HEEEELP!!! Our cvan battery wont charge on 240v
Submitted: Sunday, Apr 19, 2009 at 19:01
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ange77
Please help....We have a 2006 Jayco expanda, we have just arrived in
Carnarvon with a flat battery in the van after a few days of beach camping, we are now hooked in2 power in a cvan park in town. We have been here 2 days now and our battery in the van has not even charged a little bit. Usually we only use it for a light and to pump some water when we're out of town and don't know what to do. The battery was ok earlier on in the year but this is really the only time when we've really needed it. We are driving to
Darwin over the next month and will need to pump water out of the tanks but no power, does anyone know what the problem could be???
Reply By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Sunday, Apr 19, 2009 at 19:04
Sunday, Apr 19, 2009 at 19:04
What sort of charger are you using and have you turned it on.
AnswerID:
360398
Reply By: Roughasguts - Sunday, Apr 19, 2009 at 19:04
Sunday, Apr 19, 2009 at 19:04
Have you checked the charger unit for a blown fuse?
There maybe a fuse around the back of the my charger has a 15 Amp spade that has blown twice.
AnswerID:
360399
Reply By: Rockape - Sunday, Apr 19, 2009 at 19:14
Sunday, Apr 19, 2009 at 19:14
A few things come to mind
1. the battery is u/s.
check the voltage of the battery and whether it can supply a load. eg: voltage is ok when measured across the battery but when you place a load on it the voltage collapses. Dud cell.
2. Your battery charger is u/s.
Check the output.
3. The wiring between the charger is u/s. Blown fuse or broken wire.
If you don't have anything to measure volts or continuity, try talking to fellow travellers or the local battery supplier
AnswerID:
360401
Follow Up By: austastar - Sunday, Apr 19, 2009 at 19:47
Sunday, Apr 19, 2009 at 19:47
1. put a 12V lamp across the Battery charger to see if it has voltage.
2. put the lamp between one lead of the charger and the post of the battery to see if current is flowing into the battery
If 1. won't work,
check the fuses/wiring etc till it works.
2. should give you an idea of how much current is flowing through to the battery. i.e. if you use a 12W tail globe and it glows brightly, your charger is capable of pushing 1Amp through the lamp, so it will charge your battery if the battery is capable of holding it.
cheers
FollowupID:
628196
Reply By: Max - Sydney - Sunday, Apr 19, 2009 at 20:15
Sunday, Apr 19, 2009 at 20:15
Ange
When we had a flat caravan battery, the battery bloke measured it and said that the terminal voltage was less than 9 volts, and that most modern battery chargers simply turn off below 9 volts.
Maybe you need a new battery - is there someone in
Carnarvon that can
test it for you if you do not have a multi meter?
Max
AnswerID:
360419
Reply By: oldtrack123 - Sunday, Apr 19, 2009 at 21:31
Sunday, Apr 19, 2009 at 21:31
Hi
CHECK the battery "charger" if it is a "SETEC" it not realy a true battery charger only a cheap trickle charger which will never realy charge your flat battery. They simply do not put out a high enough volyage.
If your battery has been undercharged for a long period it could also now be ruined.
AnswerID:
360438
Reply By: Lenticular - Sunday, Apr 19, 2009 at 21:35
Sunday, Apr 19, 2009 at 21:35
Ange,
I agree with the comment re modern battery chargers not charging a battery if it has less than 9 volts. I completely flattened my 3 month old Delcor Calcium deep cycle battery in our Windsor Rapid (also 3 months old). The onboard battery charger wouldn't put any charge into the battery at all because of the low voltage. I dug out my old battery charger (a dumb one- it put out charge regardless of the battery condition) and connected it to the battery manually. This caused the modern onboard charger to "see" 12 volts, and to start charging it up. I disconnected the old charger and left the modern one to get on with the job (took more than 2 days before dropping back to "sustain" setting). That battery is now 4 years old and still going strong. I was lucky.
AnswerID:
360439
Reply By: Member - Richard H (NSW) - Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 14:07
Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 14:07
I just checked my Jayco van. The electric system is a 'SETEC', and if you open the fuse box cover you should see a small notice that says ,'this unit is only suitable for charging lead-acid batteries only'. If you have a deep cycle battery the unit will not charge it, or so it says.
I have two deep cycle batteries installed, I'll make a point of watching the batteries voltage, and I'll charge them with a battery charger if I have to.
Find lots of things out on this site, don't you.
AnswerID:
360529
Reply By: Member - Dalb (SA) - Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 18:31
Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 18:31
Ange
Had same problem in my new secondhand Coromal van during a trip. In my case I had accidentally flicked the charger switch to OFF - I did not even know the switch was there.
So maybe do a quick
check before looking for technical problems.
cheers Dalb
AnswerID:
360565
Reply By: gjcumming - Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 18:39
Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 18:39
Hello Ange77.
I'm an 2006 Expanda owner.
Is the switch (single white light switch) that selects the lights, fans & 12Vt water pump onto power sourced from your Battery turned "on"? This same switch turns the Setec charger on to the Battery if your caravan is connected to 240Vt power from the caravan park.
ie: When connected to caravan park 20Vt power:
Switch off: lights, fans & 12Vt water pump are powered by 12Vt sourced from the Setec unit which converts the 240Vt caravan park power to 12Vt.
Switch on: Setec charger supplies charge to your onboard battery. Your lights, fans & 12Vt water pump are powered by 12Vt sourced from the Setec unit which converts the 240Vt caravan park power to 12Vt.
When not connected to caravan park 240Vt power:
Switch off: Nothing operates.
Switch on: Setec charger supplies your lights, fans & 12Vt water pump with 12Vt power sourced from your onboard battery.
Regards: Grant
AnswerID:
360568