# Battery life when stood



## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

We leave for Spain on the 26 November but as we will be taking the Car/Caravan the new Peugeot panel van conversion will be stood for 4 months.
What do the experts think about the vehicle battery, will it last or will it discharge so much that it will be damaged.
The leisure battery is topped up by the Solar panel and I have made up a fused cable to connect the two together but not sure whether to do this or not.
Any thoughts would be welcome.

Mike


----------



## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

It will self-discharge, the rate will vary with temperature, but if it is connected to the vehicle then it will certainly die in a few months just doing nothing.

Either rig up its own solar panel charger, or get it indoors onto a float/trickle charger.

Peter


----------



## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

listerdiesel said:


> It will self-discharge, the rate will vary with temperature, but if it is connected to the vehicle then it will certainly die in a few months just doing nothing.
> 
> Either rig up its own solar panel charger, or get it indoors onto a float/trickle charger.
> 
> Peter


What about connecting it to the leisure battery, I've tried it and both batteries go to the same level, just like having two leisure batteries connected together.

Mike


----------



## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

Yes, if you take the connection to the vehicle electrics off first, and as long as the two batteries are roughly similar in capacity, that would be a good solution.

Peter


----------



## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

listerdiesel said:


> Yes, if you take the connection to the vehicle electrics off first, and as long as the two batteries are roughly similar in capacity, that would be a good solution.
> 
> Peter


Thanks for the advice.
It's a 2012 Peugeot Boxer and there seems to be quite a few connections to the battery, if I disconect them will that stop the immobilisor working and when I reconnect will there be things to recode i.e. engine and radio.

Mike


----------



## Bill_H (Feb 18, 2011)

An alarm or even a clock will slowly discharge your vehicle battery, 4 months might be pushing it, rather depends on it's age and capacity.
I leave a small 4a, direct to battery, solar panel connected to mine all the time I'm not using it. Connecting to leisure battery will, as noted above give you the extra capacity, and I think I'd be happy to go away for 4 months leaving them connected together, your solar panel will look after the charge to both.


----------



## NTG (Dec 16, 2011)

Fitting a solar charge controller which manages the engine AND leisure batteries would sort the problem. I guess you could connect the batteries via an isolator and fuse as you said, but I wouldn't do that. If one battery failed, it would take the other one with it.
I used the Schaudt solar regulator which charges and protects both batteries, but I'm sure there's plenty of alternates.


----------



## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*tow*

Would you not tow the Caravan with th PVC?

Just a thought!

TM


----------



## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

MikeCo said:


> listerdiesel said:
> 
> 
> > Yes, if you take the connection to the vehicle electrics off first, and as long as the two batteries are roughly similar in capacity, that would be a good solution.
> ...


Most radios don't need recoding these days? My 1998-built Discovery holds its code in flash memory, so you don't need to recode after taking the battery off, but to go back to your question:

If the solar panel has enough output to keep both batteries up including the vehicle alarms and clock drain, then leave the vehicle electrics connected. If it can't keep up then you'll kill both batteries eventually, so you will need a larger solar panel.

If the vehicle battery was off/disconnected you would indeed lose the immobiliser and any alarm, but the vehicle couldn't move anyway.

Peter


----------

