When is a leisure battery not a leisure battery?

MildredGeorge

Free Member

Messages
3
We've had our Knaus van a while now and never just studied what LB was in situ as always worked well (very rarely off grid, only the occasional pubstop on way)
Had a look and it's fitted with a Banner Running Bull AGM stop/start battery from new. To me looks like an engine battery.
As we are having no problems with it, should we carry on using till it kaput or swap for a 'normal' LB? van is 4 years old so will be getting towards the end sometime in the near future no doubt.
Would like to do more off grid for a few days and not sure if it is up to it?
 
Personally, if you are planning on going off-grid for a few days at a time and you have a Banner Bull battery that is 4 years old, I would actually change it rather than wait for the inevitable death at an inconvenient time.
You say you are having no problems with it, but at the same time you have hardly used the van without hookup by the sound of it.
If you keep the van at home, pretend you are away in it for a few days and see how the battery fairs? leave it unplugged, TV on, lights on, go to the van and turn the taps on and off randomly. See what the battery is like after each day.

I would not disagree that a lead acid battery are easy to find, but if it fails when away, you will need to take time out your holiday to go get one and fit it and if buying from a high street store, pay a higher price for the privilege. Why not plan ahead and have worry-free electrics?
 
Do you have ay Solar panels fitted? If you have then you should have no trouble at this time of year, leave it be. :)
 
Thanks all, Yes, we have a solar panel so next time we are away, might just get it out of garage a day before and leave things on as Wildebus said to see what happens (has a good life indoors so no point trying indoors as solar won't work) I'd be tempted to swap cos I'm a whittler by nature but Mr George says leave it till it packs up, which it will just when you don't want it to.
 
I would leave it be until until it shows signs of failing .meanwhile look into the possibility of fitting lithium depending on you system it may be easy or expensive to go lithium , or go for a 110 amp lead carbon , the you can check the specifications on the alpha batterys Web site ,I chose the lead carbon as it was drop in replacement and I am pleased with it now 5 years old ,I have 100 w of solar, most of my camping is off grid
 
It won’t suddenly emit a wailing cry and shut off. If it is getting low all that will happen is the lights will gradually go a bit dim and the water pump will be a bit slow. When that happens get a new battery. Until then sleep peacefully.
 
Thanks all, think I will try it at home see how it goes on the solar panel and depending on what becomes of this, probably leave it till it does look like giving up. Just seemed a strange choice of battery to fit when it was new.
 
MildredGeorge said:
Thanks all, think I will try it at home see how it goes on the solar panel and depending on what becomes of this, probably leave it till it does look like giving up. Just seemed a strange choice of battery to fit when it was new.
Click to expand...
It was - and is - pretty common to use a battery for leisure use that is also suitable to use as a starter battery. It doesn't mean it is a wrong battery, but maybe not a totally optimum choice.

A tell-tale sign is if you see a battery described or promoted as a 'Leisure Battery' but has a "CCA" rating, which is only important for Starter Batteries.
 
I’m going to stir a hornets nest here! 😱
I have a nagging feeling that all this fuss about what battery to use as a leisure battery is unnecessary. Years ago before leisure batteries were invented I had a lot of caravans and as they had these new fangled electric bulbs which were beginning to replace gas lamps I thought I would be very clever and rig the caravan with a battery to run them. I found a spare pin on the 7 pin plug on the car, wired it to the car 12v and fitted a scrap yard battery in the caravan. I connected it to the caravan lights and to the plug pin with 12v and the lights worked off the caravan battery which was charged from the car when the engine was running. When I would sell the caravan, the buyers would be very impressed that the caravan had its own battery.
Nowadays though I have 200w of solar panel and a 2kw pure sine wave inverter and 200AH of lithium batteries I can skip the site electric and run a 240v kettle and an induction hob. You must have a proper pure sine wave inverter if you want to run any device with a microprocessor in it, such as an induction hob. But in the end, so what? I can perfectly well boil the kettle on the gas and cook the sausages there as well. Of course I also have a refillable gas bottle and a 4 burner cooker with grill and oven.
I have all this ‘stuff’ not because it is necessary . It isn’t. I am a retired electronics engineer and a retired gas wallah (GSR registered people are not engineers, just labourers) so I tend to just do these things because otherwise I would be bored. I read of people spending silly amounts of money on having this stuff installed and it’s all unnecessary really. It’s only worthwhile if you can fit it yourself. All campers now come with leisure batteries whether or not they have solar panels as well. If your leisure battery goes flat, just go to a scrap yard and get a replacement one of the same size with the lugs correctly orientated. When the lights go dim, get another one. If your tv goes dim, chuck it in the bin and get a life. If you are so bored with where you have stopped for the night that you are reduced to watching the tv, get in the drivers seat and go somewhere interesting.
The bottom line regarding batteries is that the only benefit of a lithium battery is that it will withstand high current drains for longer than a lead one, but that will only enable you to watch the tv for half an hour longer than a lead battery would. And lithium batteries vary enormously in quality - if you are going to get one or two, do some research before choosing. And if you get one from Temu make sure you chuck away the rubbish aluminium cables that come with it and fit heavy, thick pure copper cables . . . . or better still, don’t get one from Temu
 
gasgas said:
I’m going to stir a hornets nest here! 😱
I have a nagging feeling that all this fuss about what battery to use as a leisure battery is unnecessary. Years ago before leisure batteries were invented I had a lot of caravans and as they had these new fangled electric bulbs which were beginning to replace gas lamps I thought I would be very clever and rig the caravan with a battery to run them. I found a spare pin on the 7 pin plug on the car, wired it to the car 12v and fitted a scrap yard battery in the caravan. I connected it to the caravan lights and to the plug pin with 12v and the lights worked off the caravan battery which was charged from the car when the engine was running. When I would sell the caravan, the buyers would be very impressed that the caravan had its own battery.
Nowadays though I have 200w of solar panel and a 2kw pure sine wave inverter and 200AH of lithium batteries I can skip the site electric and run a 240v kettle and an induction hob. You must have a proper pure sine wave inverter if you want to run any device with a microprocessor in it, such as an induction hob. But in the end, so what? I can perfectly well boil the kettle on the gas and cook the sausages there as well. Of course I also have a refillable gas bottle and a 4 burner cooker with grill and oven.
I have all this ‘stuff’ not because it is necessary . It isn’t. I am a retired electronics engineer and a retired gas wallah (GSR registered people are not engineers, just labourers) so I tend to just do these things because otherwise I would be bored. I read of people spending silly amounts of money on having this stuff installed and it’s all unnecessary really. It’s only worthwhile if you can fit it yourself. All campers now come with leisure batteries whether or not they have solar panels as well. If your leisure battery goes flat, just go to a scrap yard and get a replacement one of the same size with the lugs correctly orientated. When the lights go dim, get another one. If your tv goes dim, chuck it in the bin and get a life. If you are so bored with where you have stopped for the night that you are reduced to watching the tv, get in the drivers seat and go somewhere interesting.
The bottom line regarding batteries is that the only benefit of a lithium battery is that it will withstand high current drains for longer than a lead one, but that will only enable you to watch the tv for half an hour longer than a lead battery would. And lithium batteries vary enormously in quality - if you are going to get one or two, do some research before choosing. And if you get one from Temu make sure you chuck away the rubbish aluminium cables that come with it and fit heavy, thick pure copper cables . . . . or better still, don’t get one from Temu
Click to expand...
You forget to mention choice; and, for those of us who lack technical knowledge, having a leisure battery, solar and B2B et al installed professionally means decent quality, non-Temu, kit with appropriate cabkes and fused protection. Our set up enables us to stay offgrid for longer, reduces the reliance on gas, and makes our M/Home use as flexible and comfortable as posssible. 'Necessity' has very little to do with it. Chacun a son gout

Steve
 
HTF said:
The problem with automotive batteries is how much you can discharge it. That is why you need to install deep cycle batteries that can resist more abuse
Click to expand...
Only diff between les and starter batteries is the plate thickness, they dont go down any deeper but give a steady output untill they hit about 40% below full charge, you should not go down below this level.
I have been running 2 90ah standard van batteries for over 10 years with no bother, cost was £40 each trade.
I have 200w solar through a votronic mppt regulator keeping them charged along with engine when driving.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who viewed this discussion (Total:80)

Back
Top