dont have a split charge relay i would fit one. Be careful on the routing of vent pipe. I have my sisters battery here which she let go flat for a while.
I put the CTEK charger on it and the vent pipe into a glass jar.

I was always taught that the water boiled away and the acid remained, but the water was very acidic, maybe because the battery was flat?

It took approx a 1kg sugar bag size of bicarbonate of soda to neutralize 1/4 of a jam jar of water/acid.

I keep plenty of bicarb in as i have a pond and it keeps the PH neutral.

No issues with your idea, just careful on the venting and use a charge controller. You could safely leave it connected when parked or when you stop and start your engine.


Persondavetom
23/7/2015 at 10:18pm
 Location: North Norfolk
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Thanks Grampian91 for your reply. I only have the 12N socket fitted to this car. I will look into going with your ideas. Is a split charge relay fairly easy to fit or is it a specialists job ?

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dave


PersonLobeyDosser
24/7/2015 at 2:40pm
 Location: Argyll Scotland
 Outfit: 1997 Bailey Ranger 470 4 View LobeyDosser's Profile View Profile   Reply to LobeyDosser Reply   Quote LobeyDosser Quote  
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The easiest way to charge a spare battery in the car boot is to fit a 12S socket as well, so that you charge the caravan battery as you drive along.

Then, when you are driving about and the van is on site, have a spare plug that is wired only to charge a battery, plug that into the car's 12S socket and feed it into the car's boot where the lid meets the car body.

This way you are changing nothing in the car and the plug and wire is only used when needed.

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Lobey.


Personjanus
24/7/2015 at 3:35pm
 Location: Rochdale
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Quote: Originally posted by LobeyDosser on 24/7/2015
The easiest way to charge a spare battery in the car boot is to fit a 12S socket as well, so that you charge the caravan battery as you drive along.

Then, when you are driving about and the van is on site, have a spare plug that is wired only to charge a battery, plug that into the car's 12S socket and feed it into the car's boot where the lid meets the car body.

This way you are changing nothing in the car and the plug and wire is only used when needed.


Easiest way to do this is to make up a lead with an S plug on wired to use the fridge circuit, on the other end have an in line 15amp fuse on the positive feed and quick release connectors for the battery. You can hang the wire out of the hoot to the S plug and because it is wired for the fridge circuit when the engine is turned off so is the feed to your battery in the boot.,



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Bill

For a licence dated 1997 or later you must add together the plated max weight of the caravan and trailer, if the total is 3500 or less you can tow it. You may even tow a caravan with a MAM greater than the cars unladen mass the restriction was removed in 2013

Mondeo Titanium 140 tdci


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Persondavetom
24/7/2015 at 10:10pm
 Location: North Norfolk
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Thanks Janus & LobeyDosser, It sounds good to me fitting a 12S socket. I'll look into this weekend and see what I can do. Cheers David

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dave


PersonLobeyDosser
25/7/2015 at 12:35am
 Location: Argyll Scotland
 Outfit: 1997 Bailey Ranger 470 4 View LobeyDosser's Profile View Profile   Reply to LobeyDosser Reply   Quote LobeyDosser Quote  
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Whatever way you decide to go, keep it simple.

The need for a second way of charging a battery will only be used now and then unless you decide that you much prefer this way of caravanning.

We used this way of charging a second battery when we rallied with our old Morris Minor, but later when we wild camped with our wee caravan, we had a 60w solar panel on the roof to make our battery last longer.





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Lobey.


Persondavetom
25/7/2015 at 10:24pm
 Location: North Norfolk
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Thanks for your advice Lobey. Well impressed with your caravan.

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dave


PersonWobbly Box
25/7/2015 at 11:13pm
 Location:  Scotland
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I was speaking to a couple who do lots of touring and seldom use electric hook ups. They have a solar panel that they attach to the battery and it helps to keep it topped up. I would also use a battery with a high amp hour so that it lasts longer between charges. You will be surprised how long your battery will last especially in the summer with long daylight. All it will be doing it powering your water pump, lights which you would use sparingly and not leave on , and also the fan for the blow heating. Everything else runs from gas. I would make sure I had a spare gas bottle as your gas usage will increase by quite a lot compared with being on an electric hook up. Fridge, water heater, boiling kettle and fire.


PersonGrampian91
26/7/2015 at 12:07am
 Location: Midlands
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Just checked my 7kg bottle in the van, because we wont have electric on our next break so intended on fitting a full bottle ready.

The old bottle was virtually empty, not sure if that was from 2 weeks without electric or whether we had used it before that?

2 weeks of fridge and hot water from a 7kg bottle? does that sound about right or do you think we had used it before?

Old age making us forgetful, i think we need to write stuff down.


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PersonWobbly Box
26/7/2015 at 12:31am
 Location:  Scotland
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Not sure but I read a while back that the fridge runs away with the gas which is probably true as it is running 24 hours. All other appliances are only used for short durations.



PersonLobeyDosser
26/7/2015 at 4:45pm
 Location: Argyll Scotland
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I don't see how a fridge would "run away" with the gas.
A fridge burns a single flame. A cooker, a water heater or a gas fire will burn far more gas than a fridge, even if it is on 24/7. Also the fridge flame will adjust as the temperature fluctuates.

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Lobey.


PersonWobbly Box
26/7/2015 at 6:37pm
 Location:  Scotland
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Aye maybe so. Point is its running 24 hours a day and the warmer the weather the more gas you will use.
Interesting topic here about fridges
http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=8&TopicID=250054&SearchPagePosition=1&search=fridge&searchMode=phrase&searchIn=Topic&forum=8&searchSort=dateDESC&ReturnPage=Search


PersonWobbly Box
26/7/2015 at 6:45pm
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Grampian 91 going by other posts on this site 2 weeks with everything running from gas is about right for a 7kg bottle. Which actually works out cheaper than the £2.50 a night some sites charge for an ehu.


PersonLobeyDosser
26/7/2015 at 10:34pm
 Location: Argyll Scotland
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We have, in the past, had units that ran both types of fridge, Waeco 12v and 3-way ones.

Of the 2, we would go for 3-way every time.
Okay, the Waeco will run on more sloping ground than the 3-way, but it can be noisy, and it very much depends on how it is actually mounted as to just how noisy it is.

On the Sprintaway Caravan that we had it, the wife had to wear ear plugs at night because of its noise and the vibrations from it, mounted as it was, right next to her bed, would waken her through the night.

No such problems with a 3-way fridge which at least gives you a choice of power sources. All silent ofcourse.

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Lobey.



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