Club Joker Fuse blown

[Glenhyrst]

It turns out that my second leisure battery in my new Joker was not "online" because an 80amp fuse had blown. I suspect it was so from the time I collected it.
A clue to the battery not being active was that a voltmeter reading across the terminals of both leisure batteries showed only one with either a charging voltage or a reducing voltage with use.
But as the console apparently shows the voltage of just 1 of the 2 batteries, how would one be forewarned of such a situation short of running out of power early on in a wild camp situation?

 

[WelshGas]

It turns out that my second leisure battery in my new Joker was not "online" because an 80amp fuse had blown. I suspect it was so from the time I collected it.
A clue to the battery not being active was that a voltmeter reading across the terminals of both leisure batteries showed only one with either a charging voltage or a reducing voltage with use.
But as the console apparently shows the voltage of just 1 of the 2 batteries, how would one be forewarned of such a situation short of running out of power early on in a wild camp situation?

You won’t be I’m afraid. The Mains charger and all the Leisure powered equipment are connected to just one leisure battery and the 2nd leisure battery is connected in parallel with an in-line or cube fuse.
I suppose you could wire a voltmeter directly to the 2nd leisure battery poles with an inline fuse. The voltage shown should mirror the Control Panel voltage at all times .

This fuse you are referring to , is it a cube fuse on the +tve pole of the 2nd leisure battery?
On the California, T6.1 I believe it is 100amp. Previously it was 75amp.

 

[Glenhyrst]

You won’t be I’m afraid. The Mains charger and all the Leisure powered equipment are connected to just one leisure battery and the 2nd leisure battery is connected in parallel with an in-line or cube fuse.
I suppose you could wire a voltmeter directly to the 2nd leisure battery poles with an inline fuse. The voltage shown should mirror the Control Panel voltage at all times .

This fuse you are referring to , is it a cube fuse on the +tve pole of the 2nd leisure battery?
On the California, T6.1 I believe it is 100amp. Previously it was 75amp.

All I got from Wandahome when I asked for more information was "Its located under the passenger seat in the dual fuse holder (50amp & 80amp). The fuse is so large as is for the battery circuit, not the 12v system."
I'm hoping the fuse was flawed from the outset, otherwise why did it blow?
Or is this a common problem?
Batteries in question are 80Ah and 95Ah.

 

[yossarian]

how would one be forewarned of such a situation

Quicklynks BM2 or similar is a common solution. Cteck do something similar. Or if you're adding an MPPT with a voltage readout wire it to the unmonitored battery.

 

[Glenhyrst]

Quicklynks BM2 or similar is a common solution. Cteck do something similar. Or if you're adding an MPPT with a voltage readout wire it to the unmonitored battery.

Thanks. I'll look into that BM2 although not sure it will communicate with my ancient non-smart Nokia and its equally aged owner.
All that money on a campervan and the list of extras one needs to buy seems crazy.
Made worse by outrageously poor manuals.
And on another tack, if the VW can perform better if "chipped", why does the manufacturer choose not to do it from new?

 

[Ch1pbutty]

if the VW can perform better if "chipped", why does the manufacturer choose not to do it from new?

One engine design will be manufactured in bulk and be fitted across various models in the commercial range, the power can then then be tweaked for each range / market.

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks. I'll look into that BM2 although not sure it will communicate with my ancient non-smart Nokia and its equally aged owner.
All that money on a campervan and the list of extras one needs to buy seems crazy.
Made worse by outrageously poor manuals.
And on another tack, if the VW can perform better if "chipped", why does the manufacturer choose not to do it from new?

Strange that they fitted 2 dissimilar leisure batteries as best practice is when wired in parallel both batteries should be same type and capacity.

 

[Glenhyrst]

Strange that they fitted 2 dissimilar leisure batteries as best practice is when wired in parallel both batteries should be same type and capacity.

In previous posts I detailed my tussle with Wandahome about this but it turned out in the end that this battery setup is straight out of Westfalia and apparently common in their setup. Allegedly insufficient space under the left hand seat to fit a 95Ah battery.
My searches online give firm views from seeming experts that it does matter that they are the same capacity and that it does not. What seems to be beyond doubt is that they are the same voltage.
Some say they should be identical in age and make.
I did not anticipate the learning curve I have encountered since entering the campervan world.

 

[yossarian]

not sure it will communicate with my ancient non-smart Nokia

It won't. The Bluetooth protocol is a primitive aes encrypted stream running on a cc2540 which is painful to try and reflash. The compiler is proprietary and costs a fortune.

Maybe wire a test point off that battery or look at the ctek solution which I think has coloured LEDs.