Battery Stupidity .... Advice please!

Quogirl · Jun 25, 2016

We have just driven down to the South of France, camped for 4 nights without hook up (sheesh don't ask me why we didn't hook up) and now on starting off to drive 200 miles to the next campsite, our leisure battery must have gone flat as the fridge has stopped working.

We are kicking ourselves.

Will the battery pick up en route through driving those 200 miles, or will it not start charging til we hook up?

Can someone advise?

Thanks

Sp0_0k · Jun 25, 2016

Don't think electronics allows the voltage to drop 0 flat. So it should charge on driving.

Quogirl · Jun 25, 2016

Ooh hope so....I am panicking at the thought of it not charging at all. Fraught times here, both blaming the other!

Californiaman · Jun 25, 2016

It should get a good charge over that sort of distance. I read that leisure batteries don't like to go below something like 60% charge in order to keep them at their best though.

gear box oil · Jun 25, 2016

Did the fridge come with the vehicle?
it will most likely have a cut off to prevent the battery from being completely discharged.

I have a VW cooler that cuts out at a certain level but it comes back on after about 5 minuets of running the engine.

Quogirl · Jun 25, 2016

Yippee! Just stopped and tried again and it's now running.

Californiaman,
That thought had crossed my mind, but will cross that bridge when we come to it!
Thanks everyone.

Hotel California · Jun 25, 2016

Fridge and heater turns themsels off if battery goes to low , heater does not work either if dieseltank is below certain amount .
12v sockets can drain batterys

WelshGas · Jun 25, 2016

Quogirl said:
We have just driven down to the South of France, camped for 4 nights without hook up (sheesh don't ask me why we didn't hook up) and now on starting off to drive 200 miles to the next campsite, our leisure battery must have gone flat as the fridge has stopped working.

We are kicking ourselves.

Will the battery pick up en route through driving those 200 miles, or will it not start charging til we hook up?

Can someone advise?

Thanks

The drive will recharge the Leisure Batteries but only to about 80% capacity. You will need to use the mains hookup for about 24hrs to get them charged to full capacity. The electronics will cut off fridge or parking heater below about 60% capacity but use of lights or 12v sockets can drive it lower.