Leisure Battery Question

[AnastieByte]

Hi
Well even though we have had our new to us Caravan for 4 weeks we have still not used it due to a fault with the ATC stabiliser control. The part has arrived and due to be fitted next week (I hope) .

During this debacle the caravan has remained on the storage site. When we bought it we towed from the dealer in Mansfield to the storage site in Northumberland around a 5 hour trip. During that time the brand new battery would have been charging during the tow.

My question is: I know the battery should not be allowed to go flat and im wondering how long that would take? Should I take the battery off the caravan and put it on a trickle charger (any recommendations) I don't want t ruin a brand new battery. Or will it take several weeks for the battery to fully lose its charge while sat in the van on storage?

All advice appreciated.

 

[Thingy]

You will need to keep your battery on I suspect for the security systems and to comply with your insurance. Most modern caravans will have a system shutdown button, which will allow things like the tracker and alarm to work whilst closing down everything else. You could consider a solar panel to keep the battery trickle charged.

 

[AnastieByte]

You will need to keep your battery on I suspect for the security systems and to comply with your insurance. Most modern caravans will have a system shutdown button, which will allow things like the tracker and alarm to work whilst closing down everything else. You could consider a solar panel to keep the battery trickle charged.

Thanks for the reply I did not know that regarding insurance, cheers. As a total newbie if a solar panel is advised any thoughts?

 

[Thingy]

Dont know much about them, mine was supplied as part of the caravan. Prof is prob your man for this.

 

[Hutch]

On our Coachman the items that drain the battery most are, 1, The fridge, 2, the radio, This is with the master switch turned off, so I tend to pull the Fuses for those items. Then the battery will last weeks.

 

[Woodentop]

On our Coachman the items that drain the battery most are, 1, The fridge, 2, the radio, This is with the master switch turned off, so I tend to pull the Fuses for those items. Then the battery will last weeks.

I find that puzzling. The fridge should not draw any current from the caravan battery, and if the radio is drawing any current it will only be microamps for memory support. The item that does take power if it is not switched off is the TV aerial amp.

Having said that, if the master switch is off then everything should be dead bar the alarm if you have one, so what goes?

 

[Hutch]

Woodentop, we have had this before on a forum , on the Dometic 113N Electronic fridge the Front panel stays powered 12 v. and also the radio with the front panel removed still draws power, even with the master switch to off.
Therefore The Master Switch is not a Kill all power switch. Probably for towing and powering the fridge.

 

[VicMallows]

Another point which annoys me is that when the Master Switch is ON, the relay(s) draw a constant current (around 100mA on my Elldis) just to keep energised. As someone who seldom uses EHU and goes to considerable lengths to conserve battery power, I find this quite excessive.

 

[Woodentop]

Woodentop, we have had this before on a forum , on the Dometic 113N Electronic fridge the Front panel stays powered 12 v. and also the radio with the front panel removed still draws power, even with the master switch to off.
Therefore The Master Switch is not a Kill all power switch. Probably for towing and powering the fridge.

On my Baileys (now on our third) switching the master switch off kills everything. What is the point of a master switch if it does not? Methinks that looks like some manufacturer designed skewed thinking - OR - there is a fault?

 

[Hutch]

Woòdentop, A few others on a different thread have found the same as myself that, master Switch off doesn't kill all the power. On the fridge it's just power to the electronic control panel on the fridge front.

 

[Woodentop]

Woòdentop, A few others on a different thread have found the same as myself that, master Switch off doesn't kill all the power. On the fridge it's just power to the electronic control panel on the fridge front.

I still don't get it................

 

[Hutch]

Woòdentop, A few others on a different thread have found the same as myself that, master Switch off doesn't kill all the power. On the fridge it's just power to the electronic control panel on the fridge front.

I still don't get it................

I still don't get it either but thats how it is , back me up someone, please. .

 

[Damian]

Most of the newer fridges have a permanent 12v supply to the control panel, regardless of whether the master switch is off or on.
That is the price of modernisation for you !!!!

 

[Craigyoung]

I think the only way to solve any drainage on the battery is to disconnect every time you park it up when not using it. It should not be the case though , once you hit the master switch off button , everything should be "off" ! It's too much of a chew on sliding the battery in & out .

 

[Anseo]

Just a thought, and will isolate the battery from everything

Cheap and easy to fit, it does not have to go inside the battery compartment, so a convenient location can usually be found.

http://www.gsparkplug.com/heavy-duty-battery-master-isolator-cut-off-kill-switch.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-ob_t7nm2gIVD9wZCh3o_Qi3EAQYASABEgLlsvD_BwE

 

[Anseo]

Woòdentop, A few others on a different thread have found the same as myself that, master Switch off doesn't kill all the power. On the fridge it's just power to the electronic control panel on the fridge front.

I still don't get it................

I still don't get it either but thats how it is , back me up someone, please. .

I can back you up on that Hutch, radio presets have power unless I remove the radio faceplate.

The antenna booster also has power unless I remember to switch it off (the switch is on top of the booster unit and not visible to the eye).

The fridge has an off switch and if I use that then there is no power to the fridge light (only an issue if the door is placed in the 'locked ajar' position to prevent mouldodours).

 

[paws]

Just to comment on Anseo's excellent post and link to the battery master switch. I have used these on boats over the last, goodness knows how many years, and they have all performed well.

There is good separation between the contacts and on most of them the " key" can also be removed if required.
As always.
Happy Caravanning
and
Regards to all
paws

 

[Hutch]

Even with the fridge switched off it still has power to the master circuit board, and also power to the master control panel, radio, even with the front off and to the antenna booster,, and the awning light through the alarm, at present I remove the 20 AMP fuse in the control box which removes power from everything, leaving the alarm only powered by the internal battery.

I think I will install one of these switches and add an extra supply from the battery to the alarm. There is always something to do to get your van better.

 

[Anseo]

I think I will install one of these switches and add an extra supply from the battery to the alarm. There is always something to do to get your van better.

Found this one Hutch, comes with 2 keys, I usually misplace or lose keys at some point

Ebay item number 670781585412

 

[ProfJohnL]

I think I will install one of these switches and add an extra supply from the battery to the alarm. There is always something to do to get your van better.

Found this one Hutch, comes with 2 keys, I usually misplace or lose keys at some point

Ebay item number 670781585412

In the case in point, there would be no need to remove the key from the switch, if its inside the caravan. Or use a a piece of string to to tie teh key to one of teh wires so you cat inadvertently remove the key from the area.

 

[Hutch]

I think I will install one of these switches and add an extra supply from the battery to the alarm. There is always something to do to get your van better.

Found this one Hutch, comes with 2 keys, I usually misplace or lose keys at some point

Ebay item number 670781585412

In the case in point, there would be no need to remove the key from the switch, if its inside the caravan. Or use a a piece of string to to tie teh key to one of teh wires so you cat inadvertently remove the key from the area.

Pretty obviouse really, but would hate to get on site and find no key and have to rewire the caravan , keys are locked in but free to come out , if switched off. Murphy Law, if it can happen it will. At the worst time.

 

[waffler]

Having had several vans and never had a battery flatten in storage we went to our 2009 Coachman after leaving it in storage for a fortnight to find the battery reading 6.2 volts!!!!! Fortunately I had a spare fully charged. My charger wouldn't charge it- had to borrow an old one that did. it turned out to be the radio. Even with the front off it still drew current. I spoke to the technical people who said that if the radio was switched off on the master switch the radio would have to be retuned on each site! When I said the clue was in the name tourer it dawned on him. Our 2017 Coachman now switches off but also has a panel on the roof. Try taking the fuse for the radio, and probably tv aerial to se if that helps.

 

[Craigyoung]

Hello ,
just been up to storage to pull our van out to take it in for its service , so I jumped in had a quick check of everything make sure nothing was going to move about and I thought I would check the TV booster which is in the cupboard behind the clothes rail and surely enough red LED light was on so that is now unplugged until we go away next time! One less thing to drain the battery.

 

[CustardAvenger]

Hello ,
just been up to storage to pull our van out to take it in for its service , so I jumped in had a quick check of everything make sure nothing was going to move about and I thought I would check the TV booster which is in the cupboard behind the clothes rail and surely enough red LED light was on so that is now unplugged until we go away next time! One less thing to drain the battery.

I spotted the TV booster was on all the time when I got the caravan... Turned it off as I don't have a TV - I will probably forget to switch it back on when I do get one!

 

[chrisn7]

I think I will install one of these switches and add an extra supply from the battery to the alarm. There is always something to do to get your van better.

Found this one Hutch, comes with 2 keys, I usually misplace or lose keys at some point

Ebay item number 670781585412

In the case in point, there would be no need to remove the key from the switch, if its inside the caravan. Or use a a piece of string to to tie teh key to one of teh wires so you cat inadvertently remove the key from the area.

Pretty obviouse really, but would hate to get on site and find no key and have to rewire the caravan , keys are locked in but free to come out , if switched off. Murphy Law, if it can happen it will. At the worst time.

There are other versions of this type of isolation switch - I use one on a classic car - that don't have a loseable key. You just turn a fixed key instead:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-24V-LUCAS-SSB106-STYLE-FIXED-HANDLE-KEY-BATTERY-ISOLATOR-KILL-CUT-OFF-SWITCH/221314866503?epid=1639787364&hash=item338764dd47:g:YCUAAOxyUrZSyslJ