Do you need hookup?

[muttley]

Spent the night at a CL on Saturday, and decided not to bother taking the hook-up lead for one night.

Just as a guide to other beginners, I can report that we had all the lights & radio on in the evening for 3-4 hours, and the auxilliary heater from time to time (which I assume uses some electricity for the fan) and the reported charge had only dropped to 90% by the morning.

It worried me, as it dropped to 90% very quickly, but then it stayed at that level. I guess that if you were touring, and driving short distances every day, you probably wouldn't need the hookup at all. I would be interested to hear from more experienced Californians whether this is still the case if you start charging up phones & ipads.

Simon

 

[Tayls]

Useful info, as you say to beginners like me, would love to hear more as Muttley suggests!

Cheers
Ian

 

[David Eccles]

camping at VW events with no chance of hook ups etc we have had nil probs for a 3 day use of fridge on constant, radio and lights in eves etc. I always turn engine on to raise / lower off as well. and just a short run puts a lot back quickly.
I miss the toaster and 240v gadgets of course!

 

[Meoncoast]

our preference is for small sites or wild camping (using the van each day on the road) so hook up is low on our list of campsite extra - just looking for loos and showers :smile

 

[Andy]

Just as a guide to other beginners, I can report that we had all the lights & radio on in the evening for 3-4 hours, and the auxiliary heater from time to time (which I assume uses some electricity for the fan) and the reported charge had only dropped to 90% by the morning.

The heater uses a LOT of current to start up then uses very little.

Generally speaking with careful use you should get 5 days out of the batteries. That said I drained mine down to 10% in two days with the fridge running flat out all the time !

Personally I leave my hookup lead in the van all the time, otherwise when I need it I will not have it & will then be in the Poo.

 

[KernowLad]

Stayed in Mull for a week with no hook up. We did charge up the battery a couple of times (by driving!) but it was fine - fridge was on all the time and the heater got used a bit.

Just beware anything that uses the engine battery (lights, stereo, etc) as we flattened ours in two days! Luckily it's a manual so a simple bump start sorted it

 

[David Eccles]

bump starting a Cali :lol:
dont fancy trying it but bet it was entertaining to watch!

 

[Stu]

Our recent 2 weeks through Europe and we didn't use the Hookup at all.

You can comfortably see 3 days on batteries IMHO.

 

[symcro]

I use my Cali just on its battery for most of the trips I do. If the fridge is set down to level 2 the battery will last almost a week.(obviously depends on cold beer consumption!). It it is also possible to prolong battery life use even more by changing the interior lights to LED bulbs as well.

With regards to using stuff off the Vehicle battery (ie the front 12v Socket + dash & Radio etc) the later Cali's have a cut off level & warning that comes up if you reach a level on the vehicle battery which is getting towards too low to start the vehicle. (it works too!)

 

[KernowLad]

bump starting a Cali :lol:
dont fancy trying it but bet it was entertaining to watch!

My first car was a Marina so I'm an expert bump starter. Don't think anyone noticed. Just turned downhill and got it going, no problem!

 

[James]

bump starting a Cali :lol:
dont fancy trying it but bet it was entertaining to watch!

My first car was a Marina so I'm an expert bump starter. Don't think anyone noticed. Just turned downhill and got it going, no problem!

http://www.morrismarina.org.uk/

James

 

[Calincolnshire]

Can't believe I pressed on that link.
The only thing holding these things together must be Waxoyl.

Not a Marina lover more of a a Austin Princess / ambassador person. :crazy

John

 

[James]

Can't believe I pressed on that link.
The only thing holding these things together must be Waxoyl.

Not a Marina lover more of a a Austin Princess / ambassador person. :crazy

John

http://www.classicandsportscar.com/dire ... wners-club

http://www.classiccar.co.nz/articles/th ... incess-171

Ah the Ambassador...

James

 

[Tayls]

Can't believe I pressed on that link.
The only thing holding these things together must be Waxoyl.

Not a Marina lover more of a a Austin Princess / ambassador person. :crazy

John

Ah the Ambassador...

James

How about the Allegro Vanden Plas?

Ian

 

[James]

Can't believe I pressed on that link.
The only thing holding these things together must be Waxoyl.

Not a Marina lover more of a a Austin Princess / ambassador person. :crazy

John

Ah the Ambassador...

James

How about the Allegro Vanden Plas?

Ian

Wooden fold out tables and different front grille?

James

 

[KernowLad]

Can't believe I pressed on that link.
The only thing holding these things together must be Waxoyl.

Not a Marina lover more of a a Austin Princess / ambassador person. :crazy

John

Mine was a 1973 beige 1.3 and it was dreadful. My grandad bought it for me which was nice of him and it was in mint condition but it was SO bad! Sold it to my cousin who wrote it off a week later.

 

[GrahamBland]

It is, of course, easier to go without hookup in the summer - with warmth and long daylight. We have spent 7 or 8 days with no charge a couple of times and tend to run out of water before power! But we are careful with using lights etc.
'Location' always beats 'Hook Up'

 

[KernowLad]

Graham - where is that? Looks a bit like the site we spent a week on in Mull!

 

[GrahamBland]

Graham - where is that? Looks a bit like the site we spent a week on in Mull!

A favourite wild camping spot of ours in Donegal, West coast of Eire - but the weather is even worse than Mull

 

[sidepod]

Reading through this post seems to suggest the Calis interior lighting is fed from the starter battery not the leisure battery? Surely not? Perhaps the one in the driving cab but not the ones in the living space?

Hints and tips - If the ambient temp is low then we tend to turn the fridge off at night to save battery life.

Also when connecting to a hook up you charge both leisure and starter batteries which, in the case of the electric (read "no discernable point") roof, is no bad thing.


S.

 

[beardie]

If the ambient temp is low, the fridge should regulate itself and not turn on. That's my experience, assuming it not set to no 6 which results in everything being frozen anyway

 

[KernowLad]

Reading through this post seems to suggest the Calis interior lighting is fed from the starter battery not the leisure battery? Surely not? Perhaps the one in the driving cab but not the ones in the living space?

Hints and tips - If the ambient temp is low then we tend to turn the fridge off at night to save battery life.

Also when connecting to a hook up you charge both leisure and starter batteries which, in the case of the electric (read "no discernable point") roof, is no bad thing.


S.

Pretty sure all the lighting rear of the B pillar is run on leisure battery including the flex/snap off "upstairs" light - we leave ours on at night as it settles the kids upstairs and haven't run out in a week's campering.

When we did run out, we had the stereo on a lot (these new fangled multi media systems are all well and good but they use tonnes of charge and take about a week to switch on....) and I have a feeling we must have had the DRLs on too (ignition slightly on) which probably sapped the life out of it. Had we not been on a slight hill, my face would have been rather red... As it was, I'm fairly certain no one noticed.

Strangely I also left the lights on in our brand new hire car (no lights on buzzer in a Seat Ibiza!) in Majorca a week later and had to bump start that too! This time it was a wee bit less subtle and I felt like a proper goon. :lol:

 

[nickstjt]

snap off "upstairs" light

:laugh2

--Nick

 

[Fresco 2008]

Had my 2008 Cali at Glastonbury for 5 days with Fridge on all the time and it was still 40%. Mine has 2 aux batteries but I think the continental spec is just one: under the passenger seat, with a safe in the space under the wardrobe where my 2nd battery sits.

 

[Andy]

Had my 2008 Cali at Glastonbury for 5 days with Fridge on all the time and it was still 40%. Mine has 2 aux batteries but I think the continental spec is just one: under the passenger seat, with a safe in the space under the wardrobe where my 2nd battery sits.

Euro spec also have 2 batteries. Safe is not very big, just the lower recess in wardrobe. "Safe lid" which creates the safe is available in UK from dealers.