Leisure Batteries

[brickmenda]

The time has come to change the Leisure Batteries in our Motorhome and as I understand it there is 3 different types available , weight is always a consideration so who out there has got any good advise , happy to spend £250 on a pair as its a long term investment , thanks . Mick

[Brambles]

Hi, do not take this the wrong way, but if I said to you I want a Motorhome and can you suggest one you would immediately come back and ask lots of questions what I wanted it for etc etc.

So same here, tell us a bit more about your power usage.

For example.

Have you got solar panels, do you overnight without hook up, what are you powering, how long did present batteries last before charging.

Did you ever have a problem with running out of power, what are youri current batteries and were you happy with them. How old are they?

 

A bit more info helps recommend if you should go for Gel or Wet flooded etc. without writing 3 pages on all the pros an cons and explaining choices as ther really is a lot.

 

However, making some very basic assumptions I would recommend looking at the Varta Leisure range, specifically the 95602 70ah or the 9579290 Ah.

 

http://www.tayna.co.uk/catalog/285/0/Leisure-Batteries-Varta-Leisure-Batteries-page1.html for info (do search around for prices but tayna are good)

 

Now, you will notice the 81310 110 Ah seems to be cheaper and much better value. However not necessarily depending on how you use and how deep you discharge. The 1st two I mentioned are Calcium technology and the 110Ah is a hybrid with glass mat seperators. Now it is a good battery but the self discharge will be higher and also will not give the same life and is low maintentance rather than maintenance free.

Physically also it does not have hold down bars around the base and is is a tall battery.

 

As to gel batteries, gel is great where you have long periods where you never really fully charge. For example you may be laying up in the winter on small solar panels or a trickle charger. But a gel battery takes longer to fully charge up so not so good whan you have heavy discharge and require batteries to charge while driving to next destination. They are also expensive so should only be considered for appications where gel has other advantages, one being low water consumption but the two varta batteries I mentioned using calcium technology are low water comsumption anyway but the advantage of being able to top up. Gel is expensive for decent ones and cheap ones will not live up to the life of same cost flooded. However Gel does have the advantage of much lower rate of deterioraion when left discharged for longer periods.

 

You might also want to consider a much higher capacity single battery as they normally work out better value. The 96351 180Ah would be a good choice.

 

DO not be swayed by marketing picthes from some very well known brands. Specifications use artistic licence and some which say (model) 110 are probably closer to 90 Ah or less and are nothing special really and not worth paying for. That is very much a personal view. Elecsol is a leading brand but I take their specifications with a very large pinch of salt and the guarantee has its conditions.

 

If you are looking at budget brands there are makes like Numax and they do a sealed flooded, its kind of just semi sealed, it still needs a vent but is spill resistant and top is glued on so cannot be topped up, but they are cheap. You pay for what you get and you do not get cheap batteries with the same amount of quality lead as expensive ones, but you do get expensive ones which are poor quality stick to the big brands like delphi, varta (flooded), bosch, exide (gel). Yuasa.

 

There is another brand that has become quite big now in the leisure market and that is exrider. These are Korean origin and made by Atlas batteries. They seem very good looking at the specifications but I do not know much about them. Atlas batteries are a very good battery manufacter but I cannot help thinking this exrider range is aimed at a specific consumer market unlike some of there autmotive batteries aimed at the OEMs (car manufactures) where quaility is very high.

 

edit -- posted this and realised I did not half natter on - apologies

 

 

 

[Guest JudgeMental]

great stuff brambles! I have learnt something today already! :-D

[Syd]

Thanks for that Brambles

I have printed that off and filed it

[Brambles]

If you really want to learn more about batteries then you might find this site interesting, just come across it just now while searching for another site I know is good.

http://www.vonwentzel.net/Battery/index.html

 

I shall post any other good sites as I find them but the one above, mainly to do with marine applications has some very good links listed.

[brickmenda]

hi brambles Apology for the long reply is not needed as a lot of info in it. We are new to Motorhoming and are having loads of fun and overcoming a problem which is all part of the enjoyment. We change a single 3 year old 110amp leisure battery to 2x 85amp because the original was on its way out to flooded wet cell and with no hook up one evening is about all we get and that is being careful with consumption , that was the advise at the time.We have a 130 watt solar panel but do understand that this time of year its not producing much. Thanks so much for your reply I will read it again and digest as a lot of info to take in .Just rembered I dont have any battery drain when Motorhome is in storeage and i am certain of that. Thanks again Mick

[Airstream]

Hi,

Agree totally with Brambles dont go near Elec*** unles you want to spend lots of cash on a reasonable but not exceptional battery - however they have a great warranty if you have patience and perseverance

Some m/h battery housings that take a "standard" 110 a/h battery can get two TE35 Trojan 6 volt 245a/h batteries in the same space this is a better option than two 12 volt 110 a/h batteries but the cost is circa £150 each

Regards Ray