REMCODEGRAVE Posted November 3, 2019 Share Posted November 3, 2019 What do people think about using a EFB leisure battery for regular off-grid use? Specifically, I'm looking at this battery https://www.tayna.co.uk/leisure-batteries/enduroline/exv105efb/ The current leisure battery is a Numax LV26MF https://www.tayna.co.uk/leisure-batteries/numax/lv26mf/ and I believe the EFB battery is an improvement from this one for my use, but I wasn't quite sure. Also I am limited in my options, because the transit battery compartment seems to be too small to accomodate any 353mm long batteries, which seem the most common for A-class batteries Many thanks for any advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted November 3, 2019 Share Posted November 3, 2019 Hi, IMO the Enduroline is a 'Budget' battery and for the money I feel you could do far better. One thing to point out with it is that it has vent/filler caps so will almost certainly require regular checking and topping up, which in a Transit will be near impossible! Check out the battery page on the late Allan Evan's website and then I would recommend either a Varta LFD 90 or the Yuasa L36 EFB. http://www.aandncaravanservices.co.uk/battery-technology.php Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alanb Posted November 3, 2019 Share Posted November 3, 2019 Keith, Remco did state that his Transit battery compartment seemed to be too small to accomodate 353mm long batteries. This rules out the Varta LFD90, and the Yuasa L36EFB. Possible alternatives are Varta LFD75 and Yuasa L28EFB. These latter types measure 278 x 175 x 190 (lwh). As my PVC has similar restrictions to the Transit as regards battery size, I also would be very interested in a taller and shorter battery format, "Group 27". Unfortunately there are not many deep discharge (leisure) batteries, or even dual purpose batteries manufactured in this size (306 x 173 x 223). For my own interest I will have to check the available height in my vehicle. Remco, I think that you are correct that the EXV105EFB (Enhance, Flooded Battery) will probably be better than your current battery. EFB batteries are an improvement on standard FLA (Flooded Lead Acid) batteries and are intended for stop/start vehicle applications where they typically operate at a lower state of charge than a normal starter battery. However AFAIK the Enduroline range are rebadged batteries, and not a particular make. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 It would be helpful if Remco provided basic details of his motorhome (make, model and age) or at least which model and age of Ford Transit is being referred to and where the battery compartment is. https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/ALL-FORUM-MEMBERS-PLEASE-READ/47195/ Since Year 2000 the starter-battery of the ‘large’ Ford Transits on which most motorhomes are based has been located beneath the driver’s cab-seat and, for Transit Mk 6 (Year 2000 to 2006) and Mk 7 (2006 to 2014) it was potentially practicable for a pair of leisure-batteries with dimensions Length=353mm, Width=175mm, Height=190mm to be installed beneath the passenger cab-seat, with the possiblity sometimes to put a third leisure-battery with those dimensions under the driver’s cab-seat. However, I THINK that (although the starter-battery is still under the driver’s cab-seat) for the Transit Mk 8 (2014-onwards) the dimensions of that battery have changed and, if there’s now a compartment under BOTH cab-seats for a battery, it’s quite likely that the battery dimensions of any underseat leisure-battery will be restricted to (approximately) Length=302mm, Width=175mm, Height=225mm. If the latter assumptions are valid, and any replacement leisure-battery is to go under a cab-seat and have dimensions similar to those of the present Numax LV26MF, if an EFB battery is preferred Tayna suggests 5 possibilties https://tinyurl.com/y2e7w7f8 All are marketed as ’Start-Stop’ batteries, rather than for ‘leisure’ usage, but I’ve no idea if the price would reflect the performance as a leisure-battery and/or the longevity. (For regular off-grid use in the UK, received wisdom would probably be that it would be wise to have more than a single 95Ah battery.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REMCODEGRAVE Posted November 4, 2019 Author Share Posted November 4, 2019 Hi all Thanks for the tips! The campervan is a Ford transit, SWB from 2010 with the battery compartment under the driver seat. The passenger seat swivels around, there is unfortunately no place to install a leisure battery there. It's not like I definitely want a EFB battery. Rather I'm looking for a leisure battery that best fits both the size constraints and my style of camping (off-grid) As for the list Derek provided https://tinyurl.com/y2e7w7f8 I would be very interested to learn whether these could be used as leisure batteries and, if so, which people suggest I should choose Thanks a lot again, you advices are super helpful!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 A 2010 Transit should be a Mk 7 and there would normally be room under either cab-seat to shoehorn in a leisure-battery 353mm long. Several forum-members have done this and posted photos showing the final installation. As your current leisure-battery is in a restricted-size compartment that is not under a cab-seat, if you want to continue to utilise that compartment you’ll need to match the dimensions of the current battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.