Bongo Fury

Greetings,

I have my flip down lcd and all the wiring in place with the relay ready to be connected I just need a little advice on which leisure battery to get, sealed etc not got a clue. I reckon because I only have my TV DVD p[layer taking juice from it I will only need 85mhz one? As before I haven’t got a dinky dooo!
I would appreciate a shout on this one….

An 85 amp should be plenty for your needs, i have a 110..Not for any specific reason other than i could get one for £60 at the time...

I'd get the biggest you can. Willinton (who sells the excellent battery tra/relaay/LB wiring kits on ebay) reckons the (green) Numax 110Ah is the biggest size you can fit in to the space under the Bongo bonnet. I've got one and maybe its not working perfectly through age and having been fully discharged at some point in its life, but I wouldn't say it is a source of endless power, so 85Ah would be even less so!

Greetings , i have two starter batteries in the front , so my leisure will be fitted in the back behind my back bench seat, can you clarify which kind of bettery may be the best, seald ?

cheers big ears!

Use one of the starter batteries, you shouldn't need 2 in this country, just isolate the positive feed & put one of willinton's vsr kits across to it.

Or replace the battery on the passenger side with an L/B, regular starter batteries have different charicteristics to an L/b, and aren't as effective in use.

The standard mazda tray won't accept a big 110 without modification.

bigdaddycain wrote:Or replace the battery on the passenger side with an L/B, regular starter batteries have different charicteristics to an L/b, and aren't as effective in use.

The standard mazda tray won't accept a big 110 without modification.

If you do fit the LB in the back, make sure it is properly fitted and well bolted down, never ever drive anywhere with it just loose in the back.

I'd go with the "fit it where the 2nd main battery is" option you shouldn't ever need two starter batteries in the UK and space is tight enough in the back of the Bongo without finding some for a battery.

Also do you really want a battery giving off hydrogen and other nasties inside the van with you?

bigdaddycain wrote:Or replace the battery on the passenger side with an L/B, regular starter batteries have different charicteristics to an L/b, and aren't as effective in use.

The standard mazda tray won't accept a big 110 without modification.

Might as well use what's there for now though, saves a few quid, may just work fine

missfixit70 wrote:

bigdaddycain wrote:Or replace the battery on the passenger side with an L/B, regular starter batteries have different charicteristics to an L/b, and aren't as effective in use.

The standard mazda tray won't accept a big 110 without modification.

Might as well use what's there for now though, saves a few quid, may just work fine

That's quite true kirsty, (i hope you saved me some birthday cake?), I'm pretty clueless about the more intricate details on different types of batteries,but one thing i have picked up on bongo fury is that leisure batteries are more than simply a title to differentiate between a "regular" battery,and the aforementioned L/B. If the OP was used to the qualities of a dedicated L/B, i was pointing out that a regular (relatively low) power main battery won't be as effective as a "pukka" leisure battery.

If you only want to run a small DVD/TV... the cheapest way and I know it works co's it's what I have done.
Go to ebay and buy a battery isolater terminal (£5). Fit this to your "main engine start battery" (just look at your 2 batteries and decide which you think is best). Then, when you are parked up and want to watch telly just unscrew the Green isolater knob (5 secs) and watch away. You will only be draining the 2nd battery and when you want to start the engine screw the knob back down.
Fit a isolater to both batteries and you can then remove both knobs to deter theiving scrotes.

haydn callow wrote: Fit a isolater to both batteries and you can then remove both knobs to deter theiving scrotes.

If you do that you can also isolate the flat(ter) battery while you start the Bongo from the charged one.

Just a quick warning about the 110 Ah battery. I've got the Willinton tray and relay (which are great), but my 100 Ah battery is really a little too large - the earth post is almost touching the metalwork, and it was a bit of a squeeze getting it in there. Don't know what brand my battery is - and it's too bl**dy cold to go out there and look under the bonnet now, but I'd be happier if it was physically a little smaller.

My 110 Numax fits fine in the Willinton tray,negative terminal is fine, but so what if the negative terminal touches the bodywork? that's what it's earthed to anyway

missfixit70 wrote:My 110 Numax fits fine in the Willinton tray,negative terminal is fine, but so what if the negative terminal touches the bodywork? that's what it's earthed to anyway

Hi - it's more a case of the pole rubbing against the metalwork lip below the bonnet and wearing away the paintwork (and so corrosion). Also, the battery's not central on the tray, so the retaining bar impedes access to topping up the cells (not a problem, just a nuisance).