Caravan leisure batteries during winter 

Really great video to help lay people (like me!) understand how the leisure battery works, how it should be maintained and when it should be replaced. I now need to replace mine! Keep it up!

Another useful vid to inform and instruct. I have an older van with an analogue volt meter which only shows green amber and red. So bought a very cheap plugin digital volt meter, (£1.32), and allows a constant readout. Although the battery is best measured disconnected from all current drain, it can still indicate sufficiently that the charge is OK after two or three hours, the only item still drawing power is the aerial amp.

Absolutely spot on Dan. I'll need to check my battery the next time I'm down at the caravan. I might even feature it in a future caravan video. Using a solar panel isn't an option for me because I use a cover on the caravan to keep the leaves off as the caravan is parked under some trees. Last year I took the battery out and charged it up at home. I've nothing that requires constant power so taking the battery home isn't an issue and I'm only 10 minutes away from the caravan.

This is a great positive video Dan. It left me fully charged. Which leads me on to say there is nothing negative about this.

I've learnt a lot from this video and I'm only 3 mins in! Good work!

Great video Dan , just the info I was after , agree with comments below re multimeter settings , don’t want anyone to connect it with the meter set to amps ! Now .... winter tyre care next ! .... axle stands ? Swap for old car wheels ? Blank wheel stands ? Etc ... Good work as ever Dan Regards Howard

Very useful information and well explained. thanks, as I was a bit bothered about what to do when the caravan is not used over winter. Fortunately we keep it at home.

Thanks for the great video Dan, you’ve answered a lot of questions I have been thinking about.keep up the good work. 👍🏼👍🏼

Really like your tech tips videos, always clear and concise.

Another great video Dan - very informative. I’m actually off to our van after work to check it’s OK as been 3 weeks since we used it and off again in a couple so fingers crossed all is OK 👌

Brilliantly done. Simple to understand. Thank you

Thanks for the great video, very informative. I removed my battery and took it home to charge, the battery may now be healthy but I can’t say the same about my poor back after lifting it out of the battery compartment that is sunk into the floor under the fixed bed! The voltage chart is a very handy reference 👍

Very useful and informative, as ever Dan, particularly at this time of year! Thanks :)

My home converted panel van has 4 × 110ah batteries & a 3mm thick 250w solar panel on the roof. The surface of the panel is rippled. These ripples refract light into the panel even when the sun is low or its cloudy. Granted, I live in London & in the depths of winter the panel does not get direct sunlight, yet my batteries didn't drop below 12.8v all winter. This type of panel is expensive but I think its worth it. Ideal when your caravan is in storage all winter.

Great video, terrible puns lol, it was on your advice we installed a solar panel to our knackered battery, it needs replacing but the charge it gets from the panels is enough to use the lights or CD player for a short time, I do check the battery regularly to make sure it’s ok, bye for now

Thanks Dan, the information in your video is very useful.

Thank you Dan for another really informative and educatative vid. Mel and Andy C

Thanks Dan. Important , clear guidance for a dodo like me.

Like your videos, started watching and was curious about the differences between units in UK and US. Some things are similar, some not so much. Very interesting.

Very informative Paul, thanks for sharing.

Interesting vid. I'm new to the camper van scene and never thought of the cold weather and my battery. Thanks for sharing and will sub for more tips ATB Kev

spot on faulty battery ,i have now change it and we are back to normal many thanks paul

Excellent video! Cheers Dan! 😉

Good advice. I took my old worn out battery to the scrap yard and got £18 for it in 2017.

Great video, thanks very much. You gave Amp le information and plenty of revolt ing comments!👍

As a presenter, you have great potential. :-) About 12.8 volts worth.

I'm new to caravaning and you really have helped and given me good advice and cracking tips.

Thank you for the reminder!!

Great video, thank you. Invaluable to me, a newcomer to caravans. I, like you, have my van in storage. Your video explains very well the importance of keeping the battery topped up and a solar panel seems to be the obvious way forward. What about the frost angle though? That still remains an issue right? Can you assist further please? Thanks.

One of your best!

yes, worth watching with some good info

Great video. I keep my caravan on my driveway behind locked gates and with alko wheel and hitch locks. It does have a solar panel and alarm so wondering if I should bring battery indoors during winter and trickle charge it. Or leave outdoors but worries about low temperatures in NE England. Advice appreciated and keep up the great work!

Very interesting Dan - thanks ! Our new caravan will be stored in a locked barn with very little direct sunlight so a solar panel will not be much use. We've no plans to go 'off grid' so the battery will be used just for the PowerMover. There will be no tracking devices etc I think then it'll be a case of buying a Voltmeter, periodically checking it and bringing it home to charge. How often do you think that will be?

Very informative and helpful - both on the battery and the solar panel set up. Can I ask how you got the wires through the back of the battery case please.

A really informative video. Thanks for sharing.

Great advice

Great video Dan, what battery do you use in the lunar clubman

Another useful video thanks Dan. If only alerting me to something I don't do and probably won't :-0

Great video cheers dan x

Hi Dan Great video .My vans in storeage and I am going to charge leisure battery with a cooler panel. Can I use crocodile clips supplied or have to hard wire. Do I leave all electrics off a fuse box in van ? Thanks Dan Regards Bob

Hi, very useful as our caravan has been in storage over winter for the first time (previously at home) and it's been battery carnage. One thing that is not really covered anywhere is the current consumed by a typical caravan when in 'System Shutdown' mode. It's certainly not zero - alarm, tracker radio, aerial amp etc? Any thoughts on this and can a 100w panel still cope?

Hi Dan, I'm thinking of installing a solar panel for winter battery charging. Placing it in the window seems a neat solution but, from what I've seen on-line, obscuring even a small part of a panel will prevent a whole group of cells from functioning, not just those in shadow - because they are linked in series. What are your thoughts on this? - You obviously feel a useful charging output is still achievable.

Great video .. I’m going to try this as I think my battery has had it .. but don’t want to get a new one until the new year.. also I noticed my battery got hit after towing is this normal.?

Awesome taught me what I needed to know . From AOTEAROA NZ

Hi Dan I have a problem and needs solution I have a bailey with the battery under the fixed bed how would I get the cable from the front to the middle? Cheers Oliver

Hi Dan, my van is currently stored at home, so no problems with charging, what are your thoughts on keeping it connected to the mains supply continuously to keep it trickle charging, would it be a positive action to disconnect and reconnect every couple of weeks.

Thanks a lot 👍

As the theft alarm, tracker etc don't take much power, why not take the main battery home and replace it during the winter by a small 12v one, maybe a pack of NiMh rechargeables? No freezing issues.

I was under the impression that leisure batteries exist because standard car batteries are not engineered to handle low voltage conditions. My understanding is that the metal plates within a leisure battery are much stiffer and therefore don’t distort and short-out during deep-cycle conditions. In short, leisure batteries are designed to go flat without suffering damage. AGM batteries take this capability to a new level. In terms of keeping a battery trickle-charged, not many chargers are designed for this purpose. CTEK make excellent maintenance chargers but a quick web search for “maintenance charger” will do the trick. You can even select a regeneration program if the battery is struggling. A common cause of battery death (and associated smells) is being connected to a standard trickle-charger (or solar panel without battery-management) for too long.

Hi dan if you brought a 2008 baily ranger caravan how do you now if its got the right leisure battery in the van Ive got 80amp hr battery is this right thanks charles

Handy tips I always use at least 120 amp hours or more But not many caravans in Germany have a battery.

Hi can you educate me? If someone stole your van and disconnects the battery can you still track your van??

Thanks for the info very useful - can you do a video to explain how the leisure battery is charged whilst on your van ? Ours discharged whist hitched up and we didn’t know why as thought the hook up charges is so obviously we didn’t have lights/water pump etc that works on 12v as a result thanks in advance !

Its worth noting that batteries don't like been shaken or moved around a lot also, which brings two points, taken them backs and forwards to be charged, is not great, but also with the state of our roads now, using lead acid batteries is not the best type, I know they are slightly more expensive but AGM are better.

Just looked at the piece about batteries and looking at getting a new one.Can you tell me mine has the positive on the left of my battery as you look at the front and I have seen others with the positive on the right does this matter as long its connected correct

Another thought about vans with solar panels on the roof, most systems will tell you to shutdown the solar by disconnecting the panel from the solar charge controller *before* disconnecting the battery.

Hi Dan I have a 5 berth double dinner ace jubilee viceroy I love it best thing I've Eva done but im very worried about mould an horrible smell in it after the winter period is there any way u CN help me please as u are brilliant u know what Ur talking about plus I was Neva shown how to use the heater in my van the place I got it from tb caravan sales ltd Skegness they didn't show me how it all works I would not recommend them to any1 but I have my van now and I'm happy with it CN u help please 🥺

Will you be doing any reviews of the advantages of using a lithium battery in the future

You're using quite thin wires between the charge controller and the battery. If there is a short circuit at the charge controller end, the batteries could push a lot of current down it, heating it up and maybe causing a fire. Do you have a fuse (up to 16A, at a guess) between the wire and the battery positive terminal?

The battery you have fitted is a dual use battery, and not a dedicated leisure. Also battery voltage below 12.3 is considered flat and in need of charge.

dan - really helpful video but I have a question. we have a new bailey unicorn Seville 3 with a 100w solar panel on the roof. having winterized the van I visited yesterday and when switching on the electrics discovered the battery at 14.7v. I am assuming this isn't good? in which case, being completely new to caravans, what am I doing wrong and what do I need to do to bring my battery back to 13.6v over the winter? can you help? thanks steve

Nice one. I am going to avoid the puns though. If you are planning a future video on battery care etc. how about a "expose" on why the "charger" in you caravan is not a charger ;-) Nice to see someone talking sense on solar btw.

A fully charge lead acid battery will freeze around -68c, a battery with 20% charge will freeze around -7c. A discharged battery will freeze like water. A disconnected battery will discharge over time and suffer damage if it is not given a charge.

What do you if you put a winter cover over? Where would you locate the solar panel and cable?

Very informative video Dan, I have a question. My van has an installed roof panel which is permanently connected, how do I take a battery at rest voltage measurement?

Great video. Question, what if a battery reads 14.12 volts? Is it no good? It does seem to work OK.

My caravan battery appears to be flat after 2 months in storage. I’m going to buy a 100watt panel to prevent this in the future. I think I need 16awg cable to connect the charging controller to the battery - I believe 16awg should handle 10amps. Or should I go for 14awg to handle a higher load?

Hi Dan, I guess that this applies to motorhome batteries as well, is that correct?

can you tell me why my caravan battery is getting vary vary hot and a smell of fumes many thanks paul

Thanks dan great info on batteries for when I eventually buy a caravan some dealers are offering a solar panel on a new van any thoughts ? Watched with interest most of your films , but here’s a question caravan or motorhome (money is not the issue ) i would be grateful of your thoughts

I have looked at buying a multimeter to test the battery but they look so confusing that I always put them back on the shelf. An idiots guide on using one would be useful and much appreciated.

Travelling without a battery in the caravan say to storage doesn’t affect any electrics you need to drive does it? Thanks in advance

100W panel at 12v = 8.3amps as you say. But putting 8.3amps through a 10amp fuse is stressing the fuse somewhat and may give spurious blows at normal loads. Fuses are not very accurate in their blowing current anyway. Generally a fault (like a short) will cause a much higher current than normal; therefore fuses are generally chosen at values much higher than any normal working current. You say in another comment that the connecting wire is 25amp rated, so I would fuse at 20 amps. The wire could tolerate much more than 25 amps briefly anyway; its rating will include quite a safety margin. In other words, if you shorted these wires from the battery, a 20amp fuse (even one at the upper end of manufacturing tolerance) would blow long before the wires or battery were distressed if they ever were; and the solar panel should have its own protection. I don't know much about solar panels, but if the panel needs current protection for its own sake, then it should already have that locally in its own controller and not be reliant on anything elsewhere in the caravan, so the solar panel's rating should not be a factor in the choice of fuse rating here, as long as the connecting wires and the fuse are over rated for its current.

paul could the system charge my motorhome battery and the leisure battery at the same time

I live in a static caravan can I keep my batterys under the seats in the storage area so they are kept warm

Who do I take to court if someone dies while giving a battery a bath like you suggested? :) :) :) Just kidding - great vid.

I’m a bit AC/DC about all these battery puns.