Newbie needs advice
Submitted: Saturday, May 25, 2024 at 19:57
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DutchArnold
Hey guys, we picked up a 2011 golf bush challanger camper. Been in storage the last 6 years and the battery is stuffed.
I plugged in the mains directly to the charger and it showed charging for 20 seconds and stopped. Just registers power.
I had a couple interior lights on but no fridge etc.
My issue is, even with a dead battery, being plugged into the mains, shouldnt i still be able to run everything in the van?
Or does the battery need to have some life to facilitate the power coming in?
Reply By: Member - William B - Saturday, May 25, 2024 at 20:35
Saturday, May 25, 2024 at 20:35
My 2 bobs worth.
If the battery is completely flat especially after 6 years the battery won't allow the charger to work to charge because the charger part of the set up doesn't see a battery if you follow me.
There are other people on here who can answer more thoroughly than me.
I'll be interested on the replies.
William
AnswerID:
645953
Reply By: Member - Warren H - Saturday, May 25, 2024 at 20:59
Saturday, May 25, 2024 at 20:59
If the charger has a power supply mode you could try switching it to that. If the camper has the old school primitive 12v wiring the charger and the 12v power for the camper will both be connected to the battery terminals.
AnswerID:
645954
Reply By: Nomadic Navara - Saturday, May 25, 2024 at 23:53
Saturday, May 25, 2024 at 23:53
Arnold, most of us do not know what make and model your battery charger is. Thus, we do not know how it will react with a dead battery. Some chargers require a voltage of across the output terminals before the charger will put out any charge. Others will produce power for you if the battery is dead. There are some, as Warren said, that can be switched to act as a power supply with a 13.8 V constant output.
Do you have a handbook, that came with the camper, for your charger/battery management system? If not, you can supply us with the brand and model number, if so, we may be able to find a copy online for you to download. You may have to use your wife's makeup mirror to look around the sides and back of the device to find the details.
AnswerID:
645955
Reply By: Member - McLaren3030 - Sunday, May 26, 2024 at 08:03
Sunday, May 26, 2024 at 08:03
Hi Arnold,
As others have suggested, make and model number of the charger will help if you know what it is. Another thing you could try is to connect another charged battery to the camper battery, positive to positive, negative to negative similar to jump starting a car. The battery charger will then see a voltage and should start to charge. After a few minutes, you can then disconnect the second battery and the charger should keep charging.
If the camper battery has been flat for some time, it may not hold a charge, and may need replacing.
Macca.
AnswerID:
645956
Follow Up By: Member - rocco2010 - Sunday, May 26, 2024 at 12:38
Sunday, May 26, 2024 at 12:38
May need replacing? Odds-on I'd say.
Reminds me of the conversation I had with my auto electrician.
Me: I think my auxiliary battery is stuffed.
AE: Why is that?
Me: It won't hold a charge.
AE: That doesn't mean its stuffed. How old is it?
Me: six years.
AE: It's stuffed. Buy a new one.
Now I'm sure there are any number of people out there who have had batteries last longer but
mine didn't.
Cheers
FollowupID:
926378
Reply By: RMD - Sunday, May 26, 2024 at 18:40
Sunday, May 26, 2024 at 18:40
Arnold.
Irrespective of the name or designation, if it has a Switch mode power supply as it's power converter, it may not start without the battery voltage being above it's low threshold. It might try but fail. Only connecting a battery in parallel with it will you be able to verify if it works ok. Need new battery anyway.
AnswerID:
645964