Beginner's Question - "If everything was OFF then the Leisure Batteries should hold a charge for Months not 4 weeks."

[Ozzy Pete]

If you leave the control panel switched on the 2 batteries will be completely flat in just over a month.

 

[WelshGas]

If you leave the control panel switched on the 2 batteries will be completely flat in just over a month.

Incorrect.
Have left mine for 6 weeks at Heathrow. Control Panel left On. 12.8v on screen, 30 minutes after parking and engine off. Screen then went blank after checking voltage.
6 weeks later, Control Panel showed 12.6v.

Control Panel consumes 0.2amps to power screen. In standby 0.0amps.

 

[clarinetbcn]

I have found this fact sheet about leisure batteries very useful so I thought it might be helpful to provide a link for anyone else who might be interested.

https://www.campingandcaravanningcl...nicalhelp/datasheets/guide-leisure-batteries/

Very interesting article, but this charge table is certainly much different than anything else I've seen posted on the Forum. The California parking heater has a cut-off battery protection voltage of 11.6v.

 

[clarinetbcn]

Although the leisure batteries are similar to the engine battery they are not the same. Leisure batteries are designed to slowly discharge over a fairly long period without recharge whereas the engine battery is designed to take massive discharges ie starter and lights but only for a very short period before being recharged again by the vehicle alternator.

From the article in post #18:

"As mentioned earlier, AGM batteries are unusual in that they can act as starter batteries as well as leisure products."

 

[WelshGas]

From the article in post #18:

"As mentioned earlier, AGM batteries are unusual in that they can act as starter batteries as well as leisure products."

On my vehicle I had the Varta La80 leisure batteries and the Varta F21 engine battery. According to the Varta specifications they are the same but one sold for leisure and one as an engine battery. Different prices and different warranty periods.
One Forum member has fitted the cheaper F21 as Leisure battery.
Tanya advised against doing that but weren't forthcoming as to why.

 

[KernowMaid]

Thank you very much to everyone who took the trouble to reply to my question. I felt so much more confident raising this with the dealer and the batteries have now been replaced under warranty.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

Thank you very much to everyone who took the trouble to reply to my question. I felt so much more confident raising this with the dealer and the batteries have now been replaced under warranty.

First off it should be getting to 13 after an overnight charge not 11.
We often camp a few days unplugged with the fridge on and occasional lights on in the evening. It goes down 10% every 24 hrs for us, so we easily could do 7 days unplugged with fridge on. Ours is the original 2008 battery and it still goes to 13 and drops 10% a day.
Glad they replaced them. Happy camping.