Battery power running low on a field - do we need to go home?

[Jo662]

We have a fully charged Bluetti 700 watts. We could try topping up leisure battery through EHU on van if that would give any useful charge?

That would be perfect . I have plugged in my Ecoflow Delta to charge my low leisure batteries.

 

[Dancers]

That would be perfect . I have plugged in my Ecoflow Delta to charge my low leisure batteries.

Oh great, thanks. Any idea how much it would put in? We only have one leisure battery (soon to be added to!) and it shows 50% at present. We have used all that in 24 hours since stopping. If we left the Bluetti plugged into the EHU overnight, would it be OK To run the heating etc or do you let it charge the LB first? Sorry to be so dense!

 

[Jo662]

Oh great, thanks. Any idea how much it would put in? We only have one leisure battery (soon to be added to!) and it shows 50% at present. We have used all that in 24 hours since stopping. If we left the Bluetti plugged into the EHU overnight, would it be OK To run the heating etc or do you let it charge the LB first? Sorry to be so dense!

I would let it charge the leisure batteries first,as much as possible. I'm not sure how much the bluetti will charge your battery, but would of thought it will be enough for the night.
Good luck, and enjoy the rest of your time there.

 

[nicholsong]

You have decided to go home, but for long-term a second leisure battery , or if you are feeling rich replace the leisure battery with Lithium, and add a B2B and then you should never be in this predicament again.

 

[autorouter]

We only have one leisure battery (soon to be added to!) and it shows 50% at present. We have used all that in 24 hours since stopping.

A leisure battery is about 80 to 100Ah capacity, so at 50% you have used about 40 to 50Ah, in 24 hours. Your Bluetti is about 45Ah, but with various inefficiencies it will probably only put in about 30 to 35Ah. That's still a useful contribution.

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[Reallyretired]

We have a fully charged Bluetti 700 watts. We could try topping up leisure battery through EHU on van if that would give any useful charge?

It would. My battery was down a bit and my ecoflow delta charged it right back up.

 

[cyberyacht]

Funny thing is my 4 year old leisure battery has (accidentally) been run totally flat about 3 times over the years, but when fully charged again, it holds at 13.4 volts perfectly - for several weeks in storage. Maybe I'm just lucky.

Ah, but is it a lithium one? They can cope with that sort of thing.

 

[steve69]

Ah, but is it a lithium one? They can cope with that sort of thing.

Nope...Just ordinary lead acid. Might be AGM but not sure.

 

[nicholsong]

Do converters fit only one lead/acid battery, and maybe only 75 Ah, to save money or weight - or maybe both?

To rely on one leisure battery seems wrong to me, because if one cell goes phut there is no back up. With 2 batteries one can disconnect the duff one till replaced.

Some MHs seem not have a battery 'box' for two batteries and one has to create a 'box' for a second and re-wire to it.

Another point on which this industry needs knocking into shape.

British buyers of British MHs seem to be particularly badly served compared with their German counterparts, but I think the German buyers are more demanding, even at the lower end of the market.

 

[Jo662]

British buyers of British MHs seem to be particularly badly served compared with their German counterparts, but I think the German buyers are more demanding, even at the lower end of the market.

My British built Motorhome came with two batteries in a built in battery box.

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[Jo662]

It would. My battery was down a bit and my ecoflow delta charged it right back up.

So one good reason to have one of these power banks in winter when there is little solar to top up your batteries

 

[PP Bear]

Regularly run my engine while stationary, heats up the engine, charges batteries and clears windows. Engines just done 40,000 miles and has started to really pull well, so getting there as it still beds in.

I don’t go for this mustn’t, shouldn’t, can’t and run it when required. My 80 year old neighbour has a Tribute on a 05 plate and had from new and his only vehicle so used for shopping, doctors etc. Now on 70+k miles and all he ever does it run the engine when the solo hab batt gets low (no solar, doesn’t believe in it) and he’s had that batt for more years than I dare say and still it performs well. Him, his SWMBO and dog lived in it full time for 4 months a few years back, while sorting out houses and not so much as a flicker of reduction in performance.

In the Army, we’d always run up all engines for an hour, including the armour, so I’d say fire it up, charge the batt, warm up and enjoy

 

[TDub49]

Regularly run my engine while stationary, heats up the engine, charges batteries and clears windows. Engines just done 40,000 miles and has started to really pull well, so getting there as it still beds in.

I don’t go for this mustn’t, shouldn’t, can’t and run it when required. My 80 year old neighbour has a Tribute on a 05 plate and had from new and his only vehicle so used for shopping, doctors etc. Now on 70+k miles and all he ever does it run the engine when the hab batt gets low and he’s had that batt for more years than I dare say and still it performs well. Him, his SWMBO and dog lived in it full time for 4 months a few years back, while sorting out houses and not so much as a flicker of reduction in performance.

In the Army, we’d always run up all engines for an hour, including the armour, so I’d say fire it up, charge the batt, warm up and enjoy

I'm with you - I thought diesel engines were designed to run and run and run. No doubt a Funster will post a link to some serious and credible peer reviewed research that shows why you shouldn't do it but until then I will still start the moho once a week to keep everything moving.

 

[PP Bear]

I'm with you - I thought diesel engines were designed to run and run and run. No doubt a Funster will post a link to some serious and credible peer reviewed research that shows why you shouldn't do it but until then I will still start the moho once a week to keep everything moving.

Think it’s mostly doctor google. Having a mechanical degree, engine specialist etc, I’d say run run run and enjoy

 

[Spriddler]

The diesel engines in ice cream and burger vans seem to run satisfactorily on-site all day.

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[Don Campbell]

Start your generator

Eddie is being a RV snob but great when you have one. The other alternative is to light a fire. Picture in Bryce Canyon USA a few winters ago. I have to say we were inside as soon as the fire got low.

 

[Dorset Diver]

The diesel engines in ice cream and burger vans seem to run satisfactorily on-site all day.

Possibly they have had a good run prior to arriving on their pitch .

 

[PP Bear]

Possibly they have had a good run prior to arriving on their pitch .

Yes of course, but then the engine runs all day static.

 

[L' Hobo]

My British built Motorhome came with two batteries in a built in battery box.

and mine!

 

[Peregrinator]

Sounds like you need solar panels, which if camping then you should have them, Be careful when running your engine to charge your batteries, Extended idling causes a build-up of soot, especially a diesel engine, which can give you problems in the EGR valve and the DPF with soot deposits, which in turn can put your engine into limp mode.

P.S. It is also an offence in law under the Section 42 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to be idling your engine, so please beware where you are parked when idling your engine or could be a fine, more areas of UK are picking up on this Law.

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[Dorset Diver]

Yes of course, but then the engine runs all day static.

True, but it's the start from cold and no load warm up, if ever achieved, that's the problem.

 

[jumar]

So one good reason to have one of these power banks in winter when there is little solar to top up your batteries

Yes... I've got one...never needed to use it as a hook up, as I've got a 160aH Lithium battery serving our requirements....

 

[SUGGY]

Start your engine Conect a jump lead +ve from your engine to +ve on your leisure battery and run for 10 / 15 minutes. Job done .I have a 10mm cable running from the engine battery to a battery isolater switch mounted on my drivers seat next to the leisure batteries so I can do this easily abd use the leisure batteries to jump start the engine if need be . My solar charges all the batteries this way .

 

[tabbert ffb]

Start your generator

Thats exactly my way , always take gunny away wherever we go , oh and the battery charger

 

[triky]

The diesel engines in ice cream and burger vans seem to run satisfactorily on-site all day.

As most boat/yacht engines are diesel,they run all day whist propelling the vessel ,often just on tickover .These engines are often in enclosed spaces/engine covers,boxes etc .They run better warm too.My fishing boat had a box midships.My yacht had the engine below decks .Both ran very well.

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[Toady]

Lived on a canal boat for years and we had the diesel engine running for hours charging the batteries especially in the winter. Every now and again I would give it plenty of throttle when moving to clear the spot deposits. Dirty bloody engines!

 

[cyberyacht]

Marine diesel engines are pretty agricultural compared to motorhome ones.

 

[Spriddler]

As most boat/yacht engines are diesel,they run all day whist propelling the vessel ,often just on tickover .These engines are often in enclosed spaces/engine covers,boxes etc .They run better warm too.My fishing boat had a box midships.My yacht had the engine below decks .Both ran very well.

Mine did too on my sailing boats; one a Volvo (it looked like a concrete mixer engine) and the other a Bukh, but they didn't have an emission control system - just a basic zorst pipe and silencer. I think clogging the DPF filter on sophisticated diesels is mooted as a risk by some experts.

 

[Lenny HB]

My 80 year old neighbour has a Tribute on a 05 plate and had from new and his only vehicle so used for shopping, doctors etc. Now on 70+k miles and all he ever does it run the engine when the solo hab batt gets low

I'm with you - I thought diesel engines were designed to run and run and run. No doubt a Funster will post a link to some serious and credible peer reviewed research that shows why you shouldn't do it but until then I will still start the moho once a week to keep everything moving.

As most boat/yacht engines are diesel,they run all day whist propelling the vessel ,often just on tickover .These engines are often in enclosed spaces/engine covers,boxes etc .They run better warm too.My fishing boat had a box midships.My yacht had the engine below decks .Both ran very well.

Lived on a canal boat for years and we had the diesel engine running for hours charging the batteries especially in the winter. Every now and again I would give it plenty of throttle when moving to clear the spot deposits. Dirty bloody engines!

All those engines you lot are referring to are not modern diesels.
A Modern diesel is totally different, They have CAT & DPF and when run from cold on tickover they don't get up to operating temperature which causes condensation in the bores and wrecks the CAT & DPF.
If you want to run them on tickover take them for a 10/20 mile drive so they are fully up to temperature first.

There is a least one Funster who use to charge his batteries on tickover until it cost him a few grand in engine repairs.

 

[nicholsong]

Marine diesel engines are pretty agricultural compared to motorhome ones.

And better for it compared with these units fitted with all the emissions controls.

In my boat the Mercedes OM636 was based on the original design, not much updated, made by a German in a British PoW camp in England and that engine was manufactured under licence in Spain in 1987. It is still going strong - under control of my good engineering friend who now owns the boat.

All a diesel engine needs is sturdy block, diesel injectors and air - then it runs itself.

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