Maintenance of Aux Battery

Hi Mike I use a 5Watt solar panel on shed roof this keeps aux batt fully charged & panel that size no need for regulator. Cheers Daryl

Morning Mike.

I have a similar situation.
I have a small solar panel connected to the batteries and also top that off with connecting a good multi stage charger on a regular basis. When the charger is on the solar is off.

regards

What I used to do was connect the batteries together in parallel when at home/around town which meant they were both being used all the time, seperate them when going away camping/forwheeling.
If the vehicle is just parked in the shed for extended periods then a small solar panel or a smart charger connected is the best way to go.

Mike, If you use a small solar panel (as I do) to keep your batteries charged-up, you will need to put a jumper connection between the two battery + terminals so the panel will charge both batteries. Otherwise you need to keep swapping the charger between the batteries.

The jumper need not be high current-carrying capacity. Just remember to remove it before cranking the motor.

Maybe get the battery checked by a Battery expert as it should retain some charge even when sitting for a few months ...

Rgds

Mandrake

G'day Mike
Your battery is more than likely dead from lack of charge. Flat batteries die quickly.
If you are having problems keeping your battery topped up just take it out & put it on an automatic battery charger. Mightn't even have to take it out with one of those Redarcs.
I got one of those 14 amp WACO cheapies for about $160. It is a bit bulky, but we do travel with it.There are better chargers out there than what I have.
The website I found for the battery I had at the time said it needed (from a failing memory) over 10 amps to charge properly. That is why I went for the 14 amps.
We use it to top the battery up if we are stationary & near power after a few days without moving. I run a straight solenoid system & the 2 batteries are connected when the ignition is on so it is usually right between trips. I do however charge it up with the charger if I leave the fridge on for a day or 2 when I come home from a trip to guarantee it is full.
What a mate did was put an Anderson plug on the bull bar that connected straight to the aux battery & one on the leads of his automatic battery charger with a lanyard attached & secured to a bench in front of where he parked. The lanyard was in case he forgot to unplug the charger. I like that idea. Cheap & simple. You don't even have to lift the bonnet.

Not wanting to steal your thread Mike - this is directly relevant (if you go solar).

Is the 5w solar panel the largest that doesn't need a regulator?

And if mounting it on the roof (which will obviously be quite a distance from panel to battery) what size wiring will be required?

Mike - are you saying that for the rest of the year the 80 just sits in the garage? The issue with deep cycle batteries is that they take a bloody long time to get a half decent charge into them from just driving around. So once it gets low you really have to put a charger onto it before heading off because it will not likely recharge properly just from driving. In fact if you go to Collyn Rivers web-site there are a number of great articles on batteries and charging - you'll find out how batteries are generally never fully charged from the alternator. It is definitely worth going and having a look on that site.
Cheers from the Moose and safe travels.

Hi Moose, I use twin mains flex with 5watt its only about 300Ma. I use 2 panels one for the boat & other for caravan battery. I prefer solar as its free energy & pannels are cheep. Cheers Daryl

Mike,

I assume your auxiliary battery is mounted in your vehicle, controlled by the Redarc Isolator and charged by the alternator.
If this assumption (deduced by your description) is correct, there is something wrong with your charging process.

Both primary and secondary batteries should be charged via the alternator and there is no way the auxiliary battery should die "through lack of use".

If however, the auxiliary is in fact in a camper or caravan and you are only using this a couple of times a year, then I would agree with the need for either a solar panel to maintain a charge, or have the remote battery connected to a multi-stage "smart" charger, which can maintain a float charge indefinitely.

No battery should be adversely affected by "lack of use" if it is maintained in a fully charged condition.

Bill.

Hi Mike

I would suggest you disconnect both batteries if you only use this vehicle twice a year and maintain the batteries with a small mains charger or a small solar system.

Batteries that sit will build up sulphation and loose capacity.

I would suggest you load test the batteries and start a strict maintenance schedule so the batteries have a longer life span.

Regards

Derek from ABR