Battery Charger...which one?!

[family_adventures]

Hello again,

I'm having to move my caravan to storage this year and wont have access to a power supply there. I'm used to charging up the van before we go anywhere so I can use the motor mover when we arrive to park up (my reversing skills are limited!)

Is it best to buy a battery charger to keep at home and just disconnect the battery and take it out to charge at home (also for over the winter months).

If so...which charger do people recommend. There seems to be a wide range out there and I have no idea how to choose nor do I understand the technical side of it.

Many thanks for any suggestions...I have a Bailey pursuit 430/4 encase type/size of van makes a difference

 

[otherclive]

Hello again,

I'm having to move my caravan to storage this year and wont have access to a power supply there. I'm used to charging up the van before we go anywhere so I can use the motor mover when we arrive to park up (my reversing skills are limited!)

Is it best to buy a battery charger to keep at home and just disconnect the battery and take it out to charge at home (also for over the winter months).

If so...which charger do people recommend. There seems to be a wide range out there and I have no idea how to choose nor do I understand the technical side of it.

Many thanks for any suggestions...I have a Bailey pursuit 430/4 encase type/size of van makes a difference

There are so many these days it is hard to recommend I use CTEK and my son uses NOCO. I always remove the battery when the van is in store and connect it to the CTEK in the garage. RING seem to be quite popular and Aldi have a good one but only when its available. You need to decide if you just want to keep the battery maintained in which case a smaller output will suffice, or if you want to perhaps recharge a flat caravan or car battery. The more expensive ones like CTEK can be used outdoors and are weather protected.

 

[Jcloughie]

Hello again,

I'm having to move my caravan to storage this year and wont have access to a power supply there. I'm used to charging up the van before we go anywhere so I can use the motor mover when we arrive to park up (my reversing skills are limited!)

Is it best to buy a battery charger to keep at home and just disconnect the battery and take it out to charge at home (also for over the winter months).

If so...which charger do people recommend. There seems to be a wide range out there and I have no idea how to choose nor do I understand the technical side of it.

Many thanks for any suggestions...I have a Bailey pursuit 430/4 encase type/size of van makes a difference

Do you need continual power for a tracker or alarm. If so, I would suggest a small (at least), solar panel, perhaps in a sky light. I have 120 watts fitted, but for just maintenance 10 watts would do. I just leave the battery alone, no humping in and out.

Otherwise, a small smart charger is ideal. Lots will recommend a Cetec. But the ones occasionally sold by Aldi and Lidl have really good reviews. I have one and it is excellent. You can leave it on all the time, but I would just do a few hours per month.

John

 

[bertieboy1]

Hello again,

I'm having to move my caravan to storage this year and wont have access to a power supply there. I'm used to charging up the van before we go anywhere so I can use the motor mover when we arrive to park up (my reversing skills are limited!)

Is it best to buy a battery charger to keep at home and just disconnect the battery and take it out to charge at home (also for over the winter months).

If so...which charger do people recommend. There seems to be a wide range out there and I have no idea how to choose nor do I understand the technical side of it.

Many thanks for any suggestions...I have a Bailey pursuit 430/4 encase type/size of van makes a difference

Hi,
Better to keep battery and charge at home.
I use an ordinary battery charger,it's not "smart" and just keep the battery voltage up,Top charging every couple of weeks (more frequently when the temperature is cold).Never had any problems with this method.

 

[Jcloughie]

Hi,
Better to keep battery and charge at home.
I use an ordinary battery charger,it's not "smart" and just keep the battery voltage up,Top charging every couple of weeks (more frequently when the temperature is cold).Never had any problems with this method.

Better in what way?

John

 

[Thingy]

I have the CTEK MXS10. Cant really comment on its quality as I havent had it long. I have used it once on the caravan battery which is an AGM just to watch the stages. It looks like the built in charger on the caravan has done a pretty decent job anyway. The real test for me of a CTEK or its ilk would be to see it bring back a deeply discharged and sulphated leisure battery.

 

[audiorob]

I had a similar question previously regarding a multi-use charger for an older vehicle, a stop/start battery, and a caravan battery. I ended up with one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01MA30T62/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
smart chargers which so far has served me well in recharging the flat battery in the car that had been resting during covid!

 

[ProfJohnL]

.... But the ones occasionally sold by Aldi and Lidl have really good reviews. I have one and it is excellent. You can leave it on all the time, but I would just do a few hours per month.

I do agree the ones from both Aldi and Lidl do represent good value and they can do a great job of charging and maintaining batteries, But, one problem with the ones I have had for long term usage and Its caught me out on a couple of occasions, if there is a power cut, the charger turns off and needs to be manually restarted.

 

[Beehpee]

I had a battery that I wanted as a back up for an off grid weekend that wouldn’t take a charge, I put the ctek on it, and it cut out after about 20 minutes, started the charging again and after restarting it 3 or 4 times it went through the whole recondition cycle, my thought at the time was each restart put a little bit of juice in the battery until there was enough for the charger to function correctly, that battery then served me well for a couple of years so I’m a fan of ctek

 

[Hutch]

I do agree the ones from both Aldi and Lidl do represent good value and they can do a great job of charging and maintaining batteries, But, one problem with the ones I have had for long term usage and Its caught me out on a couple of occasions, if there is a power cut, the charger turns off and needs to be manually restarted.

But when I have a power cut, I have to reset the cookers clock, the Microwave clock and three bedroom clocks, a battery charger is just something else to reset.

 

[ProfJohnL]

But when I have a power cut, I have to reset the cookers clock, the Microwave clock and three bedroom clocks, a battery charger is just something else to reset.

But if your using a supply at a storage site, or in a remote building its not immediately convenient and easily over looked.

Simple solution find a charger that doesn't need to be manually reset after a power outage ( e.g. Ctek)

 

[Hutch]

Wow, a storage site that gives you a power supply for a battery, I have never heard of that. Hens teeth.

 

[family_adventures]

There are so many these days it is hard to recommend I use CTEK and my son uses NOCO. I always remove the battery when the van is in store and connect it to the CTEK in the garage. RING seem to be quite popular and Aldi have a good one but only when its available. You need to decide if you just want to keep the battery maintained in which case a smaller output will suffice, or if you want to perhaps recharge a flat caravan or car battery. The more expensive ones like CTEK can be used outdoors and are weather protected.

Thanks, I just want to keep the battery ticking over not recharge from flat. As for the car i'm gonna stick with green flag if anything goes wrong with that one I think. It will be kept indoors really just looking to charge it every 2/3 weeks I think. I will keep an eye out for the Aldi one. I have borrowed a ring one from a friend just now to keep me going in the meantime but wanted to make sure I bought the right thing.

 

[family_adventures]

Do you need continual power for a tracker or alarm. If so, I would suggest a small (at least), solar panel, perhaps in a sky light. I have 120 watts fitted, but for just maintenance 10 watts would do. I just leave the battery alone, no humping in and out.

Otherwise, a small smart charger is ideal. Lots will recommend a Cetec. But the ones occasionally sold by Aldi and Lidl have really good reviews. I have one and it is excellent. You can leave it on all the time, but I would just do a few hours per month.

John

I don't need continual power for anything. So I'm hoping I could just get away with one of the cheaper ones. I just didn't want to buy something cheap thinking i've got a bargain if it doesn't do the job.

 

[RogerL]

I had a battery that I wanted as a back up for an off grid weekend that wouldn’t take a charge, I put the ctek on it, and it cut out after about 20 minutes, started the charging again and after restarting it 3 or 4 times it went through the whole recondition cycle, my thought at the time was each restart put a little bit of juice in the battery until there was enough for the charger to function correctly, that battery then served me well for a couple of years so I’m a fan of ctek

If a battery is totally flat or in very poor condition, it's worth putting a dumb charger on for a few hours, no longer, and then continuing with a smart charger - as most smart chargers won't start if the voltage is too low.

 

[Beehpee]

I did it with just a smart ctek and each time it fails I reset it and it eventually topped it completely

 

[JezzerB]

Have an expensive optimate and a ring smart charger at £24.The ring is better. Has settings for different battery types 6,12or AGM plus a screen that tells you battery voltage on connection and you can watch progress,then it says 'Full'. Superb.

 

[Buckman]

Why buy a charger when you can buy a solar panel which will keep the battery topped up?

 

[Hutch]

Why buy a charger when you can buy a solar panel which will keep the battery topped up?

A solar panel would be no use to me whilst in storage as we have inside storage.

 

[JezzerB]

Aha lucky you.

 

[Hutch]

Aha lucky you.

But we have pidgeons, 😣

 

[Buckman]

A solar panel would be no use to me whilst in storage as we have inside storage.

I was addressing the OP who may be storing outside.

 

[Thingy]

But we have pidgeons,

We use texts nowadays.

 

[family_adventures]

Why buy a charger when you can buy a solar panel which will keep the battery topped up?

Yes I was thinking about a solar panel but have even less idea of what I need. All I really want to be able to do is charge up the battery enough to use the motor mover when I arrive on site and also for getting it hitched onto the car from the storage facility. Do you have any idea what i'd need to do that?

 

[Jcloughie]

Yes I was thinking about a solar panel but have even less idea of what I need. All I really want to be able to do is charge up the battery enough to use the motor mover when I arrive on site and also for getting it hitched onto the car from the storage facility. Do you have any idea what i'd need to do that?

I am told you can put a solar panel up to 10 watts direct to your battery without any need for a regulator. Not enough to overcharge. no goo if you use a cover or are under cover. It can befitted into a skylight.

John