topfitter1 Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 hi alli had to leave my m/home untouched over the winter, all battery's are flat, i can charge the leisure one's via 240v but not sure about the cab one.will it have done any harm letting them go so flatthanks ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike 202 Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but probably the batteries have sulphated up, a bit like a kettle getting furred up. There are members of the forum will give you chapter and verse on this subject. When you have replaced your batteries if my suspicions are correct then if you do not have access to mains charging when you leave the van (and it is not stored under cover) My suggestion would be have a solar panel fitted. One other solution is to remove the batteries and regularly charge them at home, using a C-Tec or similar "intelligent" charger over the down period and return them to your Motorhome at the start of your season. I am sure that you will get some more technical solutions. Anyway, I hope that my news is wrong, and you find the batteries are OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 Ken All I can suggest is - having confirmed (assuming this is possible) that the electrolyte level in your batteries is correct and doesn't need topping up - that you try charging them and see what happens. As has already been advised, batteries really dislike being heavily discharged and, in really cold weather, a flat battery has the potential to suffer freezing damage. You might be lucky, but I wouldn't be overly optimistic. I believe you own a 2002 Compass Cruiser 740. I don't know if that model has a facility for charging the vehicle's 'cab' battery via the on-board charger, but I'd guess not. If it has, then there is likely to be a switch somewhere so that the appropriate battery can be selected. Motorhomes occasionally have a system where the on-board charger charges both leisure and cab batteries simultaneously, but this usually involves just a 'trickle charge' being passed to the cab battery. I doubt if Compass fitted that type of arrangement and, in any case, the system would not handle a fully flat cab battery. You'd really be better off removing the batteries from the motorhome and charging them 'on the workbench' with a sophisticated modern battery-charger, rather than attempt to use the on-board one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 Hi Ken and welcome to the madhouse! Batteries are the bane of modern motorcaravans as you are now discovering and it pays to run the engine every couple of weeks and drive the van a few miles if possibel just to keep everything working as it should. It's a bit of a lottery! Sometimes the battery will recover from dead flat and sometimes it won't and Mike's advice to use a good variable charger from the likes of Ctek with a programme for reviving dead 'uns is sound in my view. Failing that try an overnight charge with an ordinary charger as you have mains available and see what happens. Even a jump start might get you running but you will need a decent run of about half an hour at a guess to put enough back to restart from cold - just don't stall it when on the run! At best you may have just shortened the battery's life somewhat and at worst it's three new 'uns! Let us know how you get on please and good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topfitter1 Posted March 17, 2011 Author Share Posted March 17, 2011 by ecky thump that's a reet mess iv got me sen in, three new uns thats gona cost me a few pund best lig down for a bit, i live in yorkshire tha know's and this is gona give me some gyp.i will let you know how i get out o this mullock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topfitter1 Posted March 18, 2011 Author Share Posted March 18, 2011 m/home on 240v hook up so hopfully leisure battery's will charge, van battery on trickle charge so i am keeping fingers crossedken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nasher Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Thas messin abart wit ronr battris tha shud no they shud be oblong!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topfitter1 Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 nasher - 2011-03-18 8:29 PM Thas messin abart wit ronr battris tha shud no they shud be oblong!!!!! Ee eck! someone from the dark side ( lancashire ) talking god's native tongue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topfitter1 Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 all battery's now fully charged, will go back on tues and check again, looks like someone has being watching over me ( thanks chris )ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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