ValDa replied on 09/07/2018 12:52
Posted on 09/07/2018 12:52
Is it usual to fit an old-type cell battery in a 2016 registered motorhome? Our friends bought their motorhome new in 2016, and expected that the battery would be similar to their older motorhome, and even older caravan - and be a closed cell maintenance free type, so had never checked.
They are currently touring around France, and she rang us to say that their battery was overheating and giving off sulphur smelling gas. My OH suggested she disconnected the EHU to allow the battery to cool down off charge, which she did, and then to have a look at it. When she did so she was horrified to find that the battery was one of the old type which requires topping up and all the cells were totally empty. She immediately topped it up, but noticed that the battery walls were bulging. Fortunately we were meeting them a few days later in the Ardeche, and just happened to have bought a new battery for our caravan and brought it with us from the UK. So we removed their damaged battery and swapped our old caravan battery (which was still fine) just to allow them to get back home, and then she is going to buy another sealed battery.
I suppose my question is, is it normal for motorhomes of that age (2016 model) to have a battery which requires topping up - and if it is shouldn't she have been warned at handover? Everyone we've spoken to seems surprised that a battery requiring top up should still be fitted.
ValDa
Caravanner