Only just found this and it’s been very useful thanks, it will help me choose the best battery’s for my boat to run bilge pump and all other accessories.
Dan thank you for all your information on batteries , we have watched all of your videos repeatedly and find them all very helpful. we have been caravanning since 2007 and we didn't even know some of the things we should be doing with the caravan on a regular basis until watching your videos, can't wait for the next video.
Very informative video, I've recently bought a caravan which has a solar panel but am concerned the battery will lose charge over the next winter monthswhilst sat out in the storage yard. I'm planning on removing said battery and charging at home. Thanks
Thank you Dan. Just what needed to see and learn. Especially as we have not been able to get over to our caravan in these recent times. Look forward to the next one!
Ive a EFB Halfords battery for 6 years, now ive just bought a yuasa AGM battery which should be brilliant in my camper van it was a little more money but worth it in my view 👍
Good, informative video. Thanks! We had terrible problems last year with our battery draining down really quickly. Couldn't figure it out, went through two leisure batteries that died after a few full drains. When we had the van serviced the engineer couldn't find any faults that could be causing it. Turns out when we discussed it with him at length that the most likely culprit was our electric blower that comes on with the gas heater. Somehow we didn't think of it when trying to diagnose the issue on site! doh!
Thank you for the video. I just bought a brand new L36-EFB. Should I remove the red cap from the ventilation hole? To which whole should I connect the ventilation pipe? There is one on each side.
Good vid, I know this was 2 years ago but I thought I would add that I spoke with Powrtouch movers about AGM batteries and they didn’t recommend them for their movers and suggested I use a lead acid battery.
Another great post thank you! I have a leisure battery related question…I will be putting my caravan in storage, where it won’t be connected to a power source nor will I be able to charge it at regular intervals. The battery will remain in the caravan while in storage as I don’t have the facilities to store or trickle charge it. Initially the battery will power the alarm, however will inevitably loose its charge. I’ve come to accept I may need a new battery when I come to use the caravan again. My question is - is there any harm in leaving the battery connected and it running flat while connected to the caravan? In all it could be 18-24 months before I return to the caravan.
Cheers Dan. Don't know if you're aware, but Halfords own brand leisure batteries are made by Yuasa and as for keeping them charged, our roof mounted 100w solar panel keeps the battery in tip top condition.
So is it ok to leave on ❄ setting 24/7 for next few months while caravan sites are shut..ihave on about 7 hours a day .as I don't like leaving on overnight when asleep. Or is this doing more damage...also on smart charger what are other settings for..like the car,,spanner???
Evening Dan, Can I pick your brains please? The leisure battery was new in August 2022 when we bought the caravan. It's used to power the Reich MotorMover and ... that's it. When not in use, the c'van lives inside a storage barn which is opened and closed by the owners. There's no natural light in there and no electricity (a solar panel wouldn't work then) When the c'van is in use, we never go off grid but instead we rely on site hook ups. We've got 3 more trips planned before the c'van goes into store for the Winter and probably it will stay there, until March 2023. There's no reason in the interim why we couldn't bring the c'van home to the driveway for 48hrs (max according to the insurance) Questions (1) What leisure battery (smart?) charger do you recommend we buy & (2) How often should we use it please ? Thanks.
A good video Dan and really informative. I think our battery may start to be on it's way out so it's on the list, particularly if we go off grid at any point.
Hi I have a zig x-7 battery charger in the caravan it has stopped working i dont seem to be able to get a replacement what could i use in its place? David
Nice one Dan. Very interesting as per. Generally things i didn't know. Would be interested to find out weather solar part of charging and maintaining the battery.
i have just purchased two of the same yuasa agm batteries which have come with tubes, was hoping to see how you fitted this, do i have to dig the plastic hole out first ?
Another great video.... batteries often overlooked. Quick question wondered how effective solar powers are at keeping batteries topped up? We have a Bailey Unicorn and haven't had it long enough to know. Thanks
Morning, Solar is a great way of keeping the battery topped up. Consider the last time our caravan was plugged into anything was back in February. The solar has kept the battery is great condition, even through dark short winter days a bit of light is enough to keep the battery in great shape. That said, there is no harm in using a smart charger from time to time to make sure the battery is properly conditioned.
our service has found our battery to be almost flat, they are saying that something in the caravan is being charged we are newbies and havent a clue what that would be, our van is in storage... any ideas?
When my van was serviced the fridge door got left open and the light managed to drain my battery down as it was left for a few months. I have a smart charger so I brought the battery home and put it on charge and afterwards I was able to move the van with the mover and after 4 weeks the meter on the panel still shows the battery as fully charged. How can I test whether the battery is able to hold a charge properly? I know last time I killed a battery it was only apparent when I put the mover under any strain and the mover would then just stop dead.
Hi, i would recommend you take the battery back to the where the caravan was serviced and ask them to perform a test on the battery. As part of your caravan service the battery should be tested, so they will have all the kit to do this for you. If it is knackered, you should argue the point that leaving the Fridge light on - ruined the battery, and your ability to use the Motor mover, so you could get a replacement.
Many of my customers run their batteries totally flat by neglect or not using the van for ages if i charge them with a ctek charger and test them they will recover ok . With SOH 90% and SOC 100 % if its a yuasa battery they never recover
When we bought our caravan which is our first, I was advised to buy a battery charger. However, having the convenience of being able to keep it plugged in to mains, I let the onboard charger do the work. I have read several times the onboard charger is not designed to charge when caravan is in storage. After more than seven years the battery still shows over 13v on the control panel. Any thoughts on this Dan? Looking forward to the next episode. Hope you all well. Best Regards. Rob
i have a leisure battery clamped down, Mine has 4 pins, 2 main pins with clamps on. What is the best way to charge without disconnecting the battery using the 2 extra pins as a charging point. i have a numax XV31MF 110 ah battery
Hi Very no nonsense informative,I have a camper and it's set up with solar,but just bought a boat with electric motor,my problem is when I go out ,I don't know how much charge or time I have of usage,which on big waters is important ,is there a way or device I can use on a boat to tell me how much is left in the battery ,my van has a simple gauge ,empty full etc,like a fuel gauge,welcome any help from fans using this site .
Good video, but I am confused by the readings of 14 shown on your meter and on the screen in the caravan. The scale you quoted for discharged to charged which was 12.3v to 12.7v. What’s the difference?
Hi Dan. Could you help please. Due to recent battery failure I purchased a Halfords EFB leisure battery. I have also purchased a solar panel (30w) to keep the battery trickle charged. The solar controller has a setting for flooded battery or lead acid. Which should I choose for EFB. Also I can set a max charge level. What would be best? 13.5v ok it came set at at 14.4. Hope you can advise. Thanks again, Jame
Just upgraded to a lithium battery in the caravan. Bit of a hassle getting it set-up as the leisure industry doesn't make vehicles ready for them. Moved the battery from the outside locker to inside, installed a new MPPT charge controller with low temp disconnect and a shunt battery monitor. 130ah lifepo4 battery was able to run 1kw hair dryer for an hour and a half before the low voltage disconnect removed the load. Hopefully this will allow me to go without hookup as £5 a day is a bit of a rip and I love sites without EHU. Currently got 100w of solar but hopefully upgrading to 470w.
@@TheTrudgians It is a used Valence U27-12xp which was used as part of a UPS system. The battery has 115 cycles on it with a cycle life of supposedly 2000 to 80% DoD. As you can tell from above it took a lot of tinkering to get a safe install. Once lithium batteries become an easy install and more affordable option for caravanners I think it will change the way we caravan.
Yeah it’s the cost that makes this prohibitive. I played with a 600Ah which was super light, but the cost was nearly £7k that was 3 years ago - so should be £3k now 😂😂
Great video Dan. I noticed you were using a 5 amp smart charger on a 100 AH battery. Another site I subscribe to suggests that a battery charger should have a minimum of 10% amperage output of the battery to be charged. Would you be kind enough to clarify this please. That channel explains that if the battery is at 12.3v it needs that 10% to really kick start the charge process. Keep up the good work. Am so sad how badly COVID-19 has hit the UK. Sincerely hope you and yours are well.
hi, if you disconnect your battery when you are not using your van does the battery lose its charge or do you still have to check its charge level. rob
Hi again Dan Thanks for your informative reply, can I ask the following,I have my leisure battery connected to solar panels on roof of motorhome. The current reading is 12.6, should this go up when the solar panels are collecting energy, as the battery was reading 12.6 earlier in the day. 🍺 cheers Anthony
Hi Anthony, yes it will when the solar panel has direct sun on it, the voltage will also increase. 12.6 also indicates that the battery is pretty well charged, and depending on the solar controller you have, may be that it wont supply any more charge until the battery is used. With a panel on the roof, it is also important to keep it clean. Any muck or dirt on the panel will reduce its potential for charging the battery.
Oh my a lot to learn I have an light weight electric wheel chair with 12 volts battery and an electric bike I will need to charge 36 volts to get around and then in winter to trickle charge my van help please what do I need just bought caravan and not getting it till September this year it’s a 304 elddis please advise , my head is full with what I need and what to do it’s frightening I am watching all your UA-cam videos they are a great help Thankyou
Can anyone help... I have a 120ah leisure battery and a charger that says 4amp, max battery capacity 90ah charging, 140ah maintenance mode. Will this charger be sufficient to charge my battery or will it just not work because the ah is too high? So confused! Many thanks!
Great question. So, unless upgraded by the owner the vast majority of on board chargers are nothing more than a power supply. In many cases its a 1Amp constant trickle charge. The external charger is a smart charger, so varies the current and voltage at different rates in order to fully charge a battery. A smart charger is a really useful tool to have especially when dealing with a lesuire battery that has reduced in capacity or charge for some time. The smart charger can shake the sulphite off the plates to increase its capacity. Hope that helps.
Morning, not really - Leisure batteries these days area sealed with no option to open them up, they are as the phrase goes - maintenance free. Just keep them charged and you will be fine.
The Trudgians mine does have caps that can me taken out but hey are deliberately big maybe to stop people without the correct tool looking in. I would however like to check the acid levels. I don’t believe anything is maintenance free, just an expected life cycle.
Hi Dan I want to fit a 12v battery just to run my tv,what is the lowest requirement I would need please.Also I will connect this to a solar panel so does it have to be a leisure battery or can I use a car battery. Thanks for the knowledge Cheers 🍻 Anthony
really good video. I have just bought a 2011 bailey Olympus and l think the battery is dead. I have a portable 6000w goal zero yeti portable power pack. can l buy a lithium battery for my caravan rather than lead acid ad l feel it is a better battery chemistry? I drive an electric car.
Hi there, I'm a complete novice at this caravan lark lol so I was wondering if you can help me. I live in Cyprus were caravans are as rare as hens teeth, so I can't get much help. I intend to live in my caravan therefore I won't be able to charge the battery via the tow vehicle. My caravan has two round 7 pin plugs on the front, one black and one white. Which is the one that would charge the battery and is there an adapter that I can plug this into to charge my battery via the mains electric? Incidentally, the battery is a year old and at the moment is flat or so the indicator in the caravan shows me. The caravan is a Lunar lexon es 2001 model that I had the caravan shipped in from the UK. Any help would be most appreciated.
In theory yes, but they don’t like quick high power discharges that a car battery is designed for. Leisure batteries like a slow even discharge. Rapid current pill will buckle the plates inside.
Howya Dan, thanks for all the useful information. We have just had our new leisure battery delivered today, it gives a reading of 12.5V, is this good? Bad? Acceptable? Should I put it on charge, or is it good to go? Thanks in advance.
Hi there, thanks for the top video. I have a question and could do with some help if you would be so kind. I just replaced the leisure battery in my Swift Motorhome with a Yuasa L26-AGM 90Ah Class A. I went away for the first time with the battery off grid last weekend and my Swift/Sargent Command module very quickly showed battery state worsening to "Fair" then "Poor" with voltage of 12.6 or 12.7 having dropped quickly from over 13v. This is despite basically no usage and having been on charge. I also have a little solar trickle charger which keeps it topped up when not in use and motorhome in storage. I am confused - is there nothing wrong, is the battery not holding charge etc. I am new to this and genuinely don't know what voltage it should be reading when fully charged.
Hi Paul, thats quite interesting - do you have a solar panel on the motorhome? it sounds like you dont have any charge coming into the motorhome, while off grid and the drop of the voltage would be as expected tbh. if you do have a solar panel, i would suggests having it checked to make sure some voltage is coming out of the panel. If you dont have a solar panel connected - try using your panel you use whilst in storage.
@@TheTrudgians Thanks for the reply :) I called Sargent today who are able to run checks remotely, so I am going to fetch the MoHo and get them to monitor the voltage in a variety of situations, on charge, with my little trickle charger connected, off charge (to simulate off grid). They seem to think from the data they can see from last week that it isn't charging the battery properly for some reason. They told me that voltage should be 12.8 when fully charged, and when charging on mains/hookup should show either 13.6 or 14.4 (with nothing switched on) depending on what mode the charger (EC 600) is in. Either way, the battery should have held up a whole lot better than it did. We've stayed off grid for 5 days before with no concerns of low power, and that was on a lower spec OEM battery.
Hi Kenny, while a conventional charger is fine, a smart charger can undo damage caused by under charging and can increase the available capacity. as a smart charger monitors the condition of the battery it will know what level of current and voltage to put into the battery, unlike a conventional trickle charger that has just a fixed voltage, low current supply.
Good video however its an ad for yuasa batteries and a ctek charger branded yuasa i love yuasa batteries because most of the batteries i replace are failed yuasa
Very interesting vlog Dan, lots to learn about leisure batteries. I have to admit I've no idea what battery I have but this vlog has now prompted me to check. Looking forward to future vlogs on this topic. Take care, Martin
Hey im only 18 and I have trouble spelling, I was wondering if you could help me ive made a 12volt generator out of a old Honda water pump and a 140amp car alternator it dose have a built in regulator i wanted to Use a leisure battery is 140amp's too much. Thank you for your time
During this lockdown i had taken battery off caravan as i didnt have a smart charger i have attatched a solar panel we use off grid to keep it topped up will.this do the battery any harm
Great informative vlog as always, thanks Dan, quick question, I keep my caravan on my drive, I used to keep it connected full time to an electrical outlet, but because I have a solar panel fitted on the roof, I was told I do not need to keep the Caravan connected to the mains. But following the information on this video, should I top the charge up every few days by switching the mains on? Or maybe set the mains up on a timer switch to come on for a few hours during the night? Also would it alter during the winter to the summer? (okay that wasn’t a quick question 😂) but would be interested in what you would advise 😊thanks 👍🏼
Hi Jan, as you have a solar panel on the roof it will be perfect for keeping the battery topped up, after all - thats what it's designed to do. From time to time check on the caravan voltage by using the panel, if the numbers seem low - plug the caravan in to the mains for a day, and also run the heating to get some warmth through the caravan too. Hope that helps. D
Damian Hollingbery thanks Damian, that’s good to know, I keep checking our levels and it always stays around 13v but just worry in winter or dull times it might drain without being plugged into the mains🙄😊
Worth saying possibly that the only way you can determine the mAh present in the battery is a full discharge and recharge on a computerised charger that shows on a display how many mAh have been put back in. Problem is that leisure lead acid batteries don't like the discharge cycle!
Hi Anthony - a great question, essentially everything on your motorhome is designed to run off 12volts. The heating furnace will require 12volt to run either from 230v hook up or gas, this will include heating and hot water. The fridge will also need 12v to run from gas or mains, and water pump, lighting alarm and power outlets all need the leisure battery.
First time I watched this, I thought that "battery" or "batteries" was said dozens of times throughout. Sure enough, sad person that I am, I watched again and counted. A whopping SIXTY EIGHT times! LOL!
The Trudgians Very well, thank you! I hope you are all well, too. Really enjoyed the video - I thought a battery was a battery - every day is a school day, though ;-)
Thanks for another comprehensive video Dan, I can't help but feel that I would be up a creek without a paddle without them!
Whenever I talk to other caravaners I always recommend your channel. Great info as always cheers. 👍🏆🇬🇧
Only just found this and it’s been very useful thanks, it will help me choose the best battery’s for my boat to run bilge pump and all other accessories.
Dan thank you for all your information on batteries , we have watched all of your videos repeatedly and find them all very helpful. we have been caravanning since 2007 and we didn't even know some of the things we should be doing with the caravan on a regular basis until watching your videos, can't wait for the next video.
Very informative video, I've recently bought a caravan which has a solar panel but am concerned the battery will lose charge over the next winter monthswhilst sat out in the storage yard. I'm planning on removing said battery and charging at home. Thanks
Very good information thanks Dan, when the video started I thought it was "American Beauty" film with the music LOL
Thank you Dan. Just what needed to see and learn. Especially as we have not been able to get over to our caravan in these recent times. Look forward to the next one!
Ive a EFB Halfords battery for 6 years, now ive just bought a yuasa AGM battery which should be brilliant in my camper van it was a little more money but worth it in my view 👍
By far the best caravan videos .........thank you !!
Good, informative video. Thanks! We had terrible problems last year with our battery draining down really quickly. Couldn't figure it out, went through two leisure batteries that died after a few full drains. When we had the van serviced the engineer couldn't find any faults that could be causing it. Turns out when we discussed it with him at length that the most likely culprit was our electric blower that comes on with the gas heater. Somehow we didn't think of it when trying to diagnose the issue on site! doh!
Thank you for the video. I just bought a brand new L36-EFB. Should I remove the red cap from the ventilation hole? To which whole should I connect the ventilation pipe? There is one on each side.
Good vid, I know this was 2 years ago but I thought I would add that I spoke with Powrtouch movers about AGM batteries and they didn’t recommend them for their movers and suggested I use a lead acid battery.
Thanks Dan for some very useful tips. I'm looking foreward to the next videos. Keep up the good work.
Best wishes from Mönchengladbach in Germany.
Another great post thank you!
I have a leisure battery related question…I will be putting my caravan in storage, where it won’t be connected to a power source nor will I be able to charge it at regular intervals. The battery will remain in the caravan while in storage as I don’t have the facilities to store or trickle charge it. Initially the battery will power the alarm, however will inevitably loose its charge. I’ve come to accept I may need a new battery when I come to use the caravan again. My question is - is there any harm in leaving the battery connected and it running flat while connected to the caravan? In all it could be 18-24 months before I return to the caravan.
Cheers Dan. Don't know if you're aware, but Halfords own brand leisure batteries are made by Yuasa and as for keeping them charged, our roof mounted 100w solar panel keeps the battery in tip top condition.
So is it ok to leave on ❄ setting 24/7 for next few months while caravan sites are shut..ihave on about 7 hours a day .as I don't like leaving on overnight when asleep. Or is this doing more damage...also on smart charger what are other settings for..like the car,,spanner???
Learnt a bunch there, cheers Dan very informative, look forward to seeing the next video 👍
Your videos are really informative. You are a credited caravanner. ❤❤
I use an 75ah AGM from Optima Yellow Top. The charger has bluetooth build in, so i can check the status in my iphone. very usefull!
Hi Dan, really useful vlog. Thanks. I have two AGM batteries in my car. They’re pretty good.
Great caravan tips. On the issue of battery charging, how do I know if my caravan built-in charger is not up to the job?
Evening Dan,
Can I pick your brains please?
The leisure battery was new in August 2022 when we bought the caravan.
It's used to power the Reich MotorMover and ... that's it.
When not in use, the c'van lives inside a storage barn which is opened and closed by the owners.
There's no natural light in there and no electricity (a solar panel wouldn't work then)
When the c'van is in use, we never go off grid but instead we rely on site hook ups.
We've got 3 more trips planned before the c'van goes into store for the Winter and probably it will stay there, until March 2023.
There's no reason in the interim why we couldn't bring the c'van home to the driveway for 48hrs (max according to the insurance)
Questions
(1) What leisure battery (smart?) charger do you recommend we buy & (2) How often should we use it please ?
Thanks.
A good video Dan and really informative. I think our battery may start to be on it's way out so it's on the list, particularly if we go off grid at any point.
I installed an L36-AGM in March of this year. Haven't used it yet.
Hi
I have a zig x-7 battery charger in the caravan it has stopped working i dont seem to be able to get a replacement what could i use in its place?
David
I have a pair of Yuasa 36ah AGM batteries that I have let go flat over covid to 8v 😞 Is there any chance they could be saved?
Thanks Dan. Any chance of covering lithium batteries in caravans as an alternative?
Nice one Dan. Very interesting as per. Generally things i didn't know. Would be interested to find out weather solar part of charging and maintaining the battery.
im going to cover charging of batteries in a separate video. thanks for your feedback.
Thank you, very helpful video today 👍
How long would a typical sealed lead battery last when off grid if used lightly i.e. how long can we stay off grid for on average?
i have just purchased two of the same yuasa agm batteries which have come with tubes, was hoping to see how you fitted this, do i have to dig the plastic hole out first ?
Another great and insightful video, thanks very much.
Another great video.... batteries often overlooked. Quick question wondered how effective solar powers are at keeping batteries topped up? We have a Bailey Unicorn and haven't had it long enough to know. Thanks
Morning, Solar is a great way of keeping the battery topped up. Consider the last time our caravan was plugged into anything was back in February. The solar has kept the battery is great condition, even through dark short winter days a bit of light is enough to keep the battery in great shape. That said, there is no harm in using a smart charger from time to time to make sure the battery is properly conditioned.
@@TheTrudgians many thanks have invested in a CTEK smart charger which I rate.
our service has found our battery to be almost flat, they are saying that something in the caravan is being charged we are newbies and havent a clue what that would be, our van is in storage... any ideas?
When my van was serviced the fridge door got left open and the light managed to drain my battery down as it was left for a few months. I have a smart charger so I brought the battery home and put it on charge and afterwards I was able to move the van with the mover and after 4 weeks the meter on the panel still shows the battery as fully charged. How can I test whether the battery is able to hold a charge properly? I know last time I killed a battery it was only apparent when I put the mover under any strain and the mover would then just stop dead.
An automative battery type tester should work fine as most of these 'leisure batteries' are car batteries with a different sticker
Hi, i would recommend you take the battery back to the where the caravan was serviced and ask them to perform a test on the battery. As part of your caravan service the battery should be tested, so they will have all the kit to do this for you. If it is knackered, you should argue the point that leaving the Fridge light on - ruined the battery, and your ability to use the Motor mover, so you could get a replacement.
Many of my customers run their batteries totally flat by neglect or not using the van for ages if i charge them with a ctek charger and test them they will recover ok . With SOH 90% and SOC 100 % if its a yuasa battery they never recover
@@TheTrudgians if this chap left the fridge light on thats pilot error no warranty
When we bought our caravan which is our first, I was advised to buy a battery charger. However, having the convenience of being able to keep it plugged in to mains, I let the onboard charger do the work. I have read several times the onboard charger is not designed to charge when caravan is in storage. After more than seven years the battery still shows over 13v on the control panel. Any thoughts on this Dan? Looking forward to the next episode. Hope you all well. Best Regards. Rob
Do I need a leisure battery or can I just plug straight into the mains
Another great vlog Dan. Cheers😀
Hi,how can I wire up my radio to my liesure battery .
Thanks arth.
Great clear video as usual - thx and keep them coming
i have a leisure battery clamped down, Mine has 4 pins, 2 main pins with clamps on. What is the best way to charge without disconnecting the battery using the 2 extra pins as a charging point. i have a numax XV31MF 110 ah battery
Hi Dan, a very useful video I picked up some good information, thanks 👌🏻
Hi
Very no nonsense informative,I have a camper and it's set up with solar,but just bought a boat with electric motor,my problem is when I go out ,I don't know how much charge or time I have of usage,which on big waters is important ,is there a way or device I can use on a boat to tell me how much is left in the battery ,my van has a simple gauge ,empty full etc,like a fuel gauge,welcome any help from fans using this site .
Good video, but I am confused by the readings of 14 shown on your meter and on the screen in the caravan. The scale you quoted for discharged to charged which was 12.3v to 12.7v. What’s the difference?
With the costs of electricity these days, how much does it cost per day on average to keep your leisure batteries charged up?
Whi use these old batteries? Ever heard of LiFePo4? Weighs las then a third of anything Lead and paks lot more energy.
Hi, can i connect a cigarette lighter socket to the leisure battery for plugging in my cool box ?
yes you can. Buy one like this with an inline fuse in it, just for safety - it will work well.
amzn.to/40Fy0Yn
Hi Dan, how use caravan without using hook up,electric?
Hi Dan. Could you help please. Due to recent battery failure I purchased a Halfords EFB leisure battery. I have also purchased a solar panel (30w) to keep the battery trickle charged. The solar controller has a setting for flooded battery or lead acid. Which should I choose for EFB. Also I can set a max charge level. What would be best? 13.5v ok it came set at at 14.4. Hope you can advise. Thanks again, Jame
Just upgraded to a lithium battery in the caravan. Bit of a hassle getting it set-up as the leisure industry doesn't make vehicles ready for them. Moved the battery from the outside locker to inside, installed a new MPPT charge controller with low temp disconnect and a shunt battery monitor. 130ah lifepo4 battery was able to run 1kw hair dryer for an hour and a half before the low voltage disconnect removed the load. Hopefully this will allow me to go without hookup as £5 a day is a bit of a rip and I love sites without EHU. Currently got 100w of solar but hopefully upgrading to 470w.
Which battery did you go for in the end? 130Ah loaded with 1Kw for an hour and half sounds interesting. 👍
Hair dryer ran for 90 mins? That’s impressive , but how much hair do you have ? Glad I’m folically challenged
@@TheTrudgians It is a used Valence U27-12xp which was used as part of a UPS system. The battery has 115 cycles on it with a cycle life of supposedly 2000 to 80% DoD. As you can tell from above it took a lot of tinkering to get a safe install. Once lithium batteries become an easy install and more affordable option for caravanners I think it will change the way we caravan.
@@Gixer750pilot Well it hasn't been cut in 3 months ;)
Yeah it’s the cost that makes this prohibitive. I played with a 600Ah which was super light, but the cost was nearly £7k that was 3 years ago - so should be £3k now 😂😂
Great video Dan. I noticed you were using a 5 amp smart charger on a 100 AH battery. Another site I subscribe to suggests that a battery charger should have a minimum of 10% amperage output of the battery to be charged. Would you be kind enough to clarify this please. That channel explains that if the battery is at 12.3v it needs that 10% to really kick start the charge process. Keep up the good work. Am so sad how badly COVID-19 has hit the UK. Sincerely hope you and yours are well.
hi, if you disconnect your battery when you are not using your van does the battery lose its charge or do you still have to check its charge level. rob
Hi again Dan
Thanks for your informative reply, can I ask the following,I have my leisure battery connected to solar panels on roof of motorhome. The current reading is 12.6, should this go up when the solar panels are collecting energy, as the battery was reading 12.6 earlier in the day.
🍺 cheers Anthony
Hi Anthony, yes it will when the solar panel has direct sun on it, the voltage will also increase. 12.6 also indicates that the battery is pretty well charged, and depending on the solar controller you have, may be that it wont supply any more charge until the battery is used.
With a panel on the roof, it is also important to keep it clean. Any muck or dirt on the panel will reduce its potential for charging the battery.
Oh my a lot to learn I have an light weight electric wheel chair with 12 volts battery and an electric bike I will need to charge 36 volts to get around and then in winter to trickle charge my van help please what do I need just bought caravan and not getting it till September this year it’s a 304 elddis please advise , my head is full with what I need and what to do it’s frightening I am watching all your UA-cam videos they are a great help Thankyou
Dan does the solar panel not keep it topped up? Looking at a bailey dealer special with solar panel and assumed it would do this?
Can anyone help... I have a 120ah leisure battery and a charger that says 4amp, max battery capacity 90ah charging, 140ah maintenance mode. Will this charger be sufficient to charge my battery or will it just not work because the ah is too high? So confused! Many thanks!
Out of curiosity, why do you use an external battery charger and not just leave the battery in the van and use the on-board built in charger?
Great question. So, unless upgraded by the owner the vast majority of on board chargers are nothing more than a power supply. In many cases its a 1Amp constant trickle charge. The external charger is a smart charger, so varies the current and voltage at different rates in order to fully charge a battery.
A smart charger is a really useful tool to have especially when dealing with a lesuire battery that has reduced in capacity or charge for some time. The smart charger can shake the sulphite off the plates to increase its capacity.
Hope that helps.
Ok Dan
Thanks again,think I will apply a load on my leisure battery and see if it tops up from the solar panels later.
🍺 cheers Ant
And how do I keep it charging
Dan , should the acid levels be checked and topped up these days or are they sealed for life and maintenance free?
Morning, not really - Leisure batteries these days area sealed with no option to open them up, they are as the phrase goes - maintenance free. Just keep them charged and you will be fine.
The Trudgians mine does have caps that can me taken out but hey are deliberately big maybe to stop people without the correct tool looking in. I would however like to check the acid levels. I don’t believe anything is maintenance free, just an expected life cycle.
Hi Dan
I want to fit a 12v battery just to run my tv,what is the lowest requirement I would need please.Also I will connect this to a solar panel so does it have to be a leisure battery or can I use a car battery.
Thanks for the knowledge
Cheers 🍻 Anthony
Hi Dan I need a new battery for my caravan what’s the best one?
Why is the battery door always open to the elements? And therefore the electric connection.
really good video. I have just bought a 2011 bailey Olympus and l think the battery is dead. I have a portable 6000w goal zero yeti portable power pack. can l buy a lithium battery for my caravan rather than lead acid ad l feel it is a better battery chemistry? I drive an electric car.
Enjoyed that one Dan very informative and look forward to the next one 👍
Another great vid. Thanks Dan 👌
Good stuff Dan 👍
Hi there, I'm a complete novice at this caravan lark lol so I was wondering if you can help me. I live in Cyprus were caravans are as rare as hens teeth, so I can't get much help. I intend to live in my caravan therefore I won't be able to charge the battery via the tow vehicle. My caravan has two round 7 pin plugs on the front, one black and one white. Which is the one that would charge the battery and is there an adapter that I can plug this into to charge my battery via the mains electric? Incidentally, the battery is a year old and at the moment is flat or so the indicator in the caravan shows me. The caravan is a Lunar lexon es 2001 model that I had the caravan shipped in from the UK. Any help would be most appreciated.
My agm battery went to 10.5 .I'm charging back up but it's not going to 13 only 12.6. Is my battery wrecked. Advice please thankyou
It's on its last legs in afraid
Hi Dan, does it matter what Ah battery i put in my van?
Lithium iron batteries in caravans? Maybe a separate video on this and the requirements to convert?
Dan, Does that mean you can safely leave your battery, untill it gets to 12.39 and then recharge it?
can you use a leusure battery as a nomal car battery
In theory yes, but they don’t like quick high power discharges that a car battery is designed for. Leisure batteries like a slow even discharge. Rapid current pill will buckle the plates inside.
Howya Dan, thanks for all the useful information. We have just had our new leisure battery delivered today, it gives a reading of 12.5V, is this good? Bad? Acceptable? Should I put it on charge, or is it good to go? Thanks in advance.
Hi there, thanks for the top video. I have a question and could do with some help if you would be so kind. I just replaced the leisure battery in my Swift Motorhome with a Yuasa L26-AGM 90Ah Class A. I went away for the first time with the battery off grid last weekend and my Swift/Sargent Command module very quickly showed battery state worsening to "Fair" then "Poor" with voltage of 12.6 or 12.7 having dropped quickly from over 13v. This is despite basically no usage and having been on charge. I also have a little solar trickle charger which keeps it topped up when not in use and motorhome in storage. I am confused - is there nothing wrong, is the battery not holding charge etc. I am new to this and genuinely don't know what voltage it should be reading when fully charged.
Hi Paul, thats quite interesting - do you have a solar panel on the motorhome? it sounds like you dont have any charge coming into the motorhome, while off grid and the drop of the voltage would be as expected tbh. if you do have a solar panel, i would suggests having it checked to make sure some voltage is coming out of the panel. If you dont have a solar panel connected - try using your panel you use whilst in storage.
@@TheTrudgians Thanks for the reply :) I called Sargent today who are able to run checks remotely, so I am going to fetch the MoHo and get them to monitor the voltage in a variety of situations, on charge, with my little trickle charger connected, off charge (to simulate off grid). They seem to think from the data they can see from last week that it isn't charging the battery properly for some reason. They told me that voltage should be 12.8 when fully charged, and when charging on mains/hookup should show either 13.6 or 14.4 (with nothing switched on) depending on what mode the charger (EC 600) is in. Either way, the battery should have held up a whole lot better than it did. We've stayed off grid for 5 days before with no concerns of low power, and that was on a lower spec OEM battery.
Hi Dan.how do I become a member?As a newcomer to caravaner I find your channel to be
a godsend Brilliant,Thank you so much
Another good video Dan but it is getting to the point now that when confronted with a caravan problem my go to answer is WWDTD
This comment made me laugh alot - thank you for making my day.
Why do you
Need to recharge using a smart charger ? As opposed to a conventional charger ?
Hi Kenny, while a conventional charger is fine, a smart charger can undo damage caused by under charging and can increase the available capacity. as a smart charger monitors the condition of the battery it will know what level of current and voltage to put into the battery, unlike a conventional trickle charger that has just a fixed voltage, low current supply.
Interesting video as always. Would have been interested to hear your opinions on solar panels for trickle charging.
hi Dan i have a 110ah batterie do i need a bigger ah batterie for my motor mover can you help
Good video however its an ad for yuasa batteries and a ctek charger branded yuasa i love yuasa batteries because most of the batteries i replace are failed yuasa
My leisure battery not charging in my 2007 Compass Corona when hooked up to mains electric, can't find an in line fuse.
Very interesting vlog Dan, lots to learn about leisure batteries. I have to admit I've no idea what battery I have but this vlog has now prompted me to check. Looking forward to future vlogs on this topic.
Take care, Martin
That's cruel Fan. A good vlog but making us wait for more is frustrating😃😃 ,,waiting for more details
Sorry - it will be worth the wait, honest.
Hey im only 18 and I have trouble spelling, I was wondering if you could help me ive made a 12volt generator out of a old Honda water pump and a 140amp car alternator it dose have a built in regulator i wanted to Use a leisure battery is 140amp's too much. Thank you for your time
During this lockdown i had taken battery off caravan as i didnt have a smart charger i have attatched a solar panel we use off grid to keep it topped up will.this do the battery any harm
Great informative vlog as always, thanks Dan, quick question, I keep my caravan on my drive, I used to keep it connected full time to an electrical outlet, but because I have a solar panel fitted on the roof, I was told I do not need to keep the Caravan connected to the mains. But following the information on this video, should I top the charge up every few days by switching the mains on? Or maybe set the mains up on a timer switch to come on for a few hours during the night? Also would it alter during the winter to the summer? (okay that wasn’t a quick question 😂) but would be interested in what you would advise 😊thanks 👍🏼
Hi Jan, as you have a solar panel on the roof it will be perfect for keeping the battery topped up, after all - thats what it's designed to do. From time to time check on the caravan voltage by using the panel, if the numbers seem low - plug the caravan in to the mains for a day, and also run the heating to get some warmth through the caravan too.
Hope that helps.
D
The Trudgians brilliant, thanks Dan, good idea about the heating, didn’t think of that 👍🏼
Jan we hardly ever plug ours in and the solar panel has done its magic and kept it working.
Damian Hollingbery thanks Damian, that’s good to know, I keep checking our levels and it always stays around 13v but just worry in winter or dull times it might drain without being plugged into the mains🙄😊
Jan Ban ours has always been fine even in the winter the only time it let us down it was a faulty battery charger.
Worth saying possibly that the only way you can determine the mAh present in the battery is a full discharge and recharge on a computerised charger that shows on a display how many mAh have been put back in. Problem is that leisure lead acid batteries don't like the discharge cycle!
Hi Dan
What does your leisure battery acutely run inside a motorhome please.
🍺 Cheers Anthony
Hi Anthony - a great question, essentially everything on your motorhome is designed to run off 12volts. The heating furnace will require 12volt to run either from 230v hook up or gas, this will include heating and hot water. The fridge will also need 12v to run from gas or mains, and water pump, lighting alarm and power outlets all need the leisure battery.
Our leisure battery is 11 years old 😁
Very good Dan. Their is a lot talked on batteries but your is very explanatory. Let’s see how Caravan Shorts does it in a couple of weeks.
Stop Trolling people
There, not their.
Colin there’s always videos on the same subject. It’s all about different people’s point of views. Get over it
Colin must be some sort of professional caravan channel critic
EMC or just someone that’s jealous of dans great channel.
First time I watched this, I thought that "battery" or "batteries" was said dozens of times throughout. Sure enough, sad person that I am, I watched again and counted. A whopping SIXTY EIGHT times! LOL!
Blimey, i'm not sure who needs to get out more, me for saying it that many times, or you for counting them lol.
Hope you are well.
D
Hehe I like counting how many times Dan says “as well” or repeats the same word in a sentence. That’s not a dig it makes me laugh ...... as well
The Trudgians Very well, thank you! I hope you are all well, too. Really enjoyed the video - I thought a battery was a battery - every day is a school day, though ;-)
Why is the battery door always open to the elements? And therefore the electric connection.