You don't say what van you've got or if its oem fitted but most Agm(absorbent glass mat) batteries which are totally sealed, nonspill and mantinance free and are used in more modern vehicles to deal with high usage start stop technology.
Haven't got an AGM But Depending on usage i put my starter battery on a smart charger once or twice a month to trickle charge and condition the battery over night to keep it in tiptop condition , but you can leave it on for extended periods because it switches automatically to a mantinance phase once the battery is fully charged. 👍
Hope this helps

 

The Van is a T5 T26 TDI on a 2015 plate.

Thanks for your reply. I have a T5 T26 TDI on a 2015 plate.
The battery will be charged in situ. Probably will only take the van out once a month during winter

 

That is a standard type lead acid battery. I expect the RAC charged the price of an AGM though. As for leaving a smart charger on all the time - in theory it is fine and if you trust the maker and that it is working ok, it should look after itself. If the extension cable gets in the way, you could always put it on for a couple of days every few weeks.

 

Thanks for your reply. The battery came with the van so no idea of the cost. The charger is Maypole 4a Electronic smart charger

 

As Poffer says i'd be tempted not to leave it on all the while but just put it on occasionally to maintain it.
I take it you are not using your van at the mo ? .

 

Hi All
Thanks for your replies. I have another question. Will the Maypole MP7423 6V/12V 4A Electronic Smart Charger be suitable for charging a 74Ah battery. I have read somewhere that it will only be suitable for a 50Ah

 

Not a make I am familiar with, but yes, it will charge any battery. It just means the larger the battery capacity, the longer it takes to fully charge it. Since you are only keeping it topped up, you will see no difference.

 

Thanks once again for the replies. New to the world of camper vans so probably many more questions to come. Hopefully, in the years to come I might be helping others.

 

Already another question on battery charging. I am aware that the red charger lead goes first on the positive terminal, but the negative one should be connected to the bodywork. There is nowhere easy to connect to (too much plastic). Is it ok to connect direct to the negative terminal?

 

Yes, it’s fine. I always do that.