Finally, in storage

After having to have some remedial work done by the dealer we bought the MH from we have finally got it into secure storage. We've read all the hints and tips which have been put on the forum by other members and hope everything will be fine. (Thanks to everyone for all the tips) We have to take it for a solar panel fitting in a couple weeks then with any luck shouldn't have to worry about the batteries. So other than going up every few weeks to give it a run and check inside thats it until the better weather next year.

Please be mindful that "every few weeks" with regard your current situation, is a very long time for this time of year. Regards.

I agree with Paramedic’s advice.... even with my solar panel, at this time of year, I start to get ‘low battery’ warning texts from my alarm monitor after 10 days or so.

Solar panel is due to be fitted on the 12 Dec. Having read your comments I think it might be a good idea for us to go back in a week and take the MH  out for a good run or bring it back and hook it up to the electric. I have to admit Im surprised it may go flat so quick. We have had it on the drive for the last 10 days and it seems to have been OK and we havent had it on charge.  But this is a sharp learning curve as we havent had a MH before

One very good and simple way of keeping the battery in tiptop condition is to not leave it in the van but take it home and leave in a frost free place. get a charger for less than £15 from Aldi (or Lidl) and charge about once a month. Its the cold that does the damage. Make sure that with the new solar panel it is fitted with a dual charge controller of some sort that it will charge both leisure and cab batteries

Kingham wrote:I agree with Paramedic’s advice.... even with my solar panel, at this time of year, I start to get ‘low battery’ warning texts from my alarm monitor after 10 days or so.

Having managed leisure batteries in my previous vehicles, generally pretty simple battery/charger setups, I always believed that you shouldn’t let a leisure battery go below 50% discharge (around 12.2v) before sticking it on a proper 3 stage charger.
Correct me if wrong but did I read that the low battery warning is set up a lot lower than this on my Symbol?

with a decent solar set up, surely vehicle and leisure batteries should be kept full charged and no need for removal of battery, connecting hook up or annoying phone text messages?

this issue comes up so often on this forum yet very many have 'fit and forget' solar systems, by generally bypassing the Sargent PSU and fitting a dual channel regulator....or even a battery master to move leisure battery charge to the cab battery.

even at this time of the year, with just a 100w panel, in watery sunshine and just three weeks shy of the winter solstice, my batteries (two leisure and one cab) are fully charged each morning....I have a simple twin channel regulator managing the charge to each set of batteries.

it really isn't difficult to resolve this 'issue' that so many seem to have on this forum....

if i was having a solar system fitted, I'd be a bit wondering why my fellow forum members weren't singing the praises of such things and suggested that other forms of charging would still be needed.
after all, it's what solar panels are for, aren't they?..

if batteries still need hook up or bringing home, why bother spending time and money on a solar system?

my system was fitted to free me up from all that hassle when parked up at home (which it does) and to allow me to camp at events/sites where there is no EHU, which it also does...

I'm in agreement with you Chris. Solar with either a dual regulator or a battery master, even at this time of year should maintain the batteries. I only have the standard leisure battery and engine battery and have not had a low battery in either the current Sussex or previous Nuevo for over 5 years.
I believe most problems are connected with the EC500 power unit. This has now be superceded by the EC700 so hopefully the problems won't be arising in new models but it's such a shame that those who have the EC500 will have to ensure they don't suffer by adopting other practices.

I have an 85w solar panel and sing it's praises often. Although I have an older van with none of the electrical drains that are mentioned. 
As a rule the panel has no problem keeping both my batteries topped up (engine via a battery master) during the winter months.
However, it doesn't matter what size of panel you have, none of them work when covered in several inches snow, which mine was for quite a few weeks at a time last year...
Al.

bolero boy wrote:with a decent solar set up, surely vehicle and leisure batteries should be kept full charged and no need for removal of battery, connecting hook up or annoying phone text messages?

this issue comes up so often on this forum yet very many have 'fit and forget' solar systems, by generally bypassing the Sargent PSU and fitting a dual channel regulator....or even a battery master to move leisure battery charge to the cab battery.

even at this time of the year, with just a 100w panel, in watery sunshine and just three weeks shy of the winter solstice, my batteries (two leisure and one cab) are fully charged each morning....I have a simple twin channel regulator managing the charge to each set of batteries.

it really isn't difficult to resolve this 'issue' that so many seem to have on this forum....

if i was having a solar system fitted, I'd be a bit wondering why my fellow forum members weren't singing the praises of such things and suggested that other forms of charging would still be needed.
after all, it's what solar panels are for, aren't they?..

 

Chris. This winter for the first time I will be following the advice you set out above. This year I installed a 100w solar panel, cabled to bypass the PSU, added a dual charge controller, now set for the winter months at 90% solar input to the starter battery. Hope in future years I can 'fit and forget' but this winter will keep a close 'eye' on both batteries [esp.in snow] as well as taking the van out of storage for longish drives every 2/3 weeks. If everything works to plan I can assure you I will, in future years, be 'singing the praises' for the solar system set-up.

well done, Mel. will interested to hear how it all goes...
good luck.

"However, it doesn't matter what size of panel you have, none of them work when covered in several inches snow, which mine was for quite a few weeks at a time last year..."


Or, as we have discussed before, Al, if the van is parked in such a way that not much light reaches the SP. No matter how good the system is, we are often in the lap of the gods.

Dbvwt wrote:

Kingham wrote:I agree with Paramedic’s advice.... even with my solar panel, at this time of year, I start to get ‘low battery’ warning texts from my alarm monitor after 10 days or so.

Having managed leisure batteries in my previous vehicles, generally pretty simple battery/charger setups, I always believed that you shouldn’t let a leisure battery go below 50% discharge (around 12.2v) before sticking it on a proper 3 stage charger.
Correct me if wrong but did I read that the low battery warning is set up a lot lower than this on my Symbol?

I had no idea the van has a low battery warning, as I’ve never seen that warning.  

My text alerts come from my MetaTrak and Strikeback alarm, which guessing from the sound of it, alert me earlier than the van would and as I intervene as soon as I receive a text, the battery has probably never dropped to the level where the van’s system would pick it up..... possibly 

Tinwheeler wrote:"However, it doesn't matter what size of panel you have, none of them work when covered in several inches snow, which mine was for quite a few weeks at a time last year..."


Or, as we have discussed before, Al, if the van is parked in such a way that not much light reaches the SP. No matter how good the system is, we are often in the lap of the gods.

TW, I have a tree to the southeast of my van which might be the sort of 'hazard' you are referring to...
however, in summer, the sun is much higher and the afternoon sun (beyond the tree) lasts much longer, and in the winter, the tree is all but bare....

do you have a particular obstruction that causes a charging issue on your van...?
remember, it's light that provides the juice and this does not have to be direct sunlight...
my panel shows 'charging' from pretty much the first light of day....and by 9:30....full.
in fact, following a recent test, I can say that neither battery seems to lose much in the way of voltage when the van is in resting state (despite alarm/immobiliser set! so not a lot for the panel to do each day.

bolero boy wrote:

Tinwheeler wrote:"However, it doesn't matter what size of panel you have, none of them work when covered in several inches snow, which mine was for quite a few weeks at a time last year..."


Or, as we have discussed before, Al, if the van is parked in such a way that not much light reaches the SP. No matter how good the system is, we are often in the lap of the gods.

TW, I have a tree to the southeast of my van which might be the sort of 'hazard' you are referring to...
however, in summer, the sun is much higher and the afternoon sun (beyond the tree) lasts much longer, and in the winter, the tree is all but bare....

do you have a particular obstruction that causes a charging issue on your van...?
remember, it's light that provides the juice and this does not have to be direct sunlight...
my panel shows 'charging' from pretty much the first light of day....and by 9:30....full.
in fact, following a recent test, I can say that neither battery seems to lose much in the way of voltage when the van is in resting state (despite alarm/immobiliser set! so not a lot for the panel to do each day.

It’s nothing to do with trees but caused by dense objects, BB, mostly the topography of the land. The van is parked in the lee of a steep bank to the SSW, the house wall is to the W and the garage wall to the E. Hence, the area is virtually surrounded and largely in shadow. 

I think we've had this conversation before in another place……

Kingham wrote:
I had no idea the van has a low battery warning, as I’ve never seen that warning.  

I think that was a reference to the low battery alarms built into the EC500 (and any other recent Sargent controller).

As suggested, they are very low! According to the EC500 user manual, 10.9V for the vehicle battery, and 9V for the leisure battery. Obviously no owner would want them to go that low - I have only ever heard them on my EC328 when I've pulled out the fuse on the vehicle battery link while the Sargent is powered up.

-mojo- wrote:

Kingham wrote:
I had no idea the van has a low battery warning, as I’ve never seen that warning.  

I think that was a reference to the low battery alarms built into the EC500 (and any other recent Sargent controller).

As suggested, they are very low! According to the EC500 user manual, 10.9V for the vehicle battery, and 9V for the leisure battery. Obviously no owner would want them to go that low - I have only ever heard them on my EC328 when I've pulled out the fuse on the vehicle battery link while the Sargent is powered up.

That’s for clarifying that and you’re correct, mine have never been that low.