nutrunner Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 hi all can i use a battery out of a diesel car in my swift caravan, didnt realise it was from a diesel when given to me and tried to put on chargev and it melted my charger scared to put it in the van liverpool fc- boxing and fishing- camping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jslocks Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 A battery is a battery and I would suggest that you connected it up wrong if it melted your battery charger or the battery is no good. You can put a car battery in a caravan but they are not as effective as leisure batteries are designed to hold the charge longer. Car batteries are intended for short high powered use. There is no difference between a battery in a diesel car and one in a petrol car. I would buy a leisure battery particularly if you intend to go off EHU at any time. Sadly no van anymore but 35 years was a good run John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reads Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Simple answer no. Follow Reads. Main Dealership for Bailey, Swift, Sterling, Lunar Venus. www. readcaravans. com 2013 CaravanTimes Reader Award - Best Caravan Dealer 2013 CaravanTalk Finalist - Best Caravan Dealer 2013 CaravanTalk Finalist - Best Caravan Servicing. 2012 CaravanTalk Winner Best Caravan Servicing 2011 CaravanTimes Reader Award - Best Caravan Dealer 2010 Practical Caravan - Dealer of the Year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honk Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Simple answer no. Really! Are you sure you have nothing else to add to that elaborate advice? Is there something special about swifts that prohibit the use of a 'car' battery? Maybe you want to explain, as an award winning dealer, why your answer is the best advice for the posters question. As for the OP, the difference in batteries is that they need a different charge cycle to get the best out of them. You can use a 'car' battery but it would not be the best long term option, and if you are going off EHU then the right tool for the job will give a better result. H. Finding things funny since 1968 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W77 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Simple answer no. I'm afraid your answer is simply wrong. 2015 SorentoKX2 pulling a 2011 Sterling Eccles Moonstone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nutrunner Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 very strange how it happened, but can i still put the battery in my van will it blow up the onboard charger thats what im scared of, i will be still used a hookup and i only go on electric hook up pitches liverpool fc- boxing and fishing- camping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaydug Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Simple answer no. Oh dear! I've been using diesel car batteries in my caravans for more than twenty years. Usually I transfer the battery from my tow car into the van when it's three years old, and give the car a new one. Admittedly I nearly always use sites with EHU, but the diesel battery performs very well when the caravan is using the motor mover. To the OP - go ahead and use a diesel car battery - after you've sorted your charger problems. Just don't expect it to give you long term usage when you're caravanning off mains electric. Citroen C5-X7 Tourer+Avondale Rialto 480/2 https://jondogoescaravanning.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CommanderDave Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 If you only use sites with ehu should not be a problem . Some people only use car batteries to save money and for movers . Dave Jeep Commander 3. 0 V6 CRD Isuzu D- Max Utah Auto Elddis Crusader Storm 2000 Kgs, Unipart Royal Atlas Mover . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screenman Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Well for the particular battery if you connected it to the charger correctly then I would say the battery has a problem, in that case for that battery I would say Reads are correct. In that if it snuffed one charger it is likely to do the same to the van system. The others in my opinion have answered correctly for the fitting of a non faulty battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul_B Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 hi all can i use a battery out of a diesel car in my swift caravan, didnt realise it was from a diesel when given to me and tried to put on chargev and it melted my charger scared to put it in the van Have you checked the battery for charge? I wonder if your friend got rid because its a cell down?shorted etc edit screenman types faster than me Paul B . .......Mondeo Estate & Elddis Avanté 505 (Tobago) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nutrunner Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 just cleaned and checked the connecters my own fault i put the pos on neg so no wonder it melted now i have to but a new charger stupid me liverpool fc- boxing and fishing- camping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaydug Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Make sure you just haven't blown a fuse on your charger before disposing of it. Citroen C5-X7 Tourer+Avondale Rialto 480/2 https://jondogoescaravanning.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nutrunner Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 the 2 leads are completely melted and smoke was pouring out of it so its terminal its now in the bin, my own stupidness liverpool fc- boxing and fishing- camping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screenman Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 the 2 leads are completely melted and smoke was pouring out of it so its terminal its now in the bin, my own stupidness You should not be so quick to blame yourself, I see you are married so there must be some way the wife can take the blame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nutrunner Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 hahaha i havnt told he the truth told her it was the batteries fault so she says i can have a new charger andshe will pay for it as a birthday prezzy , so all is well that ends well liverpool fc- boxing and fishing- camping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honk Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Lying to your wife when you know full well that you were to blame!! Welcome to the club, see you at the bar for a swift one H. Finding things funny since 1968 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nutrunner Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 hahahaha hope she dont see this liverpool fc- boxing and fishing- camping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OWOMW Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Connecting a charger the wrong way is easy to do. Make sure your new charger has reverse polarity protection, otherwise you'll be getting an advance Christmas present as well Land Rover is now back towing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nutrunner Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 liverpool fc- boxing and fishing- camping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W77 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 (edited) Connecting a charger the wrong way is easy to do. Make sure your new charger has reverse polarity protection, otherwise you'll be getting an advance Christmas present as well A customer of mine connected a battery charger the wrong way round to his Vauxhall Corsa, the bill came to nearly £1500 to replace all the electronic components it fried. As they say, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Edited February 9, 2014 by Steve W77 2015 SorentoKX2 pulling a 2011 Sterling Eccles Moonstone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nutrunner Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share Posted February 10, 2014 its terrible what can happen all the yrs ive been charging batteries, and one moment of stupidity lucky it was only the charger that melted liverpool fc- boxing and fishing- camping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ancell Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I am amazed your battery melted your charger. Almost all modern chargers are fitted with power diodes that only work one way Ie connect the wrong way round-will not charge. I used second hand car batteries in my caravan for 20 years no problem. You should use the correct battery but it will work-even better than a leasure battery for a caravan mover-in theory-at least IE high discharge. I used my leasure battery in my straight 6 diesel Beemer for almost a year. Since the beemer could not read and hence did not know the battery should not work it fired up every time summer and winter including 20 degrees of frost . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nutrunner Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share Posted February 10, 2014 it did, the 2 cables melted and smoke came out of it in less than a second stupid me liverpool fc- boxing and fishing- camping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A11 Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Watch this to see what you can do with a car battery . .. Loads of amps! http://home-tools. wonderhowto. com/how-to/make-arc-welder-with-car-battery-pocket-change-271174/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nutrunner Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 hahaha no ta laa liverpool fc- boxing and fishing- camping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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