# A Little help please - Dud Battery



## SwoopnNick (Oct 20, 2009)

Hi Guys

I have done a search on the forum and I have got myself a little confused!

Basically the motorhome has been laid up for a couple of months and when I have gone out to start it up the main engine battery is dead!

I have charged it and it's now OK but how can I prevent this from happening again?

I am lead to believe that you can get a leisure battery to engine battery charger but again I am unsure!

I have a solar panel that seems to be keeping the leisure battery up to speed, and would love to know how I go about connecting the leisure to the main engine battery to keep that fully charged all the time???

Any help guys?

Peter


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## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

Try this!
http://www.motts.org/BRIDGING FUSE.htm

C.


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## trevorf (May 16, 2005)

Or this :-

Battery Master

Trevor


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## robflyer (Nov 17, 2006)

Fit a Vanbitz Battery Master and hook up occasionally. When the leisure battery(s) is fully charged the Battery Master will transfer the chargs to the vehicle battery. Battery Master is very easy to fit.

Robflyer


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## moby56 (Sep 16, 2010)

Buy a battery optimiser I have one for motorbike but also available for larger batteries never let me down in 3 years all you do is connect it up and leave it hooked up to the mains


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## Chascass (May 10, 2007)

1/ I had Clives solution fitted for a couple of years, which worked very well, if you go this rout make sure you have a ready supply of fuses as I always forgot to remove it before starting the engine.

2/ I now have a battery master fitted which I won or I would probably still have the above in use.

Good points/bad points

1/ Good points/ Cheap, you can fit yourself in a hour depending on the location of the leisure battery. Bad points/ Fuse must be removed before starting and replaced after stopping.

2/ Good points/ Fit and forget. Bad points/ will cost in the region of £70 and the cost of fitting, if you have not got some knowledge of 12 v circuitry.

Charlie


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## sheringham (Mar 24, 2006)

Thanks Clive

Q1. If one battery is fully charged and the other "dead" will there be a surge from one to the other?

Q2. What size cable do you suggest?

Q3 Would it be possible to use the 12V cigarette lighter point to provide a bridge to the starter battery so long as there was a fuse in line?

Ron


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## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

Q1. If one battery is fully charged and the other "dead" will there be a surge from one to the other? Ans I have never had this scenario as when one stops both batteries are in the same state of charge, the bridging fuse maintains this status. The solar panel )or anything else that charges one battery will now charge both. As said always carry a handfull of spare fuses.

Q2. What size cable do you suggest? Ans 1.5 mm sq as a minimum and 10 amp fuses.

Q3 Would it be possible to use the 12V cigarette lighter point to provide a bridge to the starter battery so long as there was a fuse in line?
Ans Not recommended. Many *** lighter sockets are ignition key switched and even if they are not it makes an untidy bodge. Do the job properly. Its easy. Mount the bridging fuse where you see it every time you climb into the cab. I have used the top corner of the footwell.

C.


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## dragabed (May 24, 2008)

*a little help please-dud battery*

i have just read an advert for something called a battery brain www.batterybrain.co.uk i dont know the product but what i have read on numerous posts on here this will solve a lot of peoples battery problems.


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## dragabed (May 24, 2008)

*a little help please a dud bat*

bump


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## SwoopnNick (Oct 20, 2009)

Thanks Guys for all your valued help.

I love the idea of the Battery Brain but which one do I need as there are about 10 to choose from?

http://www.batterybrain.co.uk/productspage.php

Can one of our techie members help us out on this one please?

Thanks

Peter


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Nearly all of them will meet your OP requirement, but at a cost FAR higher than the first reply to your OP.

If you love the batterybrain as you state, you have to state your requirement beyond that in your OP. 

Dave


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## TR5 (Jun 6, 2007)

Just one point to consider, the battery brain disconnects the vehicle battery when the voltage drops, so any memory items requiring a supply will be lost - radio pre-sets, clock time, etc......

For a motorhome, either Clive's fused link, if you can remember to remove the fuse before starting, or the battery master would be the better choice.

Mine was the battery master.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

For small known loads that aren't a problem, you can connect them the battery side of the brain, as it were.

Dave


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