Bongo Fury

Hi folks, my first post... please be gentle.

We rook delivery of our Bongo about six weeks ago and went on our first trip earlier this month. We're already in love!

After having to get a jump start off the camp site owner the morning we left to drive home, I have a few questions about batteries:

1. Is there any sense in fitting a charge indicator to the main battery? Ours drained, I think, because I'd been enjoying the stereo a little too much in the evenings... would be useful to know when I need to switch off.

2. I was told by the dealer that you could jump start yourself from the leisure battery (which was still in the green on the last morning). I followed his advice, removing the fuses between the two batteries and hooked them up with a set of jump leads, but it didn't help at all. Was I sent on a bum steer, or did I do something wrong?

3. Is it possible / sensible to connect the stereo to the leisure battery instead? (I like my music, but I like to be able to get home too.)

4. Does raising and lowering the blinds eat battery power? If so, is there any way to avoid that when parked up for a few days?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Without the engine running while parked up .. anything eats away the battery power..

Good converters generally hook up the lecky blinds .. radio .. fridge .. interior lights etc: from the leisure battery ..

As my conversion is hooked into the starter battery circuit (as I assume yours is) .. I am utilising a "Willinton kit" as an easy DIY fixit .

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221213467092? ... 1439.l2649

Thanks, Mike - much appreciated.

The fridge, water pump, and new LED lights certainly run off the leisure battery, but I *think* the stereo, original interior lights and blinds still run off the main battery. If that is the case, sounds like it would be sensible to get the Willinton kit.

Presumably if I disconnect the leisure battery and see what still works I'll know what's running off what?

If the bulk of your leisure requirements are already plumbed into the leisure battery circuit .. it maybe a cheaper alternative to 'pull out' the Blinds .. radio .. wires and what you want from the 'cars' fuse box .. then refit them into the leisure battery fused side .. (just check that you can switch the radio off independently of the ignition .. as my Kenwood won't) ..

I think there is a simple 'how to do it' tutorial some where on the Form ..

For the sake of £20, I think I'll go for the eBay option.

The radio (which I've just fitted) is a concern. It does have an 'off' mode but it remains lit up like the Blackpool Illuminations and therefore drawing some power. However, the front panel is removable which I guess will switch it off altogether.

Thanks again.

Hi
Also useful for you to know that the information given to you by the garage about jump starting from your liesure battery is not a good idea. If they know their auto electrics they should know beter than to give this advise.
Liesure batteries are disigned to give lowish amounts of current over a long period of time. Where as starter batteries are disigned to give a large amount of current very quickly for starting as starter motors use alot of power during turnover.
Unless you have a starter battery fitted as a liesure battery, and some people do have you sholdn't use it to jump start the vehicle as you will cause damage to the battery, shortening it's life/preformance & in some cases you may even kill it as the plates may deform & cells fail.
I would only ever advise the use of a liesure battery to jump start when you have absolutly no other option, ie being stranded with no breakdown cover etc.
There will be others that will tell you that you can do it and get away with it, but I wouldn't gamble on the price of a replacement.

I have been in exactly the same situation as you, I have now installed a willton kit & suggest that you should to.

cheers

Some leisure batteries are supposed to be capable of working as a starter battery (Elecsol for example). I have had to use my hefty Energy Bull 135ah battery to jump start the Bongo once, and it worked. But the best way I think is to connect lb to sb with the jump leads and leave for a minute as this will normally draw less amps from the lb, but give the sb a chance of supplying starting amps very briefly, which is all my diesel Bongo needs.

windywatson wrote: Liesure batteries are disigned to give lowish amounts of current over a long period of time. Where as starter batteries are disigned to give a large amount of current very quickly for starting as starter motors use alot of power during turnover.

I learned about these two different types of batteries after the flat battery incident, which is why I wondered about the advice given when I bought the van.

I've ordered the wiring kit, so that'll be next weekend's Bongo project. Will report back, if I come out alive...

Fitted the willinton kit yesterday evening - very quick to do and all working fine and dandy. Now I can listen to Pink Floyd all night long and still get home in the morning!

Thanks again for the help - much appreciated.