Rowan Posted August 29, 2021 Share Posted August 29, 2021 Where is the leisure battery located on an Autotrail low line 365, on a Mercedes chassis, 2003. Looked everywhere or don’t have one very strange. ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevec176 Posted August 29, 2021 Share Posted August 29, 2021 Have you tried the external skirt locker? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted August 29, 2021 Share Posted August 29, 2021 We have a 2004 Cheyenne 632 and the leisure battery is located in a box through the floor under the LH settee. It has a black plastic lid but is usually covered by an offcut of carpet so well hidden. Try looking from underneath for a battery box 'hanging' through the floor. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowan Posted August 29, 2021 Author Share Posted August 29, 2021 Thanks for reply. We looked under seats and under van for box but just can’t find anything. I’m beginning to think it hasn’t got a leisure battery and all of engine one, have you ever heard of that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted August 29, 2021 Share Posted August 29, 2021 What is the exact model? Is it a Cheyenne, Tracker or similar? Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted August 29, 2021 Share Posted August 29, 2021 My searching shows that it may be a Cheyenne 635 with rear bathroom and opposing settees at the front. If so it should have the leisure battery in the same position as our 2004 632, ie under the LH settee. Open the horizontal locker door in front of the coach door and inspect the floor covering very carefully for the plastic battery box lid. Or look underneath for the box. Also the Sargent Electrical website shows leisure batteries fitted to ALL the AT models in its 2003 - 2005 schematics so it certainly SHOULD have a leisure battery! https://sargentltd.co.uk/tech-support/article/Auto-Trail-Schematics/26 Keith. Edit to add: If you scroll through the control panel display does it show separate Engine and Leisure battery voltages? If yes then it does have a leisure battery! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowan Posted August 29, 2021 Author Share Posted August 29, 2021 Thanks for all the advice I will go back to see the dealer and check all this before I commit to purchasing the van Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 An Auto-Trail 2004 Handbook can be downloaded from here https://www.auto-trail.co.uk/handbooks This includes the following advice 12 V SYSTEM This is fed from an 85 amp-hour leisure battery that is located in a dedicated compartment in the vehicle. This is connected to the main control panel via the fuse box.The control panel inside the vehicle indicates the condition of the battery. When the engine is running, or the vehicle is connected to a mains supply, the leisure battery is charged through the onboard charging unit. There is a fair amount of online-forum discussion about the location of Auto-Trail leisure-batteries (commonly asking whether a 2nd battery can easily be installed). It’s evident from forum comments that the position in the motorhome of the “dedicated compartment” varied according to the model and its age, but the consensus seems to be (as Keith has said) that the leisure-battery of a 2003 Cheyenne 635 should be expected to be housed in a compartment in the floor of the left-hand (UK nearside) seat locker in front of the habitation-area door, with the compartment covered by a removable lid. (The position is as arrowed on the image attached below.) If it ain’t there, try the floor of the seat locker on the opposite side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 The only 2003 Cheyenne 635 on a Mercedes I can see for sale is this one (which is now sold) and I'm pretty certain the leisure battery will be in the same place as our 2004 Cheyenne 632. https://www.westernmotorhomes.co.uk/used/motorhomes/auto-trail-cheyenne-635-low-line-2-berth-mercedes-10212/ Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Duck Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 You say you're looking at buying the van from a dealer. Why not simply ask him to show you where the battery is (!) FD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowan Posted August 31, 2021 Author Share Posted August 31, 2021 I’ve found it at last it is in the spare wheel compartment at the back of the van ,drivers side Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 Rowan - 2021-08-31 11:56 AM I’ve found it at last it is in the spare wheel compartment at the back of the van ,drivers side Just where you'd expect to find it!!! Motorhomes, eh? :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 Not that unreasonable when one sees the rear locker where the spare wheel is housed (image attached below). In fact, it’s fairly common for a leisure-battery to be installed in a rear ‘garage’ where there’s often plenty of space to add a 2nd battery: that’s where the battery is on my Rapido 640F. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 When the OP said "spare wheel compartment", what came to mind was one of those horizontal spare wheel compartments just above the rear bumper! That must be one hell of a spare wheel! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 The locker in Derek's photo is only a very slim tall locker for external storage and is behind the wash basin in the rear bathroom. The actual spare wheel locker is below the rear number plate in this photo with the wheel stored flat... Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 Ah, that looks familiar! I thought I'd seen something of the sort, but I'd no idea they put the battery in there as well. It seems an odd place to locate it. Two heavy items well behind the rear axle on a longish rear overhang. It must make maintenance access awkward and, at 50lbs or so in weight, you'd need a good back to replace it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 OK - it is indeed an unusual place to house a leisure battery, and definitely not where one might expect to find it. I notice this was discussed in a 2014 MHFun forum thread relating to Cheyenne 63x models and there are some suggestions about accessing/replacing the battery (or batteries if there are two) that may be useful. https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/autotrail-battery-access.77974/ As Brian has said, not the greatest idea choosing to put 25kg of battery (or 50kg if there are two) near the rear of the motorhome if it were practicable to put it/them in a compartment in the motorhome’s floor within the vehicle’s wheelbase, but possibly better for access than under a swivelling cab-seat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanedwin Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 Is it on a sprinter chassis? If so my previous van had space under the bonnet for two leisure batteries, one each side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 alanedwin - 2021-09-01 9:54 AM Is it on a sprinter chassis? If so my previous van had space under the bonnet for two leisure batteries, one each side. Paul, the OP, said it was a 2003 so it will be the same layout as my 2004 with the starter battery under the bonnet on the LH side and the brake servo and washer reservoir on the RH side leaving no room there for another battery. I am very surprised at AT locating the leisure battery so far rearward both weight wise and also with the long lengths of cable required when my Cheyenne 632 has the single battery under the side settee which looks very similar to the 635. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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