The resolution in this example is to replace BOTH batteries (while also upgrading from calcium types to high quality AGM batteries), repairing many of the cables with faulty crimping, fit a DC-DC charger for better quality charging while driving, and re-program ALL chargers to suit the new battery type and capacity. Letting this persist simply puts extreme demands on the single battery that is still working, and actually CAUSES it to fail. You don’t know this is going on because the meters only look at the battery bank as a whole. One battery fails – due to age, condition, mismanagement etc – and the other battery ends up working twice as hard.
This is a classic case of what happens with many battery banks (where you have more than one battery). In this case, one battery is not providing ANY current, while the other one is struggling. Using a special device, we put a high load on the batteries and check the ability for the battery to deliver the current, while retaining its voltage.
#Camper battery monitor full
Don’t mix and match different ages (or different types) of batteries.Īs an additional test, professional service centres should do a full load test on each battery individually. They both need replacing. You should ALWAYS replace ALL of your batteries at the same time. The misleading monitor has lead to extreme overuse and damage to the batteries.īased on the above results you can be confident at least one of the batteries is completely dead, and the other one is on the way.
To do this you will need a multi-meter – set to voltage (DC) reading. Step 5. After having disconnected all cables from all batteries, you can then test each individual battery’s voltage.Be careful as if a battery is leaking acid, it will hurt your skin, damage your clothing etc. Step 4. Physically check the battery – if there are any bulges or cracks in the battery itself, corrosion marks, liquid stains – they are all indicators that there are major problems.(As an aside, where you need multiple connections, this is an example of a quality setup.) If you have piles of connections, its a recipe for disaster as its difficult to get good connections, and troubleshooting becomes much more time consuming. A quality battery installation will only have 1-2 connections on each battery.As you take the cables off the batteries, tape them up with insulation tape so they don’t short out. Be careful to label or remember where they connect back to.
Then disconnect ALL the cables off the batteries. To do this, first disconnect your van from mains power, and disconnect any inverters. Test the voltage/condition of each individual battery. If they are, you have wiring/installation issues. Carefully touch the cables that connect the battery charger to the batteries. Step 2. Perform a charging check – Plug your van into 240V mains power, and let the battery charger run for a few hours.Often they are in the front boot, under the bed, or mounted on the exterior of the chassis on the side of the van. Step 1. Locate your battery compartment.This is a guide only, and does not show you the quality of the battery condition. If you have a battery monitor (which we highly recommend), where you get a % reading, this gives you better accuracy, but still requires further regular checks. Most battery gauges simply show you the voltage of the entire battery bank. Do you have a built-in voltmeter, or battery monitor? If so, it’s a good starting point, but can be very misleading. Checking your caravan batteries every 12 months is good practice and will help to avoid that flat battery scenario of warm beer and spoiled food.
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