How much battery voltage drop overnight?

[MisterB]

Last night i left the tv on standby and got up to a flat leisure battery after driving for about 4 hours ( so should have been fully charged) Ive checked today and am getting battery useage at 0.45 Amps with nothing running other than the fridge on gas. Is that usual or do i need a new battery as its losing power due to age/defect in some way? Would tv on standby after 6 hours of watching it drain it sufficiently so that it would be "flat' the next day?

 

[robnchris]

You did by implication

Unless you never refuel when you travel.

I didn't by implication at all, you just assumed, Of course I refuel and when I do I turn the gas off before entering the forecourt not by implication but actually do.

 

[MisterB]

you two - get a room !!!!!!!!!!

 

[pappajohn]

To put it in perspective, I watched a documentary this afternoon about explosions.

In the US a train carrying LPG caught fire.
One tanker exploded causing others to go.
It was so violent a whole railcar was thrown around 80ft into the air.
In another, an LPG processing plant near Las Vegas went up, the explosion was so violent it was felt by a passenger jet approaching Las Vegas Airport.

 

[Richard n Ann]

To put it in perspective, I watched a documentary this afternoon about explosions.

In the US a train carrying LPG caught fire.
One tanker exploded causing others to go.
It was so violent a whole railcar was thrown around 80ft into the air.
In another, an LPG processing plant near Las Vegas went up, the explosion was so violent it was felt by a passenger jet approaching Las Vegas Airport.

I knew there was a reason I didn't opt for the 200,000 litre tank

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[Spanner]

pappajohn has given you the answers.

I too recommend a B2B charger as we have one fitted and it does bang a huge charge into the leisure batteries when engine is running, and tops-up a day's battery usage in a 20-30 min. run.

To read more go to Sterling's website, where there is a good description. They make a selection of models as do Viktron.

Geoff

I can also recommend a B2B charger, I fitted a Sterling 30amp charger and we no longer need hookup for the batteries when away.

 

[MisterB]

thanks. I have arranged to buy a Sterling 50 amp B2B from a fellow funster

 

[Pausim]

I am very pleased with my B2B. 50A is quite a big current and a little caution may be needed with the wiring, connections and fuses. Also what type and how big is your battery bank? It is possible to overcook lead acid batteries, I think a max of 30% of total Ah capacity is recommended, possibly less for AGM and Gel. Others may know more about this than me.

 

[MisterB]

Any info gratefully recieved. I dont mind adding batteries if necessary. I intended increasing battery bank anyway. We dont tend to camp in the same spot for more than a couple of days so my thoughts are that a B2B would be a good addition and charge the bank up fully while driving along.

Update - we travelled home yesterday, driving for about 2.5 hours. In the evening i plugged in the tv and left it on standby. There was 12.8v showing on the control panel. This morning i checked and we have 10.7v shown on leisure battery via the control panel. Does this help anyone decipher what the issue is or could be please. Does 10.7v suggest the battery is goosed?

 

[Lenny HB]

Any info gratefully recieved. I dont mind adding batteries if necessary.

Update - we travelled home yesterday, driving for about 2.5 hours. In the evening i plugged in the tv and left it on standby. There was 12.8v showing on tge control panel. This morning i checked and we have 10.7v shown on leisure battery. Does this help anyone decipher what the issue is or could be please. Does 10.7v suggest the battery is goosed?

On load of off load voltage? Off load it will be goosed.
Also you probalyneed to drive 300 - 500 miles to fully charge a flat battery.

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[Pausim]

We dont tend to camp in the same spot for more than a couple of days so my thoughts are that a B2B would be a good addition and charge the bank up fully while driving along.

I think the B2B will suit your type of use very well. I use 30 to 40 Ah per night and the B2B has the battery fully charged within 1 hour.

 

[pappajohn]

@MisterB, always remember to check battery voltage an hour or so since all charging sources have finished and nothing is turned on.
Anything using power will reduce the voltage shown when checking and the heavier the load, the lower the shown voltage.

Even if the TV was left on all night it wouldn't use that much power.
If it uses 5 amps per hour, overnight it would be 40 to 50amps....or half your battery capacity.
It would still be over 12v

Start looking for new batteries

 

[nicholsong]

thanks. I have arranged to buy a Sterling 50 amp B2B from a fellow funster

Sounds good.

Even if your current battery is kaput and you replace it, and add another one, then a B2B will prolong battery life by ensuring the charge never drops to a damaging level. So this wil partially offset the cost.

Geoff

 

[MisterB]

thanks for all the responses. this is what I have decided

1 order and fit new battery
2 fit sterling b2b 50 amp

I discussed with Alpha batteries this morning and as I am fitting a sterling b2b they advised on an AGM battery (with the opportunity to add a further within 6 months) - they advised removing the old charger and replacing it with the sterling

so hopefully I wont have any more issues for a while …..

 

[pappajohn]

AGM not good.

Even major car manufacturers are abandoning them as they are failing early.
Think it was Techno only got 18 months out of his

Leave the onboard charger on. It gives you the opportunity to keep the battery charged over winter from hookup at home plus normal use on campsites rather than starting the engine all the time.
If you do leave the charger on you can only buy a lead acid battery as it won't charge a Gel battery and certainly not an AGM.

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[MisterB]

thanks. I will keep the old charger in case things don't work out. or I might even get a gel then, further down the line

 

[pappajohn]

I believe Gel needs 14.4v and AGM needs 14.8v
Your charger is 13.6v... That's the maintenance charge for a lead acid battery which was why they fitted them and, allegedly, so a higher voltage didn't damage 12v appliances.

 

[tonyidle]

I don't know what van or what charger but I'd question whether it should be outputting 13.6v. FLA float is 13.8v but more to the point is that any motorhome / caravan I've seen for the past 10 years or more has had a multi-stage PSU/charger. Why not this one?

 

[Richard n Ann]

I don't know what van or what charger but I'd question whether it should be outputting 13.6v. FLA float is 13.8v but more to the point is that any motorhome / caravan I've seen for the past 10 years or more has had a multi-stage PSU/charger. Why not this one?

Ours is 2014 and has a 13.8v power supply as a charger (I don't use it).

I read somewhere 13.6v is the latest thinking from the battery manufacturers to minimise electrolyte gassing, and don't keep it on float charge continuously but to let it rest periodically.

 

[MisterB]

I have been advised to replace the on board charger with the sterling 50 amp b2b as it wont be needed. As i am fitting the b2b he advised me to replace the dud battery with an AGM battery. The mh is a 2008 swift bolero

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[Ivory55]

If you don’t have an on board charger you won’t be able to charge when On ehu. So if you’re on a site with the ehu including in the price you’re be starting the engine to recharge your batteries or am I not reading it right.

 

[pappajohn]

I read somewhere 13.6v is the latest thinking from the battery manufacturers

Caravans have had 13.6v chargers since Noah built the Ark. .
M/H converters who also made caravans used what they stocked.
It's only in recent years battery tech has moved on

 

[Lenny HB]

I discussed with Alpha batteries this morning and as I am fitting a sterling b2b they advised on an AGM battery (with the opportunity to add a further within 6 months)

If you buy an AGM you won't be adding a new one you will be relacing that one.
AGM are totally useless as leisure batteries & as John says your charger will kill it.

 

[Lenny HB]

Caravans have had 13.6v chargers since Noah built the Ark. .
M/H converters who also made caravans used what they stocked.
It's only in recent years battery tech has moved on

That's why leisure batteries only lasted 2 - 3 years.

 

[tonyidle]

Ours is 2014 and has a 13.8v power supply as a charger (I don't use it).

I read somewhere 13.6v is the latest thinking from the battery manufacturers to minimise electrolyte gassing, and don't keep it on float charge continuously but to let it rest periodically.

I have to say I'm surprised. Our last two vans, both German, 1990 & 2008 respectively had multistage chargers. The last one, Hymer , had an EBL. Our current French one has an EBL. I thought float maintain chargers disappeared years ago.

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[pappajohn]

My 1999 RV had an analogue 13.6v 45amp charger/power supply
Rattled and buzzed like a wasps nest.
Replaced with a modern multistage 45amp charger/power supply

 

[Richard n Ann]

I have to say I'm surprised. Our last two vans, both German, 1990 & 2008 respectively had multistage chargers. The last one, Hymer , had an EBL. Our current French one has an EBL. I thought float maintain chargers disappeared years ago.

Well that's Elddis for you I'm not bothered, it's OK as a back up if there is no solar. I've put a switch next to the fuse box to switch it on if needed. It's good that it's off also so the inverter doesn't try and charge the battery

 

[autorouter]

A modern multistage charger is perfect for charging a battery out of the MH, on a bench. A fixed voltage supply (13.6V) is great for supplying the habitation circuits in a MH or caravan.

A multi-stage smart charger charging a battery while the habitation circuits are drawing current at the same time can be a problem. It can misinterpret some habitation currents as battery behaviour and put out the wrong charge voltage.

I happen to think that a multistage charger is best in a MH while it's being lived in, but obviously others have a different opinion. You pays your money...

I always carry a small 5 amp smart charger (CTEK MSX5.0), used if the scooter starter battery needs charging (it has a motorbike setting). But a couple of times it came in useful to charge MH leisure batteries when the main charger failed. Not ideal, a bit slow, but much better than nothing.

 

[Jasz]

Any info gratefully recieved. I dont mind adding batteries if necessary. I intended increasing battery bank anyway. We dont tend to camp in the same spot for more than a couple of days so my thoughts are that a B2B would be a good addition and charge the bank up fully while driving along.

Update - we travelled home yesterday, driving for about 2.5 hours. In the evening i plugged in the tv and left it on standby. There was 12.8v showing on the control panel. This morning i checked and we have 10.7v shown on leisure battery via the control panel. Does this help anyone decipher what the issue is or could be please. Does 10.7v suggest the battery is goosed?

To put this in context our 80Ah battery has just taken 4 days and nights to get down to 11V. It was only because it got this low that I discovered that my solar switch was wired incorrectly and it was charging the cab battery The TV was on at times during this period ( my tv manual says that on standby it will use less than 0.5W which is hardly anything). I suspect your battery has had it.

 

[MisterB]

If you buy an AGM you won't be adding a new one you will be relacing that one.
AGM are totally useless as leisure batteries & as John says your charger will kill it.

When the B2B arrived the instructions specifically said lead acid batteries are the best ones to use which differed from the advice from Alpha batteries. So i contacted them and they will replace the AGM with a lead acid battery and collect the AGM at the same time !

So its a lead acid battery thats going in. Thanks for all the advice !

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[KiwiGT]

Why travel with the fridge on 12v, we always travel with the fridge on Gas.
That way you won't get caught out if you forget to switch over when arriving at destination.

Hope you’re never at a Petrol station when I am. That’s a potential bomb. 3 way fridges run on 12v when travelling and when you stop they take about 15 mins to change over to gas on the basis that is enough time to fill up. They don’t immediately change to gas as that’s having a naked flame at a petrol station.!!!