Leisure battery keeps going flat

[Merlot man]

Hello all
I've been checking the leisure battery for charge and it was around 8.3 v so charged it overnight and when I checked it again , it was dropping as I was reading it ! So I assume that the battery is no good .
It's a 60 ah , so my question is , is my battery gone and can I fit another stronger one and if so how strong ?
I know nothing about this stuff !
Thanks
Brian

[Bob]

It does sound like the battery is done in.

You can fit the highest amp hours one that will physically fit on the tray and allow the bonnet to shut.

90 - 100 ah should be about right, but do spend a few minutes with a tape measure first.

[Gasy]

And make sure the terminal are the correct side / way round
If you have short leads

[Merlot man]

Hello gents and thanks for the advice .
I'm going to have to replace it I'm afraid .
Any particular brands should I be looking out for ?
Thanks
Brian

[Bob]

I think quite a few use Bosch with good results.

[windywatson]

Hi, the biggest battery I managed to fit was a 110HA & that is a very goodf brand "Numax" well respected in the motor home trade as a very reliable battery by good manufacturer. We fitted these as standard at the motor home dealers I worked at. It is also worth doing a quick check to see what is being drawn from the battey when you fit it in order to know if there is a small drain due to some equipment that may be drawing any current. Such as radio if it has been wired to run of the LB. That way you will have an idea how long it may stand for before being discharged. Could be an oppertunity to fit an isolating terminal so that when not in use the battery can be completly isolated therefore minimising any loss of charge.

[JoeC]

These are good place to start ... https://www.tayna.co.uk/Leisure-Batteries-C45.html

[mikeonb4c]

I won't take responsibility for fitting one of these in, but it JUST shoehorns into mine with the header tank pipe moved to one side, and with my Willinton leisure battery tray, and as long as they've not changed the dimensions since I fitted mine some years back (can't think why they would on the same model number but...). Got one on recommendation from Mike Gough (used to be on here a lot but is a Bongo and classic car mechanic) and they're not cheap. But mine has performed very well, including being used twice to rapid charge a flat starter battery via jump leads so I was able to avoid a call out. I had a Numax 110Ah before that but it didn't seem to last well in comparison:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12v-Banner-13 ... 1351904510

Tayna do it for a similar price (but don't offer a description to promote reason for buying it!):

https://www.tayna.co.uk/Banner-Energy-B ... P8271.html

You can remove the cell caps to top up battery water, but you don't need the £10.83 tool to do it! A suitable coin held firmly in the slot with a pair of pliers will do the job just as well!

I think the Energy Bull could really be the Rolls Royce of leisure batteries, but not sure. Some good reviews though:

https://www.roadpro.co.uk/catalogue/02b ... -batteries

[Gasy]

Optima red top or yellow top batterys
Have a real good reputation in the LANDROVER winch world
Think there gel inside or sone thing
One is a cranking battery red top I think
Yellow top leisure maybe (not got a good memory )

[mikeonb4c]

While I was looking for Banner reviews i read that whikst gel batteries were cinsidered valuable for avoiding acid spillage where extreme tilting was likely (boats, off road work) tbeir performance and longevity was not as good as liquid lead/acid. Don't know if anyone else can comment?

[g8dhe]

Gel are sensitive like AGM batteries to overcharging so need extra care in this area, see this link for a comparison table of various lead acid types;
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/arti ... _batteries

[mikeonb4c]

Gel are sensitive like AGM batteries to overcharging so need extra care in this area, see this link for a comparison table of various lead acid types;
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/arti ... _batteries

And i suppose the problem then is that the vehicle's charging system cannot be guaranteed to charge gel batteries with sufficient care whilst the engine is running?

[g8dhe]

Yes that's the basic problem, its suggested that once fully charged normally carried out at 2.40v cell = 14.40volts you should drop it to 2.30-2.35v cell = 13.8-14.1 volts, now the alternator won't do that, nor is it easily achieved in a working vehicle when all sorts of loads are being handled and changing all the time. Which is one of the reasons that you tend to see them in "standby" situations emergency supplies for lights, mains fail backup's, UPS batteries etc. where there is basically no load until the full power is required.

[mikeonb4c]

Yes that's the basic problem, its suggested that once fully charged normally carried out at 2.40v cell = 14.40volts you should drop it to 2.30-2.35v cell = 13.8-14.1 volts, now the alternator won't do that, nor is it easily achieved in a working vehicle when all sorts of loads are being handled and changing all the time. Which is one of the reasons that you tend to see them in "standby" situations emergency supplies for lights, mains fail backup's, UPS batteries etc. where there is basically no load until the full power is required.

You explain it all so well Geoff - a man who really knows his stuff

[Merlot man]

Good morning everyone
Well I took the plunge a bought an energy bull 80 AH battery and its charging at at the minute , I'd have gotten a bigger amp battery but they seemed "unwilling" to fit into the leaguer battery location , passenger side front bay . I removed the tray and there seems to be a lot of unused space underneath , are there other trays being make that fit lower in that space allowing for a taller battery ?
From looking at it I think I just have enough length and breath it's the depth that's catching me . The 80 amp battery will fit with out any problem but I'm more asking for the next time as it would be nice to have more amp storage for the wild camp
Thank you Mike fir putting me on to the energy bull
Brian