Broadway Battery Issues

Hi,

We have a 2016 Auto Sleeper Broadway and was thinking of a new leisure battery anyone recommend the best one for this vehicle as I think ours is the original as we are looking to spend more time off grid? Also does anyone know how the battery charges via the solar panel as I'm not sure is this is working?

As far as I can tell, 2016 was a changeover year when a van could have had one of two diffierent power control systems - either an EC328 or an EC500. The two work slightly differently in terms of solar input - which do you have?

If you have the original Owner's Manual, have a read of the section which describes the Power Control System. There's a description of how solar charging works for each of the two Sargent models.

Hi,

Many thanks for getting back we have the EC328

In terms of power conservation, you're fortunate. The EC328 is very frugal and wastes very little power compared to the later units. Have a read of the Owner's Manual and you should be able to understand how it works - assuming that it's a standard installation using the EC328's built-in solar controller. If you can't locate a manual for the van, your specific model's manual is available for download from the A/S website.

If someone has added a separate external solar controller the behaviour may of course be different!

Cheers have checked the owners manual for the vehicle but nothing there and don't have any info re the solar unit. I can't find another solar controller so will look for the solar manual on the net if I can  find what's been fitted.

It's possible that you have an older version of the manual - they may have released several versions during production. If you go to the A/S website, you can download the latest version for your model in the Owners section of the website. The Solar controller operation is described on page 7-17.

I'll check it out can you recommend the best replacement leisure battery for this vehicle or should I just again refer to the manual?

You don't need to read the manual. Just look for the largest capacity good quality deep cycle battery that will fit in the space available. The advice to stick to normal lead acid is IMO good.

However you do need to be rather wary of some so called "leisure" batteries, since some are not all they are cracked up to be. 

I use Trojan batteries, which have given me excellent service in various arduous commercial applications for >25 years. Whether or not they make a battery that will fit your location I don't know, but if they do and if it were me I wouldn't be looking anywhere else.

Many thnx for all your help. Anyone know how the outside light above the entrance door works doesn't seems to come on when the inside door light is activated?

Switch on control panel next to fresh water pump, in group of 4 on left hand side.

Check out explorer plus lead carbon , alpha  battery's  boasts  1500  charge cycles  5 year warrenty

Thnx Peter L it works woop! Woop! Feel a bit thick now lol ypu don't know what the red switch under the offside seat is for as this isn't in any of the books. Still learning at the mo???

Anthea R wrote:Thnx Peter L it works woop! Woop! Feel a bit thick now lol ypu don't know what the red switch under the offside seat is for as this isn't in any of the books. Still learning at the mo???

Tank heater?

I don't have a recommendation for a battery brand but when I replace my LB it will be one that has an appropriate NCC classification:

https://www.thencc.org.uk/consumer-advice/verified-battery-list/

Ours is a 2019 Broadway. Vanbitz fitted two 115 Duracell leisure batteries side by side whilst upgrading our solar panel system. The batteries have been excellent this far and we have spent considerable time off grid. We e just returned today from a six week trip in Italy. We have 255 watts of solar panels  above and victron MPPT controller. All is wired to bypass the EC 700. With a B2B charger as well it's been brilliant. Just remember an extra battery eats into the payload.

You want to spend more time off grid.
It really all depends how long, when,  and how much electric power you use. 

A few days between charges, or travelling (when the battery get recharged from the engine) OR three weeks staionary on a site.

In the summer with lots of solar power, and no heating load, OR in the winter with minimal solar power and heater fans running almost continually.

Cooking with gas, and spending time outside or in the local hostelry OR using an electric kettle ,air fryer, toaster, and watching a 50" TV 12 hours a day.

Your eight year old battery will be well past it's best so a replacement is probably needed.

We find our 100Ah battery can easily cope for a week in winter, longer in summer,  but we don't use much power. Some folk would flatten a 100Ah battery in a day.

Many thnx for all your help it's really appreciated.  We also keep getting error W255H on the Truma display I believe this is to do with either comms or 12v supply  I can't check the cables as they seem to be hidden at the bottom of the wardrobe. Would a dodgy leisure battery caise this as the error clears when the engine is running to charge. The main display shows leisure battery good 12v vehicle battery shows 0v poor but is is fine as the vehicle starts with no issies even after being left for 2 weeks??? If the main unit button to switch batteries the error clears an confused

Does the vehicle battery display on the EC328's control panel ever show anything other than 0V - i.e. does it sometimes show a "normal" voltage of around 12.6-12.8V with the engine not running?

Yes it does show after the vehicle has been run but then seems to always go back to 0v on display although we have no issues starting etc

That's odd - I would check low-voltage fuse 2 in the front of the EC328 if you haven't already, though I don't think the vehicle voltage display will ever show as anything other than 0V if that is blown.

Another possibility is that the Broadway has a second fuse for the vehicle battery somewhere. Those fitted with an EC500 do - it's in the EM40 interface module, supposedly behind the driver's seat. But if you have an EC328 you won't have an EM40. It may be worth checking adjacent to the vehicle battery anyway - there should be a smaller wire connected to battery positive which ~might~ have an inline fuse close to the battery. But the A/S documentation doesn't make any reference to one.

Cheers I've already checked fuse 2 all ok  will check for another fuse in line with the main vehicle battery. Any ideas re the error message on the Truma could this be dow  to the leisure battery going below 12v. On the recent habitation check the guy said it may need replacing but didn't confirm.  Thought he might have said this due to its age?

With a EC328 there should be a EM50 unit usually on floor behind the driver's seat. There is a fuse there. (fuse 9 RHS of bottom 4 fuses)

PLOUGHLIN wrote:With a EC329 there should be a EM50 unit usually on floor behind the driver's seat. There is a fuse there. (fuse 9 RHS of bottom 4 fuses)

I confess that the A/S documentation is confusing in this area. If you read the Owner's Manual for a 2016 Broadway EK, it specifically mentions an EM40, but only if you have an EC500 power control system. The section on the EC328 (which the OP says they definitely have) makes no reference to any interface module at all! I wish their documentation writers were a bit more consistent...