kirbyg Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 We collected our new motorhome a couple of weeks and noticed that the leisure battery was flat, but the salesman said it had been inside for a while and would be fine once charged. I brought it home and had it on mains power for 3 days and then we left for a two month tour of France and Spain. First night the battery ran out after only a couple of hours! We had to quickly move and find a campsite with mains hook up as we have a two year old. We're new to this, so any help much appreciated, I've checked that the charger is working and we have a solar panel too. Guess we just need a new battery? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheer lunar-see Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 As you are not in a position to go back to the dealer, I would e'mail the said dealer of your intention to get the fault rectified where you can, and that they will have to re-imburse your costs when you finally get home, or put it to them that they come to you to put the fault right. Good luck, and hope it doesn't put a dampner on the trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirbyg Posted October 5, 2015 Author Share Posted October 5, 2015 Planning to visit a Carthago dealer tomorrow, hopefully they can fix the problem. I think we have two 80 amp leisure batteries, plus the solar charge. We only use the battery for lighting as everything else runs off the gas, was hoping to get at least a couple of nights useage out of them, is that realistic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirbyg Posted October 5, 2015 Author Share Posted October 5, 2015 Planning to visit a Carthago dealer tomorrow, hopefully they can fix the problem. I think we have two 80 amp leisure batteries, plus the solar charge. We only use the battery for lighting as everything else runs off the gas, was hoping to get at least a couple of nights useage out of them, is that realistic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 With two 80ah bats and a solar panel of say 80w, you have plenty of input capacity, but what type of lights and how many? If its LEDs and you are using half a doz. you should be able to last indefinitely, if its halogen and using 10 ten you might start to struggle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirbyg Posted October 5, 2015 Author Share Posted October 5, 2015 It seems like there are hundreds of lights, but I think they are all dimmable LED's. Wish my house had such nice lighting :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weldted Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 when you say new van, is it new or new to you? ideally if under warranty a dealer fix, if not if you say you have two leisure batteries can you isolate one of them in turn to see if that improves your capacity. if one is bad it will pull the other one down and may prevent it from charging properly. If you lights are halogen they will get very hot to the touch and consume roughly 1 amp per ten watts of light. roughly if you have two 80 amp batteries you will get about 40 amps from each before batteries become that low they will effect how the batteries will recover. hope you get sorted ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TannBovet Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 As you are saying that you are new to this battery, then i think you have to take care about this problem when you purchased it. If you can post the specification of the battery and the product on which you want to use it, then i can try to help you to find its alternative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 Having had similar battery issues I can sympathise with your plight. If you are to have the supplying dealer reimburse you without hassle you must have their agreement before you spend any money and it would be as well to ask them if they want you to retain any faulty parts, batteries etc for their inspection at a later date. My inclination would be not only to have the batteries checked and replaced if needed but also have the whole charging system checked over in case it has been wired incorrectly. Maybe the local dealer you visit would phone your dealer for you and agree what needs to be done? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogher Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 If the batteries have been left in a discharged state for any length of time it will not have done them any good. Get the batteries checked and, if either is faulty, get them both changed. You need to have identical batteries in a bank (in terms of make, capacity and condition). A damaged one will draw the other down to its own level, damaging that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 kirbyg - 2015-10-05 10:12 PM Planning to visit a Carthago dealer tomorrow, hopefully they can fix the problem. I think we have two 80 amp leisure batteries, plus the solar charge. We only use the battery for lighting as everything else runs off the gas, was hoping to get at least a couple of nights useage out of them, is that realistic? I think this is wise. You say the van is new, and I assume Carthago, so getting to a dealer asap is a good move. You have far too much battery capacity to be exhausted as you describe. It may be a dud battery dragging the other down, it may be that both have been damaged by being left discharged by the dealer, but since the batteries supplied will be of high quality, both seem unlikely. If they are changed, make sure what is supplied is equal in terms of type and quality to what has failed. However, I'm wondering if something else is causing such a high battery drain. Possibly a fault in the circuit that disconnects the fridge from 12V when the engine is stopped? Such items, although generally very reliable, are prone to failing when first used - the so-called "infantile" failures - so it will pay to get the system checked by someone who is familiar with the make and the manufacturer's installations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirbyg Posted October 6, 2015 Author Share Posted October 6, 2015 The dealer tested both batteries and they were faulty. Batteries aren't covered under the warranty which seems fair enough, so I have a print out of the results, the invoice and will take it up with the dealer when we return. Although the van is new the build sheet is from 2014 so the dealer thought the batteries had been damaged due to non use. I hope that's the case and we won't suffer the same problem with the new batteries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogher Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 If you are obliged to pay for the batteries (which would appear to have been damaged by your dealer’s lack of care) I’d only agree to pay their cost price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirbyg Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 I've already paid retail cost for them. I'll be recovering the full cost from the dealer.... Well that's the plan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 I really do not see how the supplying dealer can get out of paying in full for the new batteries and when you buy a new vehicle you expect it to be just that in every respect - new - in full working oder, free from defects and with all components expected to have a full normal working life span. And that includes new and unused batteries. It is a bl##dy disgrace, but by no means uncommon, for dealers to sell a van with defective batteries, and using the excuse that they were working OK when you left just will not wash as they nearly all make you collect the van whilst it is still on EHU which very conveniently hides any battery issues. The dealer will say that being on EHU allows them to explain to you how the mains power works but shame on them that very few bother to attach a gas bottle to show you how that all works and even fewer unhook the EHU to show you how the 12 v system works. So much for that theory then! Whenever I buy a van the first thing I do is disconnect the mains, then I fit my own gas bottle and only then can I check that both 12 v and gas work properly and on more occasion than one I have left a dealership the proud owner of a brand new leisure battery! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 I am surprised that a Carthago dealer would not replace the batteries FOC as Carthago like most German manufacturers operate a Pan European Warranty and the batteries were part of the original specification. If I had been in the same situation I would have been on the phone to Carthago in Germany before parting with any cash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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