Hook up or not to Hook up?

[Jugster]

I normally keep my Motorhome on my drive and when not in use it is connected to ehu all the time. To date I have never had a problem with this but recently I have been advised to only use ehu one day a month to keep the batteries topped up. This was so that if there was an electrical spike through the mains it would wouldn’t damage the electroblock which if it was plugged in permanently there would be a bigger risk of this happening?
Bit confused now! What do you do please?

 

[denisejoe]

We've only ever plugged in the night before we're going away. Can't see any point on keeping it on EHU permanently.

 

[Lenny HB]

With an Electroblock the batteries should be OK.
Spikes on the mains are rare in the UK but there is a chance of over voltage if you are fed by overhead cables.
If worried fit a Soltec AVS 30, but be aware of fakes only buy from Soltec/Amazon or RS. It is an under/over voltage & surge protector.

 

[MisterB]

We've also fitted an (original!) AVS 30, just need to refit it now to somewhere more accessible, then we can see when it's been activated instead of moving cushions etc to access it. I know we could just leave it to reset but I prefer to know what's happening! I also fitted an MCB to protect the AVS, so EHU supply goes via that before the AVS, but not really sure if that's actually needed???

 

[Lenny HB]

We've also fitted an (original!) AVS 30, just need to refit it now to somewhere more accessible, then we can see when it's been activated instead of moving cushions etc to access it. I know we could just leave it to reset but I prefer to know what's happening! I also fitted an MCB to protect the AVS, so EHU supply goes via that before the AVS, but not really sure if that's actually needed???

You are supposed o fit an RCD before them but house and EHU normally have them so not really nessessary.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Brains]

If I had my van parked on my drive, I'd plug the EHU into a cheap time clock (same as we use on the Xmas lights)

I'd set it to give say one hour of power a day, or get a slightly more expensive (£10) weekly time clock, that you set to say 4hrs on one day of the week.

If you are concerned about spikes then a simple extension cable designed for PC's and TV's with a built in spike suppressor can be got from Currys or PC World, and then plug the time click and EHU into that.

There are other better but more expensive solutions involving a RCU unit, which may be a good thing to fit to a van anyway, as you are far more likely to get spikes in a campsite than at home.

From my experience, the main causes of electrical spikes are lightning, coffee makers, bread makers and cheap lights and hair straighteners. Lightning being the most serious as it can fry computer circuit boards which will knacker a TV, a laptop, and an Electrobloc

 

[hja]

We just connect ours up from time to time when we think it might need it. May be a couple of days a month. Don’t like leaving the cable out along the side of the house and across the path, although it is covered with a mat.

 

[Vanman]

Mine has been on EHU since new (2017), all the time we're at home. It's done it no harm and uses a trickle of leccy. The Van is ready to go whenever we need it and (touch wood) it's still on the original batteries.

We had a lightening strike the other week that took out the bedroom tv and Virginmedia Box, van was unhurt.

 

[Capri Keith]

I normally plug mine in the day before we going away, so the fridge is on when packing van. But we going to New Zealand for 8 weeks I have plugged it in with a timer just so the alarm doesn’t flatten the battery.

 

[bladerunner]

I've had my vans on EHU at home since 2010 - no problems with lightening etc.
I put the alde on around 10'c
Have never drained down water - always flush through before travelling.
Don't notice a big leccy drain
Use it as escape hatch/office/shed when required!
We tend to go away at least once a month throughout the year.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Jewellbags]

We've only ever plugged in the night before we're going away. Can't see any point on keeping it on EHU permanently.

That’s what we do and leave the solar panels to keep it topped up

 

[HugoBNB]

I normally keep my Motorhome on my drive and when not in use it is connected to ehu all the time. To date I have never had a problem with this but recently I have been advised to only use ehu one day a month to keep the batteries topped up. This was so that if there was an electrical spike through the mains it would wouldn’t damage the electroblock which if it was plugged in permanently there would be a bigger risk of this happening?
Bit confused now! What do you do please?

We have raised this question with Hymer. They responded that, with their Smart Battery System, it is fine to leave it cconnected. I would suggest contacting them stating your specific set up for them to advise.

 

[MisterB]

always swipe right i was told, or was that another sort of hook up or not?

 

[Landy Andy]

Mine is permanently connected to mains when not in use. Not had a problem in the 6years I’ve owned it.

 

[Sneds]

The best way to keep batteries in good condition is to keep them on a smart charger, three stage. Can’t see why anyone would expect any harm to be done, just don’t leave the heating on electric, cost me £100 extra for the two weeks i did!
Van was lovely and warm though!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[poppycamper]

This subject does the rounds every couple of months and Funsters IMV are fairly divided in their views..
For information I am in the 'no need to keep van hooked up, or indeed heated when parked on driveway..

 

[Cush]

I have monochoice. No ehu or solar in barn storage but we cope. As pointed out on another thread, a 2003 van doesn’t have the techy gubbins to drain the starter battery. A powerbank keeps the pleasure batteries happy enough.

 

[POH]

I have mine on the drive with hook up with a tapo plug which comes on 3 times a week for 2hours at a time in the early hours , no heat on.

 

[Whippet93]

I tend to leave mine plugged in. It's on my drive and I ran a cable in conduit round the garden to a campsite type connector, so I can use my usual EHU cable. The cable runs from an RCD in my shed just for good measure.

 

[LithiumConvert]

I leave mine on EHU when it outside the house.

Jugster I would suggest whether you do or not depends where you live
- If you are in a big city/town where power cuts are never seen, then leave it on EHU
- If you live at the end of an overhead power line where power cuts happen, then don't leave it on EHU

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[MisterB]

A powerbank keeps the pleasure batteries happy enough.

Do you have a pampas grass plant outside the motorhome or a pineapple in the windscreen where other swingers can see them?

 

[Cush]

Without my pleasure batteries I wouldn’t get much fun out of my van!

No swinging here. A one (is enough thank you very much) woman man. Never heard about the pineapple before.

So is that what the MF sticker is for?

Now stay on topic and leave my massive pleasure battery alone .

 

[ozzyhufc]

I leave mine on drive plugged in 24 hours a day and heating on full time during winter months , van lovely and warm everyday…. No risk of any damp etc…

 

[the1andonly]

The only time mine is plugged in is over the christmas week when we need the extra fridge space. then i may turn on the charger. the solar and Votronics duo keep it charged. i cheat slightly in that i have a BT battery monitor in order to keep paranoia at bay.

 

[ChrisL]

I live in mine full-time, i'm on hookup for most of the winter.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Wee Bold Davy]

We've got a battery master fitted which gives the leisure battery a boost, but once a month have the ehu on overnight. Our van had a coating of snow for 6 days a few weeks ago, hence no solar so we had the van on ehu for a couple of days. Had no issues since we had the battery master fitted

 

[poppycamper]

We've got a battery master fitted which gives the leisure battery a boost, but once a month have the ehu on overnight. Our van had a coating of snow for 6 days a few weeks ago, hence no solar so we had the van on ehu for a couple of days. Had no issues since we had the battery master fitted

I confused again.... I always thought the idea of a battery master was to keep starter battery topped up from leisure battery!! Not visa versa..

 

[Wee Bold Davy]

I confused again.... I always thought the idea of a battery master was to keep starter battery topped up from leisure battery!! Not visa versa..

That's what I said, keep the leisure battery topped up and it looks after the starter battery

 

[poppycamper]

That's what I said, keep the leisure battery topped up and it looks after the starter battery

We've got a battery master fitted which gives the leisure battery a boost,

Sorry that's not the way I read your post..
I still don't think you are correct in saying that a battery master charges leisure battery...
However if I am wrong I stand to be corrected!

 

[Wee Bold Davy]

The thread was about hook up or not. I meant the hook up tops up the leisure battery and the battery master looks after the starter battery. I've got builders putting scaffolding up and I'm a bit stressed, sorry for the confusion

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}