|
Leisure batteries and car battery's - what's
the difference??
A car battery is designed to give out a large
amount of power in a short space of time (starting
the car) and then being quickly recharged.
A leisure battery on the other hand is designed
to store power and release it over a much longer
period of time. Undoubtedly you can use
a car battery in your caravan but it is unlikely
to work very well in the long term.
Where to buy
It is not easy to get batteries by mail order
due to the acid content and weight. As such
we recommend buy from a reputable caravan dealers
Go
to caravan dealer directory
How big?
 Battery
power is measured in amp hours. The higher
this number is the better as this gives you an
idea as to how long it will last. Generally,
leisure batteries are available from 75amp hours
to 110amp hours. A common question is how
long will a leisure battery last for caravanning.
The obvious answer, is unhelpfully, depends how
you use it and what for. To give you an
idea as to consumption of caravan equipment running
on battery we have prepared a chart for you to
add up how much power you need.
How long will a battery last in reality
If you followed this consumption pattern and
ran a 110 amp hour battery to total discharge
you would it would last just under two days.
However, in reality you would not get this performance
for the following reasons:
- If you run a leisure battery to total discharge
it would not be as effective.
- Amp hour ratings given to batteries are based
on new batteries and in ideal conditions
We would never recommend totally discharging
a battery ever, ideally you would never let it
go below 50%.
Calculating battery requirement
| Caravan Equipment |
Wattage
rating |
Estimated hours you will use it
without a re-charge
|
Total watt hours e.g. Rating x hours |
| Three 8w lights |
24w |
10 hours |
240 watt |
| One 10w spotlight |
10w |
12 hours |
120 watt |
| Water pump |
50w |
30 mins |
25 watts |
| Colour TV |
50w |
10 hours |
500 watts |
If you add
up the total watts used e.g. 240 + 120 +
25 + 500 = 885 watts
To work out the total number
of amp hours you divide by the voltage (12v)
885 watts /12 volts = 74 amp hours. |
Preserving the life of your battery
There are a number of ways to keep your battery
working longer.
- Switch off all appliances when they are not
being used
- Avoid using high drain appliances such as
televisions etc
- Keep your battery regularly topped up.
- Consider a battery charging device (see below)
A guide to caravan voltage meters
If your caravan has a volt meter fitted, if not
a simple volt meter will suffice, you can check
your batteries condition using the following guide.
Even though batteries are rates at 12v a fully
charged battery will give out nearer 13v (see
guide below)
|
Voltage shown on voltmeter |
Guestimate of battery condition |
|
12.7v or higher |
Fully charged |
|
12.5v |
Three quarters charged |
|
12.4v |
Half charged |
|
12.2v |
A quarter charged |
|
12v or lower |
Empty |
Battery Charging
There are a number of devices on the market that
will trickle charge your battery. The most
environmentally friendly versions are solar powered or wind powered. Other alternatives are
a generator or to use the power in your car battery.
Although be careful not to drain your car battery
- so it is only really advisable to do this while
the car is being driven.
Winter lay up
Our advice is to remove your battery from your
caravan when you lay up your caravan. Make
sure you keep it charged over the winter to ensure
it is in good condition next time you want it.
When removing your battery always disconnect
the negative lead first (black) and then the positive lead.
Connecting your battery you should connect the
positive terminal first and then
positive. Always switch everything off first
to prevent sparks etc. |
