Unplugged questions

[Kmann]

Sorry for the long post ;-)

As new owner I now have been on this forum for a short time, and I did not take long for the daily visits to become a pleasant routine ;-)

Due to winter, jobs, getting to know the car and a ski accident, we did not manage to make a trip with the car yet, but we are preparing summer holiday to Corsica and Sardinia amongst other small trips, the first next weekend.

After reading a lot on this forum, also about living unplugged I wanted to test the car in the driveway, and besides describing my findings, I would be very pleased if you would share your experiences upon the following. Is the normal behavior?

Im still not sure I get the Ampere and Volt thing … ;-)


So here comes ALL the questions:

I use the car as my daily vehicle. So I guess regular plugging/charging is nothing I should make a concern about – is the right? I thing the generator will charge all thats needed?

The test i made (see details below). Is this to be considered normal? I have read that people have been of the grid 2-3 days not getting under 40%. I am running as low as 50% in 19 hours.

The cooler has its struggle to start. Maybe due to the cool weather, as i read. But the manual states one should be alerted using the cooler in cold weather (I guess below zero), because it could freeze the content. That does not fit with the issue, the cooler not working because it is cool weather (3-10C). My cooler did not start on level 4, after I turned it to max, and back to 5 it was running. But never came lover that 6C. Is that normal?

My heater goes tick, tick, tick … endlessly. Is that a normal? Or something I can change?

After end the control unit shows 12.1 V / 90% / -0.6 A BUT after restarting the control unit it showed 12.1 V / 50% / -0.6 A. Quite intersting the reading is not updated? Any discovered that before?

I am not sure how much it I shall pay attention to the 50%. But is this a normal behavior after 19 hours in cool climate?


Test details for the nerds

Outdoor temperature 7,5C

Time: 16:32
Arriving home display says:
12.8 V / 100 % / -0.2 A

Turning heater on (4) display shows:
14.6 V / G / 1,4 A

Turning cooler on (3) display shows:
12.1 V / 90 % / -10.4 A
It contains some beers, and water bottles

Time: 19:10
Tjekking. The car is nice warm inside.
12.4 V / 90 % / -0.6 A
The cooler is 10C and not running. I regulate to (4)

Time: 21:10
Tjekking. Still nice warm car. Probably to warm for sleeping ;-)
12.4 V / 90% / -0.4 A
The cooler is 10C still not running. I regulate to max, and it turns clearly on. I turn it down to (5) and it stays running.

Time: 23:20
Tjekking. Heater still running (clicking tick, tick, tick)
12.3 / 90% / -0.4 A
Cooler still running, now 9C

Keep the things running over night

Time: 09:20
Tjekking and finishing the test. Outside temperature is 9C
12.1 V / 90% / -0.6 A
Car is still nice warm. Cooler is not running but 6C - I think the thermostat has shut down?

After shutting the cooler and heater. I shot down the control panel and turned it back on again. Then it showed:

12.1 V / 50% / -0.6 A

 

[WelshGas]

1. The Engine Alternator will NOT fully charge the Leisure Batteries. It will only take them to about 80% capacity.
2. 12-24 hrs mains charging on a monthly basis and before a trip will give you a full charge.
3. The ticking when the Parking Heater is on is the fuel pump. Once upto temperature then the tick frequency decreases a lot. Personally I don't notice mine unless I listen very carefully. The blower is louder when it comes on.
4. The Control Panel measurements are not that accurate, but the Heater/Fridge will cut out when it drops to 50% or I think about 11.5 volts.

 

[Kmann]

I charged the car last week, so I guess the batteries were close to full? This means I would be able to stay unplugged for roughly 40 hours with the current setting. Maybe not that bad with the surrounding temperature in mind? I guess the heat would be turned down a bit if I should actually stay in the car.

But the solarpanel is still an attractive solution I think. Especially if I need to top up the leisures once in a while, I believe they eliminate that concern. Just wonder if they fit behind my huge Thule box … ?

 

[CYCLOPATH]

Here is my experience, if it helps.
We went on a trip,to the Alps, so sub zero .
We had no hook up for the week, and 4 days parked up in the snow, using lights from about 5 , and heater thought he evening and a bit at night, though I did have to turn it off as it was to hot in the night. Slept with the roof down, and had an insulated windscreen cover.
The fridge was on 3, and was a perfect temperature for cold beers, and the milk didn't go off in the whole trip.
The battery level dropped , I can't remember the exact level, but I think it was down to about 60%...which is why I did t bother with hook up even though it was available.
So yours does seem to be dropping quite quickly. Mine is a 2015 van. I know if the batteries have been left without charge, they lose their ability to recharge properly.
Last year we had a hire van, drove for 10 days , in France. We needed no hook up, the fridge was on all the time. We drove a bit most days, but the battery didn't go below 80%

So I am not going to bother with solar panels. Even though I like the idea, there seems no need, for the way we use the van.

 

[AlanC]

The internal temperate of the fridge (cooler) is dependent to some extent on the external ambient temperature. If you are in a hot climate the fridge will come on from 1.
So your experience of having to turn the fridge control to 10 to get it to run in cold climates is similar to our experience when we camped in the cold.

As your van is 2014, it may be that the leisure batteries have been miss handled in the past and so are not holding a full charge now. I would plug the van in for at least 12 hours on a more regular basis and monitor the battery performance over this time, much as you have done already. If the performance does not improve, then you may well be looking at having to replace them.

Generally the Cali SE/Ocean can go off grid for around 3 days before the batteries will need to be charged.

Given that you drive your van regularly, then the alternator will maintain the charge, and for day to day use this will be sufficient.

Do remember that the control panel display is only a guide and can not be considered to be accurate


Alan

 

[Hotel California]

Is your T5 new or used ? So new or used battery's?
Hook it up for 12h in a row :every week , two weeks at least once a month!

On your Q's: guess WG gave the short answers ....try and read some sticky post and technical posts , use your Cali and it all will work out fine

 

[Kmann]

Is your T5 new or used ? So new or used battery's?
Hook it up for 12h in a row :every week , two weeks at least once a month!

On your Q's: guess WG gave the short answers ....try and read some sticky post and technical posts , use your Cali and it all will work out fine

What I thought. Its not all bad. I will start using it, and see how it develops. Maybe the batteries just needs a little cyclemotion and attention. If it ends up being a problem I will need to change them.

I just bought the car 2nd hand. So no idea how the shape of the batteries is. The heater and cooler seems to work fine. And everything in the car was neat, the former owner was very tidy on things. Maybe its not that bad.

But thank you for answers. I will just relax and enjoy, and take it from there ;-)

 

[mountainman]

I have had my Cali from new and it's now just over 4 years old. Its an SE 180 Berghaus. I was very impressed with battery performance for the first 3 1/2 years and would regularly go off grid for say 4 days with just short daily drives. I'd run the fridge (which would always have a sheen of ice crystals at the back of it) permanently, the heater occasionally, the lights at night and I'd run the radio all evening and fall asleep to music at night leaving the radio to shutdown by itself, which it seems to do after an hour. I had no problem with this at all and the battery level rarely dropped below say 70%. Last autumn the radio started to shut down quite quickly and no come on again and I noticed that the batter charge has stated to fall more rapidly to say 40% in just a few hours.
Till this time, I had always relied on engine charge while driving and almost never used the hook-up. Now I am following advice on the forum and charging the batteries overnight before I go out. The jury is still out on how that is working as I haven't been out much yet this year.
I had always thought the van has 3 batteries, one for the engine (under bonnet), one domestic (under drivers seat) and one dedicated to the heater (under cupboard). I have always assumed that all batteries charged from either the hook-up or the alternator. I have no idea which battery is monitored by the camper unit by the rear view mirror. Can someone tell me? I am surprised that the radio goes off when low battery level is indicated as I expected that to be connected to the engine battery which is not subject to domestic load. Correct me if I am wrong please someone. I assumed that the radio would be wired as for any other T5 van, most of which wouldn't have domestic battery setups?
Hope my experience helps, but I am afraid I also have many questions.

 

[WelshGas]

3 Batteries. 1 Engine for Starting and running Radio. 2 Leisure Batteries wired in Parallel for Camping electrics.
Alternator charges all 3 via a Split Charge system but can only top up Leisure Batteries to about 80% capacity
Mains Charger chargers Leisure Batteries to 100% capacity and trickle charge Engine Battery on post, I think, 2008 Californias.

 

[Kmann]

How many volts does a full charged system show?

 

[Hotel California]

Guess people who not intend keeping their Cali longer than a few years do not bother that much on how to maintain the batts. thru hook-up , and not everyone got the possiblity to hang it on 220v depending on situation.
By the time they are over and done they sell the Cali , leaving the new owner with the extra charge of changing them.
Now if your Cali is 2nd hand and got those issues i start looking for some prices and change them , they need to be top shape!

 

[Kmann]

Guess people who not intend keeping their Cali longer than a few years do not bother that much on how to maintain the batts. thru hook-up , and not everyone got the possiblity to hang it on 220v depending on situation.
By the time they are over and done they sell the Cali , leaving the new owner with the extra charge of changing them.
Now if your Cali is 2nd hand and got those issues i start looking for some prices and change them , they need to be top shape!

You are right, it is the cornerstone in the car. But mine is only 18 month old, so I guess they deserve a chance to show if they are up to play or they need to go on pension first ;-)

BTW I have read that the original VW AGM is quite expensive, but they are made by VARTA. I found those, should be the right one.

http://www.heise.de/preisvergleich/varta-professional-dual-purpose-agm-la70-840070076-a1037469.html

Earlier the capacity should be 80Ah, (I do not know which years) but now they are only 70Ah. I have no idea if you can go for the ones with higher capacity, they are bigger. Does the fit? Does it influence the system? Could be nice to step up capacity ;-)

http://www.varta-automotive.dk/da-dk/products/leisure/professional-dual-purpose-agm/