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Topic: Charging leisure battery

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alan29

23/8/2012 at 1:46pm
Location: Wirral
Outfit: Swift Freestyle 520 on seasonal pitch

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Is the tow car supposed to charge the leisure battery when towing?
Ours doesn't, so we can't use our mover when we arrive at a site.
It charges perfectly from the site hook-up.

Bill Terry

23/8/2012 at 1:49pm
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If you have the second plug (grey one) yes suppose to charge. the battery wont charge off the normal plug. unless its the new 13 pin one.

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Roughing it in style at Calloose caravan and camping holiday park nr St Ives.(seasonal pitch)
Its not a hangover, its wine flu!

nant mill.N/Wales
just dont go there.

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birder99

23/8/2012 at 5:18pm
Location: Cambs
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quite often the pin for charging is connected with a wire that is not capable of doing the job in that there is too much voltage drop on the way to the caravan battery. If you have a meter check that it is live with the engine running at a fast tickover. If it is then do a voltage test at the battery end. Maplin do a nifty tester that pushes into the blade fuse slots on the distribution panel.

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'A sure cure for sea-sickness is to sit under a tree'

old chap

23/8/2012 at 6:55pm
Location: Sitingbourne
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Normaly the "grey" plug connectoin charges the battery,& runs the fridge on 12v but only when the car engine is running on fast tick over. you can check with a multi meter set to 20vdc, with the caravan connected to the car start the engine & run on fast tick over, you should get 13.8 vdc
on the meter connected to the leisure battery Ie red to positive & black to negative. it might be easier if you disconnect the battery & test at the battery leads but do not let them touch or short together

Jason Neville

23/8/2012 at 9:46pm
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i have a 13 pin do i have to have the mains switched on in the van and on the isolator switch

Firemaster

24/8/2012 at 9:16am
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I have a second grey suszy (as dad calls em) buti am not sure it it does cahrge the battery or not i connect it and off we go, However in the van we have a rocker switch just inside the door, it has 3 settings, Van up, middle Off, Down Car. i am not sure if this makes a difference as to wether the connection to the car is made? Do you have one of these in the van? (Just a thought)

Jax365

24/8/2012 at 9:46am
Location: south cheshire
Outfit: VW Caddy Maxi

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Can't help re the original question, but I've read on here in other threads that you need to travel a fair distance (like over 50 miles) for the charger to make any difference to the leisure battery, so no use just taking it for a spin around the block and hoping it will charge it up.

Firemaster, I would think the setting needs to be on car when travelling for it to charge. Middle is off, top is for when your on site and using the 12v electrics powered by the battery.

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Jax365

24/8/2012 at 9:49am
Location: south cheshire
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Quote: Originally posted by alan29 on 23/8/2012Is the tow car supposed to charge the leisure battery when towing?
Ours doesn't, so we can't use our mover when we arrive at a site.
It charges perfectly from the site hook-up.

If you are using the mover before you leave home, and you have a heavy caravan, then it might just be draining your battery enough to make it low enough not to work when you get where you're going. I charge mine before I go anywhere as I have no tow car charger. Just about to find out whether I will have the same problem as I'm having a mover fitted today!

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Firemaster

24/8/2012 at 11:24am
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thanks Jax365 Always wondered if that was the case (bit obvious really but nice to have it confirmed)

dylan1975

24/8/2012 at 1:39pm
Location: coventry
Outfit: Avondale pearl Adonis

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hi all i have a 80ah battery and a mover and i maneged to move out my garden which is dirt and a tight manover 50 yards down hill then back up hill no problems and manovre back into position and still had charge in the battery of 8.5 volts.

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macaw

24/8/2012 at 2:16pm
Location: south west
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Quote: Originally posted by dylan1975 on 24/8/2012
no problems and manovre back into position and still had charge in the battery of 8.5 volts.

Hi dylan1975 FYI hope it helps your battery will not last very long letting it go down to 8.5volts
See here.
State of Charge   Specific Gravity Voltage 12V
100%                 1.265            12.7
*75%                 1.225            12.4
50%                  1.190            12.2
25%                  1.155            12.0
Discharged           1.120            11.9

*Sulfation of Batteries starts when specific gravity falls below 1.225 or voltage measures less than 12.4 for a 12v battery

Regards macaw

dylan1975

24/8/2012 at 3:54pm
Location: coventry
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to be honest i think its on the way out just bought a 110ah battery just thinking of a charger that will charge when caravan is being used and will charge at the same time

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Jax365

24/8/2012 at 6:56pm
Location: south cheshire
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Quote: Originally posted by dylan1975 on 24/8/2012
hi all i have a 80ah battery and a mover and i maneged to move out my garden which is dirt and a tight manover 50 yards down hill then back up hill no problems and manovre back into position and still had charge in the battery of 8.5 volts.

If you went up and down and 100 yards as well, I think that's pretty good, esp if you have a heavy caravan! Put it on charge, quick!

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alan29

26/8/2012 at 8:47pm
Location: Wirral
Outfit: Swift Freestyle 520 on seasonal pitch

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Thanks so far.
Just to show you what a numpty I am, do you have to turn on the caravan electrics master switch to make the charger work when towing? Ours was off while we travelled to the site.
I'm a beginner at this - can you tell?

Opensauce

26/8/2012 at 9:11pm
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If you mean the battery isolator switch then yes that needs to be on to charge while towing. To check caravan battery is charging with car hitched to 'van put a volt meter across terminals & you should get about 13.5v with engine on fast tickover.

alan29

26/8/2012 at 9:22pm
Location: Wirral
Outfit: Swift Freestyle 520 on seasonal pitch

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I mean the main power on/off on the panel by the door. We turned it on when we arrived and the little meter there read zero.
Sorry - volt meter? Clueless.

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