Power pack

[jasperrory]

Hi

 

My motorhome is stored some way from home and every winter I experience problems with a flat battery on my Fiat Ducato 2.8 TD despite regularily running the engine and taking it out for 45 minute runs. The recent cold weather we have had (minus 10.5c) obviously pulls the battery charge down quickly.

 

As I do not want to install a solar panel on the van I have been trying to find a suitable power pack that will allow me to jump start this large engine, big enough to do the job but at a reasonable price. i.e. around the £100/£150 mark.

 

Unfortunatley I have had little luck and wonder if anyone can suggest a supplier of such an item.

 

Many thanks

 

Brian

[Philman]

If it's not realistic to take the battery out, take it home and charge it, have you thought of buying a spare battery and taking it when you go to the van and using it to jumpstart the engine? I think that most of the power packs around would have difficulty starting a large diesel. Whereas a spare battery of the same a/h should have no trouble.

 

Phil.

 

[Randonneur]

When our engine battery went flat a couple of weeks ago we were very lucky that we were adjacent to a motorhome dealer and he brought a spare battery and his jump leads. He got the motorhome started but told us that although we had a 30 mile trip home this would not be enough to put much charge in the battery and that it would need to go on a proper charger. Having done just that we have found that the battery was not holding its charge at all and have ordered a new battery.

[Brian Kirby]

Flattening the battery will quite quickly cost you a new battery.  If it is getting so low, I doubt 45 mins driving is anything like enough to fully re-charge it.  Using a power pack to start the engine won't protect the battery from the effects of being flattened. 

Subject to checking what effect disconnection has on the Fiat electronics, I'd think installing an isolator into the earth line between battery and chassis might be a better option.  You can then just switch off everything that draws battery power when you park the van, and re-energise it all again when you want.  You'd have to re-insert the radio code, but that seems a small chore by comparison to present inconveniences.

I don't know if they are still available, but you used to be able to get key operated isolators that can be mounted with the key slot inserted through an external panel so that isolating/re-connecting doesn't even require opening the bonnet.  Bit of extra security, as well.

[jasperrory]

Many thanks-had not thought about that option.

 

Brian

[jasperrory]

Thanks for this info.

 

Brian

[jasperrory]

Thanks for this info.

 

Brian

[Guest Tracker]

Isolating the battery will probably disable any alarm system and this may in turn cause an insurance problem if the van is damaged or stolen. Maybe worth checking first?

 

I would go for the spare battery and jump leads if only because you can take them with you when you go away.

 

There is little more frustrating than three and a half tons of unstartable motorhome with a flat battery!

[David B]

I have a little £10 solar panel from Maplin (or Ebay) which I place on the dash pointing south and connect directly to the vehicle battery. It is supposed to trickle charge the battery and hopefully replace what the alarm system is using.

 

No data to prove the output is adequate, but it does show a 12+ voltage output when in reasonably bright conditions.

[colin]

Personnaly I prefer the solar panel route but note you don't want to fit one.

Remember depending on how flat your battery gets the powerpack doesn't nessasarily have to start van on it's own, but as you presumably drive to pick up van can you not take some jump leads? or do you go by public transport?

[Guest peter]

David B - 2007-12-28 12:48 PM

 

I have a little £10 solar panel from Maplin (or Ebay) which I place on the dash pointing south and connect directly to the vehicle battery. It is supposed to trickle charge the battery and hopefully replace what the alarm system is using.

 

No data to prove the output is adequate, but it does show a 12+ voltage output when in reasonably bright conditions.

Don't bother with that panel it's useless. As has been discussed before.

[Derek Uzzell]

Jasperrory:

 

I suspect that your requirements for a portable power pack in the £100-£150 price range and having enough oomph to be sure of starting your motorhome's motor are incompatible. RING produces the MEGA BOOST range of power packs and the high-end versions would have more than enough power for your needs, but the prices are a mite daunting. The following link provides details:

 

http://www.mynewcheap.co.uk/products/car-accessories/jumpstart-kit/

 

Battery isolation-switches (as mentioned by Brian Kirby) are certainly still available. See:

 

http://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/product_list/30

 

As Tracker points out, isolating the battery will disable everything it is powering (alarm, clock, radio, etc.) which may or may not be acceptable to you.

 

Although not as convenient as a power pack, using a 'slave' battery and jump-leads will be a whole lot cheaper.

[Tomo3090]

Halfords do one for £54.99 suitable for a motorhome, (so THEY say!). It is their own make one not the Black & Decker version. Check with someone in the shop first though.

 

I have had this problem with my Peugot motorhome and they are the same engine and gubbins, (technical word). I would read the owners manual for your van though as from how I understand it, they don't like being "jumpstarted". It can affect the vehicle engine management system and the vans habitation electrics, I am led to believe. So be careful before using a power pack.

 

It is because of the above that I didn't get one. I just take the van out for a regular run every week or so and that seems to stop it flattening the battery.

[davenewellhome]

The every day variety of jump start/power packs that are available for around £20 to £50 depending on spec will only start an engine whose battery is down to a point where it will turn the engine over but not fast enough to fire. Almost all of the easily available ones have a 17AH battery in them. The problem is if your engine battery is flat to the point where it won't even turn the motor over then one of these power packs is unlikely to start it. The reason is simple, think of the battery as a fuel tank.

 

Your engine battery is flat equates to an empty but large capacity fuel tank. If you connect a small but fully charged battery to it the power will be transferred to the flat battery leaving not enough to turn the motor over. This is why when jump starting from a vehicle you should run the donor vehicle at a fast tickover for several minutes to put some surface charge into the flat battery before you try to start the motor.

 

D.

[Derek Uzzell]

I guess one possibility might be to link the engine battery and leisure battery together while the motorhome is in storage. This could be done via Clive Mott-Gotobed's 'bridging-fuse' method (see www.motts.dsl.pipex.com) or via a 'battery balancer' like the BatteryMaster. If the vehicle battery is currently losing charge due to an electrical load (eg. from an alarm system), then linking the batteries would cause that load to be shared between them. Not a perfect solution perhaps, but it should extend the period during which the charge-state of the vehicle battery is sufficient to start the motor. (Obviously both batteries would need to be in good condition and fully charged to begin with.)