Engine battery.

[Speedytriple]

Hi guys,

I was wondering how you keep your engine battery topped up over winter?

I have a mains powered trickle charger which I can connect to the battery by either croc clips or buy one of these type of connectors



However I can’t see a means of having this easily placed where I can get to it without it getting too weathered.

So I was just wondering what you guys do?

The battery on the Renault Master is under the passenger side seat/Step and has about 6 bolts holding the cover on so not just a quick case of popping on and off.

Thanks.

 

[Richard n Ann]

I've got the SAE tail on my engine battery, it's got a cap on it and it's just loose on the floor near the passenger seat legs. At home I plug an optimate maintainer in.

 

[Jabstatt]

Do you have a jump start point under the bonnet?

Or a permanently live cigar lighter socket?

Tony

 

[Jev88]

Solar panel on roof

 

[Otter Spotter]

Battery Master from Jim or Vanbitz which should trickle charge from your leisure battery

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[U.Toadifact]

As our van is covered over winter, we use an Optimate two channel charger. One channel connected to the leisure battery the other to the engine battery all via crocodile clips.

OptiMate 2 Duo Dual Bank

OptiMate 2 Duo Dual Bank

optimate.co.uk

 

[Blackadder]

Solar panel + Battery Master + EHU on a time switch giving a few hours charge every Sunday. Without the EHU the starter battery loses charge during winter (virtually no use + no sun + alarm drain).

 

[headlight]

Solar and Battery Master keeps my lead acid starter battery and lithium leisure battery both fully charged over winter.

 

[Speedytriple]

Thanks for all the ideas guys.

I have solar on roof but I don’t think it’s hooked up to the engine battery.

I do have a jump start terminal under the bonnet so that’s a good shout actually.

Cheers.

 

[headlight]

Thanks for all the ideas guys.

I have solar on roof but I don’t think it’s hooked up to the engine battery.

I do have a jump start terminal under the bonnet so that’s a good shout actually.

Cheers.

That's what the Battery Master does. Solar charges the leisure battery then the Battery Master trickle charges the starter battery from the leisure battery at 1amp when it detects a difference iirc of 0.75v between starter and leisure battery. Unit is the size of a cigarette packet and just 3 wires.
Fit and forget.
Available to buy on this site for £65 I think.

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[headlight]

Speedytriple

 

[Dave and Jen]

I fitted one to my R/Master recently and it works a treat. Needs sun though, so you will be better off Connecting your charger.
Cheers, Dave

 

[Tombola]

Is your van outside.
I have one of these for the engine battery on an old van, works well with cable croc clips through door and sat on dash.

Amazon.co.uk

 

[LithiumConvert]

I was wondering how you keep your engine battery topped up over winter?

I have a second low power B2B wired so that it charges the engine battery from the leisure battery.

I leave it switched on whenever the 'van is not in use. It keeps the AGM starter battery fully charged with is good for AGM batteries, particularly when the smart alternator does not otherwise charge it properly at any time.

Some on here have already said that the idea is OTT, but it does work.

 

[headlight]

I fitted one to my R/Master recently and it works a treat. Needs sun though, so you will be better off Connecting your charger.
Cheers, Dave

First winter I had the Battery Master I only had a single 115 watt solar panel.
Solar kept my leisure battery fully charged and the Battery Master kept my starter battery fully charged, no need to connect a charger.
That is in Wales which doesn't get much sun in the winter.

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[EuroTrotters]

Is your van outside.
I have one of these for the engine battery on an old van, works well with cable croc clips through door and sat on dash.

Amazon.co.uk

ive got one, when we used it, drained the battery

 

[Speedytriple]

Thanks for all the advice guys

I think for now at least i'll just hook a trickle charger to the under bonnet jump terminals

then next year i'll fit a better solar panel based solution. Problem is i didnt build the van so i'm not 100% sure what does what to what and when.

 

[mick qc]

No I’ve got it working properly,
VolTronic standby charger works a treat
just means running a cable to your starter battery from were your solar charger and leisure bat are housed, But once it’s connected and up and running you just leave it on, quite cheap as well

 

[pappajohn]

That's what the Battery Master does. Solar charges the leisure battery then the Battery Master trickle charges the starter battery from the leisure battery at 1amp when it detects a difference iirc of 0.75v between starter and leisure battery. Unit is the size of a cigarette packet and just 3 wires.
Fit and forget.
Available to buy on this site for £65 I think.

Leisure battery still needs to be charged though.....bugger all solar in winter.

 

[headlight]

Leisure battery still needs to be charged though.....bugger all solar in winter.

First winter I had this motorhome I only had a single 115 watt solar panel.
It kept both my leisure batteries (2x105AH) fully charged and the Battery Master kept my starter battery fully charged.