Charging leisure batteries for dummies

[Lequimper]

If our Cali isn’t connected to hookup on-site or at home for a while, am I right in thinking…

a) Just by driving the vehicle for long enough the leisure batteries are charged - up to 80%.

b) If I want to push beyond 80%, (which is good for the battery health?) I’d need to turn auxiliary charge on as I drive.

c) If do the above at least every couple of weeks, battery health will be reasonably well taken care of and there would be no need to hook up once a month?

I‘m planning to have a solar panel installed, so that will help a lot in the sunnier months, but after a long and sunless winter, I need to know what‘s necessary when it’s not there to help.

Thank you for your knowledge!

 

[California_Clarky]

I plug my cali house electrics via the EHU socket usually about once a month for a few day and the night before I go away to get the fridge nice and cold

 

[dspuk]

If our Cali isn’t connected to hookup on-site or at home for a while, am I right in thinking…

a) Just by driving the vehicle for long enough the leisure batteries are charged - up to 80%.

b) If I want to push beyond 80%, (which is good for the battery health?) I’d need to turn auxiliary charge on as I drive.

c) If do the above at least every couple of weeks, battery health will be reasonably well taken care of and there would be no need to hook up once a month?

I‘m planning to have a solar panel installed, so that will help a lot in the sunnier months, but after a long and sunless winter, I need to know what‘s necessary when it’s not there to help.

Thank you for your knowledge!

Yes

 

[Quiddle]

If our Cali isn’t connected to hookup on-site or at home for a while, am I right in thinking…

a) Just by driving the vehicle for long enough the leisure batteries are charged - up to 80%.

b) If I want to push beyond 80%, (which is good for the battery health?) I’d need to turn auxiliary charge on as I drive.

c) If do the above at least every couple of weeks, battery health will be reasonably well taken care of and there would be no need to hook up once a month?

I‘m planning to have a solar panel installed, so that will help a lot in the sunnier months, but after a long and sunless winter, I need to know what‘s necessary when it’s not there to help.

Thank you for your knowledge!

A battery takes about 16 hours to fully charge. As it nears full charge its internal resistance increases so charging becomes slower. Unless you drive for 16 hours the battery will not fully charge regardless of how many amps are available for charging and, over time, crystals will form, reducing the batteries capacity. Even in winter a 50w+ solar panel will provide enough power to maintain the batteries.

 

[dspuk]

A battery takes about 16 hours to fully charge. As it nears full charge its internal resistance increases so charging becomes slower. Unless you drive for 16 hours the battery will not fully charge regardless of how many amps are available for charging and, over time, crystals will form, reducing the batteries capacity. Even in winter a 50w+ solar panel will provide enough power to maintain the batteries.

This makes an assumption your leisures are 50% or less. Given this is very unlikely unless you have been off EHU camping for 3 days week to week driving is fine. The VW advice to plug in once a month for up to 24h is on the assumption it's just sat on the drive doing nothing. Even then the batteries will just need a minimal top up in reality. Our combo of 100W solar and infrequent driving between trips works fine.

 

[Quiddle]

This makes an assumption your leisures are 50% or less. Given this is very unlikely unless you have been off EHU camping for 3 days week to week driving is fine. The VW advice to plug in once a month for up to 24h is on the assumption it's just sat on the drive doing nothing. Even then the batteries will just need a minimal top up in reality. Our combo of 100W solar and infrequent driving between trips works fine.

It doesn't assume a high discharge level. Charging deeply discharged batteries is easy and fast. It's the last 5% of charge that takes a long time to achieve. And yes, 100W solar will work well as it provides charge over a sustained period, just like I said in my post with regard to 50W+ panels.

 

[dspuk]

It doesn't assume a high discharge level. Charging deeply discharged batteries is easy and fast. It's the last 5% of charge that takes a long time to achieve. And yes, 100W solar will work well as it provides charge over a sustained period, just like I said in my post with regard to 50W+ panels.

Maybe but like many battery posts I’d file it under “don’t worry about it”.

 

[Quiddle]

Maybe but like many battery posts I’d file it under “don’t worry about it”.

Depends on whether you're happy to replace your batteries every 3 years or get 7 years out of them. You seem to have surrendered your " This makes an assumption your leisures are 50% or less." position pretty quickly.

 

[Isa Neal]

Depends on whether you're happy to replace your batteries every 3 years or get 7 years out of them. You seem to have surrendered your " This makes an assumption your leisures are 50% or less." position pretty quickly.

Hello
my vehicle is a 2014 Cali just like Welsh gas DSG 4WD Blue motion. I’m still on the original leisure batteries from 2014. It had a 100w solar panel from Roger initially and then last year when it had to go in for a roof repair(warranty) as the first repair was just cosmetic, and someone had reversed into the side so that was a claimed repair to the whole of the passenger side I ordered 2x100w solar panels which the body shop put on for me(also from Roger)
the body shop surpassed themselves and forgot to do the elevating roof warranty repair! They did the area around the windscreen!

anyway my prior Cali was a new 2012 vehicle very similar and that had an earth shunt leak (see other threads for this) and it was in the dealership on and off for months off hookup and no solar panel and the leisure batteries didn’t even last 2 years….
i rarely put my 2014 vehicle in hookup unless I’m on a site and the control unit to do with the solar is far more accurate rather than the vehicles screen.
hope that helps Roger is on the forum if you decide to put on solar panels…..

 

[dspuk]

Depends on whether you're happy to replace your batteries every 3 years or get 7 years out of them. You seem to have surrendered your " This makes an assumption your leisures are 50% or less." position pretty quickly.

I said maybe. Reality is I can't be bothered to Google it nor do I want a tit for tat forum piddling match over it. You call it surrendering. I call it getting my time back. My final point remains. OP needs to do nothing. I do congratulate you on finding the italic option though.

 

[Roger Boeken]

Depends on whether you're happy to replace your batteries every 3 years or get 7 years out of them. You seem to have surrendered your " This makes an assumption your leisures are 50% or less." position pretty quickly.

I you drive the cali frequently and charge on EHU 24 hours before going for a trip they will last many years even without solar panels.. In my previous T6ocean batteries were still in good shape after 6 years of use despite always being outside.

 

[Quiddle]

I said maybe. Reality is I can't be bothered to Google it nor do I want a tit for tat forum piddling match over it. You call it surrendering. I call it getting my time back. My final point remains. OP needs to do nothing. I do congratulate you on finding the italic option though.

'

. I do congratulate you on finding the italic option though.'

Is that something else you couldn't be bothered with? Maybe offer advice on formatting text next?

 

[Quiddle]

I you drive the cali frequently and charge on EHU 24 hours before going for a trip they will last many years even without solar panels.. In my previous T6ocean batteries were still in good shape after 6 years of use despite always being outside.

Yes, becsuse you charge the batts from EHU for 16 hrs +. The OP asked if this was necessary. No, if you accept shortened battery life, yes if you want batteries to last, not just for cost but for the hassle of replacing them.

 

[Jonney]

I have a 2012 Cali. We have not had to change the leisure batteries. (Yet) We are on the 2nd starter battery.
We never hook it up at the house.
it’s are only vehicle and we do 6K miles in it per year.
We go away in it with the kids a few weekends in May June July where we never hook up the battery and a long trip on the continent where we usually have electricity if we stay somewhere for more than 2 nights.
Fridge is always on and usually full.

Only had an issue once with them running low after having stayed put for 4 days with quite a lot of batter use. (Kids charging stuff)

We do not use the vehicle during the week. Only in the weekend for a short trip 8 miles total to the super market.

For the last few years it’s always been in my mind that this is the year to change them… but I have not had to yet.