Stew Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 What is the best/cheapest way to keep the engine battery topped up electrically. I know a good a run or using it regular, but apart from that. I was thinking along the lines of either a solar charger(@ 5w) from ebay, or a little electric trickle charger. Anybody got any views or recommendations? Thanks for looking, Stew (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartan3956 Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 I use a Motorcycle optimiser charger They are primarily for Bikes that are stored over winter and are relatively cheap. They do keep the battery fully charged and it lasts a lot longer, the better models have a desulphurising cycle that conditions the battery. Ive had one on my motorcycle for 5 yrs and the original battery is A1. As for the camper Ive got mine plugged into the 12 volt socket outlet which wired direct to the vehicle battery via a socket and hook-up. As for those solar chargers i found that the most you will get out of them in amps in the middle of bright sunshine is 1/2 amp, in the winter with the lack of good light and shorter days output is pityful. My alarm took most of the amps it made and the battery went flat and didnt recover. The optimisers pay for themselves in the long run. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Halfords £18 with cock clips and seperate permenant fix lead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel E Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 By far the best way is to buy a switching charger from an auto parts dealer. It must be the sort that senses the battery voltage and completely switches off the charging when the battery is 'full', automatically switching on again once its charge level drops. You can leave one of these connected to the battery for almost as long as you like. Do NOT use the hookup lead. Many of the chargers fitted to motorhomes do not have the switch on/off capability so continue to provide a tiny trickle charge even when the battery is 'full'. This will eventually gas the battery dry and damage it beyond recovery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Frank Wilkinson Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Mel E wrote:Do NOT use the hookup lead. Many of the chargers fitted to motorhomes do not have the switch on/off capability so continue to provide a tiny trickle charge even when the battery is 'full'. This will eventually gas the battery dry and damage it beyond recovery.You've got me slightly worried now as I have left my MH on charge for two or three days at a time. My Lunar Telstar has a Sargent AC95 control panel and a Sargent PSU 2005 fuse box thingy in a bedding locker. On the control panel I can choose either leisure or vehicle battery and this is what charges when I plug in. (According to Lunar anyway.)I am very lucky in that a have a large dry warehouse at my firm's head office and I can tuck it in a corner and plug it in occasionally to top up the battery.The vehicle battery does drain over a couple of weeks, presumably because of the alarm system, which is always on.Do you know if my Sargent electrical system has some kind of trickle charger, or could I have already damaged my battery? If the latter, do I need to check the electrolyte levels or anything?You'll gather that I'm not too technical! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Mell is not quite "up to speed" with the modern motorhome charger regulators. Most of the intelligent types now do what Mel advocates by cutting back to below the "critical gassing voltage" after full charge is achieved. Just like the emergency exit lights in cinema etc. With these its OK to leave them on continuously. If you see after full charging 13.6 - 13.8 volts then you should be OK. If it stays at 14 volts then you need to "top up" the batteries once or twice a month with the hookup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Frank Wilkinson Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Clive - 2007-01-19 3:32 PM Mell is not quite "up to speed" with the modern motorhome charger regulators. Most of the intelligent types now do what Mel advocates by cutting back to below the "critical gassing voltage" after full charge is achieved. Just like the emergency exit lights in cinema etc. With these its OK to leave them on continuously. If you see after full charging 13.6 - 13.8 volts then you should be OK. If it stays at 14 volts then you need to "top up" the batteries once or twice a month with the hookup. Thanks, that's a little more reassuring. Does anyone know if my system, mentioned above, is one of the more intelligent types? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Frank Wilkinson Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Further to the comments above and after receiving a tip from Clive I phoned Seargent, the company responsible for many electrical systems in modern motorhomes. I was assured by their technical chap that their sytems, and probably other modern ones, do definitely 'trickle charge' if that's the right word.He assured me that it is perfectly safe to leave my motorhome plugged in all weekend and that it will not harm the battery in anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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