Maximum capacity of leisure battery?

[hammer]

Hi, my leisure battery is not holding as much charge as it used to and at 7 years old, it is time to replace it. The current battery is 80aH and we have a built in Nordelettronica NE143 charger (250w). There is a 120W solar panel on the roof, however we use the van a lot in winter in the mountains and there is very little solar gain at this time of year. Our heating is a webasto diesel heater, which takes quite a bit of power to start up.

My instruction manual says to have no less than a 50aH gel or lead battery. My question is: is there a maximum size that can be fitted? It will be constrained by having to fit under the passenger seat and ideally just a single battery as we usually only go for a couple of nights 'off grid' over winter. Any more than that and we would be looking for an EHU (and decent shower...).

 

I was thinking along the lines of a Varta LFD90 or 140.

 

Thanks.

[aandncaravan]

The Varta LFD90 and Exide L36-EFB are usually the size fitted below seats, and likely to be the same physical size as your existing battery, which I am guessing is a Gel?

 

The electronics will support a battery up to about 140Ah, but would be surprised if such a size would fit under the seat without mods?

 

 

[Derek Uzzell]

From hammer’s previous postings I think his motorhome is a 2012 Fiat Ducato-based CI Carioca (though I’ve no idea which model) so the present leisure battery is quite likely not gel type.

 

A Varta LFD90 should go under the cab seat OK, but (as Allan has said) not a Varta LFD140.

[Derek Uzzell]

The following link is to a 2018 2-page forum discussion (with photos) about installing a Varta LFD90 battery beneath a recent-model Ducato’s cab seat.

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Varta-LFD90-Batteries/48787/

 

The verdict seems to be that an LFD90, or any battery with these dimensions

 

Length - 353mm

Width - 175mm

Height (Including terminals) - 190mm

 

should be straightforward to install (provided that the under-seat space is empty) and it may also be practicable to shoehorn in a pair of LFD90s.

 

The dimensions of a Varta LFD140 are

 

Length - 513mm

Width - 189mm

Height (Including terminals) - 223mm

 

so that definitely could not be contained in the under-seat space.

 

A pair of Varta LFD75 batteries

 

Length - 278mm

Width - 175mm

Height (Including terminals) - 190mm

 

would offer 150Ah, should be simpler to install than a pair of LFD90s due to a LFD75’s 278mm length, and should be cheaper to buy than a single LFD140.

 

 

 

 

[hammer]

Thanks

[bobalobs]

Our Murvi PVC is fitted with 2 Varta LFD90 auxillaries and a 90 solar panel. The heating is a Webasto Dualtop which is not as battery hungry as our previous Eberspacher.

We use the van all year and try to avoid hookups other than the depth of winter when weather conditions can confine us to the van for the major part of the day. We use the van shower as a rule.

For most of the year the system is self sufficient even for a week or more but once the light drops in winter months together with the need for prolonged periods of habitation heating we will move the van every couple of days. Obviously it depends on the age of the batteries and the outside temperature.

Hope this is of some help.

 

 

 

[Derek Uzzell]

I believe your Murvi motorhome is based on a 2002 Ducato.

 

For future reference, are your two Varta LFD90 batteries housed beneath one (or both) of your Murvi’s cab seats or elsewhere?

[bobalobs]

Derek our previous Murvi was a 2002 Fiat with both leisure batteries under the drivers seat which had to be removed to check fluid levels which was a pain.

Our current Murvi is a 2010 model and has the two batteries in a compartment in the offside side wall behind the sofa and it is possible to fit a third battery provided you have the necessary skills with a saw!

The original batteries were glassmat but only lasted three years probably because of being on continuous charge at home. The Varta LFD90 replaced them without any alterations and we have been very pleased with them and good value for money. As a precaution and prior to a long trip we replaced them with a new set but they still had reasonable life in them after more than four years.

[aandncaravan]

Bobalobs, You did well to get three years from an AGM battery.

 

The Varta LFD90 makes an outstanding Starter battery, which obviously gets a very easy life compared to a Habitation area battery discharging to 50%.

So you might find, so long as the 'old' Varta's are sound, that you could get several years life as a Starter battery.

 

On one Murvi we worked on it had two Banner high fluid loss batteries below the Sofa/bed, and they took 30 mins to get the bed panel off take out each battery and top up. So it isn't just batteries under the Cab seats that are hard to maintain. See photo.

 

Despite having had a habitation service just before it came to us, they took a lot of fluid. Clearly not done by the habitation service mobile man.

[bobalobs]

Thanks Alan. I think the photo is of the batteries in a Murvi Morocco which has a sofa that converts into two single beds with the hinge mechanism blocking any access to the top of the batteries without taking them out. Our van is a Morello with a double bed and no hinge so allowing some access from above but when changing them they have to come out the side as in your picture. When Murvi were fitting Banner batteries many thought wrongly that they were maintenance free and then had the hassle you had topping them up.

With the 2002 Morello the drivers seat had to be unbolted and then lifted off the seatbase to gain access and those seats are heavy!!