Main Battery - When Camping With 240v

[saxoboy]

Hi Guys,

Been camping in the van over Easter and had a problem when I went to start it on Monday morning, it wouldn't. Luckily my sister had a batter changer with her and we got some charge into it and it then started.

My question to the group is, when I am connected via 240v and the leisure battery is being charged and every thing in the van works as per in the house, why would my battery main battery lose power?....the only thing that comes on when the doors are opened are the step light and the under dash lights, everything else is off. Is there a way to have a separate charger that charges the main battery when I am on hook up, that is permanently connected under the bonnet? I have the full split charger and batter charger from @travelvolts ...if that helps.

Hopefully someone has an idea.

Thanks in advance

Matt

 

[Wills]

Worth reading Hook Up And Mains Charging

 

[andys]

Hi Guys,

Been camping in the van over Easter and had a problem when I went to start it on Monday morning, it wouldn't. Luckily my sister had a batter changer with her and we got some charge into it and it then started.

My question to the group is, when I am connected via 240v and the leisure battery is being charged and every thing in the van works as per in the house, why would my battery main battery lose power?....the only thing that comes on when the doors are opened are the step light and the under dash lights, everything else is off. Is there a way to have a separate charger that charges the main battery when I am on hook up, that is permanently connected under the bonnet? I have the full split charger and batter charger from @travelvolts ...if that helps.

Hopefully someone has an idea.

Thanks in advance

Matt

Hook Up And Mains Charging

 

[Wills]

Great minds

 

[Dellmassive]

So your saying that your starter battery has gone flat over the weekend due to the door being opened numerous times....via leds?

And that you have a 240vac charger, but that only chargers the leisure battery?

Sounds to me like a a second small charger for the starter battery might help...

Or a way of bridging out the split charge system when on EHU to enable the built in charger to charge both Batteries?

@travelvolts may be best to advise if he remembers your install.

 

[True Romance]

Not another dodgy VW battery?

 

[Loz]

Were you playing the radio?

 

[saxoboy]

Wow....go away for a couple of hours and I have responses....thanks guys....
@Dellmassive yeah I think the leds must have drained it, which seems odd due to the low power they use...yes the 240v charger is under the front drivers seat and that charges the leisure battery only, I wonder what sort of small charger I could use?
@True Romance not sure it was finding it difficult to start a coupe of weeks before this weekend....and yes its a MOLL battery
@Loz no, I never used the radio, as I didn't want to drain the main battery, I knew that would.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Wow....go away for a couple of hours and I have responses....thanks guys....
@Dellmassive yeah I think the leds must have drained it, which seems odd due to the low power they use...yes the 240v charger is under the front drivers seat and that charges the leisure battery only, I wonder what sort of small charger I could use?
@True Romance not sure it was finding it difficult to start a coupe of weeks before this weekend....and yes its a MOLL battery
@Loz no, I never used the radio, as I didn't want to drain the main battery, I knew that would.

First job is to get the Moll battery replaced. I have a Ctek “stop start” charger under the drivers seat that takes care of the starter battery when on ehu.

 

[Ads_Essex]

@Salty Spuds how have you wired up your CTEK - to charge via the cigarette lighter?

 

[Salty Spuds]

Nope, hard wired into the mains & the output is connected to the input on the Ctek Dual 250 b2b in parallel with the lead from the van battery.

 

[Ads_Essex]

Ah I think I get you - it uses the B2B feed to charge the van battery when on EHU? Both positive and negative?

 

[Salty Spuds]

Ah I think I get you - it uses the B2B feed to charge the van battery when on EHU? Both positive and negative?

Yup, I just put the output of the starter charger onto the input of the B2B. They all have a common earth to the chassis

 

[Nigel W]

I have one of these I plug into the cigarette lighter, stick the panel behind the windscreen and it keeps the vehicle battery topped up
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0722XB3VQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[saxoboy]

@Nigel W now that looks like something that would work without much trouble or getting the floor up on the van again...So this works by plugging it into the cigarette lighter under the heater controls, or the one on the top of the dashboard?

 

[Nigel W]

@Nigel W now that looks like something that would work without much trouble or getting the floor up on the van again...So this works by plugging it into the cigarette lighter under the heater controls, or the one on the top of the dashboard?

My camper sits for months on end unused, I plug it into the one on top of the dash and it keeps the battery charged no problem. It won’t charge it from flat but it will maintain the charge.

 

[Pauly]

Its worth noting that when you lock/unlock & open/close doors on the vehicle it does more that just interior lights, i will be honest and say i dont know exactly what powers up but i think signals are sent out over canbus to awaken the sleeping beast, i can say when i open the door to my van if theres a cd in the headunit (factory discovery media which is turned off) then i can hear the cd spin up in the slot

 

[PenfoldE6]

Yup, I just put the output of the starter charger onto the input of the B2B. They all have a common earth to the chassis

Do you have another charger for the leisure battery when in EHU or does the ctek charge the starter battery and it turn the B2B charger kicks in to charge the leisure battery?

 

[Simon Carne]

Hi All,
Sorry to jump on the thread but would the following kit be suitable to keep the main battery topped off whilst parked up in the garage?
My master plan was to use the cig lighter in the dash(I only have the one)
Could I also use it to condition the leisure battery by plugging into the socket in the back?

Many thanks for any opinions

Si

 

[Skyliner33]

On this topic can I just clarify something?

I have a mains hook up ans consumer unit to run some mains sockets in the van.

If I plug a battery charger into these sockets and then connect it to the the lead that goes from the starter battery to Redarc dc-dc converter and also to the chassis earth would this charge both the starter battery and the AGM leisure battery?
Or would I have to connect it directly just to the battery I wanted to charge?

(this is the charger: OptiMate 6)