If I leave my hookup on during winter to keep my battery charged Willl this be ok. Or is it better to disconnect the battery and keep it on a trickle charge
Mine has been in the van for 12 years, it gets charged when we are away and once during the winter. I have never seen the need to gave a battery constantly on charge.
------------- Bill
For a licence dated 1997 or later you must add together the plated max weight of the caravan and trailer, if the total is 3500 or less you can tow it. You may even tow a caravan with a MAM greater than the cars unladen mass the restriction was removed in 2013
Make sure you lag the EHU cable,you wouldn't want the electric to freeze in the cable.
Seriously though check the spec of your hook up cable, some cable can lose its flexibility at low temperatures and may crack
Mine get a top up charge once every 2 months during the winter.
I dont see the point in your charger being on constantly
Never leave your battery connected to a caravan charger for more than the time required except if using a C-Tek charger or similar. Although the caravan charger system is sufficient, the technical disadvantage is it never fully charges the battery to its full capacity. The charge voltage is cut off prematurely at 13.85 volts. Whichever type of battery you use, the in built charger will give a maximum charge to within 80% of the batteries original capacity. Over a period of time, this can cause sulphation of the plates in leisure batteries, due to under charging.
Always re-charge a battery after use and if the caravan is to be stored for more than one month, ensure the battery is removed and stored in a fully charged condition in a cool, dry place. Check every two months and re-charge if necessary to ensure long and trouble free battery life. A battery left below 12.4 V will deteriorate quickly and will not be able to be recharged to its original capacity. If charging the battery when removed from the caravan, do not charge the battery on concrete, this could definitely affect battery charge acceptance (Heat sink effect).
FAQ's
I was told by some old timers that if you leave a battery on the ground or a concrete floor it will ruin the battery. Is this true?
"That is something a lot of "old timers" say. The reason they say that is in the "olden days" vehicle starting batteries used to be made with a hard rubber container. This hard rubber would eventually get mini cracks and become porous. So, when placing a battery on the ground or concrete, the battery would discharge through the ground or wet concrete. Nowadays, containers are made from a solid plastic that does not allow any current to flow through it, so the batteries do not discharge, even if they sit in a few inches of water. That is why you will not find your battery having trouble from sitting on the ground or concrete."
saxo1
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Electric hookup in winter
