Solar Charge Vehicle Battery

[Nigel W]

i know it’s sad but our camper is basically laid up over the winter and we can keep the leisure battery charged by using the hook up but not the vehicle battery.
On Amazon I can see a little solar charger which you plug into the EOBD socket which is sold under the AA name and which is supposed to keep a charged battery topped up.
I know this isn’t perfect but am I safe using the EOBD socket for this?
Other panels use the cigarette lighter plug - would this be better?
Sorry for all the questions but I am a numpty where vehicle electrics are concerned.

 

[Loz]

If you have the dash 12v socket that is permanently live then I would use that version personally.

 

[Nigel W]

If you have the dash 12v socket that is permanently live then I would use that version personally.

Thanks Loz, I remember you saying in another earlier post that you had a charger. The reason I was leaning towards the EOBD socket is my wife’s car, which is laid up for the summer whilst we go camping, has a switched cig lighter. So the AA charger would do both vehicles - but EOBD sockets scare me!

 

[Phil_G]

In a similar situation I've just bridged the vsr contacts and charged the starter battery from the hookup charger

 

[Nigel W]

In a similar situation I've just bridged the vsr contacts and charged the starter battery from the hookup charger

That’s a great way but fortunately or unfortunately I have a BtoB charger linking the vehicle battery to the leisure battery which has an automatic control so if I direct the hook up charger to the vehicle battery then that trips in the BtoB charger which then charges the leisure battery. So I am then charging two batteries from the one charger which just doesn’t feel right.