christy900 Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 Have taken delivery of our new Elddis with a Peugeot Boxer cab. Speaking to dealer today and we told him we have to keep our home in storage. He advised that we would need to run it at least every fortnight due to battery losing charge. I have little tech knowledge but from what I understand it is something to do with the software self checking every day which runs the battery down Sounds odd but can anyone please explain if this true and what really is the problem. It is a big concern as if true it means I will need to use a solar panel to keep the battery charged. Our storage is 25 miles from home and there is no means of charging there we will be using the home regularly in Summer but could be 3-4 week gap in the Winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 They are normally OK for 3 weeks beyond that you may be pushing your luck, probably worth investing in a solar panel they are so cheap these days won't cost much for peace of mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mildi Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 christy900 - 2014-07-04 9:06 PM Have taken delivery of our new Elddis with a Peugeot Boxer cab. Speaking to dealer today and we told him we have to keep our home in storage. He advised that we would need to run it at least every fortnight due to battery losing charge. I have little tech knowledge but from what I understand it is something to do with the software self checking every day which runs the battery down Sounds odd but can anyone please explain if this true and what really is the problem. It is a big concern as if true it means I will need to use a solar panel to keep the battery charged. Our storage is 25 miles from home and there is no means of charging there we will be using the home regularly in Summer but could be 3-4 week gap in the Winter. Keeping the batteries topped up is the best way to get the most out of them, solar panel and a battery master would be a good idea, then one two or four weeks you will find both batteries will be charged, unless you storage is inside? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 If you are going to fit a solar-panel system, it would probably make good sense to choose one that can charge the leisure-battery as well as the vehicle-battery, For example http://www.sunstore.co.uk/Motorhome-Solar-Panel-Kits-to-Charge-2-Batteries/ A possible alternative would be to exploit the charge in the leisure-battery to extend the interval between battery-charging so that, even after 4 weeks in storage, there would still be sufficient charge in the vehicle-battery to start the engine. Examples of cheap and more expensive ways of doing this are shown here http://www.motts.dsl.pipex.com/BRIDGING%20FUSE.htm http://www.outdoorbits.com/Brochures/Battery_Master_Customer_instructions.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HymerVan Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 Speed of battery rundown will depend on various factors but various items on the van can consume electricity "in the background" e.g.dump valve on boiler, alarm, tracker etc. Both the vehicle battery and the leisure battery can be effected and of course it is much worse in cold weather. Personally I like to inspect my vehicle in storage every two weeks and check the battery voltages. You should also take your vehicle for a good run at least every four weeks. A good solar panel coupled with a "battery-master" (google it) may well prove to be a good investment but as a starting point keep a note of voltages to see the trend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 A different, but cost effective, solution is to keep a heavy duty spare 90 - 110 ah 12 v battery in the van, widely available online for about £60 assuming you don't have one to hand, and we have found Tayna Batteries good to deal with in the past. With a set of decent quality jump leads, you can lift the floor panel and jump start from the comfort of being inside the van or, if your leads are long enough, where you are parked allows and the car battery being accessible, from the car? The main drawback is the battery is heavy and if you need to take it home to charge it that is a pain. We always carry jump leads anyway just in case as at a push if the engine battery fails when you are far from home you can disconnect the leisure battery and jump start from that - do make sure you disconnect it first though. A bit of a faff I know but maybe better than waiting for a call out in a foreign land! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christy900 Posted July 6, 2014 Author Share Posted July 6, 2014 Thanks for all the info. Will be installing a solar panel and battery master. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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