Tourope Posted April 14, 2017 Share Posted April 14, 2017 FWIW I have a Hobby V65GE Optima (2016 model) and the fan always comes on when connected to the mains, regardless of the weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zafira Posted April 14, 2017 Author Share Posted April 14, 2017 Hi Tourope Thanks for info re: fan. Can I ask some questions please? 1) what make/type/aH Habitation battery you have fitted, 2) do you leave your 'van on hook up all the time, if not how often do you charge up via mains and what the habitation battery voltage is at the point you decide to charge the habitation battery? 3) if you have stayed on sites without mains hook-up how many nights in a row can you do this and what sort of equipment would you typically be running on these occasions? 1 week after being on mains hook-up for 24 hrs, I have put the van back onto hook-up as the habitation battery voltage has fallen from 12.7volts 4 hours after that long charging spell, to a value of 12.0 volts this evening. The battery display on the TFT panel showed "amber" for the habitation battery status. Many thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Zafira As your Hobby motorhome has a powerful (25 Amps) battery-charger and just a single 95Ah-capacity habitation-battery, when the battery-charger is at maximum output (ie. its fan has not been deliberately switched off) the charger should rapidly recharge the battery. In very crude ‘bad science’ terms, if (say) 50 Amp-hours of the battery’s capacity had been used up, the battery-charger should replenish that loss in 2 hours (50Ah divided by 25 Amps). As has been advised above, an AGM battery in good condition, and charged using the correct charging regimen, should reach a voltage close to 13V when fully charged and - if the battery is not subsequently being discharged - that voltage figure should not reduce appreciably for several weeks. The indications are that a) your habitation-battery is not reaching full charge and b) that it cannot hold charge. Tell your dealership that, after the battery being on charge for a long period, within a single week its voltage drops from 12.7V to 12.0V despite the motorhome not being used during that period. Tell them you are certain that no drain has been placed on the battery during the week of non-use. A 12.0V reading for an AGM battery indicates that it is approaching being fully discharged and (hopefully) your dealer will acknowledge this and accept that there’s a problem. (Do you or Graham (Tourope) have a more detailed description of the Dometic CA-360 battery-charger? The information in the Hobby manual is sketchy and I would have thought a Dometic leaflet for the charger should have been part of the motorhome’s documentation.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zafira Posted April 15, 2017 Author Share Posted April 15, 2017 Morning Derek Just rechecked the manuals, I have nothing in relation to the charging unit. I feel exceedingly patronised by the dealership, another email on its way, the MD once again being included in the cc...........perhaps its time to drop into the email conversation with them that my brother is a motoring journalist and once edited Practical Caravan................ Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 I believe it’s time you asked yourself what your objectives are, and whether these can realistically be achieved by a policy of remote communication (phone/email) with the dealership that sold you the Hobby. If your motorhome’s Exide AGM habitation-battery is on the way out (and all the symptoms suggest this is so) and you don’t want to visit the dealer and confront them about this issue, a new like-for-like replacement battery can be obtained for around £136. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Exide-Start-Battery-EK-950/dp/B00VQ66ZOM This would need to be installed (which would involve removing the cab-seat above it) but that should be a straightforward task. The potential downside of doing that (besides you forking out £136) is that there also seems to be doubt about whether your Hobby’s electrical system is properly set up for an AGM habitation-battery and whether the control-panel has been calibrated correctly so that the readouts can be relied upon. Hopefully your dealer should be able to check this, but won’t be able to do so if you don’t take the motorhome there. You could consider joining the Hobby Motorhome Owners Club http://www.hobbyowners.org.uk/ though there’s no guarantee that the Club’s members would have the fine-detail technical knowledge that seems to be needed in this instance. The expectation when buying a new motorhome from a dealership is that the electrical system would be set up correctly and - with some basic tuition from the dealer and a reasonable handbook - the buyer should be able to use the motorhome immediately without being concerned that the electrical system will behave peculiarly. I think the battery-charger fan issue has been resolved - as Graham has said, it’s what the Dometic CA-360 charger does - but it still looks like your Hobby’s Exide habitation-battery is on its last legs. If you would like to play the motoring-journalist card, I suggest you get your brother to contact the dealership and put a flea in their ear regarding the dismissive way they have been treating you. It might gee the dealership up, but I still think you’ll need to take the Hobby there for diagnosis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tourope Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Sorry for the late reply Zafira. Unfortunately I'm struggling to answer your questions as the motorhome is now in secure storage and I've never actually looked at the battery. I do know it has never gone flat but the most we've used it without a recharge while travelling is two nights. We tend to always stop overnight at sites or aires where we can use hook-up. And to be honest I've never checked the voltage of the battery, mainly because I've never had to. I can also tell you that while in storage over winter for more than three months it retained sufficient charge to power the lights and step. Not sure that helps, but good luck with getting your battery sorted and wish you much happy motorhoming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aandncaravan Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 I understand Dereks view point, but IF the battery has stressed the charger, potentially leading to it's subsequent failure 'outside warranty', then you could be up for a big bill. At least flagging up the issue that the battery has gone well past it's best, before they have a chance to say you 'misused' it, strengthens any future case. I also have concerns about the Dealers willingness to actually provide a warranty, which I think might be to your advantage to 'test' early. I think your battery is so poor that just putting it on charge tonight, for example, might result in charging system damage, as flagged up earlier in the thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 Leaving a battery uncharged for an extended period (Graham mentions “more than three months” for his in-storage Hobby) is asking for trouble. According to this Hobby Handbook (Pages 122-123) http://tinyurl.com/l9bgaln Hobby fits a battery circuit-breaker that can be used to disconnect the habitation-battery when the motorhome is out of use. But the Handbook’s advice is still "To keep the batteries charged even when not in use, it is mandatory that the vehicle be connected to a 230V mains connection every 6 weeks. Recharging should be carried out for at least 24 hours.” If Zafira’s motorhome is under two years old it should still be covered by the Hobby (and the Fiat) warranty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tourope Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 Hi Derek, thanks for that reference I wasn't aware of that requirement and will take heed in future. I should say in my defence that the 3 months was unintentional. I had been waiting for a replacement part for my faulty SatNav to arrive before taking it back to the dealer. But it kept being delayed. Then after two months I tried to get the van out of storage with the sole purpose of charging the battery when I found out the 'secure storage' owner had gone on holiday for a whole month (with no prior warning) left the place locked up and I couldn't get it out. Reading those pages also makes clear that it is the fan on the battery charger (not the battery per se) that I can hear when I hook up to the mains. Also that this can be regulated manually using the TFT control panel - see bottom of page 123. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zafira Posted April 16, 2017 Author Share Posted April 16, 2017 Morning All Derek asks a good question:- "What do I want from this?". I've given much thought to that question, part of me thinks just spend the dosh and buy a new battery (sod the dealer, just use the dealer for the blatant stuff which cannot be glossed over, get out and use the 'van) then I became reet annoyed that I am being taken for a mug (a straw poll of how many folk pick up their new van and the dealer has fitted it with a, filled, lpg cylinder??) - an agreed extra item was a Taylormade external windscreen cover - the one which was sent to me by the dealer was very obviously second-hand............. The week's crash course in gaining a modicum of understanding about battery technology has been very interesting and I now appreciate via my own understanding that the habitation battery is not capable of holding a charge............I don't expect a 12volt battery to last indefinitely however I will be using Brit Stops/CL & CS sites/wild camping for a night or two and have every expectation that a "healthy" battery should be capable of sustaining that level of draw. If folk are interested here is the email exchange in full, Derek's reference to the handbook mentioning that the battery must be charged within a 6 week period, and other entries within the handbook, do not imply that it is imperative that the motorhome remain on hook-up constantly (notwithstanding whilst travelling) - for lots of reasons I would not want to leave the Hobby on EHU at home if I decided to take a 2 week break to the sun - I presume then that I use the habitation battery circuit breaker which is situated under the driver's seat. MY EMAIL TO THE DEALER LAST WEEK re: THE BATTERY:- I recall when collecting the Hobby, whilst it was on EHU at ********, that the habitation battery voltage on the TFT screen displayed 13.8 volts, I then drove home a distance of 105miles. The Hobby hasn't yet been used in anger, i.e. we haven't yet had a campsite trip in it. 31/03/17 - I hooked the m/home up to the electric, I shut down the charging speed via using the fan "deselect" button on the TFT and left the hook-up connected as younger daughter wanted to sleep in the m/home; the next morning I removed the "restriction" on the charging rate and the (cooling) fan kicked in again. I then disconnected the m/home from hook-up, batteries registered 13.8volts. 3/4/17 - took the m/home out for a spin, roughly 50 miles in total on mainly motorway 4/4/17 - morning - habitation 12.4volts, vehicle 12.5volts 4/4/17 - evening - habitation battery voltage 12.4 / vehicle battery 12.5 6/4/17 - 1400hrs immediately prior to hook-up to mains the batteries: habitation 12.2 / vehicle 12.4. As soon as on mains the fan was running, showing readings of 14.4 & 13.0 respectively. 1730hrs that evening, i.e. 3.5hrs after starting on hook-up readings are 14.4 and 13.9 respectively, the fan is not running. 7/4/17 - 1435hrs, i.e. after 24.5hrs on mains charging and immediately prior to disconnecting the hook-up, the readings were 13.8 and 13.3 (no fan running) 7/4/17 - 1845hrs the readings (after being 4hrs+ off mains hook-up) the readings are 12.7 and 12.8 8/4/17 - both batteries showing 12.6volts on the TFT display 9/4/17 -1700hrs - habitation 12.4 and vehicle = 12.5 To assist I can confirm that no appliances or lights are running when I take the readings, the on/off switch is white cf. green though I accept there may be a modicum of current/amperage being drawn by the vehicle to maintain its essential requirements (e.g. the IBS) depending on how it has been set up. The manual for the motorhome shows a picture within the battery management section, this shows habitation battery reading of 14.2 and vehicle battery of 13.5 . The manual also details at Page 95 that if a voltage of 10.8 or less is measured for a battery for a duration of at least 3 mins then there will be a warning message on the TFT which has to be acknowledged (and the relevant battery must then be changed). Page 96 then describes a further warning message re: age of battery (i.e. "State of Health"), this warning appears when the original capacity of a battery drops to a value of less than 50%. As you probably know the habitation battery is an EXIDE Start-Stop AGM EX950 95Ah, i.e. an AGM battery. Taking into account firstly the above readings for a battery on what is a new motorhome and secondly looking at the Exide AGM battery table available at:-http://www.exide.com/Media/files/Downloads/TransAmer/Battery%20Care%20and%20Maintenance/Checking%20battery%20condition.pdf then I have the following couple of thoughts:- 1. Realistically how much life can be expected out of the habitation battery (and also the vehicle battery!) as a) potentially the condition of the (deep discharge/deep cycle) battery/batteries is such that they can no longer accept the voltage (i.e. 14.2volts shown in the manual and generally understood to be the minimum charge for charging a 12volt battery I believe) necessary to charge them properly b) 4 hrs after hook-up once the batteries have settled then the batteries readings have fallen to 12.7/habitation and 12.8/vehicle c) each day the battery voltages are progressively declining, such that with recourse to that Exide battery table re: AGM batteries then the habitation battery is not in an area of charging state that I feel I should expect for a newly registered motorhome that has only been in my possession for 2 weeks. I would expect that a 12volt battery in good health should be able to hold a better charge and for a longer period of time. 2. Given this potentially poor charge state of the habitation battery (and the vehicle battery!) then the Dometic CA360 charging device is going to have to be working overtime to keep some semblance of charge in the habitation battery................with what impact upon its continuing/ongoing integrity............I believe that these chargers are not an inexpensive item! 3. Can any of the readings be because the system wasn't/isn't set up correctly, though I presume it was all set up by Hobby and its certainly beyond my knowledge/desire/interest to do any fiddling! Any comments on the battery aspects plus how soon the seal issue needs to be addressed would be very helpful, many thanks as I'm sure that if there is an issue ******* would rather that I took action to mitigate any problems rather than blindly carrying on! THE DEALER'S RESPONSE:- This sounds normal. I know it sounds daft but your battery will run down, best to plug it in to keep as many times when you are on a site to plug in. Things are running in the background, ie ecu on engine and the panel on leisure. Always best to use the mains/charger when on sites and at home. Initially the voltage will be high but will drop down if nothing is on, because it is a 12 volt battery not a 14 volt battery. We test the batteries on every pdi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zafira Posted April 16, 2017 Author Share Posted April 16, 2017 Forgot to say that Hobby warranty booklet stamped/signed by the dealer, dated 8 Feb 2017 - this booklet is for the water ingress side of things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 Zafira - 2017-04-16 12:41 PM THE DEALER'S RESPONSE:- This sounds normal. I know it sounds daft but your battery will run down, best to plug it in to keep as many times when you are on a site to plug in. Things are running in the background, ie ecu on engine and the panel on leisure. Always best to use the mains/charger when on sites and at home. Initially the voltage will be high but will drop down if nothing is on, because it is a 12 volt battery not a 14 volt battery. We test the batteries on every pdi Well, that made interesting reading (bit like banging your head against a brick wall) and unnecessarily condescending. It doesn't show the Hobby brand in a very good light. It sounds as though the author has mainly sold Hobby caravans which are mostly powered by EHU and has lack of experience with the wider expectations of MH owners. If it's of any interest the MD for Hobby UK & Ireland is John Hindle. I don't know if he is independent of the Hobby dealers but suspect he probably works out of Hobby HQ in Ambergate, Derbyshire. It shouldn't be too difficult to obtain his email address with just a telephone call. Obviously, preferable to resolve the issues with your dealer and explain that you wish to use the MH offgrid for a few days at places like Brit Stops, CL/CS's and festivals. Otherwise, it's not fit for purpose for your intended use (which is not unreasonable in your opinion). Adding that the current performance of the battery doesn't give you any confidence that this style of camping would be achievable. It might be worth asking how they tested the battery prior to the sale to ensure it was in tip-top condition. The recommended "drop test" for leisure batteries can take many hours to complete. If further communication with your dealer is unproductive in gaining a successful resolution then contacting the MD could be your only option. Best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zafira Posted April 16, 2017 Author Share Posted April 16, 2017 Evening Robbo Many thanks for your very helpful comments together with Mr Hindle's details - further contact with the dealer and its MD to follow, if that doesn't bring resolution then its Mr HIndle's door I shall coming knocking at! Enjoy your Bank Hol Monday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zafira Posted April 18, 2017 Author Share Posted April 18, 2017 Evening All An update................. Thanks to Robbo's info re: John Hindle of Hobby, I emailed John and asked for technical info on the Dometic-WAECO CA360 charger (and hopefully the info will appear as an attachment here, the English wording starts at page 26). Dometic themselves (their HQ) proved singularly unhelpful in providing the tech info............ My brother says he has had a very constructive phone conversation with a senior manager at the dealer (mr bother mentioned his previous editorship of Practical Caravan), that anything needing replacing will be replaced, will get back to my brother once he/the manager has reviewed the info/emails I have sent.......... I have asked John HIndle to clarify if Hobby recommend that the motorhome is maintained on mains hook-up 24/7 (save for the obvious travelling time)..... The Exide battery tech guy has emailed me, confirming that given the data I have given him either there is a drain being made on the battery of which I am unaware OR the battery is shot, he of course favours the latter! A question for aandn caravan if at all possible: pages 34 & 35 of the CA360 tech info set out the charging stages; the final/6th point implies that the charger acts in particular way every 12th day.........does this imply that it should be left hooked up to the mains so far as possible?? Many thanks once again chaps - I couldn't have done this without your support! I showed this thread to my brother and he said what a great bunch of people you are! I'll now try to post the tech info file............. :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zafira Posted April 18, 2017 Author Share Posted April 18, 2017 I'll try again with the file posting.................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zafira Posted April 18, 2017 Author Share Posted April 18, 2017 File too large! aandncaravan please can I email you the document to your business email, thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aandncaravan Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Email received and manual digested. As far as I can see the Waeco float/maintenance voltage is quite a high 13.8v for AGM, so I would advise against long term EHU. Those chargers which are specifically designed for long term connection to EHU, like the Victron chargers, detect that the battery has not been used for xx days and drops down to a lower than normal 'Storage' charge of 13.2v. Every 20 days (I think?) they wake up and go through a short 'boost' charge to revitalise the battery and this is what I expected to read in the Waeco manual. However it seems that all the Waeco does is 'trickle' charge at 13.8 and then every 12 days this will rise up to a 'anti-sulphation' voltage which I would not have expected it needed because the 13.8v is already so high? Doesn't sound like a good process to me and at odds with the Victron? But then if you look at the Waeco charging program for Maintenance free Wet batteries, the maintenance voltage is much lower, a Victron copying 13.2v. That then makes sense for the Waeco to initiate a 'refreshing charge' every 12 days. It is almost as though the charger was designed as a Wet Acid battery charger with AGM optimisation added part way through the design? If you fit a Wet acid battery, then the lower maintenance voltage of 13.2v means that long term EHU is an OK option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zafira Posted April 18, 2017 Author Share Posted April 18, 2017 Many thanks aandn caravan, I have received an email from the dealer confirming that they do not believe that the rate of battery drain is anything other than they would expect. The dealer has however agreed though to change the battery and check the charger (and change that too if necessary). The dealer then proposes to measure the drain on the original battery and compare that against the drain from a new leisure battery which will then show if the issue was/is a “characteristic” rather than a “fault”. If I've understood your email above then it sounds as the charger fitted to my motorhome has been "tweaked" by WAECO in order to make it do what is necessary to sustain AGM battery health. Wet acid batteries require maintenance and are not sealed, all more problematic when fitted beneath the driver's seat and I for one am relieved its a sealed battery in situ! So it seems to me that the WAECO charger is a compromise charger, that charging technology & understanding has moved on....so possibly a new AGM battery and a replacement identical charger may not solve things in their entirety............ I wonder if Hobby specs a different charger in some of its models?? Many thanks once again for your prompt reply! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aandncaravan Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Zafira, most of the chargers currently in Motorhomes do not have AGM charge optimisation. The small number that do are generally a rework of an older design, like I suspect the Waeco might be, but that is pure conjecture. There is no reason to believe the Waeco charger will do anything less than look after your replacement AGM very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 Zafira - 2017-04-18 8:44 PM..........................The dealer has however agreed though to change the battery and check the charger (and change that too if necessary). The dealer then proposes to measure the drain on the original battery and compare that against the drain from a new leisure battery which will then show if the issue was/is a “characteristic” rather than a “fault”.................. OK but......................:-) There are batteries, and there are batteries! The battery the dealer installs as a replacement should be of exactly the same make, capacity, and model (and technology) as that originally supplied by Hobby. If unsure what the original is, see if John Hindle can help out some more. He'll almost certainly need the chassis number or Hobby's build number, and ideally both. The manual should tell you where they can be found on the vehicle: but it will be on Hobby's plate, not the Fiat one under the bonnet. Second, for the proposed comparison with the dealer's "habitation" battery, this will also be meaningless unless both batteries are also same make, model, capacity, and technology. They should also be of approximately the same age, and should first have been fully charged to the same starting voltage before any test begins. It seems extremely unlikely that the dealer will have such a battery sitting around in his store, and that he will therefore be tempted to use whatever he has handy at the time. Comparing apples and pomegranates would, by comparison, be the height of logicality!! Third, what is the intended outcome of this testing? I'm assuming he proposes to demonstrate (but to whose satisfaction?) that your battery (which I think, based on Exide's own opinion, is clearly shot) is, in fact, behaving normally, with a view asserting that a replacement was never necessary, and accordingly will issue you with an invoice for the cost to him of supplying the replacement. Fourth, what is the proposed method of testing? Both batteries should be charged for 24 hours continuously, should then be left to rest off charge for at least 12 hours, and should only then be subjected to a continuous load of approximately 5A (say a 60W headlamp bulb) with the battery voltages checked and recorded every hour for nine hours, after which time if both batteries are good they should be reading approximately 50% discharged. My very strong hunch is that he ain't going to do it! I think this is codswallop on steroids! I would be inclined to tell him: a) that you will only release the existing battery (which is your property) to him after the new replacement battery is fitted (having been verified as being of the correct make, type, technology, and capacity), b) that he may then do whatever he choses with the original battery - but, c) unless his tests then prove beyond doubt (by being verified to have been conducted as above) that the battery supplied is in good condition (as you are entitled to expect on a new van), d) you will not accept the outcome of his tests as a reasonably indication of the condition of the original. The far simpler alternative would be tell him that you intend to go to Tayna (Google them) batteries (or similar), buy a replacement (which they will deliver to your home), take the van to an auto electrician and pay them to fit it, and then send him the bill. If he then refuses to accept this simple procedure, issue proceeding through the small claims track your the costs and your expenses in doing so! He is just time wasting, while trying to grind you down. This is a firm selling £50,000+ motorhomes with an MD whose mentality is that of a peasant farmer! Finally, and I don't really know how to say this, but if writing to him further, try to keep it brief, businesslike, and to the point. I think your e-mail was rather too discursive, and a bit too "chummy", for a document you may later have to rely upon in court! Sorry for this, and I'm truly not wishing to offend, but this is business, not friendship: he's already shown he's not your friend! Just hit him where it hurts! :-D Finally finally. :-D Are you confident that this firm are, actually, properly authorised UK Hobby dealers? If they are not, their signature on the warranty, or water ingress test, documents will be totally valueless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 It will be seen from this link http://tinyurl.com/n8pqnmw that the Dometic CA-360 chager came on the scene in late 2011 as a joint development between Dometic, Hella, Toptron and Hobby and is part of a ‘system’ not just a traditional stand-alone charger. I’m guessing (based on a single on-line uninformed complaint) that the habitation-battery initially fitted by Hobby as original equipment with this system was an 80Ah Exide gel type. (That’s what Hobby had fitted for many years and my 2005 Hobby had one.) Around 2013/2014 Hobby switched to a 90Ah Exide “Micro-Hybrid” AGM battery and. more recently replaced this with a 95Ah Exide “Start-Stop” AGM battery. It will be evident from the above that the electrical system that includes the Dometic CA-360 charger has been fitted to all Hobby motorhomes for at least 5 years and there is nothing to suggest that it has proven unusually unreliable or that the habitation-batteries installed by Hobby during that extended period have not performed as one might reasonably anticipate. Allan (aandncaravan) comments (based on the literature sent him) that the Dometic (Waeco?) battery-charger appears not to be specifically designed for AGM batteries, but the reality is that many many Hobby motorhomes have this charger and an Exide AGM battery and apparently do not display the symptoms that Zafira has reported. The charger has 4 dipswitches providing 16 different options, though the Hobby manual advises that all 4 switches be in the off position and I assume that’s the case with Zafira’s Hobby. There’s no reason to believe that the CA-360 charger fitted nowadays is any different from the charger mentioned in 2011, or that Hobby fits different chargers to different models. As Brian has said, effectively testing the original battery and charger will take some time. This was always going to be so and I assume that Zafira’s apparent reluctance to dump her motorhome on the dealer’s doorstep and tell them to sort it out is because the dealership that sold her the vehicle is a considerable distance from her home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zafira Posted April 28, 2017 Author Share Posted April 28, 2017 Evening All Thanks to Derek and Brian in the interim for their comments................ An update:- Dealer, under Hobby warranty (and yes they are an authorised Hobby dealer) agreed to change the habitation battery; I got confirmation that there would be no question of me having to pay the cost of the new battery and/or the labour costs should the dealer's load test show that in their opinion the original battery passed a load test. Prior to the long trek to the dealership I sought confirmation of the new habitation battery's make/type/date of manufacture/provenance (e.g. was it brand new or from a motorhome sat on the forecourt) - had I not had suitable reassurance I wouldn't have made the trek until I had got the relevant info; I had also sought confirmation from John Hindle of Hobby as to what habitation battery my van is supplied with new. On arrival at the dealer I requested to see the new battery, checked the manufacturing date details and marked the battery up with permanent ink markings which I knew I should be able to see looking in behind the driver's seat. On collection of van following completion of the work the dealer's rep triumphantly waggled a small slip of paper with various numbers on it and told me that that showed the original battery was ok during a load test. I said that regardless of those numbers, if it indeed were my battery it was irrelevant as my original battery had just not been holding its charge & they have now fitted the new battery (I can see the marks I made on that new battery ;-) ). Now for the drum roll............the new battery is maintaining its charge at 12.7volts whilst sitting on my drive rather than dropping by 0.1volt each 24hours..................... I rest my case m'lord............... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 Zafira - 2017-04-28 7:32 PM...................I rest my case m'lord............... As we rest ours m,Lady! Well done. Now get out and enjoy it! I'm sure you will. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zafira Posted April 28, 2017 Author Share Posted April 28, 2017 Thanks Brian, had first nights away last weekend and absolutely loved it! Its very good to know that through this forum I can count on the help and support of all the knowledgeable folk out there - doubtless I shall be back! Best regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aandncaravan Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 Zafira, glad it is resolved. Derek, I think you might be mis quoting me when you say that I stated, " Allan (aandncaravan) comments (based on the literature sent him) that the Dometic (Waeco?) battery-charger appears not to be specifically designed for AGM batteries". You seem to have taken that I believe AGM batteries won't be properly charged by the Waeco. That isn't what I said. The charger HAS clearly been redesigned (which I mention) specifically to include AGM batteries and that redesign will ensure that AGM optimisation happens. As such the batteries should be charged perfectly satisfactory. What I actually said was, "It is almost as though the charger was designed as a Wet Acid battery charger with AGM optimisation added part way through the design?". If AGM optimisation is added, it will charge the battery perfectly, just not a new, ground up design taking advantage of all that has been learnt in the last 5 years in battery 'maintenance'. I was merely noting (and as I say in the post, it is pure conjecture as I have not opened an AGM version) that the charger had seemingly compromised behaviour between Wet and AGM and an opportunity seems to have been missed. Exactly as Schaudt missed it with their 'adaptation' to add AGM optimisation to an old design, that could have been so much better. That is also a real compromise, but it charges AGM's. With their range of recent chargers, Victron Energy used the adoption of AGM batteries to design chargers from scratch, specifically for here and now, not modify an old design. All we need now is Alternators with AGM voltages, coming soon, hopefully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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