new battery time again

Thanks for the reply, Merl, Yes I get all that but I have no way of testing and the battery does not say. If it is killed then I shall just have to think again but I am happy that all is OK for now. If I experience the smell of hot beeswax, a smell with which I am very familiar, I shall try to do something about it. What, I don't yet know, but maybe something will turn up. I wont be up your way for a while as my daughter is bringing her family down here when there is a gap in the weather. She is going to hire a caravan on the coast, not sure where yet but she thinks on the Lizard somewhere. Break their journeys here, I suppose.
 
Easiest way to test the current is as I've mentioned previously.
Start with a fully charged battery, then remove say 10Ah, You can do this by running the TV, lights etc and measure the current that's being drawn and then calculate the time in hours needed to remove 10Ah. ie 10A for 1 hour or 5A for 2 hours.
Remove the loads, start the van and measure the charge current and the battery voltage AT THE BATTERY again ( you don't need to be driving just start the engine and rev it slightly). Switch off the engine and make a note of the charging current and battery voltage.
Drain another 10Ah and repeat, you'll notice that the charging current increases as the battery gets further and further depleted. ( Don't go crazy, no need to exceed 75% discharge)
Check the stats of your new battery re max charge current and see if you're exceeding that, if you are then you'll need to add some resistance to the charge circuit to slow it down, it'll be easy to calculate what you need from the measurements you wrote down.
 
thanks Merl. I will read that properly and do it when I am wider awake not half asleep as am just now.
 
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