Camping without hook-up

Rob, the original question was
What I'd like is a bit of help as to how good my engine will be a charging my battery. How fast does an engine charge a leisure battery?
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As you pointed out by telling us it takes 7 minutes to replace the 1/10 Ah used to start the engine, to replace the 60Ah in a discharged leisure battery is going to take a long time.
True, if your battery is dead flat, then using the engine on fast idle to prevent damage to the battery by getting some charge into it is certainly a wise move - but to rely on idling a 100kW car engine for an hour is not the best way to set up for independent camping.

BTW - the 12V outputs on most generators are intended to power 12V loads. They will put some charge into a flat battery in an emergency, but are fairly lousy at properly charging a battery.
 
If you are only out for a week or four at a time then a partial charge of the hab battery surely does until you get home for a proper hook up. If we can agree on this point then surely it can be accepted that a short boost charge every so often from a small genny would suffice. Just don't let it get below 12.2 v. or so. Not too scientific BUT?
 
No problems

Just done from friday night to monday evening with only one leisure battery and not on hook up and as expected and as usual, no problems at all. We did not start the engine not even for a second.:)
Done this many times, however you do need to be more carefull as to what you use on dark winter nights:D
 
I have a Honda EX650, which runs well and does everything it needs to, the only problem is the petrol fumes reaching the cab interior when the unit is stored in the rear compartment. Does anyone one have any suggestions that solves this problem? Thanks.
 
try getting it converted to gas , i have a honda 10i done that way no petrol fumes.Ive been pondering over a onboard genny or a efoy fuel cell but have decided to go with 2 130ah batteries that will give me about 36 hours without charging to power my avtex 15" tv , pace didital box , camos dome saterlite dish.
 
peteincambridge said:
I have bought two 100 amp Elecsol batteries (it's easy to swop over when one is tired) ... but I haven't really got space to link them together. I have nice stand alone CTEK charger (if there is an electric supply nearby) and my Lunar Pinnacle Van charges when the engine runs. I am a bit of a Sky Sports freak so I use my inverter quite a bit to run my box ... which I know is very naughty but that's not going to change. What I'd like is a bit of help as to how good my engine will be a charging my battery. How fast does an engine charge a leisure battery? If I choose to stay onsite and just run the engine will my leisure battery get fully charged? Do I need a very small (silent!!) generator or can I cope with what I have.
I'd really welcome some help on this.

By the way ... this is my first post.

pete
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I have read the replies and there are some good tips in there but some things you need to remember.

You have a CTEK charger which has several stages and needs longer to fully charge a battery. It will probably cut out at 13.8 volts.

Remember the 80% rule. If fully charged, if you do not go below 80% of capacity, a battery will last a long, long time. I know this is not always feasible when wilding, so expect a shorter battery lifespan.
Most cheap inverters are rated at 80% efficiency and work a battery hard. Plus they do not give a pure sine wave, which can effect some equipment. A pure sine wave inverter is much more expensive to buy.
If you constantly give your battery deep discharges then you will need to change it more often. I used to run my fridge on battery at first and needed a new battery within 2 years.

Its all a compromise.
 
12v Sky box

Hi all,
Seem's to me that you need a 12v BskyB box.
Pace made some and there is one for sale on ebay Click here to view.They are all second hand now.:(
Thus your inverter is redundant.;)
Link your two leisure batteries as already suggested.
Also consider the use of solar panels to charge leisure batteries, as these need no extra expense after purchase and are enviormently and neighbour friendly.:eek::eek::eek:
I have two on my van giving a total of 190 watts linked to two 110 amp/hr batteries, and have never had the need to hook up for the last three years I also fitted a battery master which allows surplus power from the solar panels to charge the van battery when leisure batteries fully charged. Like you I watch tele nearly every night when away with minimal heating and lighting on.:p
Once you get the gear you can transfere it across to a new van should the need arise.:D:D:D
Hope this helps.
 
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I have 2 - 85 amp leisure batteries, and a 800watt inverter and van bitz battery master fitted to our van, and have just had 7 nights on a site in Skeggy without hook up, and we went out in the van 2 days driving approx 8 miles return each day. No broblems with flat batteries.

John.
 
Pete,
There are a couple of things that might help you.

1) Disconnect your + battery terminal with everything switched off andput a multimeter from the battery post to the end of the lead you have just removed. Set the m/m to amps and see if you have any current showing. It should be zero. If it shows anything then you have a drain on your battery all the time.

2) There is an article in the new MMM magazine about LED lighting and how much power it saves. Remember that an Elecsol 100ah battery is about £100 and will only last a certain time. The man who wrote the article spent just over £100 for 14 LED units and cut his power consumption a lot
With 12 lamps on he went from 10A to 1.44A drain on his battery
 
had a listen to one of these in Conrad Anderson UKs caravan at the pickering motorhome show thought it was a bit too noisy for me as i have a autosleeper legend and the only fitting place was under the floor where the seating area is.
 
BedfordMJ said:
Am I reading this correct does it not provide 240volts?
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I run an Gasperini Energy 20 and have done so for the past 18 months. I have been parked on a site with no hookup for the last 2 weeks. In my van the noise is no more than a vibration when it is running. It doesn't even stop us going to sleep.

We have asked people parked near us if they are disturbed by it running and the standard reply is "we didn't even notice it was running"

I left it running the other night when no one else was using the site and we both went to sleep with it on. Normally we would turn it off.

No it does not produce 240v It gives 12V at 20amps to the batteries. It was running this morning and we were talking to a chap outside of the van and he couldn't hear it running.

We can run mains equipment on our 1600w inverter and if the battery starts to flag it cuts in automatically. It stops itself when the batteries are back to fully charged. It stops it the engine is started, otherwise it is switch it on and foget it is there. It charges in the dark when a solar pannel cannot.

I can also run my mains powered Ham equipment while wilding. I can run my laptop. 1K electric kettle. Ramoska 650w Oven. Dolce-Gusto coffee machine. George Forman Grill all with no problem, or fearing the batteries will go flat, also TV and Sky box without being limited to time. We cannot run everthing simultaneously but then you wouldn't be able to do so on a hookup either.

With this equipment we do not have to worry about places with restrictions on using live gas appliances to prepare a hot meal.

One drawback is the location of the oil tank filler. It needs systhetic two stroke oil added from time to time. The filler is about half way up the unit and we have to crawl under the van to fill it. This is a messy job but we have only had to do it twice in 18 months of hard use.
 
Sounds fantastic! so far we havent needed such a device and in three months touring we were on hookup probably 7 nights but you touring so you dont need to worry. If it was winter and we were full timing and perhaps staying in one location wild camping for a month then I can see the advantages of this bit of kit. If I understand it correcly you would never need hook up again.

Pity about the price though but it certainly sounds great. Spent £1500 on a Camos so Mrs D could watch Big Brother in italy so I guess its not too bad if its as good as it sounds
 
We have just got back from 2weeks wild camping in the iom and drove about most days going places but only for about an hour each day.And we had no power problems the batteries 2x110amp never went below 12.50volts and we have a 10"lcd tv on every night and led lights and a 12v compresser fridge.I bought a sterling 1kw silent genny last yr never used it yet as i now have a sterling 90amp battery to battery digital charger and i can say best bit of kit bought for wild camping expensive but it chargers the batteries right up full.Sterling Power Products: Battery to Battery Chargers Ohh and can you not get 12v sky boxes these days be better than running the inverter?

Mike
 
We stayed 10 days at the Bristol balloon festival without hook up or running the engine. I have one 85 amp gel battery + solar panel. We watch some TV using our small sat dish & had no problems with the power. Personally we tend to restrict what we watch on TV & if theres nothing worth watching we stick the radio on or read.
 
Dont forget, Idling a diesel engine for long periods is likely to cause the cylinders to glaze.
 
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