Keeping the starter battery topped up...

[Numb Thumbs]

As I am not driving anywhere at the moment - and in to the foreseeable future for that matter - I was thinking maybe I should keep the starter battery topped up.

Should I put the charge leads on the jump starter posts or, should I connect them via a 175 Amp Anderson plug I have attached directly to the positive post and a body earth via very short 6B&S cables?

Any thoughts as to which would be preferable?

Cheers
Numb Thumbs ;)

[theelms66]

Same same. No difference, your choice.

[IndusD4]

You can charge it via the tow bar electric plug as well, but as the D5 comes with a 12pin flat plug you might have to adapt a cable to do so.

Related to this topic, having just bought a van myself (plan B as plan A was going to Europe this month). With the van attached while driving, the fridge will run off he car battery. But will continue to do so when stopped so doing this for an hour will give a "Start engine - battery low" warning on the dashboard when getting in. I guess a dual battery system with a battery isolator is required where the fridge runs off the 2nd battery? Or would you keep the fridge cool via 240v/gas and turn the fridge off for the journey?

Ron

[PhilipA]

You can buy a thing called a "Fridge Switch" which has a motion detector and turns off the van fridge after 5 minutes stopped.
I would fit one if I had a gas/electric fridge.
Regards PhilipA

[trout1105]

You can charge it via the tow bar electric plug as well, but as the D5 comes with a 12pin flat plug you might have to adapt a cable to do so.

Related to this topic, having just bought a van myself (plan B as plan A was going to Europe this month). With the van attached while driving, the fridge will run off he car battery. But will continue to do so when stopped so doing this for an hour will give a "Start engine - battery low" warning on the dashboard when getting in. I guess a dual battery system with a battery isolator is required where the fridge runs off the 2nd battery? Or would you keep the fridge cool via 240v/gas and turn the fridge off for the journey?

Rona

Put a couple of batteries and a couple of solar panels on your van and you can leave your fridge on permanantly as long as you have installed enough solar capacity[thumbsupbig]
You can also hook your 4WD up to the van to keep the truck battery topped up as well[thumbsupbig]

[Numb Thumbs]

If the fridge is a 3 way, it will probably pull 10 or 13 Amps when running on 12 Volts. Solar and batteries are going to have trouble keeping up with that.

Cheers
Numb Thumbs ;)

[IndusD4]

It is a 3 way fridge freezer. When the van detects it is connected to the car, none of the electrics (lights, slide out etc) in the van work except for the fridge. I'm not sure if it would charge a car battery with this set up. I'll probably go the dual battery way but it will have to wait a few months.

Thanks
Ron

[drivesafe]

As I am not driving anywhere at the moment - and in to the foreseeable future for that matter - I was thinking maybe I should keep the starter battery topped up.

Should I put the charge leads on the jump starter posts or, should I connect them via a 175 Amp Anderson plug I have attached directly to the positive post and a body earth via very short 6B&S cables?

Any thoughts as to which would be preferable?

Cheers
Numb Thumbs ;)
Hi Numb Thumbs, you can use a standard 50 amp Anderson plug, on 6B&S cabling and this will easily and safely start your motor if you need a jump start.


Here is a link that explains how to carry out a proper Jump Start and why you only need a 50 amp Anderson plug.


https://www.aulro.com/afvb/the-verandah/246755-line-auto-electrical-info-4.html


BTW, to keep you cranking battery in good nick when the vehicle is not used for long periods, connect a solar panel to the cranking battery and if it's under 5w, you will not need a solar regulator.

[Numb Thumbs]

A correctly fitted Anderson plug should easily deliver 30 Amps to the caravan so it could run the fridge and charge a battery at the same time. But it must be correctly fitted with the right sized wiring.

Cheers
Numb Thumbs ;)

[drivesafe]

It is a 3 way fridge freezer. When the van detects it is connected to the car, none of the electrics (lights, slide out etc) in the van work except for the fridge. I'm not sure if it would charge a car battery with this set up. I'll probably go the dual battery way but it will have to wait a few months.

Thanks
Ron
Hi Ron and check your 3 way fridge’s specs.


They can draw up to 23 amps for a big fridge freezer type and that sort of a current draw on any battery is a No-No.


You also have an additional potential problem as the fridge will be running off your cranking battery is the STOP/START function is on. ( STOP/START should not be working with a trailer connected, BUT )


An alternative to the “Fridge Switch” ( which is a good idea but will still have your fridge running off the cranking battery when the motor is off ), is to use the FRIDGE circuit in the trailer plug, to switch something like a 40 horn relay.

You then power the fridge from the cranking battery via the relay.


If you set up this way, your fridge will only be connected to your cranking battery while the motor is running.

This circuit is only powered while the motor is running and if the ignition is “ON” but the motor is not running ( see STOP/START ) the FRIDGE circuit is turned off.

[IndusD4]

Hi Ron and check your 3 way fridge’s specs.


They can draw up to 23 amps for a big fridge freezer type and that sort of a current draw on any battery is a No-No.


You also have an additional potential problem as the fridge will be running off your cranking battery is the STOP/START function is on. ( STOP/START should not be working with a trailer connected, BUT )


An alternative to the “Fridge Switch” ( which is a good idea but will still have your fridge running off the cranking battery when the motor is off ), is to use the FRIDGE circuit in the trailer plug, to switch something like a 40 horn relay.

You then power the fridge from the cranking battery via the relay.


If you set up this way, your fridge will only be connected to your cranking battery while the motor is running.

This circuit is only powered while the motor is running and if the ignition is “ON” but the motor is not running ( see STOP/START ) the FRIDGE circuit is turned off.


I haven't found the actual current draw but given the fuse is 20A I would think you are absolutely right and it should not run off the battery without engine running.
Thanks for the 40A horn relay suggestion, it sounds like the way to go. In the mean time the fridge/freeze is set to manual power source selection versus automatic so I shouldn't have the issue again.

Ron

[IndusD4]

I took the van for a blue slip yesterday and found that stop/start is not disabled with the van in tow.

Ron

[drivesafe]

I took the van for a blue slip yesterday and found that stop/start is not disabled with the van in tow.

Ron
Hi Ron and this is something that seems to be hit and miss with different Land Rovers, based on info from different countries.

I would love to have access to one that the STOP/START is automatically disabled when a caravan or trailer is connected.

I would like to see if I could come up with a dummy trailer plug, to use when when no trailer or caravan is in tow.

The info I have from overseas is that when a caravan or trailer is connected, the STOP/START is deactivated, the rear parking sensors are also deactivated and in some cases, and this is the function over-ride I am interested in, that the SMART alternator is deactivated.

Has anybody here come across this type of operation, particularly with a D5?

[Numb Thumbs]

IndusD4

Does the car recognise the trailer - i.e. do you get the green trailer icon on the dash flashing when you use the indicators and/or do you get a screen message saying that the rear sensors are disabled?

I am trying to think if my Stop/Start worked when I had the camper connected... I use the Ford dongle and the car does see the trailer, but if I don't use it I get the message only.

Cheers
Numb Thumbs ;)

[IndusD4]

IndusD4

Does the car recognise the trailer - i.e. do you get the green trailer icon on the dash flashing when you use the indicators and/or do you get a screen message saying that the rear sensors are disabled?

I am trying to think if my Stop/Start worked when I had the camper connected... I use the Ford dongle and the car does see the trailer, but if I don't use it I get the message only.

Cheers
Numb Thumbs ;)

The car does recognise my caravan (and my trailer). Indeed I get the green trailer light flashing when I use the indicators, reversing sensors are off, shift pattern changes and automatic access height is disabled most of the time.

Ron

[Numb Thumbs]

The "most of the time" is interesting... I suspect my Stop/Start is similar.

Cheers
Numb Thumbs ;)

[IndusD4]

Just an update on my power drain from the caravan fridge.

I've checked on the car and pin 9 of the 12 pin flat plug is a switched live, pin 8 is a permanent live. I just received the electrical diagram of the caravan which shows that it expects pin 9 to be a permanent live and pin 8 to be switched live - this circuit is connected to the fridge.
Looks like these wires need to be switched, then it would work correctly.

Ron

[IndusD4]

Old thread I know, final update on the power draw when the van was connected and car locked.

I have a European Adria caravan. According to the caravan electrical diagram, it still needs 30amps to run the fridge and or charge the battery. It does this by drawing power from the permanent live in conjunction with power from the switched live from the car. I don't have the D5 any more but the fuses on these circuits in the D4 are 15amp each - probably the same in the D5.
The caravan does not draw power from the permanent live until the switched live is providing power activating a relay to start using power from the permanent live.

With permanent and switched live on my D5 being switched, the relay in the caravan to start drawing power from the car was open as if the engine was always running - resulting in continuous power draw even when switching the engine off. Hence the "low battery - start engine" warning after a while with the caravan attached and engine off.

Ron