In my previous life as a motorhomer I had 2 X 110W deep cycle batteries installed. The advice I was given was that if you keep a constant charge on a deep cycle battery it will eventually loose its memory! And that you should let it discharge before you recharge ie recycling the battery charge.. My Eriba at the moment is on permanent charge as I have a small oil heater keeping the internal temperature around 12 - 15 degrees. We'll be using it at Xmas but more importantly if I haven't drained the water sufficiently hopefully I won't get any frozen water anywhere.

Robin

Strange advice on "exercising" a lead acid battery. Perhaps the adviser was concerned about keeping a battery at full charging voltage of 13.7V which would probably cook it eventually.

I thought that memory advice was for NiCad batteries. It is not the case for modern Lithium Ion batteries which can be charged at any time irrespective of their state of charge.

CTek chargers (and other makes of smart charger) carry out a small degree of cycling between 12.7 and 14.2 in their maintenance mode which is why they are OK to leave on permanently. They certainly don't allow the battery to discharge.

I think Pooledweller’s Eriba has the Schaudt system which has a multi stage charger. Am I right in thinking that the older basic BIP has a single constant stage charger?
So the advice will be different for Schaudt, CTek, BIP and different for battery types.
I don’t know if the BIP in my 10 year old Triton has been left on overwinter or not but I would like to leave the van permanently connected when not in use.
Does anybody else do this with older Eribas?

Hi Francis & Tony,

Don’t know about the different Eriba fitted chargers, mine’s over 10 years old so, I think, like yours, has a single stage charger, certainly the voltage of the battery seems pretty constant at 13.7v. So for the reasons mentioned by Ray Lawrence I think the Ctek is a good idea.

I’m planning to leave mine permanently connected to the mains, hence the original question, I’ve stripped out all my bedding, cushions etc so won’t be sleeping in it, especially after fitting the cover, just waiting for a dry day to give it a final wash & dry then cover on. Hopefully this weekend!

I’m going to leave the battery in and use my Ctek charger and also leave a small oil type heater on a low setting.

Chris

Chris. You say your leaving it connected but using a CTek charger! So does that mean you disconnect the battery but leave everything else in situ?

I had my motor mover fitted in 2014 by Midland Movers in Aldridge, they fiited at the same time a battery and Ctek charger.
They told me to keep the EHU connected and the Ctek charger plugged in all the time .
4 years later we have never had any problems with the mover.

Hi Fancis/Tony,

Sorry about the delay in replying, yes, what i have done is left the 'van connected to the mains, disconnected the battery but left it in situ, switched off the built in BIP charger and connected the Ctek and my mini oil filled heater. Due to a minor accident I haven't been able to get the cover on yet but hope to do it today, she'll then be buttoned up for winter!

Another minor mod I did was to add a switch to the water pump 12v dc supply, didn't want a recurrence of the burnt out pump I had on the EOC Welsh meet earlier this year!

Chris

I have used a small, freestanding 30w solar panel. My van is kept in an outdoor storage facility and I prop the little panel in a window facing as near south as possible. You can purchase a complete kit for around £70, including a controller. I connect the two wires to the battery with crocodile clips. This has always kept my battery charged, even throughout some long periods of dull winter days, and I can therefore use the mover whenever I need to.

Bob

Hi, do you remove the fuse to switch off, and if so which one.

regards Steve.

No. I simply connect the solar panel to the controller via 12v cigar lighter type socket. Never had any problems so far.