Nuevo 2012

How do you all rally for days on end without hook-ups?   Marquis changed my lead/acid 105 amp battery, which didn't hold charge for much more than one winter evening, for two AGM batteries as they were the only ones small enough to fit where the original batteries had sat.   Two years later, these need replacing, but even when new, would only last a couple of days before dropping to 'fair'.   Do you all have generators?

Also, the battery compartment has no provision for venting to the outside (I know this doesn't matter with AGMs), is this unusual for Nuevos?

No very few people use generators, most nowadays have solar panels.  
With my 15 year old 85w panel and a 150Ahr habitation battery I recon we can last 10/12 days and I only need a hook up then to charge my razor !
We dont watch a lot of tele, all lighting has been converted to led's other than that we use 12v supply as we need it.
Prior to fitting the larger battery we had always had AS standard fit 85Ahr batteries on this and the last van I only put the larger battery in to help cope better with my 100w radio transmitter

Sparky7 wrote:How do you all rally for days on end without hook-ups?   

Also, the battery compartment has no provision for venting to the outside (I know this doesn't matter with AGMs), is this unusual for Nuevos?

Our Nuevo II is fitted with a Banner 110ah battery and that has a vent pipe on the left side that goes through the floor, the previous battery was a Platinum brand and that too had a vent hole. We find 2-3 days is easily obtainable running TV, Water Pump, Lighting etc even without LED bulbs, if we were more careful I reckon we could easily double this....

Sparky7 wrote:How do you all rally for days on end without hook-ups?   Marquis changed my lead/acid 105 amp battery, which didn't hold charge for much more than one winter evening, for two AGM batteries as they were the only ones small enough to fit where the original batteries had sat.   Two years later, these need replacing, but even when new, would only last a couple of days before dropping to 'fair'.   Do you all have generators?

Also, the battery compartment has no provision for venting to the outside (I know this doesn't matter with AGMs), is this unusual for Nuevos?

Our Nuevo (2014 model) came fitted with a 105 amp hour battery and a 40w solar panel. As part of the deal I negotiated a second battery and a free upgrade to an 80w solar panel. The dealer in Stourbridge made a complete bodge of supplying and fitting the second battery and so I dumped that and fitted an identical second 105 amp battery myself, there was plenty of room to do so without seriously compromising the under-seat storage. There was a a vent from the original battery through the floor and so I vented the second battery through a T piece using the same pipe. We are heavy TV and lighting users and always have several phones/ipads/kindles on charge. We also use a 300 watt inverter occasionally to charge our laptop and shaver etc.  We also shower and wash up in the van and so use the water pump a lot. We have been away for weeks on end, without connecting to the mains, without our battery indicator on the Sargent panel ever showing anything other than a good charge state. On our last van we had two 85 amp batteries and a 100 watt Solar and we were able to manage for three night weekends away in mid winter without any problems. As we do not have access to electrical power at home this setup also keeps the vehicle and leisure batteries fully charged in the depths of winter.

If your battery was going flat after one day I suspect it was faulty although the two new ones seem to be giving you the same problem. Also do not underestimate the power saving benefits of using a purpose made motorhome television (such as a Avtex or similar) and wherever possible only use LED lighting. Obviously the odd trip out to the shops in the van will charge the batteries if you still have problems. I hope this does not sound condescending - it is not meant to. 

As an afterthought I remember hearing that the TV aerial amplifier can be very power hungry, especially if you do not switch it off when you are not using the TV. Also we had a USB adaptor which was consuming power when plugged in, even when not in use.

Dave

Hi I think you had battery trouble. Not knowing your annual use and charging system over the year,its hard to tell.
Personally i have only ever had trouble once and that was with a flat battery.
With a good fully charged battery you can go days without a charge.

Regards

Mike

Cruising Comet wrote:

Sparky7 wrote:How do you all rally for days on end without hook-ups?   

Also, the battery compartment has no provision for venting to the outside (I know this doesn't matter with AGMs), is this unusual for Nuevos?

Our Nuevo II is fitted with a Banner 110ah battery and that has a vent pipe on the left side that goes through the floor, the previous battery was a Platinum brand and that too had a vent hole. We find 2-3 days is easily obtainable running TV, Water Pump, Lighting etc even without LED bulbs, if we were more careful I reckon we could easily double this....

Hi CC I also have a 110AH Banner battery but it did not come with vent pipe. How essential is it to vent it as there is a floor vent at the rear of the wheel arch next to the battery. If I do need one do you know the best place to get one from?

Hi Its most likely a sealed for life battery.
If it has a vent on the side ,you could run a plastic tube to any hole below.

Regards

Mike

Hi Moggs... 

The vent pipe was already in place when we bought the van, presumably it was there from when AutoSleeper fitted the original battery as there is a purpose made strengthend hole going through the left side of the floor beside the metal battery tray.

When I changed the battery last year I just unclipped the vent pipe and plugged it into the Banner battery that had a vent hole either side with a small removable plug that just popped out with a screw driver.

I understood all leisure battery's had to be properly vented due to the danger when they gas during charging so just thought it was standard equipment... I seem to remember seeing that Banner sell the vent pipe separately if required but as Mike says its just standard clear tubing but with an elbow shaped plug on the battery end, maybe AutoSleepers parts?

I do have an Avtex TV, and use leds.   I understand the solar panel which came with the van is only 30W.   I would love to have another panel, but the Nuevo roof is so small, and I also have a satellite dish, so that restricts the available space even more.   I wonder if it would be possible to consider fixing one of the flexible panels to the curved cab roof?   I know I'd have to always park facing the sun, but wouldn't mind that!

Thanks for all the replies

If you read this thread you will see an 80w panel fitted on the roof of a Nuevo (albeit a Mk2 Classic which is the same roof as a Mk1). I'm having one fitted on Thursday..

https://www.autosleeper-ownersforum.com/t12139-solar-panel-on-nuevo-es

Sparky7 wrote:I wonder if it would be possible to consider fixing one of the flexible panels to the curved cab roof? 

They can work well on a curved roof, but ~only~ on a simple curve in one direction (which my roof has). You cannot fix one to a surface with compound curves, without getting some pretty big creases (which would stop it working)!

Thanks, Mojo,

I've looked at the set-up on the link you sent, but this wouldn't work for me because of the aforementioned sat dish.   I'll look into installing a panel on the roof of the cab area, which does, as you say, have a curve in only one direction.

Hi all

I am a newby...does anybody know if the Neuvo ER Jan 2012 have a sola panel please or is it later models only.

thanks for the help

Solar panels came in as a standard fit for 2013 models - 30W standard, 80W as cost option.