Battery Health advice.

roadrunner 45 · Oct 16, 2022

Hello,

I am after some advice with trickle charging the Cali main battery during winter and i have a few questions-

1. which is the best hassle free battery charger , which I can connect and forget about for someone with limited electrical experience?

2. What do you do with the lead for the charger , if the Cali is 5 metres away from the supply?

3.Can you connect the charger on top of the terminals or do you need to disconnect the Cali battery terminals or leave in place and clip on to existing?

4.What do you do for the leisure batteries in the back , do you also connect these and have leads coming from the Cali in 3 positions ( 1 from the bonnet , 1 from the passenger door , 1 from the tailgate?

Photos of what other members are doing would be good for me to get a better understanding of what is the best options for cable management etc.

I appreciate this has been discussed many times previously but i know technology and best practices change of the years, so might be better options now.

Thanks for your help.

WelshGas · Oct 16, 2022

roadrunner 45 said:
Hello,

I am after some advice with trickle charging the Cali main battery during winter and i have a few questions-

1. which is the best hassle free battery charger , which I can connect and forget about for someone with limited electrical experience?

2. What do you do with the lead for the charger , if the Cali is 5 metres away from the supply?

3.Can you connect the charger on top of the terminals or do you need to disconnect the Cali battery terminals or leave in place and clip on to existing?

4.What do you do for the leisure batteries in the back , do you also connect these and have leads coming from the Cali in 3 positions ( 1 from the bonnet , 1 from the passenger door , 1 from the tailgate?

Photos of what other members are doing would be good for me to get a better understanding of what is the best options for cable management etc.

I appreciate this has been discussed many times previously but i know technology and best practices change of the years, so might be better options now.

Thanks for your help.

1. Plug the van into a domestic mains socket using your campsite EHU lead and a 3 pin to EHU lead extension. That takes care of the Leisure battery.

2. Depending on the year of your vehicle , by accident not design, once the Leisure Batteries are fully charged your engine battery will trickle charge. Only way to check this is with a multimeter.

3. Otherwise get a cTek battery charger with a 12v charging plug. Plug the charger into the kitchen mains socket and the 12v charging plug into the 12v socket in the Dashboard pullout draw.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09TLCND48/?tag=eliteelect-21

MXS 5.0 UK

56-975

www.ctek.com

+ Indicator plug accessory.

Viktorgeorge · Oct 16, 2022

WelshGas said:
1. Plug the van into a domestic mains socket using your campsite EHU lead and a 3 pin to EHU lead extension. That takes care of the Leisure battery.

2. Depending on the year of your vehicle , by accident not design, once the Leisure Batteries are fully charged your engine battery will trickle charge. Only way to check this is with a multimeter.

3. Otherwise get a cTek battery charger with a 12v charging plug. Plug the charger into the kitchen mains socket and the 12v charging plug into the 12v socket in the Dashboard pullout draw.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09TLCND48/?tag=eliteelect-21

MXS 5.0 UK

56-975

www.ctek.com

+ Indicator plug accessory.

Thanks WG, helpful advice as always to we beginners.

If I wanted to use only a CTEK plugged into a 12v ‘cigarette lighter socket’ to maintain all my batteries, I get where the starter battery socket is (from your post above), which sockets do the leisure batteries - all the others?

WelshGas · Oct 16, 2022

Viktorgeorge said:
Thanks WG, helpful advice as always to we beginners.

If I wanted to use only a CTEK plugged into a 12v ‘cigarette lighter socket’ to maintain all my batteries, I get where the starter battery socket is (from your post above), which sockets do the leisure batteries - all the others?

On the T6.1 I believe the built in charger will charge all batteries , Leisure & Engine, when plugged into EHU.

Viktorgeorge · Oct 16, 2022

WelshGas said:
On the T6.1 I believe the built in charger will charge all batteries , Leisure & Engine, when plugged into EHU.

Thanks WG. But let's say I only have a CTEK plugged into the mains, with a 'cigarette lighter' end plug, i.e. no EHU. I understand that plugged into the "12v socket in the Dashboard pull-out draw" you say the CTEK will charge the starter battery. Which other 12v sockets charge the leisure batteries - all of them?

yossarian · Oct 16, 2022

Viktorgeorge said:
Thanks WG. But let's say I only have a CTEK plugged into the mains, with a 'cigarette lighter' end plug, i.e. no EHU. I understand that plugged into the "12v socket in the Dashboard pull-out draw" you say the CTEK will charge the starter battery. Which other 12v sockets charge the leisure batteries - all of them?

The only way to say for sure is to measure with a multimeter.

I can't help feeling you are trying to solve something that you have not declared? The ehu solution is simple obvious and cheap. Why are you fishing for alternatives?

WelshGas · Oct 16, 2022

Viktorgeorge said:
Thanks WG. But let's say I only have a CTEK plugged into the mains, with a 'cigarette lighter' end plug, i.e. no EHU. I understand that plugged into the "12v socket in the Dashboard pull-out draw" you say the CTEK will charge the starter battery. Which other 12v sockets charge the leisure batteries - all of them?

Yes, all of the sockets in the rear, but you have a T6.1 with the new Control Panel and more sophisticated battery monitoring of the Leisure Batteries etc and built in capability to charge all 3 batteries.
You could try with the CTEK and let the Forum know how you get on.

The OP has a T5 which has more forgiving, simpler, Control Panel monitoring.

Viktorgeorge · Oct 16, 2022

WelshGas said:
Yes, all of the sockets in the rear, but you have a T6.1 with the new Control Panel and more sophisticated battery monitoring of the Leisure Batteries etc and built in capability to charge all 3 batteries.
You could try with the CTEK and let the Forum know how you get on.

The OP has a T5 which has more forgiving, simpler, Control Panel monitoring.

Will do, once Ocean collected. Due 28.10.22 form Eurovans Crawley.

Then the wife and I are straight off on a long continental trip, not camping, staying in self catered, concerned about maintaining batteries if static, but don't want to carry EHU cable, provided extension lead and CTEK will serve the purpose.

Ordered that CTEK 12v socket plug in (wasn't aware it existed until your post, thanks)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06XXDMGW3/?tag=eliteelect-21

and hoping that is all I will need with my existing CTEK and extension lead.

For monitoring the individual battery results, by voltage, I think I will be able to (i) check on the inbuilt screen (ii) buy a 12v socket USB outlet with voltage display or (c) connect a device to each battery which Bluetooth reports to an app (name?). Which do you advise or is there some other better method?

WelshGas · Oct 16, 2022

Viktorgeorge said:
Will do, once Ocean collected. Due 28.10.22 form Eurovans Crawley.

Then the wife and I are straight off on a long continental trip, not camping, staying in self catered, concerned about maintaining batteries if static, but don't want to carry EHU cable, provided extension lead and CTEK will serve the purpose.

Ordered that CTEK 12v socket plug in (wasn't aware it existed until your post, thanks)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06XXDMGW3/?tag=eliteelect-21

and hoping that is all I will need with my existing CTEK and extension lead.

For monitoring the individual battery results, by voltage, I think I will be able to (i) check on the inbuilt screen (ii) buy a 12v socket USB outlet with voltage display or (c) connect a device to each battery which Bluetooth reports to an app (name?). Which do you advise or is there some other better method.

Sorry, something lost in translation, I cannot see how carrying a 10 m, even a 25 m EHU cable, + the VW supplied EHU continental plug adapter which allows you to charge ALL 3 vehicle batteries is not easier than carrying an extension lead + continental plug adapter and 2 CTEK battery chargers with the added disadvantage of getting a cable into the vehicle thus compromising vehicle security.
However it is your vehicle. Have fun on your travels.

Viktorgeorge · Oct 16, 2022

WelshGas said:
Sorry, something lost in translation, I cannot see how carrying a 10 m, even a 25 m EHU cable, + the VW supplied EHU continental plug adapter which allows you to charge ALL 3 vehicle batteries is not easier than carrying an extension lead + continental plug adapter and 2 CTEK battery chargers with the added disadvantage of getting a cable into the vehicle thus compromising vehicle security.
However it is your vehicle. Have fun on your travels.

WG, you are probably right, the EHU cables looked bulky, but I have never seen one. When travelling, for years now, I always carry a CTEK, so it is a habit.

Does the " the VW supplied EHU continental plug adapter" come with the California or do I buy that separately?

WelshGas · Oct 16, 2022

Viktorgeorge said:
WG, you are probably right, the EHU cables looked bulky, but I have never seen one. When travelling, for years now, I always carry a CTEK, so it is a habit.

Does the " the VW supplied EHU continental plug adapter" come with the California or do I buy that separately?

I believe they still supply it. Just plugs into the end of a standard EHU lead.

yossarian · Oct 16, 2022

Viktorgeorge said:
Then the wife and I are straight off on a long continental trip, not camping, staying in self catered, concerned about maintaining batteries if static, but don't want to carry EHU cable, provided extension lead and CTEK will serve the purpose.

Based on this you are over thinking it. You need a EU adapter (should come with your van) and a hookup cable. If you are going to stand around for a month.

If you are using your fridge you can stand about 3 days.

Hookup cables are cheap. But you don't even need hookup if you're going to be on the move.

dspuk · Oct 16, 2022

Viktorgeorge said:
WG, you are probably right, the EHU cables looked bulky, but I have never seen one. When travelling, for years now, I always carry a CTEK, so it is a habit.

Does the " the VW supplied EHU continental plug adapter" come with the California or do I buy that separately?

It’s comes with one in the boot. We also bought a Uk 3 pin version.

Viktorgeorge · Oct 16, 2022

yossarian said:
Based on this you are over thinking it. You need a EU adapter (should come with your van) and a hookup cable. If you are going to stand around for a month.

If you are using your fridge you can stand about 3 days.

Hookup cables are cheap. But you don't even need hookup if you're going to be on the move.

Sound as if the key is to turn fridge off when not on the move unless hooked up. Thanks all.

dspuk · Oct 16, 2022

Viktorgeorge said:
Sound as if the key is to turn fridge off when not on the move unless hooked up. Thanks all.

You’ll get warm beers and off milk if you do that. The leisures will quite happily run a van without EHU for 3 days. That’s the point of them And why there are two in a Ocean. You just need to be sure, if not moving, to hook up. If driving every 1 or 2 days then it’s fine. There is a pretty easy to read battery indicator on the screen. You‘re over worrying about it all.

Christine Kirk · Oct 17, 2022

Out of interest we have a regular routine of plugging in the EHU about every two weeks for about 24 hrs, to ensure that the leisure batteries are kept charged up . It does depend on how much the California has been driven as to how long it takes to charge up.
Today on hooking it up the read out showed the charge fate of 14.4V it started at over 9 amps but rapidly dropped ( 10mins) to a reasonable 3.8amps. Within 8 hrs it had dropped to 13.4 V and showed 0.2 amps, it might be trickle charging the engine battery at this point! I’m not sure and hadn’t time to read it with my meter.
We use a cetek battery charger on two of our old cars as they aren’t used on a regular basis, and we don’t have issues with starting them.

Viktorgeorge · Oct 17, 2022

dspuk said:
You’ll get warm beers and off milk if you do that. The leisures will quite happily run a van without EHU for 3 days. That’s the point of them And why there are two in a Ocean. You just need to be sure, if not moving, to hook up. If driving every 1 or 2 days then it’s fine. There is a pretty easy to read battery indicator on the screen. You‘re over worrying about it all.

Thanks @dspuk. Not so much "worry", more a puzzle I find interesting to resolve.

We are a bit old for camping, and bought the Ocean so we could continental travel in our retirement (maxing out Schengen) between various European self-catering locations, with better on the road in vehicle daytime facilities. On a recent (pre-California) trip, I checked at several locations (all with underground car parks, i.e. no solar ability) whether I could get parking adjacent hook up without success.

My son who has just started to camp, with wife and three small children, after recently buying a 5 seater Beach: and found several sites they visited had no hook up - so he has just installed solar.

It may well be that - the the absence of hook-up - the answer is either: (i) an Ecoflow, charged up at my self catering location and lugged down to the Ocean from time to time, or, (ii) emptying the fridge and leaving it off with the lid open - as one California I saw during our last trip.

andyinluton · Oct 17, 2022

Viktorgeorge said:
It may well be that - the the absence of hook-up - the answer is either: (i) an Ecoflow, charged up at my self catering location and lugged down to the Ocean from time to time, or, (ii) emptying the fridge and leaving it off with the lid open - as one California I saw during our last trip.

Or just drive the van every 3 days if the fridge is left on? I
f your not driving for more than 3 days its just as easy to carry the fridge contents into your self catering apartment as it is to be messing about with lugging an Ecoflow around.

Velma's Dad · Oct 17, 2022

If we're going to be staying on a site for more than two/three nights, and not driving the van around at all during the day while there, then I then get the EHU cable out and plug it in. But in our case that's pretty rare, so we don't actually make very much use of electric hookup on sites. Nor do I bother plugging the van into the mains at home as is sometimes suggested on the forum, even though our van sometimes is sometimes not used for spells of several weeks. Our leisure batteries are seven years old now and still hold plenty of charge - when that changes I won't begrudge the cost of a new pair.

I hope that reassures the OP that you don't need to sweat too much about batteries.

Viktorgeorge · Oct 17, 2022

Thank you, all. This has been a useful string with the several responses giving me all the criteria I need.

roadrunner 45 · Dec 2, 2022

WelshGas said:
1. Plug the van into a domestic mains socket using your campsite EHU lead and a 3 pin to EHU lead extension. That takes care of the Leisure battery.

2. Depending on the year of your vehicle , by accident not design, once the Leisure Batteries are fully charged your engine battery will trickle charge. Only way to check this is with a multimeter.

3. Otherwise get a cTek battery charger with a 12v charging plug. Plug the charger into the kitchen mains socket and the 12v charging plug into the 12v socket in the Dashboard pullout draw.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09TLCND48/?tag=eliteelect-21

MXS 5.0 UK

56-975

www.ctek.com

+ Indicator plug accessory.

Hello,
Thanks for your advice regarding the charging of the Cali and based on your details I have purchased the cTek battery charger , which looks good but I would like some help regarding connection of the unit , i plan to connect the charger to the battery but unsure of how to connect it to the battery under the bonnet , would you have any photos of how to connect to the battery to the charger without removing the battery?
Thanks for your help.

Alied · Dec 2, 2022

roadrunner 45 said:
Hello,
Thanks for your advice regarding the charging of the Cali and based on your details I have purchased the cTek battery charger , which looks good but I would like some help regarding connection of the unit , i plan to connect the charger to the battery but unsure of how to connect it to the battery under the bonnet , would you have any photos of how to connect to the battery to the charger without removing the battery?
Thanks for your help.

CTEK Cigarette Plug Adapter | Halfords UK

Shop the latest CTEK Cigarette Plug Adapter allows connection of charger to 12V cigarette plug /accessory socket at Halfords UK

www.halfords.com

WelshGas · Dec 2, 2022

roadrunner 45 said:
Hello,
Thanks for your advice regarding the charging of the Cali and based on your details I have purchased the cTek battery charger , which looks good but I would like some help regarding connection of the unit , i plan to connect the charger to the battery but unsure of how to connect it to the battery under the bonnet , would you have any photos of how to connect to the battery to the charger without removing the battery?
Thanks for your help.

If using the “crocodile clips”, then Red +tve to the Positive on the battery.

The Black -tve should be connected to an Earth point in the engine bay ie: a bolt head on the engine or body work that is not painted.

The reason being that if you have BlueMotion Regenerative Braking the vehicle computer measures the state of the engine battery via a sensor on the Battery -tve pole. So when charging the battery the connection must be made beyond the sensor so that the charging current/voltage is taken account of by the vehicle computer.

Battery Health advice.

roadrunner 45

WelshGas

Retired after 42 yrs and enjoying Life.

MXS 5.0 UK

Viktorgeorge

Starlight Blue Ocean 4Mo MY2023 older bellows

MXS 5.0 UK

WelshGas

Retired after 42 yrs and enjoying Life.

Viktorgeorge

Starlight Blue Ocean 4Mo MY2023 older bellows

yossarian

WelshGas

Retired after 42 yrs and enjoying Life.

Viktorgeorge

Starlight Blue Ocean 4Mo MY2023 older bellows

WelshGas

Retired after 42 yrs and enjoying Life.

Viktorgeorge

Starlight Blue Ocean 4Mo MY2023 older bellows

WelshGas

Retired after 42 yrs and enjoying Life.

yossarian

dspuk

Dave

Viktorgeorge

Starlight Blue Ocean 4Mo MY2023 older bellows

dspuk

Dave

Christine Kirk

Viktorgeorge

Starlight Blue Ocean 4Mo MY2023 older bellows

andyinluton

Velma's Dad

Viktorgeorge

Starlight Blue Ocean 4Mo MY2023 older bellows

roadrunner 45

MXS 5.0 UK

Alied

CTEK Cigarette Plug Adapter | Halfords UK

WelshGas

Retired after 42 yrs and enjoying Life.

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