Beach Leisure Battery

[rippers]

Can someone in the know give me a quick run down of what the standard beach leisure battery involves. I get that there is no hook up (pre2014) so not worried about that part and I understand that the leisure battery gets charged when the engine is running.
What does the leisure battery power? all the interior lights or just certain lights? All the 12v sockets or just certain ones? the radio? Is there a voltage indicator anywhere or does it just cut off when it goes down to a certain level and if so what level?

Thanks in advance

 

[James]

It powers everything back of the B Pillar - so 12v sockets and interior lights. No display in the van itself.

James

 

[rippers]

So no Radio power, that's a bit rubbish

I'm assuming it powers the 12v socket in the roof too?

Also does it just cut out when it goes low? but not low enough to damage the battery? I'm going to get one of these to monitor it http://r.ebay.com/Zt61TF

 

[Barefoot62]

All I can say is that the radio is the only thing that doesn't work without the ignition on :crazy

 

[James]

So no Radio power, that's a bit rubbish

I'm assuming it powers the 12v socket in the roof too?

Also does it just cut out when it goes low? but not low enough to damage the battery? I'm going to get one of these to monitor it http://r.ebay.com/Zt61TF

Well there are plenty of devices that give you radio that can run off the 12v so it's neither here or there to me. And yes, it powers the socket in the roof which is why the light can go in there

It doesn't cut out if it's too low it just dies. You'd have to put it through some serious usage to run the leisure battery down. I have spoken to some who has done it but I've been away and run laptops - left lights on etc and I've never had a problem.



James

 

[rippers]

I know what your saying but why take another radio/device when you already have one built in with nicely laid out speakers etc, I do wonder if any the VW designers had ever been camping before. All beaches should have had a hook up from the beginning even my 44 year old bay window had that!, the battery should have a monitor, the rear seat shouldn't need a topper or should be provided with one as standard and there should be a 240v adapter provided with the cool/warm box.. oh well rant over it just pains me to have spent so much on a camper with misses some really basic camper van needs.

Thanks for the info on the 12v sockets

ps I'm not always grumpy

 

[maui2512]

All I can say is that the radio is the only thing that doesn't work without the ignition on :crazy

Mine does…I was presuming it was running from the leisure battery? The radio turns off automatically when I turn the ignition off, but I can turn it back on again without turning the engine back on...

 

[Ma77sc]

I'm certain my radio (non-DAB 310) runs without the keys in though unsure which battery it uses. I've read on here that it turns itself off after 30 mins which is of course annoying if you're using it for campsite entertainment but better in my opinion than having to have the keys in to play the radio.

 

[James]

I know what your saying but why take another radio/device when you already have one built in with nicely laid out speakers etc, I do wonder if any the VW designers had ever been camping before. All beaches should have had a hook up from the beginning even my 44 year old bay window had that!, the battery should have a monitor, the rear seat shouldn't need a topper or should be provided with one as standard and there should be a 240v adapter provided with the cool/warm box.. oh well rant over it just pains me to have spent so much on a camper with misses some really basic camper van needs.

Thanks for the info on the 12v sockets

ps I'm not always grumpy

The Beach is not perfect but it's a great camping vehicle. More than that it's a great daily driver.

The problem you're approaching the Beach as an all out camping vehicle, it's more than that and does far more

As for missing stuff if you searched for most of the things rather than posting you'd also find them on the forum most topics have been covered in detail

I've had my Beach nearly two years and it's cleverness and practicality never becomes boring

James

 

[rippers]

I will have a play later, now I think about it I have a feeling mine wouldn't turn on without keys in position 1

 

[rippers]

I know what your saying but why take another radio/device when you already have one built in with nicely laid out speakers etc, I do wonder if any the VW designers had ever been camping before. All beaches should have had a hook up from the beginning even my 44 year old bay window had that!, the battery should have a monitor, the rear seat shouldn't need a topper or should be provided with one as standard and there should be a 240v adapter provided with the cool/warm box.. oh well rant over it just pains me to have spent so much on a camper with misses some really basic camper van needs.

Thanks for the info on the 12v sockets

ps I'm not always grumpy

The Beach is not perfect but it's a great camping vehicle. More than that it's a great daily driver.

The problem you're approaching the Beach as an all out camping vehicle, it's more than that and does far more

As for missing stuff if you searched for most of the things rather than posting you'd also find them on the forum most topics have been covered in detail

I've had my Beach nearly two years and it's cleverness and practicality never becomes boring

James

Don't get me wrong I love the van and I totally understand what I have, I just wrongly assumed that certain basics would have been standard/included, its all very nearly there and simple to rectify and the fact VW made the hook up standard shows they starting to realise what basic facilities all campers need.

I have and always do search for info, I'm a info whore :lol: I find people never go into as much detail as I require

 

[rippers]

Well my radio RDS 310 turns on without the keys in the ignition and I didn't get a 30 minute message either. I'm tempted to disconnect the main battery and see what works...

 

[James]

Well my radio RDS 310 turns on without the keys in the ignition and I didn't get a 30 minute message either. I'm tempted to disconnect the main battery and see what works...

As a 'camping' vehicle everything that you'd require for camping will be run off the leisure battery so it is assumed you will be sleeping/living in the rear so the leisure batter will power everything in the rear/past the b pillar.

There was a forum member or they have been more who changed the radio so it could be run constantly, maybe a quick use of the search function will bring something up.

James