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Subject Topic: Leisure battery
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Personvaraderoxlv1000
29/6/2015 at 7:14am
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Use a Ctek charger rated to meet the amp hour capacity of the battery. These intelligent chargers are well worth every penny and a much cheaper solution than having to spend out on new Leisure Batteries and oh, don't buy cheapies, they WILL NOT last ... stick to BANNER batteries or the like!


Personjanus
29/6/2015 at 9:58am
 Location: Rochdale
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Quote: Originally posted by varaderoxlv1000 on 29/6/2015
Use a Ctek charger rated to meet the amp hour capacity of the battery. These intelligent chargers are well worth every penny and a much cheaper solution than having to spend out on new Leisure Batteries and oh, don't buy cheapies, they WILL NOT last ... stick to BANNER batteries or the like!

I have no smart charger, I always buy unnamed well priced batteries. My first battery lasted 10 years, the second (bought as a second battery ) lasted 11 years. The 3rd battery is now 13 years old and still going strong, the fourth an expensive named gel battery original fitment on the van lasted 5 years, its replacement ( another cheapy) is still going strong 7 years later. Do not be afraid of competitively priced batteries from a reputable source ( all those I have bought have come from large caravan dealers ).
The regime of using a battery charging itand leaving it in a van where everything is turned off, and topping up three months later if not used again works well.


-------------
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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PersonJTQU
29/6/2015 at 1:31pm
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Quote: Originally posted by janus on 29/6/2015

I have no smart charger, I always buy unnamed well priced batteries.




Surprising you have no smart charger, as Schaudt charger/controllers were fitted to UK imported Hymers, and they are "smart", very smart.


PersonMotobiman
29/6/2015 at 1:43pm
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IME far more batteries fail (are buggared) by being under charged rather than over.

I am lucky in that I keep my caravan at home and keep the 12v system switched on and check it weekly.

Soon as the voltage drops below 12v I connect the EHU and let the onboard charger do its stuff.


Personjanus
29/6/2015 at 3:59pm
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Quote: Originally posted by JTQU on 29/6/2015
Quote: Originally posted by janus on 29/6/2015
I have no smart charger, I always buy unnamed well priced batteries.




Surprising you have no smart charger, as Schaudt charger/controllers were fitted to UK imported Hymers, and they are "smart", very smart.




Very true, but it is only used when the van is plugged in, ie when we are away or otherwise every three months. My point was that it is not necessary to have a battery under constant truckle charge for it to be kept in condition for a long life, letting one stand fully charged and periodically charging works just as well.



-------------
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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Personjanus
29/6/2015 at 4:03pm
 Location: Rochdale
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Quote: Originally posted by Motobiman on 29/6/2015
IME far more batteries fail (are buggared) by being under charged rather than over.

I am lucky in that I keep my caravan at home and keep the 12v system switched on and check it weekly.

Soon as the voltage drops below 12v I connect the EHU and let the onboard charger do its stuff.


If you turned the 12v system off and checked it periodically you would find it would not drop below 12v unless left for an inordinately long time. I top mine up every 3 montgs or so and at that time the one on the bench is routinely 12.6v which is not bad for a 13 yr old battery, and the one in the van is always sitting there at 12.7v or above.


-------------
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


PersonMotobiman
29/6/2015 at 4:40pm
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Not if its powering the onboard alarm system it won't and every battery will eventually drop below 12volts in storage, it's what they do, if not they would stay charged for ever.

Read this especially relating to overcharging gel batteries.

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/articles/view.asp?id=722


Personjanus
29/6/2015 at 11:41pm
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What alarm? Many vans do not have them. With a twelve volt system completely turned off the battery should lose little voltage over a three month period. As I said ithe voltage of the battery should not fall below 12v when completely disconnected unless it is left for an inordinately long time.



-------------
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


PersonMotobiman
30/6/2015 at 7:04am
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The alarm on my Knaus caravan and even without that switched off the onboard intelligent electrical (Calira) system is still being powered.

Anyway as I said ALL batteries lose charge over time, it's a fact of life.

The level it reaches over time. is a matter of individual batteries and technology, 12 volts is just an arbitrary level.

My system does not cut the system power automatically until it reaches 11.7volts.


PersonJTQU
30/6/2015 at 8:34am
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Seeing 12.7 to 12.9 volts on a rested battery of course only indicates it is as fully charged as it can be.

That is very different to indicating that battery holds anything like the amount of charge it once was capable of holding, only it is as "full" as it now can be.


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PersonMotobiman
30/6/2015 at 8:45am
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Quote: Originally posted by JTQU on 30/6/2015
Seeing 12.7 to 12.9 volts on a rested battery of course only indicates it is as fully charged as it can be.

That is very different to indicating that battery holds anything like the amount of charge it once was capable of holding, only it is as "full" as it now can be.


Voltage is an indication of the state of charge, capacity is quite a different thing.

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/articles/images/722_6.jpg


Personfleck2
30/6/2015 at 8:59am
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My battery sits at 13.1v as shown by the steca solar controller, I've checked it with my multimeter too and it reads the same. The vans in the garage, the solar panel is free standing and hasn't been out since yesterday. Seems like it's a bit too high?


PersonMotobiman
30/6/2015 at 9:44am
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Not too high to worry about as it's not actually charging at that level.

It is generally considered good practice to discharge a battery at normal rates and down to about 30 percent capacity occasionally rather than leaving it perpetually in a fully charged state.



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