Brilliant tips there. We have a outside double socket so every now and then we plug the van in for a few days to keep it charged. I also use it to go to work ( 40 mile round trip) a few days a week to keep it used and stop it from gathering dust 🙂
Ah that's perfect great to use over the winter as keeps your brakes etc in top condition, outside plug is great! Much easier to work with, we feed under the garage door which is a pain 😂👍
Interesting video guys. Since being solo I’ve had to pay a lot more attention to these things than I ever used to so it’s always good to see how others manage. Cheers, Sue 😊
Thanks Sue, it's very easy to forget to check or top them up especially when using the van less, looking forward to your video where it was freezing, that is Caroline's worst fear when camping 🥶😊👍
Look forward to your beer of the year! Definitely worth keeping on top of the batteries isn’t it - I didn’t on our last motorhome and it ended up costing me a new leisure battery ☹️. You’re right on the cost of electric. All the best, David & Rachel 👍
Our caravan is in storage and when we only had a 100 watt panel it kept the battery topped up all over winter even with a tracker and sonic mouse repeller on 24/7. We are due to nip down today to check it over and as we have had snow here I will check it. Seeing you lean out of the window to clear your panel would squirting windscreen di-icer reach your panel and work.
Thanks Bob that's good to know it lasted over winter, we only get sun in the afternoon where ours is parked as the house blocks it and less hours in winter due to how high the sun is - moving solar panels would be a great camping invention we think 😁👍 De-icer is a good idea, will try that next time thank you 😊
i guys, nice video as usual. I have a V-Line with the same electrical system, as you suggested, use the solar panel to keep the van starter battery topped up. As I can leave the van permantly on EHU, I use a CTEK smart charger to keep the leisure battery in good health. The Sargent battery charger is a simple but crude device, and if overused can boil the battery dry. A smart charger will monitor the battery's temperature and use a float charge to keep the battery at it's maximum capacity, and lengthen it's life.
There is more to this campervaning than I first thought! But I have learnt an awful lot from your videos this last year .... glad I didn't watch them before ordering my van!! "Beer of the Year" for Iain ... now that sounds great. What about a "Gin that makes you Grin" for Caroline. Unfortunately, poor old Mollie gets left out!!!
@@VantasticAdventures Mollie could make an special guest appearance as one of the animals that was NOT in the original stable scene!! Really looking forward to your Christmas edition, and then on hearing your plans for next year. Your videos this last year have been educational, entertaining and extremely enjoyable ... thank you.
@@VantasticAdventures We have all seen Mollies' skills at sheep rounding, so perhaps she could appear disguised as a sheep!! Some say (in the voice of Jeremy Clarkson) ... the UK is looking for an entry into the next series of "One man/woman and their dog" ... just a thought!
Thanks for that - my (flat stuck on) solar panel is covered in frost and I was too anxious to clean it off in case I damaged the surface. Keeping my fingers crossed that the battery hadn’t died🤞
Hello Irene, they are quite robust but a good tip if you have an extension cable is a hairdryer on the lowest heat setting, it will soon clear the ice or snow without having to touch it 😁👍
Beer of the year, Yay. Mrs K has just walked in with a couple of bottles of Old Peculiar and a couple of Speckled Hen from someone in her office that doesn't like them. Very easy to forget about leisure and vehicle batteries. I've seen a far bit about Ducato vehicle battery losing charge, not something we had an issue with on our VW's although I did start them every week. Is that something the Ducato is prone too or is it just through lack of use. Cheers K.
Some nice beers there 🍺 Very kind donation for you 😂👍 Our battery has been fine on the van, we do have a tracker fitted but not much else that will drain when left standing. Also try to start every couple of weeks though 😁
I asked about if on the yearly service if they check the water levels and they don't its just if the battery has a charge, they look at the panel voltage. A couple of years ago not long after my service I had to top my battery up and it took over 2 litres.
This is our first year in our new van so was unsure what was best to do during winter. Having watched a few You tubers. We drained our system and Truma boiler. But we have for this last week left our van heating on 5 degrees but once the temp rises to above freezing we will turn it off.
Definitely good to have drained your water and boiler system in this weather, it would easily have frozen 👍😊 Quite a few people leave their heating on too 😁
How clever of you two to pick this topic! I’m sure it will encourage a few comments😁……Starter for Ten😜. De-Ionised Water is what you need for lead batteries ( also perfect to use for your domestic Iron…a snippet for whoever does the ironing… as it won’t furr up ( ie no limescale to block the nozzles on steam😀). Part two to follow as I get cut off for too lengthy comments☹️
Part 2. Different types of batt. Lead Acid. Don’t let them ever get below 12v. Yes only 12v. ( operating range 12.8v or over to just 12v!!, depending on quality/ your meter accuracy!) So, to make a point: 12.8v-12v. That’s all. However, it is worth understanding battery capacities, some will give you longer useage time if they have a larger capacity, but there is a bit more to it than just that! The batteries are rated with how many times you can charge them too, also by how much they release the energy! These are the value for money IF you understand their limits. They have less Charge Cycles normally than the next battery:
Next is AGM battery ( my choice, for my useage). These operate from 12.8v down to 11v generally……a much wider scope to work with, but nothing wrong with Lead Acid as they are quite a bit cheaper. But AGM give you a much broader operating range. I would say, they weigh about the same as Lead Acid ( generally, approx).
Then Lithium. I have no experience of Lithium, but have looked into them. They have a much wider operating range, you can use them up to 50% energy draw without hurting them, but, that comes at a cost. Currently about 5x the price of Lead Acid, depending on size etc. BUT, apparently the cheap- end of the Lithium market is a bit of a minefield…..so if you are one of those shoppers who goes for the bargain, it might bite you back! Go for a known and trusted brand that has no fake reviews!
Hi Robert, it can charge either battery but it has to be selected on the control panel and defaults to the leisure battery. Useful though if it does go flat on the drive and no jump pack 👍😁
We’ve got ours plugged in so we could run oil filled heater through cold spell. We did that because we are numpties and left water in the system. Apart from a broken tap I think we e git away with it now it’s defrosted. Never again.
@@VantasticAdventures I’ve moved tap over from the toilet and gutted a better one for showers. So everything looks like it’s working again in time for heading tomorrow for 10 days.
That's good that you can charge them Simon, we are fortunate to do similar but not sure how people using storage get on as don't think ours would last on solar alone all winter either 👍
@@VantasticAdventures yes - for info it's known amongst peugeot boxer fairford owners that even when everything is switched completely off - the battery will drain. most of us keep them on permanent charge during the winter. please stop me if im getting boring lol... have a nice trip into europe safe travels.
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Brilliant tips there. We have a outside double socket so every now and then we plug the van in for a few days to keep it charged. I also use it to go to work ( 40 mile round trip) a few days a week to keep it used and stop it from gathering dust 🙂
PS
You both looked bloody freezing 🙂
Ah that's perfect great to use over the winter as keeps your brakes etc in top condition, outside plug is great! Much easier to work with, we feed under the garage door which is a pain 😂👍
Interesting video guys. Since being solo I’ve had to pay a lot more attention to these things than I ever used to so it’s always good to see how others manage. Cheers, Sue 😊
Thanks Sue, it's very easy to forget to check or top them up especially when using the van less, looking forward to your video where it was freezing, that is Caroline's worst fear when camping 🥶😊👍
@@VantasticAdventures I feel like a real survivor after that night 😆
😂😂😂 We are heading back from Europe today so will look forward to that tonight 🥶😁👍
Enjoy watching your videos, we have the Auto-trail 635 SE on a 65 plate. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Thank you Cyril 🥰 We think they are great vans, so far so very good indeed 😁 Merry Christmas to you too 🌲
Look forward to your beer of the year! Definitely worth keeping on top of the batteries isn’t it - I didn’t on our last motorhome and it ended up costing me a new leisure battery ☹️. You’re right on the cost of electric. All the best, David & Rachel 👍
They are very easy to drain even for seasoned campers 😁👍 Hoping to do some sampling with the beer video too 😂 Have a lovely weekend 🥰
Our caravan is in storage and when we only had a 100 watt panel it kept the battery topped up all over winter even with a tracker and sonic mouse repeller on 24/7. We are due to nip down today to check it over and as we have had snow here I will check it. Seeing you lean out of the window to clear your panel would squirting windscreen di-icer reach your panel and work.
Thanks Bob that's good to know it lasted over winter, we only get sun in the afternoon where ours is parked as the house blocks it and less hours in winter due to how high the sun is - moving solar panels would be a great camping invention we think 😁👍 De-icer is a good idea, will try that next time thank you 😊
i guys, nice video as usual. I have a V-Line with the same electrical system, as you suggested, use the solar panel to keep the van starter battery topped up. As I can leave the van permantly on EHU, I use a CTEK smart charger to keep the leisure battery in good health. The Sargent battery charger is a simple but crude device, and if overused can boil the battery dry. A smart charger will monitor the battery's temperature and use a float charge to keep the battery at it's maximum capacity, and lengthen it's life.
Thanks Keith we didn't realise that will check out the smart charger as will be useful when it's on EHU to make sure the battery is looked after 🥰👍
There is more to this campervaning than I first thought!
But I have learnt an awful lot from your videos this last year .... glad I didn't watch them before ordering my van!!
"Beer of the Year" for Iain ... now that sounds great.
What about a "Gin that makes you Grin" for Caroline. Unfortunately, poor old Mollie gets left out!!!
Ha ha glad to help Roger 😂👍 Caroline is definitely grinning from your Gin idea 😂 Mollie may feature in the Christmas special... 😉🥰
@@VantasticAdventures Mollie could make an special guest appearance as one of the animals that was NOT in the original stable scene!! Really looking forward to your Christmas edition, and then on hearing your plans for next year. Your videos this last year have been educational, entertaining and extremely enjoyable ... thank you.
Thank you Roger, Mollie is training now for 2023 nativity 😂👍
@@VantasticAdventures We have all seen Mollies' skills at sheep rounding, so perhaps she could appear disguised as a sheep!! Some say (in the voice of Jeremy Clarkson) ... the UK is looking for an entry into the next series of "One man/woman and their dog" ... just a thought!
Thanks for that - my (flat stuck on) solar panel is covered in frost and I was too anxious to clean it off in case I damaged the surface. Keeping my fingers crossed that the battery hadn’t died🤞
Hello Irene, they are quite robust but a good tip if you have an extension cable is a hairdryer on the lowest heat setting, it will soon clear the ice or snow without having to touch it 😁👍
@@VantasticAdventures That’s a great idea - thank you. 💕🐾
Just use a soft broom with soapy water to clean the panel, they are quite tough.
@@keiththompson8289 Thanks Keith - happy Christmas!
Beer of the year, Yay. Mrs K has just walked in with a couple of bottles of Old Peculiar and a couple of Speckled Hen from someone in her office that doesn't like them. Very easy to forget about leisure and vehicle batteries. I've seen a far bit about Ducato vehicle battery losing charge, not something we had an issue with on our VW's although I did start them every week. Is that something the Ducato is prone too or is it just through lack of use. Cheers K.
Some nice beers there 🍺 Very kind donation for you 😂👍 Our battery has been fine on the van, we do have a tracker fitted but not much else that will drain when left standing. Also try to start every couple of weeks though 😁
I asked about if on the yearly service if they check the water levels and they don't its just if the battery has a charge, they look at the panel voltage. A couple of years ago not long after my service I had to top my battery up and it took over 2 litres.
Oh wow thanks Robin that's good to know! Will double check ours again 🙂👍
This is our first year in our new van so was unsure what was best to do during winter. Having watched a few You tubers. We drained our system and Truma boiler. But we have for this last week left our van heating on 5 degrees but once the temp rises to above freezing we will turn it off.
Definitely good to have drained your water and boiler system in this weather, it would easily have frozen 👍😊 Quite a few people leave their heating on too 😁
How clever of you two to pick this topic! I’m sure it will encourage a few comments😁……Starter for Ten😜. De-Ionised Water is what you need for lead batteries ( also perfect to use for your domestic Iron…a snippet for whoever does the ironing… as it won’t furr up ( ie no limescale to block the nozzles on steam😀). Part two to follow as I get cut off for too lengthy comments☹️
Part 2. Different types of batt.
Lead Acid. Don’t let them ever get below 12v. Yes only 12v. ( operating range 12.8v or over to just 12v!!, depending on quality/ your meter accuracy!) So, to make a point: 12.8v-12v. That’s all. However, it is worth understanding battery capacities, some will give you longer useage time if they have a larger capacity, but there is a bit more to it than just that! The batteries are rated with how many times you can charge them too, also by how much they release the energy! These are the value for money IF you understand their limits. They have less Charge Cycles normally than the next battery:
Next is AGM battery ( my choice, for my useage). These operate from 12.8v down to 11v generally……a much wider scope to work with, but nothing wrong with Lead Acid as they are quite a bit cheaper. But AGM give you a much broader operating range. I would say, they weigh about the same as Lead Acid ( generally, approx).
Then Lithium. I have no experience of Lithium, but have looked into them. They have a much wider operating range, you can use them up to 50% energy draw without hurting them, but, that comes at a cost. Currently about 5x the price of Lead Acid, depending on size etc. BUT, apparently the cheap- end of the Lithium market is a bit of a minefield…..so if you are one of those shoppers who goes for the bargain, it might bite you back! Go for a known and trusted brand that has no fake reviews!
But..my tip is! Look at upgrading your van alternator to charge your batteries quickly! ( quicker) I would focus on spending my money HERE.
Thank you couldn't remember what it was called 😂😂😂👍 Useful tip for the iron didn't realise that, Caroline will be pleased 😉👍
Dose the sargent not charge both batteries when plugged in to the mains
Hi Robert, it can charge either battery but it has to be selected on the control panel and defaults to the leisure battery. Useful though if it does go flat on the drive and no jump pack 👍😁
haha get heating on !! hahaha
It was freezing 🥶😂😂😂👍
@@VantasticAdventures pick mine up this thursday , cant wait eeekkk
That's brilliant! Bet you can't wait 😁😁😁👍
We’ve got ours plugged in so we could run oil filled heater through cold spell. We did that because we are numpties and left water in the system. Apart from a broken tap I think we e git away with it now it’s defrosted. Never again.
😂 Ah at least minimal damage and it's easily done, we learned lots of lessons like that too don't worry you are not alone 🙂👍
@@VantasticAdventures I’ve moved tap over from the toilet and gutted a better one for showers. So everything looks like it’s working again in time for heading tomorrow for 10 days.
Oh wow that sounds brilliant! What a great time to go away and at least it’s warmed up a bit 🥰 Enjoy 😊
unfortunately the solar panel cant keep our batteries healthy over winter, I leave them trickle charging on the drive.
That's good that you can charge them Simon, we are fortunate to do similar but not sure how people using storage get on as don't think ours would last on solar alone all winter either 👍
@@VantasticAdventures yes - for info it's known amongst peugeot boxer fairford owners that even when everything is switched completely off - the battery will drain. most of us keep them on permanent charge during the winter. please stop me if im getting boring lol... have a nice trip into europe safe travels.
Ha ha no don't worry any battery stories or anything Campervan related are always welcome 😂👍😊