New to campervanning and trying to learn!!
Hubby is the 'pilot and waste disposal' and I am 'life support and navigation'
How can I find out if my leisure battery is getting low without having to wait for it to go flat. Is there a meter of any type with easy plain English instructions? Then if it seems low can I use a small solar panel to help top up my leisure battery?
What type of 'things' can I plug into my little 12volt sockets?
Thanks folks
I always find the best aid to topping up one's leisure battery is either wine or beer or both, you don't really need a meter to measure whether you are in need of wine or beer as I always find it is the best policy to just slurp it down anyway just in case!!
You will probably find that there are a few slurpers on here, welcome to the site
Yes, I agree. It's when we have 'slurped' that I want to ensure the lights work in the van to prevent falling over whilst retiring to bed. Should we fall over and spill the next days 'vino' that would be a disaster prevented if we had a piece of equipment to test battery.
You could use a simple multimeter from somewhere like Maplin to test the battery.
Solar panel can be used to help keep it topped up.
If you don't stay too long in one place it should get a good top-up while you are driving.
12v runs lights, water pump. Fanmaster (if fitted ). You could use 12v to power a small TV, charge your mobile phone. Anything more will drain the battery.
Thanks for that. I'll look for the multimeter. There are two little sockets in the van (not ciggy lighters) that are 12v. My lights/water pump and extractor run off the leisure battery and I wondered what I could fit onto the small 12v socket plugs and use? As you say maybe a small 12v t.v. but I can't think of much else to use them for. My mobile charges from ciggy lighter.
I think they are mainly intended for something like a TV. We have a 12v socket to ciggy lighter socket adaptor for our caravan and use it to plug in GPS, and extra coolbox when on EHU. Also to charge phones as our socket in the car only has power when the engine is running. On EHU we just use our regular chargers.
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Topic: Life support and navigation
