Leisure battery

[zigzag]

Our Bongo, purchased May '07, came with a leisure battery fitted. This summer it doesn't seem to be charging up fully, consequently the lights are dim and by the morning the fridge has switched off.
When it has been standing for a couple of days and with the engine off it gave a reading on a voltmeter of 12.3V.
Should a leisure battery last more than two years?
Can I charge it using a standard trickle charger?

[Doone]

Lots of people charge them using a standard trickle charger. If the battery's OK, you could check the charge relay, there's a fair bit of info about the relay in THIS post.

[missfixit70]

Are you driving for long distances? may just be it's not getting enough time to charge back up.
Have you fitted a new stereo by any chance? Myself & a lot of others have experienced problems with higher than expected current drain when in standby mode.
Could also be the middle interior light, this has shown a wierd anomoly of draining the battery even when tuned off if the tube is getting dull in use.

[zigzag]

Thanks for the quick replies, we haven't changed any of the electrics. I was under the impression that our middle light ran off the main battery, we have a light over the sink unit and one over the rear seats that run off the leisure battery.

[Travis]

I thought that the fridge ran off the main battery and only worked when you were plugged into power or on the move

Travis

[missfixit70]

Depends on who's done what Travis & what's fitted.

[Travis]

Thanks Kirsty

Why doesnt everyone do it the same, it would be so much easier

Travis

[Travis]

Hi

Do you have an electric hook up point, cant you charge the LB from the house?

Travis

[zigzag]

I do have a hook up, which I have never used. Are you saying I can just hook up to the mains in my house?

[ex25er]

You can plug into your mains if you have the right bit of cable / adapter. You buy a connector from a camping / caravan shop, and make one up using a normal 3 pin plug and bit of mains cable.

....whether you can charge your leisure battery up this way though, is dependent on you having a zig unit fitted.

edit:
.... just re-read your post. Doesn't matter about the zig if you're at home, just plug your trickle charger in, in the van.

[corblimey]

I was having odd problems with my leisure battery because I hadn't noticed by my spilt charger had not been working for a few months. I bought a CTek XS7000 intelligent charger that has a reconditioning mode, connected it up to the battery, let it do it's job and the battery's been good ever since.

It also has a supplpy mode which I used for the first time this weekend at Lynmouth. Switch it to "supply" and plug it in to the ciggy lighter and you've got a permanent 12v, 7a supply from the hook up.

You can also leave it permanently charging your lb whilst at home.

Oh, and it's IP rated so it doesn't matter if you leave in out in the damp or rain.

Great bit of kit, really pleased with it.

[zigzag]

I have disconnected my leisure battery and charged it up using a trickle charger. This was fully charged, reading 12.75V when not connected to the charger BUT the charge is already going down whilst the battery is merely sitting on a workbench, down to 12.66V after just three hours. Is it time for a new battery?

[Doone]

They do drop a bit. But a battery specialist will be able to test the battery for you, then you'll know if it's kaput.