Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice / guidance. I do a very low mileage per year in my fatty,
mainly short journeys and want to keep the battery fully charged (new last year Yuasa 100 ah).

Plus, if we are to believe the met office predictions “a very cold winter is coming”. The old girl stands outside (too big to get in my garage) so will get very cold overnight.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that its possible to charge via the towing electrics?. As you will see from the attached pic below I have a Westphalia towing setup with 2 x 7 pin sockets.

Electrics is not my strong point so any guidance gratefully accepted.

Many Thanks
Peter

https://www.disco3.co.uk/shop/tow-electric...c-p45.html

Just add a C-Tek Charger

Wouldn't have thought you will be able to charge via the towing electrics as there will be a relay in there somewhere which will only latch whilst the engine is running.

Trickle charger would be your best bet with maybe a quick release connector to the battery.

I had a solar panel on my last car but it wasn't very effective if I'm honest.

I regularly keep my battery topped up using a CTEK connected to one of the towing socket adapters I bought from the forum shop.
Brilliant bit of kit, so simple to connect .
I have the identical Westifilia towing setup.
Cheers. G reg 2.5VM Vogue Portofino red 1991- 1999
V reg 2.5td P38 Rioja red 1999- 2006
53 reg td6 Vogue Oslo blue 2006- 2015
11 reg 4.4 TdV8 Vogue SE. Baltic blue 2015- date.
https://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic56162...tty+affair

Well, Ive ordered the adapter from the forum shop and extension lead and CTEK MXS10 CHARGER.
Happy Days

Thanks everyone

Last edited by Strider on 9th Nov 2017 9:38am. Edited 1 time in total

I used to do that all the time, used a ctek and the lead that is - never then failed to start even on the coldest of days.
I'm not sure there is a relay actually but there might be - anyway who cares it worked a treat.  Geoff

dunno about any relay but I charge my Fattie up thru the tow socket with a Ctek and the forum lead
works a treat

On the 12s socket (white one) pin 4 is permantley live and pin 3 is ground so you can charge using one of the adapters on the site shop using a ctek.

On a 13 pin socket pins 9 and 13 provide the same function

Just ordered one of those adapters,looks a handy bit of kit!

I presume any smart charger will be ok to use?

Yes although the adapter comes with a ctek style connector. One of the nice things about the creek is the fact that when you turn the mains off but leave it connected to the car it remembers the charge setting which not all of the smart chargers do

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=ht...1322969937

I've got one of the above,should be ok?

UPDATE

Everything I ordered arrived over the weekend so today put the car on charge. I used the charger extension lead so was able to run it under the shut garage door with the charger on a block of wood iin the garage.

I turned off the car alarm while charging (was'nt sure if the current would trip it). Eventually fully charged light came on the unit .

So anyone with the double towing electric sockets, this makes charging soo much easier, I highly recommend it

How long do these usually take for delivery?

Ordered on the 8th but no sign of it yet.

Hi Crispian22,
I guess I was just lucky, I did pm Martin Lewis and he did say that he has had a lot of orders (prob' weather related). It might be worthwhile sending a pm just to get an estimated delivery date. Mine took about 3 days to arrive
Good Luck

Emailed them this morning and just had a reply saying it's been dispatched 1st class.

Hopefully here for weekend