Quote:
Originally Posted by Dogman
this is why you need to drive your van about every 30-days or so. You need to understand what I call exercising.
Here is what a VAN EXERCISE - Let's start with FULL STATE OF CHARGE 100% SOC. Step 2. turn everything off in the VAN even the regenerator. Step 3. Check it about every 3 days and the SOC drops to between 32% to 40% and then. Step 4. Drive and charge, plug into an outlet, also a good idea to turn on the Solar and let them charge the VAN on fully as this will help you understand Direct sun rays and indirect sun's rays better as well as learning how long it takes for everything to reach their full potential as SOC.
|
I see things a bit differently:
It is true that in the presence of parasitic loads, your battery charge will not last long in storage. But if you have the ability to fully shut down the system, it becomes a non-issue. Most rigs have (and all
should have) a master shut off switch. Sprinters have them for the chassis, and it is easily added to any other vehicle.
If a modern battery is truly disconnected, it will hold a charge for a very long time. One full year is not an unreasonable expectation. If you store a lead-acid battery at 100% charge, or a lithium at 80%, you can and should forget about it for many months. An exception would be a lithium battery stored below zero degrees F, in which case you need heat, not charge.
As for the powertrain, "exercising" it typically causes more harm than good, as we have discussed at length in the past. Either get a good battery disconnect, or build a solar setup that charges all your batteries properly (and not too much), and you will be fine. The former is a lot easier than the latter.
In summary: My opinion is that instead of expending effort on "exercising" your rig, you should spend it on relieving the rig of all parasitic charges, and then let it sleep.
Threaded Mode
