Leisure batteries

[slowdown.harrison@gmail.c]

I'll ask over on here as the VW site has ground to a halt
at the roadside
(technically speaking)

The camper sports a number of 12V appliances Snigger Snigger!!

for which occasionally I need power;

map light type thing
small blower motor on the night heater
water pump on the tap
small TV.

I've read elsewhere that where the leisure battery appears to offer
best source of power, the dual charging on the road in the day time
sometimes falls short of fully replenishing them each day
so.......

Would a Second conventional (but larger amperage) battery
wired in parallel with starter battery be suitable,

and,
possibly also fitting an isolator to preserve the starter battery in the evenings

Does this make sense, or should I sketch something out?

[MudSurfer]

I'll ask over on here as the VW site has ground to a halt
at the roadside
(technically speaking)

The camper sports a number of 12V appliances Snigger Snigger!!

for which occasionally I need power;

map light type thing
small blower motor on the night heater
water pump on the tap
small TV.

I've read elsewhere that where the leisure battery appears to offer
best source of power, the dual charging on the road in the day time
sometimes falls short of fully replenishing them each day
so.......

Would a Second conventional (but larger amperage) battery
wired in parallel with starter battery be suitable,

and,
possibly also fitting an isolator to preserve the starter battery in the evenings

Does this make sense, or should I sketch something out?

Is this place any good?

http://www.batterymegastore.co.uk/cg...s_Caravan.html

[da SLUG man]

the advantage of a leisure battery is that it's "deep cycle" which means it can be charged and discharged without any lasting damage and will hold a constant voltage to a lower level of charge.

a std battery works best when it's fully charged and doesn't work too well when it's beginning to discharge...


you'll probably find, more than anything that a regular battery's life will be reduced from the constant charging / discharging so might turn out to be a false economy.

[paulh]

Leisure batteries shouldn't take any longer to recharge than a starting battery
the difference is that they are designed to be repeatedly discharged to a low level whereas a starter battery is normally almost fully charged all the time.
If you use a conventional split charge system as with a caravan then the leisure battery will be isolated from the starter battery when the engine is not running.
Whether your running time would be enough to keep the leisure battery charged, obviously would depend on how much you take out of it and the distance that you travel between use.
Hope this helps.

[paulh]

Slugman obviously types faster than me.

[slowdown.harrison@gmail.c]

Good but,

As mentioned above, the road time dictates the level of top-up
if its a day travelling that should do,
an hour on the road not so good
OK with that but..

Are these split charger units easy to fit,
whats involved basically

cheers in advance

[AndyLala]

what about a solar panel with a regulator to trickle charge the leisure battery...?

[paulh]

As mentioned above, the road time dictates the level of top-up
if its a day travelling that should do,
an hour on the road not so good
OK with that but..

Are these split charger units easy to fit,
whats involved basically

cheers in advance

I used this type :- http://www.towsure.com/product/2973-...lay_Wiring_Kit
as it's difficult to trace the wires from the alternator on the surf.
It just monitors the voltage as the engine is running and switches the charge and the fridge in when the voltage is high enough.
Dead simple to fit and very reliable, comes with full instructions.

[Tallyman]

I did exactly what you are looking to do on my old 71 (J) reg Type 2 in 1988. Fitted a second normal battery in the tray in the back, linked to a split charge relay and powering the additional van electrics (extra lights, awning light, 12V TV, 12V kettle etc). However, what I also did was to connect the positive terminals together through a battery isolator switch. In normal use the isolator was turned off, so that it was only powering the additional electrics but if the main battery went flat I could turn the isolator on and get instant jump start.

Only used it a couple of times, then the van was W/O when a 7ft high wall fell on the front in the January 90 gales. Absolutely gutted, as it was in good nick and had a new engine & gearbox fitted only a few months before.

[slowdown.harrison@gmail.c]

I used this type :- http://www.towsure.com/product/2973-...lay_Wiring_Kit
as it's difficult to trace the wires from the alternator on the surf.
It just monitors the voltage as the engine is running and switches the charge and the fridge in when the voltage is high enough.
Dead simple to fit and very reliable, comes with full instructions.

That looks just the job, as the leisure battery could stay beneath drivers
seat where it now is and run that wire to it instead of from engine compartment.


Tally nice to know I'm at least vaguely on the right track,
my idea was merely to preserve the present VW battery for starting only though

[Tallyman]

J reg Type 2 had the starter battery in the engine compartment at the back, so it was easier to put the second battery along side it. It was a spare anyway, so didn't cost me anything, which is why I didn't go down the leisure battery route and being able to connect through was just a bonus.

I presume you've got a later model VW. I seem to remember the water cooled vans had a battery under the front seats.

[slowdown.harrison@gmail.c]

seat

Quite right theres actually space below either front seat
(its a walk thru)
and judging by traces of wiring it had at some point a battery in each space,
Unfortunatley the enthusiast who fitted this together was
colour blind, as I find red wires going to Earth points here and there
which is slightly worrying.
his connections were a bit ham-fisted too, hence the heater debacle.

[Tallyman]

Think the wiring in my old Type 2 was Black & Red originally. Kept black for earth but used a lot of green for the live side as I had loads of that. Always best to look at what someone else has done unless they provide a wiring diagram or label the individual wires.