Hi everyone. Just interested to find out what people do, especially those living in a Lifestyle or Retirement Village environment, what they do after storing their caravan out in a storage area concerning the van battery. Is it just left not connected to mains power while not using the caravan or placed on trickle charge that would require the battery to be removed from the van and placed indoors out of the weather? That'd be a cumbersome job in my view unless you're strong and fit.
Peter_n_Margaret said
12:55 PM Jun 25, 2025
What battery type?
Cheers,
Peter
Are We Lost said
01:12 PM Jun 25, 2025
As Peter said, the battery type is important to know because AGM batteries should be kept charged whereas Lithium should not.
As you said "That'd be a cumbersome job in my view unless you're strong and fit" I take it your battery is heavy, which implies AGM. On that basis, kept topped up is best. If you want to avoid moving it, then how about a small solar panel? Is it stored in the open or in shade? Can you connect a charger every few weeks?
If it is Lithium, the general recommendation is to discharge to 80%. Then top it up from time to time. It should keep sufficient charge for a few months, but check for small parasitic draws.
-- Edited by Are We Lost on Wednesday 25th of June 2025 01:13:35 PM
TimTim said
05:13 PM Jun 25, 2025
You last statement about being strong and fit leads me to believe that you are talking about AGM's because LiFePO4 are much lighter unless you are using the 300Ah batteries.
I gather you are talking about covered storage but hopefully you have either openings on the side or openings where you can run a cable to outside or maybe the roof. If that is the case then simply do what I have done with my boat and buy a small solar panel and connect it to the battery via a small solar regulator.
Always connect your solar controller to your battery first.
If by chance you do have LiFePO4 batteries then do as Are We Lost has suggested and discharge them slightly, although I don't I'm not suggesting to follow my lead. Make sure that everything is turned off or disconnected so that you do not have a parasitic current draw and they will happy sit for many many months. The self discharge rate is between 1-3% and I have a 100Ah that been sat in my garage for the past 8 months that has only dropped about 10%.
Good luck
Tim
Greyhand said
07:58 PM Jun 25, 2025
Thanks everyone. Good advice. My battery is a 100Ah AGM so it's heavy. Seems like the Solar panel idea is a good one. We are probably moving to a Lifestyle Village where it seems that all the vans are stored out to pasture outside, so a good cover and Solar panel will be the way to go.
TimTim said
08:06 PM Jun 25, 2025
Some covers will let enough light through on to the solar panel to maintain your solar batteries. I have a Camec which does but is starting to deteriorate after 4 years.
Peter_n_Margaret said
09:38 PM Jun 25, 2025
A 5W solar panel will be sufficient and can be left connected directly to the battery without a regulator.
Cheers,
Peter
erad said
10:35 AM Jun 26, 2025
Years ago, I had a Mitsubishi Sigma. The battery died almost immediately after warranty expired. At the time, I was about to be sent overseas for more than a year, so I bought the cheapest battery I could find, because I knew that it too would be dead when I returned. As it turned out, I didn't go overseas, and I used this battey for nearly 2 years. The engine had very soft oil control rings and it burnt oil badly, so I fitted new rings to the engine. This was mid winter in Cooma. When I tried to start the engine, the battery didn't have enough grunt to turn the engine over, so I bought another battery. I used the cheapie battery as a door stop in my garage.
Some time later, a friend was going overseas for an extended time, and he emptied his battery acid into a bucket, washed out the battery cells with a hose and stored the acid in a bottle. I copied the idea with my cheapie battery which, at this time was 5 or 6 years old, and hadn't been used for 3 years. A lot of crud came out with the acid, and I siphoned off the acid, leaving the crud behind in the bucket.Fast forward another 4 years and the Sigma had been replaced with a Magna, and its battery had died just out of warranty. So I trotted out the door stop and bottle of acid, filled the battery and Voila - it lived. That battery lasted another 4 years in the Magna before it finally died. OK - this was a lead-acid battery, but I am sure that a lot of similar batteries could be salvaged for extended use. I have never tried this again, because later batteries have been sealed.
Hi everyone. Just interested to find out what people do, especially those living in a Lifestyle or Retirement Village environment, what they do after storing their caravan out in a storage area concerning the van battery. Is it just left not connected to mains power while not using the caravan or placed on trickle charge that would require the battery to be removed from the van and placed indoors out of the weather? That'd be a cumbersome job in my view unless you're strong and fit.
Cheers,
Peter
As Peter said, the battery type is important to know because AGM batteries should be kept charged whereas Lithium should not.
As you said "That'd be a cumbersome job in my view unless you're strong and fit" I take it your battery is heavy, which implies AGM. On that basis, kept topped up is best. If you want to avoid moving it, then how about a small solar panel? Is it stored in the open or in shade? Can you connect a charger every few weeks?
If it is Lithium, the general recommendation is to discharge to 80%. Then top it up from time to time. It should keep sufficient charge for a few months, but check for small parasitic draws.
-- Edited by Are We Lost on Wednesday 25th of June 2025 01:13:35 PM
You last statement about being strong and fit leads me to believe that you are talking about AGM's because LiFePO4 are much lighter unless you are using the 300Ah batteries.
I gather you are talking about covered storage but hopefully you have either openings on the side or openings where you can run a cable to outside or maybe the roof. If that is the case then simply do what I have done with my boat and buy a small solar panel and connect it to the battery via a small solar regulator.
https://www.jaycar.com.au/12v-20w-solar-panel-with-clips/p/ZM9052
https://www.jaycar.com.au/3a-pwm-solar-charge-controller-12v/p/MP3762
Always connect your solar controller to your battery first.
If by chance you do have LiFePO4 batteries then do as Are We Lost has suggested and discharge them slightly, although I don't I'm not suggesting to follow my lead. Make sure that everything is turned off or disconnected so that you do not have a parasitic current draw and they will happy sit for many many months. The self discharge rate is between 1-3% and I have a 100Ah that been sat in my garage for the past 8 months that has only dropped about 10%.
Good luck
Tim
Some covers will let enough light through on to the solar panel to maintain your solar batteries. I have a Camec which does but is starting to deteriorate after 4 years.
Cheers,
Peter
Some time later, a friend was going overseas for an extended time, and he emptied his battery acid into a bucket, washed out the battery cells with a hose and stored the acid in a bottle. I copied the idea with my cheapie battery which, at this time was 5 or 6 years old, and hadn't been used for 3 years. A lot of crud came out with the acid, and I siphoned off the acid, leaving the crud behind in the bucket.Fast forward another 4 years and the Sigma had been replaced with a Magna, and its battery had died just out of warranty. So I trotted out the door stop and bottle of acid, filled the battery and Voila - it lived. That battery lasted another 4 years in the Magna before it finally died. OK - this was a lead-acid battery, but I am sure that a lot of similar batteries could be salvaged for extended use. I have never tried this again, because later batteries have been sealed.