Battery Leisure Amps

paulgill
paulgill Forum Participant Posts: 41
edited February 2017 in Motorhomes #1

Just bought a Moterhome. It has two leisure batteries both 80 amp, one new one older. I have a new 120 amp battery of my caravan, Can I run it next to the new 80 amp battery?

Thanks.

 

 

Paul

Comments

  • EJB986
    EJB986 Forum Participant Posts: 1,153
    1000 Comments
    edited February 2017 #2

    You can but the 80 amp unit will pull the 120 down to it's level.

    Normal advice is to install 2 identical batteries...but the above won't cause any other problems if you go that way!

  • paulgill
    paulgill Forum Participant Posts: 41
    edited February 2017 #3

    Thanks for the reply

  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
    1000 Comments
    edited February 2017 #4

    As EJB says, normal practice is to install identical new batteries so that there is a good chance that they will perform in a similar manner, however, this is not ideal. I think it is possible to have two connected and charged separately from, say, a Sargent system and this would be the best but I am new to motorhoming and not so familiar with the systems that are available. 

  • SteveDSD
    SteveDSD Forum Participant Posts: 36
    edited February 2017 #5

    I'd advise against mixing capacities and ages of batteries in a bank, you won't be gaining any real capacity by joining them all together

    You can introduce issues should one of the batteries fail like the others will try to "charge" the failed battery and can boil the electrolyte in it. 

    It also has the issue of the additional cabling between the batteries and the extra weight in the battery box (all that extra lead takes a lot of your available payload away)

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