Club 80-90 Forums

Hi all,

I went out to move the van today and had a flat battery, the vans not geting driven much at the minute due to all the work I've been doing on it, so I thought I'd put a question out to you guys to see how you handle long term storage of your vans and how you keep both the leasure and van batteries topped up and maintained.

I am starting from scratch with the whole electrical system and have a limited budget, but I would like to install a pair of solar panels on the van roof next year. I will probably keep a cover over it in the winter months and I'm unsure if the van battery can be maintained using the panels anyway?

I'm not sure the best route to take, good battery charger/maintainer? Plug the van in via shore power? Or get a good solar set up and do away with the cover?

I've been looking at the Simarine Pico battery monitor paired with a Victron smart solar mppt charger and was thinking of maybe building in a Noco Genius battery maintainer into the setup so that it I can keep the van and leasure battery in peak condition over winter.

What do you guys do and would you advise?

Many thanks

Andy

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I use a battery charger and maintainer (AA battery charger and maintainer),1 each for main and leisure. I have them plugged in to the mains when the van is at home. They are easy to remove as they have a plug that’s fits permanently to the battery and the charger just fits in. I’ve had them for 18 months and never looked back. If you use a cover, your solar panels will not work. I’ve used a cover, but seems to be a consensus to use a canuba wax instead. Just done it a month ago and it seems pretty dam good. So no cover required.

Solar panels will keep the batteries topped up if nothing is drawing from the batteries larger than the charge going in
If you don’t cover the panel , and as long as you don’t get suckered buy a cheap PWM solar controller .

If you have mains where you park the van, a simple intelligent maintaining charger for each battery will keep all good link here to the ones I have two of
I have one for each battery hard wired into both the mains and battery system so as soon as it is plugged into the hook up both batteries are being charged and maintained .

Hi Mocki,

Thanks for the reply. How did you wire the maintainer into the hook up, so that it is automatic? Sounds like a good idea. I have power to the van less than 2m away and it would certainly solve the problem.
Thanks

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the ones i use do not require a reset everytime you power them up, so i simply installed a socket just for them from the consumer unit , as soon as power is onto the van , they are charging, no switching on, or off, no forgetting!!

That's a great idea, thanks for the advice.

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