More electric woes

[Richard_374356427]

I have a 1981/82 Swift caravan I bought last year for a snip (£250) and is in amazing condition bar a dead water heater. I use it only 2 or 3 times a year at the moment and have little idea how everything works. The most recent niggle is the charging system. It has been hooked up to the mains for the last few weeks with a small heater to keep the damp at bay and now the lights and heating won't work. The odd thing is the fridge and 500W mains heater works fine.

I put the charger on for 2 hours and the lights sort of work and the lpg heater runs for a minute or 2 before cutting out. I am right in assuming this is a discharged battery problem and that the EHU will only keep the 12V system topped up? If so then do I keep the charger on all the time I'm hooked up?

 

[David_374242465]

You are correct in thinking the mains unit/battery charger, can only supply a few amps in most caravans. In your case it is likely your "small heater" is taking all the current (Amps) the charger can supply, and none is actually charging your battery. You could try leaving the charger on for 24hrs, with nothing else taking power, but you may find the battery is past it's best.

A good working system relies on the battery being in good condition ie taking and holding a charge. When high current (several amps) is neaded for a 12v device in the van, it is the battery that supplies this, providing it has a reasonable charge in it.

Would not recommend keeping charger on all time. Best to charge for say 24hrs ever month or two, when not being used, with a good "smart" charger.

Your problem is likely to be that the battery is not holding a charge. If it's over 5 yrs old then buy a new one. Recommend 85 or 100Ahr leisure type. You should be able to purchase for

 

[Richard_374356427]

You are correct in thinking the mains unit/battery charger, can only supply a few amps in most caravans. In your case it is likely your "small heater" is taking all the current (Amps) the charger can supply, and none is actually charging your battery. You could try leaving the charger on for 24hrs, with nothing else taking power, but you may find the battery is past it's best.

A good working system relies on the battery being in good condition ie taking and holding a charge. When high current (several amps) is neaded for a 12v device in the van, it is the battery that supplies this, providing it has a reasonable charge in it.

Would not recommend keeping charger on all time. Best to charge for say 24hrs ever month or two, when not being used, with a good "smart" charger.

Your problem is likely to be that the battery is not holding a charge. If it's over 5 yrs old then buy a new one. Recommend 85 or 100Ahr leisure type. You should be able to purchase for

 

[David_374242465]

Thanks.

It's like the system in my 4x4 to run the winch. The winch takes all the juice from the batteries (I have 3 banks with 225Ah) and the alternator tops up as best it can!

My leisure battery is only 15 months old but I do have a 128Ah deep cycle battery from a wind farm I could use!

15 months old! Should be OK unless it has been left totally flat for more than a few days. Unused battery voltage should never be allowed to drop below 12.2 volts for any length of time.

Is your charger OK? If you have a voltmeter, you should be able to measure around 13.6v to 13.8v across battery when it is being charged, with a "caravan fitted" charger. At this voltage, max charge of a flat battery would be reached in about 16 - 20 hours.

BTW few "caravan fitted" chargers will charge to 100%. Most will only charge to about 75-80%. Most folk remove battery from 'van two or three times a year, and charge with a good "smart" charger. This ensures it gets a 100% charge every now and then, and is most likely to get max life span from battery. ie 5 or even 8 years!

Cheers

DaveMac