No pleasure from the Leisure

[Observer]

What should I expect from a 70 amp/hour LB? Mainly concerning running a compressor fridge.

The LB is of the maintenance free type and has built In indicators to show it’s condition i.e. Green OK, White (clear) CHARGE and Red REPLACE. Before setting off on a three day trip I charged the LB using a Lidl charger which as expected, took over two days. My multi meter showed the LB was 13.7v and the indicator was green.

The setup is through a Willinton kit and then, through a suitably fused cable, runs to the offside rear of the van and is connected to a four way ciggy socket. This cable is 5 mtrs long and I have coiled the excess (about 1 mtr) loosely and tucked it out of the way.
After a fifty mile trip everything in the Waeco CDF25 was fine. We watched a two hour DVD, put our ‘phones on charge and we didn’t hear it at all through the night. I rechecked the LB next morning before setting off for another fifty mile trip and it was 12.7v. I felt quite chuffed. The fridge temp setting is set at about a quater of it's range.
Later that evening at our next stop about fifty miles further, the fridge was tripping in and out at one minute intervals and running for about 5 or 6 seconds, and so on. I assumed that this was the CDF25’s safety circuit which is supposed to not completely run the battery down. I think it is set for 11.point something volts. It was quite annoying so I pulled the plug!!

The next night, after about a 100 mile trip although the stuff in the fridge was just right, the situation was no better and it was switched off again. Next morning the LB was reading 11.8v.

After driving home about another 65 miles our two remaining beers and other stuff in the fridge were perfectly cold so I rechecked the LB and it was 12.5v.

What I need to know is this, is the two year old LB on it’s last legs or is it just that by running the CDF25 whilst driving along takes more out than is being put back in?
Even on daily trips to work 20 miles round trip, without the fridge running or for that matter anything else, the LB’s indicator never shows green.
How would I go about testing the true ‘charge’ of the LB?

Or do I simply need a more powerful LB e.g., 110 amp/hour?

[francophile1947]

Sounds like the battery may be on it's last legs - you would certainly benefit from a larger capacity one. Did you leave it to stand for an hour or so before taking each of the readings? - I suspect not, as the 13.7V is very high and is about what you would expect whilst it's actually on charge.

[g8dhe]

Cable the fridge directly, with its own fuse from the L/B also run a new earth wire, don't rely on the a connection via the chassis. I suspect that with all that coiled up cable your dropping way too many volts also the sockets are renowned for dropping 1/2 a volt or so You have to remember that whilst the average current for the fridge is low, it will draw about 4-5 Amps on starting and this is when the low volt cut-out will drop out.

[New Forest Terrier]

Sounds just like when my leisure battery died. First camping trip of the season in March. All OK while on mains charge to chill the fridge, fine while driving to site then 2hrs later totally dead. Fridge cuts out at about a battery charge level of 10a anyway, but I had no lights or radio.

It went completely over the winter, despite the Bongo being in use all the time. On its last outing off mains previous August it powered the fridge fine for a three day festival.

Your battery sounds rather small for a fridge, I now have a 105A which lasted all 5 days of the Bash with one top up running the engine. My Waeco is built into a conversion so I have a short cable run as well.
Looks like a new larger battery and some better cabling are the solutions.

[New Forest Terrier]

Extra information. I had my leisure battery tested by a local auto factor for free. Very helpful and he also tested the alternator which was fortunately fine and kicking out plenty of charge.

I plug my Bongo into a mains outlet about two hous before departure. This cools the fridge down to load and avoids any big power spike as it goes onto the leisure battery, otherwise there can be a lot of clicking relays. After three days I usually run the Bongo for about twenty mins to keep the leisure battery toped up. Once switched on it stays on until the fridge is unloaded on return. The power used when travelling is easily met by the alternator and the leisure battery charges as well. I have a Willinton split charger and a Zig unit for the conversion.

[mikexgough]

My 3 1/2 yr old leisure started doing the same..... (it only had a 2 yr gtee anyway)...
I used to get with my Waeco CF-18 on 1/4... 4 days with no hook up.... charging phones etc, lights and TV....
I changed for a new Platinum brand 110Ah LB this year.... and I was back to the above.

Like others I use an Aldi charger to top up pre journeys..... usually 18 hrs max to do that...
I set down at the Bash on Wednesday 12:15 and left on Sunday at 13:15 ...... no probs at all....charging phones, TV and lights on too....

[Observer]

Sounds like the battery may be on it's last legs - you would certainly benefit from a larger capacity one. Did you leave it to stand for an hour or so before taking each of the readings? - I suspect not, as the 13.7V is very high and is about what you would expect whilst it's actually on charge.

Sorry to take so long replying, been a tad off colour No, I would have just applied the meter diectly so I'll know better nexr time.

[Observer]

Cable the fridge directly, with its own fuse from the L/B also run a new earth wire, don't rely on the a connection via the chassis. I suspect that with all that coiled up cable your dropping way too many volts also the sockets are renowned for dropping 1/2 a volt or so You have to remember that whilst the average current for the fridge is low, it will draw about 4-5 Amps on starting and this is when the low volt cut-out will drop out.

I discussed expansion to the rear for sockets etc with Martin of Willinton and he said I could 'scotch' a new cable (2.5mm) directly on to the tail that goes to fuse 8 for the pos. + and I then attached the - neg to the earth on the LB. This actually utilises 'his fuse' for cig sockets within the Willionton kit.

I opted to retain the fridge's own cig plug to enble me to use the installed Waeco 230v to 12v adaptor if I was on hook-up rather than relying on drawing off the LB.

I will reduce the overall cable length to avoid a volts drop now that I have tried out my layout.

[Observer]

Extra information. I had my leisure battery tested by a local auto factor for free. Very helpful and he also tested the alternator which was fortunately fine and kicking out plenty of charge.

I plug my Bongo into a mains outlet about two hous before departure. This cools the fridge down to load and avoids any big power spike as it goes onto the leisure battery, otherwise there can be a lot of clicking relays. After three days I usually run the Bongo for about twenty mins to keep the leisure battery toped up. Once switched on it stays on until the fridge is unloaded on return. The power used when travelling is easily met by the alternator and the leisure battery charges as well. I have a Willinton split charger and a Zig unit for the conversion.

Thanks for the input, I am convinced that the LB is either duff, or simpy just under powered and like you say, I always cool the fridge on mains before filling it with bacon and beer etc I'm just a bit disapointed seeing as I asked my convertor to fit the LB and relay as an extra. I should have realised something was not not right when I saw the 'dodgy wiring' for the SCR that's why I fitted the Willinton