Leisure Batteries Through Winter

[NickiandDoraCandyCopper]

Hello my learned friends.

Please can the non - solar people share your wisdom on how you are trickle charging your leisure batteries over winter from home? Can you plug in a 6.1 Cali via its charging point somewhere, with some sort of adapter and charger at home, without taking the batteries out?

We’ve just made the cardinal error of not hooking up every month resulting in the poor van having a flashing lights display fit (AA rescue required). Second battery is now “low”. Hooking up at a campsite on a few days and she’s ticking over on the drive on and off until then. Thank you in advance.

 

[WelshGas]

Hello my learned friends.

Please can the non - solar people share your wisdom on how you are trickle charging your leisure batteries over winter from home? Can you plug in a 6.1 Cali via its charging point somewhere, with some sort of adapter and charger at home, without taking the batteries out?

We’ve just made the cardinal error of not hooking up every month resulting in the poor van having a flashing lights display fit (AA rescue required). Second battery is now “low”. Hooking up at a campsite on a few days and she’s ticking over on the drive on and off until then. Thank you in advance.

You plug your lead into the California and the other end is plugged into a domestic socket using a UK 3 pin plug adapter purchased at most camping/caravan shops or online.




Edit - Correct adapters

 

[NickiandDoraCandyCopper]

Ooh, thanks was scared to do that! I’ll get onto it thanks a lot WelshGas!

 

[dspuk]

Ooh, thanks was scared to do that! I’ll get onto it thanks a lot WelshGas!

Recommendation in the manual is to do it once a month for 12H if you’re static for long periods. As WG says, just plug into any old 240V socket.

 

[pchmlk]

You plug your lead into the California and the other end is plugged into a domestic socket using a UK 3 pin plug adapter purchased at most camping/caravan shops or online.

View attachment 143654

Yup, although you want one with a plug on it really. Amazon sell them.

 

[AlanC]

Yes, the adaptor needs to be the other way round.

Standard 13Amp domestic plug to a 16amp Socket.
Then your usual hook-up cable can be used to plug your Cali in.

This one is on Amazon

16amp to 13amp Adapter Hook Up Cable 3 Pin UK Electric Hook Up Adapter 230v for Camping Caravan Motorhome Mains to UK Plug (3 Pin to UK Hook Up)​

Visit the HowseHold Store

 

[Viktorgeorge]

Hopefully the posts above solves your issue. Personally I leave the van hooked up most of the time, when not being used - particularly in winter. The general advice, from those on the forum with relevant expertise, is that lead batteries are best kept fully charged or near to (unlike others such as lithium which apparently prefer 80% charge for optimum longevity).

Depending on how your are connecting to the mains, one of these options will suit your need:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=16amp+to+13amp+Adapter+Hook+Up+Cable+3+Pin+UK+Electric+Hook+Up+Adapter+230v+for+Camping+Caravan+Motorhome+Mains+to+UK+Plug+%283+Pin+to+UK+Hook+Up%29%E2%80%8B

 

[DM]

When I first got the van I was very careful about charging the leisure battery at home. But after a year or so I became lazy / complacent. Whilst my van is used at least monthly that might only be short journeys in the winter. My leisure battery has lasted incredibly well. 10 years on its perhaps list 20% capacity but is still going strong. The engine battery on the other hand had to be replaced after about 6 years.

 

[dspuk]

When I first got the van I was very careful about charging the leisure battery at home. But after a year or so I became lazy / complacent. Whilst my van is used at least monthly that might only be short journeys in the winter. My leisure battery has lasted incredibly well. 10 years on its perhaps list 20% capacity but is still going strong. The engine battery on the other hand had to be replaced after about 6 years.

Not sure what van you had but as starters are generally stop/start they will only last a certain amount of stop start cycles vs a leisure which does not have that repetitive load.

 

[NickiandDoraCandyCopper]

Thank you for the great advice everyone and posting the links to the adapters. I’m desperate to get those batteries charged back up!

 

[NickiandDoraCandyCopper]

Yup, although you want one with a plug on it really. Amazon sell them.

Just out of interest, what would the adapter without the plug on the end connect to? A generator? Is it handy to have both? Thanks

 

[pchmlk]

Just out of interest, what would the adapter without the plug on the end connect to? A generator? Is it handy to have both? Thanks

The one WG has shown is something totally different - it's to use to get a standard 3 pin socket from EHU. Can't see you'd ever need that really, as we all have 3 pins in our vans

 

[dspuk]

Just out of interest, what would the adapter without the plug on the end connect to? A generator? Is it handy to have both? Thanks

WG has updated the image and TBH it’s the only one we have ever used. The van came with an EU one which we used in France when I left the doors open and got a flat battery.

 

[Velma's Dad]

From a slightly different angle, and at risk of stating the obvious... best way to keep everything charged is probably just to drive the van once or twice a month through the winter. That will stop various seals drying out etc.

But as DM said above, the leisure batts are fairly hardy and I wouldn't worry to much about them. I didn't need to replace ours until the van was nine years old.

 

[WelshGas]

Just out of interest, what would the adapter without the plug on the end connect to? A generator? Is it handy to have both? Thanks

Useful for Tent Campers to utilise the campsite EHU supply.

 

[NickiandDoraCandyCopper]

WG has updated the image and TBH it’s the only one we have ever used. The van came with an EU one which we used in France when I left the doors open and got a flat battery.

WG has updated the image and TBH it’s the only one we have ever used. The van came with an EU one which we used in France when I left the doors open and got a flat battery.

I wondered what that one was for, and guess what everybody? The batteries are now successfully charged ! Every day’s a school day. Thanks again you guys for the advice

 

[L&R.]

Opportune time, I think, for a query I have - can you leave the van hooked up full time over winter?
I believe that when the EHU is connected that the starter battery will also be trickle charged. Is this correct?

 

[Viktorgeorge]

Opportune time, I think, for a query I have - can you leave the van hooked up full time over winter?
I believe that when the EHU is connected that the starter battery will also be trickle charged. Is this correct?

I do, pretty much anyway. Nothing I have read discourages it, if anything the opposite is true.

 

[stoobthealien]

You can use an adaptor and a hookup cable but it can be a bit messy on the drive. For our caravan I bought a normal 13a plug, a piece of cable long enough to go from my outside socket to my caravan and a normal blue 16a plug and wired it together myself.

 

[Viktorgeorge]

You can use an adaptor and a hookup cable but it can be a bit messy on the drive. For our caravan I bought a normal 13a plug, a piece of cable long enough to go from my outside socket to my caravan and a normal blue 16a plug and wired it together myself.

Easy option:

UK Caravan Camping Hook Up Generator Lead 16A 3 Pin 2P+E Connector to 13A Plug | eBay UK

13A fuse option is for a single 13A fuse, not an extension lead. 16 AMP Socket to 13A Plug Hook Up Lead. Fitted with a 16 AMP 2P+E (3 Pin) 240V plug and your choice of 1 gang trailing socket. Manufactured from high quality 1.5mm 3183Y orange or arctic blue PVC 3 core flex cable.

www.ebay.co.uk

I went all orange, 13amp plug & cable, for visibility.

 

[stoobthealien]

Easy option:

UK Caravan Camping Hook Up Generator Lead 16A 3 Pin 2P+E Connector to 13A Plug | eBay UK

13A fuse option is for a single 13A fuse, not an extension lead. 16 AMP Socket to 13A Plug Hook Up Lead. Fitted with a 16 AMP 2P+E (3 Pin) 240V plug and your choice of 1 gang trailing socket. Manufactured from high quality 1.5mm 3183Y orange or arctic blue PVC 3 core flex cable.

www.ebay.co.uk

I went all orange, 13amp plug & cable, for visibility.

Ah that's handy!

 

[Viktorgeorge]

Ah that's handy!

I have two, one shorter one longer, to suit the two spaces where I park the van.

Next there is winding the cable, lots of Youtubes, my favourite:

leading up to these skills:

 

[jakubklapka]

Opportune time, I think, for a query I have - can you leave the van hooked up full time over winter?
I believe that when the EHU is connected that the starter battery will also be trickle charged. Is this correct?

You can and that solves the batteries, but It's not just that. The brakes, fuel system, engine itself, all suffers from prolonged stay. So I would take it for a spin at least monthly anyway - and 1 hour drive is probably enough to keep the batteries charged and you don't have to fiddle with the EHU...

 

[Parkinjm]

When I was recently away for 2-3 weeks (without the Cali), I used EHU with a plug timer programmed to kick in for a couple of hours a day. Seemed to work a treat.

 

[pchmlk]

When I was recently away for 2-3 weeks (without the Cali), I used EHU with a plug timer programmed to kick in for a couple of hours a day. Seemed to work a treat.

Why the timer? Surely the van will only draw what’s needed or am I missing something.