Battery issues

[Johnston97]

Hi all, I hope there is someone that can help me.

Basically I’ve been having a few electrical issues with out fridge over the last months and I’m wondering if it’s coming from our battery.

The Voltmeter inside the van today was showing a reading of 14v (we also have solar panels) and then the fridge started to work and instantly this then started to drop and after about an hour, the voltage is reading as 12.0v. If I then turn on the lights it instantly drops to about 11.6v.

We had a health check done on the battery which they said to us it was fine but I’m unsure if it’s accurate. We have only had the t6 for 6 months but the battery is about 2 years old.

The strange thing is that our charger shows it’s fully charged even though it’s reading 11.6v inside the van. Any advise would be great. I’ve attached some photos.

 

[roadtripper]

That looks like only an 80aH Flooded Lead Acid battery and an off brand workshop charger. If you've been regularly discharging under 50% capacity (12v) then it's likely the battery is nearing the end of it's life.

How is the battery charged from the van?

 

[Johnston97]

is it normal for the voltage to instantly drop whenever lights/fridge/heater etc is switched on?

We regularly charge it with ehu at home but it also has solar charge as well.

Just want to make sure we should change the battery before paying out if there isn’t actually anything wrong with it.

 

[roadtripper]

Personally I'd change to at least a 100aH if you have the space and replace that charger with something that will look after the battery like a Victron/CTEK/NoCo.

No a rapid voltage drop under load is not normal and indicates that the battery cannot supply reasonable current. Usually it means the battery has been heavily discharged regularly and damaged, the plates get shorted.

See my posts on this thread for background on battery life etc

Newbie battery charger questions

Hi all, I'm new to forum and to campervan ownership. We have bought a new T28 conversion and would like to understand the battery and charging setup. The items which depend on the battery in our van from the top of my head are: Fridge; Heater (its run off diesel but has a fan); Lights; Water...

www.t6forum.com

Do you have any charging from the van electrics?

 

[Johnston97]

Thank you for your help on this, really appreciated. Do you have any recommendations to decent battery that would be under or around £200?

Is a voltage drop from 12.3v to 12.0v normal when the lights are switched on?

Yes the van was converted so that it charges whilst being driven if that’s what you mean?

I don’t understand why the charger would say the battery is fully charged but then internally it shows 12.0v

 

[Bigsidavies]

Same happened to me last year. Knackered LB.
Replaced with Renogy LiFePo and no issues since.

 

[Johnston97]

Thanks Bigsidavies - what charger do you have with it

 

[roadtripper]

I don’t understand why the charger would say the battery is fully charged but then internally it shows 12.0v

Most likely because I'm afraid to say it's a pretty terrible charger. I think I've seen the same setup on another thread and when we tried to locate the charger it seemed to be a sub £40 unbranded workshop charger on Amazon.

What age and type of van do you have?

If you have start stop and they have not fitted a DC-DC charger then that will also not be looking after your battery very well.

You can replace just the battery but I suspect then you would be replacing it again in 2 years. Ideally work out what's caused your existing one to have a short life and fix that as well.

Tanya are generally good price and, for me, the service has been excellent

Car Batteries - Motorcycle Batteries - Leisure Batteries - Cheap Prices!

Tayna Batteries offer batteries for all applications at cheap prices. We specialise in Car Batteries, Leisure Batteries, Motorcycle Batteries and Mobility Batteries. With the UK's widest range of famous brands and next day delivery we cannot be beaten.

www.tayna.co.uk

 

[Johnston97]

It’s a 17 plate t6 but it does not have stop start.

Okay I will look into replacing the battery and charger at the same time. Thanks again for your help!

 

[roadtripper]

If you are not start/stop then on a conventional alternator you should at least be getting full charge on a split charge relay.

Is your fridge a compressor fridge? I suspect your charger is only around the 5 amp region and so with the fridge running may not always keep up.

If you have the space the 15A Victron is a reasonable unit which will help float the 12v load when on hookup and has a good app to keep an eye on things.

Victron Energy Blue Smart IP65 Charger - 12V 15A (Bluetooth Built-In)

Victron Blue Smart IP65 12V 15A professional charger with built-in Bluetooth & 7-stage charging algorithm. Ideal for larger leisure batteries & boats.

www.12voltplanet.co.uk

 

[Johnston97]

Yes it is a compressor fridge. So sounds like a new charger and a new battery would be worth looking into? Thanks again for your help