coot Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 We park our motorhome on the drive at home. During the winter months we don't take it out very much. If we have a nice day we take it to the coast which is only about 5 miles away, Does anyone have any heat on in the there van when it is parked at home, if so what do you use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Campfos Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 I also park our Motorhome in the drive, but I use a 40 watt greenhouse tubular heater. I also have a max/min thermometer to check on it and generally keeps the inside temp around 5/6c this worked ok last year so doing the same this year. If the weather is ok we generally go for a drive every 2 weeks as well. The only other thing we do is the van is left in gear with the handbrake off and chocks and the rear wheels. Campbell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coot Posted December 13, 2015 Author Share Posted December 13, 2015 Thanks for that Campbell. I also chock and leave in gear. Do you connect the motorhome or run a extension lead. Just wondered if motorhome is connected would the battery charger over charge the leasure battery. Iam not very technical minded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 I leave mine connected to the mains, and the internal Electrics turned on, so that the charger can keep both (3) batteries topped up when required. Also have a small convector heater on a timer, to keep the inside dry. We get a lot of rain here ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coot Posted December 13, 2015 Author Share Posted December 13, 2015 Am I right in thinking that the battery charger switches it self of when the battery is fully charged? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 As Ray has stated, he gets a lot of rain where he lives, so has a heater in van. I think it does depend on where you live. we have mild weather here, and leave our van, not at home, for several weeks, and usually do not run the engine for maybe 3 months, in the winter. Think it is better not to just do short runs, as you are putting a moist atmosphere into the van. The only time ours gets moved isif we need to do anything to the van, then it gets brought home , a journey of 20 miles return, but have done all the jobs for this winter, so ours will stay put until February now. PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Campfos Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 I have the mains lead pugged I but switch off the 12volts this is just so I have the 240volts mains sockets live for the heater Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daviddwight Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 We have had four Motorhomes now and have never had a heater on in the them when parked up at home. Drain down and that's it, but we do go away at least once a month other than the longer trips. We leave the cupboards open to let the air into them, and never had a problem with damp through atmosphere. The mains are plugged in to keep the batteries up though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
747 Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 You can use heating if you wish, some do, some don't. I only do it when the temperatures get well below zero. I put a small Fan heater on a timer, set to operate it during hours of darkness (because it is colder then). I also put 3 bowls of Salt in the van to absorb dampness. When they get crusty, I bring them in and stand them on a radiator to dry out (a Microwave also works). Then I mash it up into fine granules again and replace it in the van. What I would recommend is that whenever you get one of those rare sunny and mild days, open the windows and rooflights to get some fresh air through the van. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebeaches Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 We have ours parked at home and can have it plugged in. However, the hook-up only charges the leisure battery, so I put a separate smart charger on the cab battery (Aldi's best). We don't have any heat on, just drain down. We also leave all the cupboard doors open and the window blinds open, to get the sun in. Additionally, we remove what soft furnishings we can and keep them in the house - mattress and dinette seat squab. Oh, and we use those crystals in a container to absorb moisture - not sure if it helps, but they certainly collect quite a pool of water after a few weeks. Empty the water, and put fresh crystals in when necessary. No idea how it compares to using salt, which of course is also hydroscopic. We try to take the van out for a seriously good run every 3 - 4 weeks in winter, if we can. Choose a fine sunny day - if there are any. And that's about it... Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 We leave the van in gear, handbrake on light setting, rear wheels chocked, EHU on but power in the van switched off. No heating in the van. We go out in the van once a month as a minimum and will give it a good run for 100 miles+. If you have a DPF, you might find problems will arise if you only do 5 miles or so every now and again. The van needs a good run on a regular basis. We live in a relatively mild part of the country. I can only recall temperatures dropping to -10C in the winter of 2010/11. Last few winters have been balmy. Have a look in your manual to see if it gives you any instructions. In my manual, I have two sets of instructions. One for temporary 'close down' between trips and one for 'full close down' over an extended period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aandncaravan Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 coot - 2015-12-13 7:13 PM Am I right in thinking that the battery charger switches it self of when the battery is fully charged? No most chargers do not switch off when the battery is full. They almost all drop to a low charge rate but still continue to force feed the battery. The best of the Motorhome/Starter batteries don't lose charge like they did 10 years ago so don't need, or want, a continuous top up charge. The chargers also continue to draw 240v power from the mains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobalobs Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 We have a hookup at home and in the cold months use an oil radiator with a thermostat and time clock. In the classic car world I was told running a car after time standing for less than 25 miles could do more harm than good as it does not give the vehicle enough time to properly warm up. Interested by the comment that the charger continuesTo "force feed" the battery at a lower rate when fully charged..We used to leave the battery continuously on charge when on hookup at home but suffered from premature battery failure which was attributed to this by the suppliers. Though I thought smart chargers stopped this happening I was told it depends on the type of battery and its compatability to the type of charger used. I am no expert but decided to have a switch fitted to let me isolate the leisure batteries from continuous charge.The latest model of our van has such a switch fitted as standard so perhaps others have had a similar problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aandncaravan Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 The majority of Motorhome chargers are exactly that, battery chargers, rather than long term battery maintainers, like the Optimate for example. The Optimate is used extensively in the Classic car world to maintain batteries through the Winter. This device maintains the battery with ultra low current at a very low 13.2v for 30seconds then switches off for 30secs. It effectively is only 'charging' for half the time it is connected. Victron Energy recommend that batteries are charged at a minimum 13.8v, but maintained long term at a lower 13.2v. Just as the Optimate does. Most motorhome chargers 'fast' charge at 14.4v and tend to have a minimum 13.8v 'trickle' voltage. They charge all the time, albeit at a low 0.25A - 0.5a average charge rate and 13.8v even when the battery is 'full'. Most so called 'Smart' Car battery chargers, also 'trickle' charge at 13.8v with continuous low current, very few actually shutdown altogether. The battery is fed low current whether it likes it or not if EHU is connected long term. See : http://www.aandncaravanservices.co.uk/ehu-full-time-yes-or-no.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 This thread was about putting some heat into a stored MH and it would be a pity if it now switched to yet another discussion of whether the keep the batteries on charge continuously because we seem to get those almost continuously as separate threads. I have in the past put some heat into the Mh but no longer do so. The risk of vermin infestation is increased by doing so and having suffered some of that (under car bonnets and inside my motorcycle air box, and not yet suffered dampness in the MH, I'm resisting the temptation to put heat in until there is a clear indication of need. Mice and the like look for warmth as well as shelter in winter and this is the time of year they move in. If you lay poison bait they eat it but then crall into somewhere inaccessible to die and then rot and smell, so I set a few mouse traps instead. I'm sure it's better for a vehicle to have regular use during winter if possible and you should always warm the engine thoroughly when you run it, so better to drive 10-20 miles than just warm up while stationary. My MH takes at least 20 minutes to get up to temperature while stationary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 Warm air will hold more moisture so encourages condensation, best left without heating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 If it's being left standing, it may also be worth lifting seat/bed cushions and leaving the cupboard doors open, so as to allow easier air flow.. *I've read that some folk take their "soft furnishings" into the house over winter, we never did tho'.. (*edit; Apologies mikebeaches, I've just noticed that you'd already recommended that). At one stage we did use a low wattage heater during sustained sub-zero spells...but that was more to do with concerns about any water that may've still remained in the, supposedly fully drained down, pipework.(and it was probably as much about "kid-ology" as anything, as I doubt that the heater would have had any effect on pipes/pump buried behind panels etc ) But once I started "blowing through" the water system, Floe style, I never bothered with heat again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gram Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 It is true that warm air holds more moisture. However, maybe the introduction of heat to the inside of a 'van during cold weather warms up the internal fabric and surfaces and reduces the chances of condensation, and thus mould, forming. G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 There are thousands of vans in converter's and dealer's yards that manage to over winter without any deterioration and all without any heat inside so why would my van need a winter heater whilst at home? The only exception being that it is nice to leave home in a warm van if you are going to use it in the winter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 aandncaravan - 2015-12-14 10:04 PM The majority of Motorhome chargers are exactly that, battery chargers, rather than long term battery maintainers, like the Optimate for example. The Optimate is used extensively in the Classic car world to maintain batteries through the Winter. This device maintains the battery with ultra low current at a very low 13.2v for 30seconds then switches off for 30secs. It effectively is only 'charging' for half the time it is connected. Victron Energy recommend that batteries are charged at a minimum 13.8v, but maintained long term at a lower 13.2v. Just as the Optimate does. Most motorhome chargers 'fast' charge at 14.4v and tend to have a minimum 13.8v 'trickle' voltage. They charge all the time, albeit at a low 0.25A - 0.5a average charge rate and 13.8v even when the battery is 'full'. Most so called 'Smart' Car battery chargers, also 'trickle' charge at 13.8v with continuous low current, very few actually shutdown altogether. The battery is fed low current whether it likes it or not if EHU is connected long term. See : http://www.aandncaravanservices.co.uk/ehu-full-time-yes-or-no.php think that the likes of Sargent might disagree with you about that, they call their units charger/ maintainers , even relatively cheap Automatic chargers have a Float setting, which allows for permanent connection. Many long lived Batteries after being permantley connected satisfies my slight a aprehension at your post (advert ?). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 Rayjsj - 2015-12-13 6:47 PM I leave mine connected to the mains, and the internal Electrics turned on, so that the charger can keep both (3) batteries topped up when required. Also have a small convector heater on a timer, to keep the inside dry. We get a lot of rain here ! Use the heater because a previous caravan that we left unheated, suffered from bad mildew on the soft furnishings, had to replace all of the curtains. Heating the van works for us. And costs little compared to replacing the furnishings, IF they were available ? Mildew black marks are virtually impossible to remove, I know,I tried, about the only the only thing that works is bleach!! And of course that that destroys the colour of the fabric. Unless anyone else has a formula that works ? We'll stick to the heater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 Tracker - 2015-12-17 9:23 AM There are thousands of vans in converter's and dealer's yards that manage to over winter without any deterioration and all without any heat inside so why would my van need a winter heater whilst at home? My thoughts exactly. Since starting caravanning in 1977 and motorhome use in 2001 we have never used any form of heater when the van is not in use. Maybe if you are located by the seaside, or exposed to high winds, or live near a waterfall then some heating may be beneficial, but in my personal experience, all you are doing is contributing to global warming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldi Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 God afternoon Ladies and gentlemen, I put a small oil filled radiator in our van if there is prolonged freezing weather as I once had a pipe joint pop with some residual water even though it was drained down just to keep it above freezing I also hook up when the batteries are looking a bit low. I also like to keep things moving by going for a good warm up drive every 2 or three weeks, like yesterday we had a pleasant rip out to Whitby. norm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rambling robin Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 Modern vans are constructed with vents in the floor and around skylights so as to allow air in and out of the van even with all the doors, windows and roof vents shut. That's to prevent people suffocating at night. As has been correctly pointed out the real bogey is not cold - it's condensation. Also as has been mentioned, warm air holds more moisture than cold air. In the very humid early autumn I checked the van and found that the cushions all felt dampish. They came into the house and a couple of rechargeable dehumidifiers went in. Now, I know that's like trying to dehumidify the planet, but the main area of concern was the cab rather than the habitation. Since then the habitation area has felt dryer and the cushions are happy behind the sofa. Removing the cushions has also allowed air to circulate through and around the under bed storage. Having looked at my own experience and read numerous posts on the topic I think I'd prefer to skip the heat as it would have to be continuous and dry heat - something like a convector rather than a radiator so as to actually dry the air. However I reckon that the better solution would be a fan - just that. Somewhere I've got some old computer case fans which run on virtually no current and I think that just using one or two of those to move the air around will do just nicely during the humid spells. When it's not muggy and humid they shouldn't be needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leake Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 We the power supply the motorhome 4 hours a day with the battery charger on using a timer. It selects which battery needs to be charged and seems to work very well. As regards to a heater it makes more sence to me to use a dehumidifier with a defrost facility. Dehumidifiers put heat into the van whilst working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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