Leisure Batteries

grumpo · Post by **grumpo** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:10 pm

My sentiments exactly Adam.

Get them home for 20 pounds, put them in the garage, series connect
them, charge them with a 12 volt charger, connect them to a 5 or 10
amp load, and time how long it takes the voltage to reduce to around
11 volts. Do the sums, and if it works, you've got yourself a good deal.

If it doesn't, it's still a better bet than horse racing.

pippin · Post by **pippin** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:15 pm

Even sealed lead-acid batteries will produce hydrogen on charge so you need to be very wary.

These batteries will weigh an awful lot.

They will become lethal weapons in a crash or even hard braking.

You would need very secure fixings for them if you are mounting them in a cupboard or anywhere else inside the vehicle.

francophile1947 · Post by **francophile1947** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:34 pm

Thanks for the info/opinions folks.
Pippin, I take your point about securing them well - where do others with 2 starter battery set-ups mount their leisure battery?

Veg_Ian · Post by **Veg_Ian** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:38 pm

Under the bonnet on the opposite side from the starter battery. There are fixing holes for another battery tray. Battery trays available on ebay.

cezeta · Post by **cezeta** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 2:01 pm

Adam, I used to work for worldcom so i'm glad I'm in good company

I'm just not convinced there is a saving here when you can haggle a deal with a local supplier for the real thing for as little as 30 quid (cash payed by a friend to a wholesaler on a industrial estate in Hayes middlesex....no vat no receipt)

even off the net gets close and they a re the correct thing which can be located in the factory position outside of the cab.

http://www.tayna.co.uk/item/3637/0/prod.htm

The place it should go is in the opposite location to the van battery, you can buy the fitting kit from Ava leisure or from eBay which is a copy of the factory item installed to the "winter pack" models of the ford Freda.

you will need the split charger kit too.

just seems a lot of hassle, a bit of risk and then not to save anything once you have bought the additional cable to connect them in two different locations. then to find if you did have a fire your insurance loss adjuster would use that kind of diy to try and prevent a claim.

a few things to consider before you part with money.

francophile1947 · Post by **francophile1947** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 2:36 pm

Hi Veg_ian/cezeta
I already have a battery on each side under the bonnet - must be one of those Winter Pack models.
What I need to know is if it's possible to secure a leisure battery in the back of the Bongo and, if so, what is the best way?

Veg_Ian · Post by **Veg_Ian** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 2:39 pm

Sorry Franco, I didn't read your post properly. A third battery? Depends upon your conversion I suppose. Somewhere safe with easy access and held down with battery clamps or similar. Although 3 batteries? That's just plain greedy

corblimey · Post by **corblimey** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 2:53 pm

Good point well made cezeta. Sometimes the hoops (read, extra expense) you have to jump through to get you bargin buy usable don't add up.

If you have all the bits and pieces laying about and just need the batteries then it's a different matter.

I've just haggled myself a deal for a brand new 110AH leisure battery for £47

cezeta · Post by **cezeta** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 3:00 pm

francophile1947 wrote:Hi Veg_ian/cezeta
I already have a battery on each side under the bonnet - must be one of those Winter Pack models.
What I need to know is if it's possible to secure a leisure battery in the back of the Bongo and, if so, what is the best way?

ok two things, firstly you can afford to lose the second battery for the van assuming you do not live in snowy mountains.....we do not have any in the UK so you should be OK. Half of Japan is like the alps hence 4x4 fiat pandas and 4x4 camper vans.....snow. The respected conversion firms do this as standard as its not ideal to have batteries inside the cab.

If you do put a battery inside the cab area then put it inside an approved case, they are not expensive and are acid, fire and shorting out proof....if there is such a term.

You can buy these from tow-sure or Ava leisure, take a look at the sites.

Where you put it is up to you really, somewhere out of the way. remember not to run power cables under carpet where you will walk as the insulation will wear and then the cables will short out on the floor......bang

I would be inclined to run the cables in copex or similar flexible conduit underneath the van then enter the cables through the floor via a gas tight stuffing gland so you don't fill you van with fumes. I know this is how they do it for LPG conversions so I would say they know their stuff as they are regulated installers. at least the firm i used was.

it may be worth using one of the recesses under the chassis for a box location?

pippin · Post by **pippin** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 3:35 pm

I would agree with converting the second battery under the bonnet into a secondary leisure battery.

We do not often get -30C temperatures in this country!

The advantages of doing this are numerous.

The space and tray are already in situ.

The existing battery could be utilised to save cost. Even though engine batteries have different characteristics to leisure batteries it will work well enough until you need to get a new one anyway.

It will receive a better charge from being in close proximity to the alternator.

Wiring is facilitated.

etc, etc

cezeta · Post by **cezeta** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 3:49 pm

the only thing to add is a split charger relay. it lets the leisure battery run down without draining the primary battery.

you will also need to separate the supply to the radio interior lights etc so that these drain directly from the leisure battery not the primary battery.

adam · Post by **adam** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 3:54 pm

Good point cezeta did not realize leisure batts were so cheap but the 1 you pointed out was only 85 amps in comparison to the 160+ amps that franco found and twice as expensive

Another way would be to keep the second battery as its already installed and add an a.c hook up with a.c to d.c rectifier.This is the set up that was on my van when i brought it. EHU on side of van running to consumer unit, socket outlet and rectifier all mounted on the side of kitchen unit, this constantly feeds batterys .The alternator keeps batterys charged while driving and EHU is constantly charging batterys when parked up on site. For the 12v electric i use micro switched tap, interior light and stereo it seems to work well,never had a flat battery yet.

So franco if you have loads of time but less money take a punt on the cheaper batterys.If its the other way round spend a bit more and go for a new leisure battery.If your feeling flush buy the full EHU with rectifier, and if your loaded just buy a hymer

p.s never heard of worldcom

are they still about

francophile1947 · Post by **francophile1947** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 8:02 pm

Thanks all, but my head hurts now!
Having never been involved in campervans before, I never realised there were so many options!

I quite like cezeta's idea of a little generator, but aren't they noisy? (I know my lawnmower is!). Wouldn't want to p*ss al the other campers off.

adam · Post by **adam** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 8:17 pm

Invest in disposable ear plugs frank and hand them out to people that are within ear shot of your genny

pippin · Post by **pippin** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:07 pm

Think laterally.

You might expect always to be on a site with mains electric hook-up.

Then you find the site is busy and there are no pitches with EHU left.....

Or you decide that a bit of wild camping might be nice.

Or that you really have to pull over for a sleep before you nod off at the wheel because it is so late and you haven't found a site yet.

Electric hook-up?

Then you discover that both engine batteries (being in parallel) have gone flat because you left the TV/coolbox/awning lights/whatever on overnight.

Play safe, convert one to a leisure battery with a split charge relay.
By all means use a charger to keep topped up when hooked up.
There are even very clever chargers about with two outputs.
A main one for the leisure battery and a trickle charge one just to keep you engine battery nicely topped up.