Leisure Battery Stamina

[DAW]

Heading off for our first trip in Cali, staying 4 days on a site on Gower without electric hookup. I assume the batteries should easily cope? Anything we should guard against to make sure we don't run out of power? Family of 4, including two teenage girls, plus dog if that helps to scale the challenge for the batteries!!

 

[Stu]

I've had 3 days ok on mine but my advice would be just to keep an eye on the control panel.

 

[choplee]

first 2-3 times out the battery seemed to last longer ....was out friday afternoon and moved on sunday early afternoon and was on 40% ...was running fridge afew lights at night and charged laptop ..... i moved cali to another field so was on for 10 min and the battery showed chrged ..

 

[JockMacMad]

Picked mine up Friday. Got it fo 0 to 30% on first days drive. Plugged into mains that night got to 100%.

Drove 200 miles Sat and hooked up to mains at campsite overnight. Next day 90% on unhooking. Drove another 300 miles and was still 90% when we got home.

Is this normal?

 

[Stu]

Our batteries took a couple of 'cycles' to get to full capacity.

 

[ChrisandPenney52]

There doesn't seem to be any consistent experience with leisure battery duration, but, as mentioned in other threads, the vehicle battery powers the radio and front 12V socket, so take care how much you use these. Also, the central control panel only reflects the charge on the leisure batteries and not the vehicle battery, so you have no warning of low charge.

Would be interested to know how you get on, how much you used the batteries, what the control panel says, etc., as it all adds to the collective wisdom!

 

[Freeley]

When we went away the other week we stayed on a site without hook up for 3 nights. After 2 nights the leisure batteries were down to 50%. We were running the fridge constantly and a few lights in the evening. More importantly our vehicle battery was as flat as a pancake!
I put this down to the electric sliding door which we were using constantly. So beware if you have one and make sure you switch it to manual if not on hook up.

 

[choplee]

Also make sure you switch off your cali door lights under the centre panel

 

[Martin]

When we went away the other week we stayed on a site without hook up for 3 nights. After 2 nights the leisure batteries were down to 50%. We were running the fridge constantly and a few lights in the evening. More importantly our vehicle battery was as flat as a pancake!
I put this down to the electric sliding door which we were using constantly. So beware if you have one and make sure you switch it to manual if not on hook up.

This also happend to two people at the hollands wood meet, the chap who came from vw assistance said the batteries had nothing left in them at all and said opening and lowering the roof uses a lot of power I am not sure his was soley to blame

 

[JockMacMad]

Hmmm

Anyone tried the portable Solar Panels in a suitcase for keeping things topped up?

I was interested in these but decided until a) we had been away a few times and seen how the batteries lasted and b) how much room we had left in the van after the other purchases, I would hold off buying as the 150w (2x 75w panels) are not exactly cheap.

Also if the main battery goes flat can you tell the Cali to start off the Leisure battery? This was a great feature on he Phaeton that if the main battery is flat and everything is dead, if you put the key in he ignition and turn it left and hold it for 2-3 seconds and then turn right as normal it kicked the Leisure battery into the start circuit so the car would start.

 

[choplee]

if the main battery goes flat can you tell the Cali to start off the Leisure battery? This was a great feature on he Phaeton that if the main battery is flat and everything is dead, if you put the key in he ignition and turn it left and hold it for 2-3 seconds and then turn right as normal it kicked the Leisure battery into the start circuit so the car would start.[/quote]

This would have been a great idea and stop all these embarrassing flat bus batteries .( holland wood I believe had 2 )

 

[Martin]

Yes, that would be a perfect solution but I dont think a standard leisure battery would have the power to start the engine even if fully charged as its a different type of technology. As for the Maplins solar panels some friends of ours have them and were not that impressed when using them in the UK, they do work with just light but obviously work much better with real sunlight which we do have a real lack of.

 

[coordinated]

The only time our batteries went worryingly low (30%) was after we'd charged the iPad overnight from the leisure batteries.

Charging phones seems ok, but the larger battery in the iPad has a significant impact (same for a laptop, I imagine).

We're now trying to stick to charging it when driving or on mains hook-up only.

 

[SimplyDubs]

We've had a few problems when off the beaten track (and no driving around and with the heating on), and hence hookup after around 4 days... but following VW advice in manual and having the van charged on hook up for a few days (and it needs to be consecutive days) every month makes a HUGE difference. Charging from the alternator will never get them to full capacity.

Additionally, I've a cTek recycler that brings both cells back into condition if they've been left for a while. They do make a material difference.

This gets plugged into one of the internal (rear) accessory sockets and charges both leisure batteries simultaneously. (Could easily do the same with the main starter battery every now and then)

Remember leisure batteries need time at full charge (a couple of days at least)to reach their maximum holding capacity.

Hope this helps.

Rgds

Mark

 

[BerndRos]

3/4 days is the max you can expect, that's with the fridge running, longer if not.....but that's just fine....when on my travels I found a place to zap them once a month on hook up.

 

[Bjohnson]

We had 3 nights without hook up with no problems at all, runnngne fridge constantly, lights at night and running a portable DVD player each evening. We ran the engine for raising and lowering the roof.

 

[BerndRos]

Fridge is the battery killer, aporox 4/5 amps and hour.....

 

[DAW]

Thanks everyone for the advice, some good hints and tips in here that should ensure we make it through. I'll let you know how the batteries cope.

 

[SimplyDubs]

We had 3 nights without hook up with no problems at all, runnngne fridge constantly, lights at night and running a portable DVD player each evening. We ran the engine for raising and lowering the roof.

Agreed, should be no worries at all... We regularly get 4 days plus even with heating on for short periods in evening and morning to take the chill out of the air.

 

[Rallyraid]

Hi all,

do most people opt for the second leisure battery, or are the times quoted here just using the single set up ?

 

[Stu]

The SE has 2 as standard. 1 in the beach I think.

 

[Rallyraid]

Ah, thats why mine has two !! Didn't buy it new so have no idea what is standard/option.

 

[beerhouselot]

We seem to have a problem with our leisure battery, which I don't know if anyone else has experienced and managed to solve. Whether the battery has been charged via hook-up (more than 24 hours) or by doing a long journey (more than 100 miles), once charging stops the control panel reads 100%. However, after a few minutes this will drop to 90%, and continue dropping by 10% approx every 10 mins, despite having nothing switched on to drain the battery other than the control panel. It usually then sits at 40 or 50%.

Our local VW garage think that this not as it should be, and have tested both leisure batteries to find that they are in good health and are taking the charge as they should. Since VW tested the batteries we have been away camping without hook up for up to 4 days, running just the fridge and occasional lights at night, and the control panel showed a constant 50%.

So it seems that the batteries work - is it possible for the gauge to be faulty, and if so, can it be fixed? Our VW garage had not come across this problem before, and were going to file a report to central VW to find out more. I haven't heard any thing since, so will chase them up.

By the way, our van is a 2008, but we have only had it approx 4 months.

If anyone has any advice, we would be very grateful. Thanks.

 

[calikev]

Hi has the earth shunt been done on your van :?: this maybe causing a bad earth giving an inaccurate reading

 

[beerhouselot]

I honestly have no idea - certainly not since we've had the van, and there's no mention of it having been done in the documents. I will mention it to our VW garage. I had thought that earth shunt really only affected the earlier models, but I'm no expert! Thanks.