Caravan Battery we think is dead even though we have solar

[birdman101]

It’s always been charging fine, this is the first year we’ve had this issue since 2023, the caravan was just in for a few things getting fixed in November but nothing electrical so I can’t point the finger at the dealer.

I also need to check the Solar Panels, since it was purchased in Oct 2023, the panels have now been cleaned.

It’s funny you say this. Our Caravan new 2023 and went into dealers for a small job and this is when our Battery was flat a few weeks laterThis is when I found the problem ,rather than taking back into them I sorted it,

 

[Saxo Appeal]

It’s funny you say this. Our Caravan new 2023 and went into dealers for a small job and this is when our Battery was flat a few weeks laterThis is when I found the problem ,rather than taking back into them I sorted it,

Hmmm wonder whether it’s much point in asking them, probably already know the answer!

 

[birdman101]

Ours went in under warranty a fridge module was changed. I presumed that wires touched that blew the fuse if the Solar had not been isolated.

 

[IanB1485]

I have come across sargent units where one or more of the connectors on the pcb have come loose , sort of asking for it given they are all hanging off the pcb and the vibration due to travelling on our roads. If the Sargent unit was fitted horizontally ( which it is in a lot of Motorhomes) then less chance of them coming loose.

 

[Saxo Appeal]

My other half has just reminded me, as I’m forgetting things

During some warranty snags, I completely forgot they were changing the wiring to the switch in the toilet room over, as the switch closest to the bathroom wall (bulk) switched the shower room light on (which was opposite the toilet room), and the switch furthest away switched the bathroom light on…so they needed flipped.

Will fire this over to the dealer and see what they say.

So on that note, as Birdman has said it could be that the Solar unit was not isolated and a fuse has blown, which would explain why the battery has went flat

 

[Mel]

There may be an electrical issue that is drawing the battery and worth checking. However there are lots of posts on the Swift FB group where the battery has flattened over winter simply because the Sargent black button has been left in the On position and there has not been enough solar gain due to weather, muck on the solar panels, overhanging trees or whatever to keep it charged. Hope this is all it is for you, as the fix is simpler and cheaper if you can resurrect the battery.

 

[Saxo Appeal]

Thanks all, I’ll update everyone on this tomorrow when the smart charger will be delivered

 

[Hutch]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought that some smart chargers would not work if the battery voltage was too low.
I am not sure what the " too low " voltage would be.

 

[otherclive]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought that some smart chargers would not work if the battery voltage was too low.
I am not sure what the " too low " voltage would be.

My CTEK requires a minimum of 2 volts, but some later ones have something to deal with lower voltage.

 

[Saxo Appeal]

I’ve covered myself and ordered a 2A and 10A coming tomorrow from Amazon

NOCO GENIUS10: 10A 6V/12V Smart Battery Charger – Automatic Maintainer, Trickle Charger & Desulfator with Overcharge Protection & Temperature Compensation – For Lead-Acid & Lithium Batteries : Amazon.co.uk: Automotive

Versatile 6V/12V charger with automatic temperature compensation protects against overcharging to keep lead-acid and lithium batteries performing at their best.

www.amazon.co.uk

The battery is a Banner Energy Bull Leisure Battery 12V 100/110AH

95751 Banner Energy Bull Leisure Battery 12V 100/110Ah

95751 Banner Energy Bull Leisure Battery Banner, <i>The Power Company</i> have been producing top quality since 1937. Coming out of Austria and distributing predominantly across Europe and Asia. But like all the big battery companies they ship to worldwide distributors. Banner Batteries...

www.tayna.co.uk

 

[JTQ]

I’ve covered myself and ordered a 2A and 10A coming tomorrow from Amazon

NOCO GENIUS10: 10A 6V/12V Smart Battery Charger – Automatic Maintainer, Trickle Charger & Desulfator with Overcharge Protection & Temperature Compensation – For Lead-Acid & Lithium Batteries : Amazon.co.uk: Automotive

Versatile 6V/12V charger with automatic temperature compensation protects against overcharging to keep lead-acid and lithium batteries performing at their best.

www.amazon.co.uk

The battery is a Banner Energy Bull Leisure Battery 12V 100/110AH

95751 Banner Energy Bull Leisure Battery 12V 100/110Ah

95751 Banner Energy Bull Leisure Battery Banner, <i>The Power Company</i> have been producing top quality since 1937. Coming out of Austria and distributing predominantly across Europe and Asia. But like all the big battery companies they ship to worldwide distributors. Banner Batteries...

www.tayna.co.uk

Two points jump out at needing cautionary mentions;

1) Charger
The linked smart charger is a 6 and 12 volt charger, it therefore if trying to recharge a discharged battery that is standing below about 6.7 volts will not automatically know if it is tasked with charging a 6 or 12 Volt battery. You will have check its status indicators, and or provoke it to "see" its task is charging a 12 volt battery. If you find you end up stuck locked to it seeing only a 6 volt battery, then come back and enquire how "we" can get over that.
That said, with a 12 volt battery depleted to below 6.7 volts for the duration indicative in this post, its highly likely it beyond practical recovery; LA batteries are very damaged in their purpose in life, storing energy, with long durations highly depleted. Getting one back to stand at 12.7 odd volts is not in itself recovered, it the energy it is capable of storing that determines usefulness other than as a doorstop.

2) Battery
The Banner Energy Bull I found to be a good leisure battery, and has been in earlier times a firm favourite, though there is a significant "but".

That "but" is it is far from a maintenance free battery, in that it in use, it "uses" water, so periodically it needs topping up with deionised water.
The amount, so frequency reflects how much pushing out and taking in energy, along with ambient temperature its been subjected to.
I have known of owners not realising this and readily jumping to denigrate it simply because they had abused it, albeit through genuine ignorance of what type of battery it was.

 

[otherclive]

Two points jump out at needing cautionary mentions;

1) Charger
The linked smart charger is a 6 and 12 volt charger, it therefore if trying to recharge a discharged battery that is standing below about 6.7 volts will not automatically know if it is tasked with charging a 6 or 12 Volt battery. You will have check its status indicators, and or provoke it to "see" its task is charging a 12 volt battery. If you find you end up stuck locked to it seeing only a 6 volt battery, then come back and enquire how "we" can get over that.
That said, with a 12 volt battery depleted to below 6.7 volts for the duration indicative in this post, its highly likely it beyond practical recovery; LA batteries are very damaged with long durations highly depleted.

2) Battery
The Banner Energy Bull I found to be a good leisure battery, and has been in earlier times a firm favourite, though there is a significant "but".

That "but" is it is far from a maintenance free battery, in that it in use, it "uses" water, so periodically it needs topping up with deionised water.
The amount, so frequency reflects how much pushing out and taking in energy, along with ambient temperature its been subjected to.
I have known of owners not realising this and readily jumping to denigrate it simply because they had abused it, albeit through genuine ignorance of what type of battery it was.

I had the same Banner Energy Bull battery and used to check it about 2-3 times per year, but in 3 years ownership I think I only topped it up once or twice and then it was really a smidgeon. But I didn’t have it connected to any solar panels and after each trip it would be removed for security and maintenance reasons. At home it would be charged by a low amperage CTEK charger.

 

[JTQ]

I had the same Banner Energy Bull battery and used to check it about 2-3 times per year, but in 3 years ownership I think I only topped it up once or twice and then it was really a smidgeon. But I didn’t have it connected to any solar panels and after each trip it would be removed for security and maintenance reasons. At home it would be charged by a low amperage CTEK charger.

Okay, but were you significantly cycling the battery or were you just using it to stabilise the 12V system whilst on an EHU, and the relatively trivial draining of energy typical mover usage inflicts.
Its the pumping in and out of energy that catches non maintenance free battery users out.

 

[otherclive]

Okay, but were you significantly cycling the battery or were you just using it to stabilise the 12V system whilst on an EHU, and the relatively trivial draining of energy typical mover usage inflicts.
Its the pumping in and out of energy that catches non maintenance free battery users out.

Principally on EHU when we were away apart from the odd summer weekend on a CL pitch without hook up.

 

[borderbilly]

I’ve covered myself and ordered a 2A and 10A coming tomorrow from Amazon

NOCO GENIUS10: 10A 6V/12V Smart Battery Charger – Automatic Maintainer, Trickle Charger & Desulfator with Overcharge Protection & Temperature Compensation – For Lead-Acid & Lithium Batteries : Amazon.co.uk: Automotive

Versatile 6V/12V charger with automatic temperature compensation protects against overcharging to keep lead-acid and lithium batteries performing at their best.

www.amazon.co.uk

The battery is a Banner Energy Bull Leisure Battery 12V 100/110AH

95751 Banner Energy Bull Leisure Battery 12V 100/110Ah

95751 Banner Energy Bull Leisure Battery Banner, <i>The Power Company</i> have been producing top quality since 1937. Coming out of Austria and distributing predominantly across Europe and Asia. But like all the big battery companies they ship to worldwide distributors. Banner Batteries...

www.tayna.co.uk

£94 ! Could have got 3 AA ones for that.

 

[Hutch]

£94 ! Could have got 3 AA ones for that.

But which one would be best, buy cheap buy thrice.

 

[borderbilly]

But which one would be best, buy cheap buy thrice.

Both do the same job, had mine for donkeys and still going strong.

 

[Buckman]

We have the Noco Charger, but never paid anything close to £90. Ours was £42! Description is the NOCO GENIUS2UK, 2A Smart Car Charger, 6V and 12V Portable Heavy-Duty Battery Charger Maintainer, Trickle Charger and Desulfator Conditioner for AGM, Leisure, Lithium, Motorbike and Caravan Batteries. It has good reviews.

​

 

[Saxo Appeal]

We have the Noco Charger, but never paid anything close to £90. Ours was £42! Description is the NOCO GENIUS2UK, 2A Smart Car Charger, 6V and 12V Portable Heavy-Duty Battery Charger Maintainer, Trickle Charger and Desulfator Conditioner for AGM, Leisure, Lithium, Motorbike and Caravan Batteries. It has good reviews.

​

I purchased both the 2A and the 10A and will be retuning one unused

 

[Beachball]

But which one would be best, buy cheap buy thrice.

+1 I would prefer the best one for my caravan but will it be okay for two solar panels.

 

[otherclive]

I purchased both the 2A and the 10A and will be retuning one unused

My years old CTEK is only 2 amp and has stood the test of time. I never purchased it with a view to quick charging of car batteries it was for motorbike batteries and maintaining the caravan battery. If a car needed quicker attention it was either a higher rated standard non smart charger, jump leads or Britannia. I got rid of the car charger years ago as I hadn’t used it for a long while. But one of our cars is still on its 10 year OEM battery and any problem and a new one goes in.

 

[Buckman]

+1 I would prefer the best one for my caravan but will it be okay for two solar panels.

Why would you need to be concerned about it charging solar panels? It is a battery charger.

 

[Beachball]

Why would you need to be concerned about it charging solar panels? It is a battery charger.

Seeing i haven"t had solar panels before how would i know it a battery charger

 

[RogerL]

My years old CTEK is only 2 amp and has stood the test of time. I never purchased it with a view to quick charging of car batteries it was for motorbike batteries and maintaining the caravan battery. If a car needed quicker attention it was either a higher rated standard non smart charger, jump leads or Britannia. I got rid of the car charger years ago as I hadn’t used it for a long while. But one of our cars is still on its 10 year OEM battery and any problem and a new one goes in.

Likewise, I'm still using my 3.6A CTEK as the speed of charging in unimportant - in reality the only time it's been used on my car in the last decade was to top the battery up when it wasn't used for 10 months because DVLA had suspended my licence because of my health issues.

It's main use was in our previous caravan where I used it instead of the onboard power supply despite the current draw in the daytime being greater than 3.6A as the battery acted as a reservoir which was replenished every night.

 

[Buckman]

Seeing i haven"t had solar panels before how would i know it a battery charger

The thread is about a flat battery and battery chargers. A solar panel helps charge a battery when the sun is shining, but cannot recharge a flat battery. Hope that helps.