Leisure batteries

saxonjaxnjohn
saxonjaxnjohn Forum Participant Posts: 9
edited September 2016 in Parts & Accessories #1

Been touring and living in motorhome 7 years, bought new Lion leisure batteries 3 years ago that don't seem to be holding much charge any more, I have a 80 watt solar panel and I use a 300watt inverter for charging I-pad ,laptop and phones. Is this a fair
time for my batteries ? Am looking at new banner ones at £108 each which seems expensive or there are hankook 110ah for £58 ,anyone know if these are good ? 

Comments

  • Boff
    Boff Forum Participant Posts: 1,742
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    edited September 2016 #2

    Here is my non scientific way of selecting batteries.   For a given Ah rating buy the heaviest   A lot of "leisure" batteries are no more than standard batteries with a sticker showing a drawing of a boat and a RV on them.  

  • saxonjaxnjohn
    saxonjaxnjohn Forum Participant Posts: 9
    edited September 2016 #3

    23.8kg , very non scientific but easy I suppose 

  • Fysherman
    Fysherman Forum Participant Posts: 1,570
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    edited September 2016 #4

    Banner have a good reputation.

    You get what you pay for.

    Slightly cheaper are Enduroline batteries and they are perfectly ok.

    From memory, they have a 4 year guarentee.

     

  • saxonjaxnjohn
    saxonjaxnjohn Forum Participant Posts: 9
    edited September 2016 #5

    The cheapest enduroline I can find are £114 where as the hankook are only £58 , apart from price is there really any difference, I am thinking on the line that 2 at £58 and replace after 2 years if they don't perform as well . Where as 2 at £114 they would
    have to last a lot longer with hopefully no problems. ? 

  • Fysherman
    Fysherman Forum Participant Posts: 1,570
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    edited September 2016 #6

    The club recently did a big test of batteries that would have answered this question. 

    Unfortunately the club declined to publish proper results. Why is still being debated. 

    Price remains a reasonable measure of fitness for purpose 

  • Vicmallows
    Vicmallows Forum Participant Posts: 580
    500 Comments
    edited September 2016 #7

    By far the most important factor as far as life is concerned is how you look after the battery. Try to never discharge below 70%, and certainly not below 60%.  Always FULLY recharge at first opportunity and make sure there is absolutely no load when leaving the 'van for any length of time (weeks).

    The only way to achieve the above, IMHO, is to monitor the battery with a proper, cumulative Ah meter, along with accurate voltage/current readings (and understand what you are reading Winking.).  With reasonable care 7-8 years battery life is quite easilly achievable.

  • ocsid
    ocsid Forum Participant Posts: 1,395
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    edited September 2016 #8

    The type and quality of a battery you need depends on what you want it to do.

    If it is for use in off EHU type camping then the article by the late John Wickersham is as valuable today as when written;

    http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/media/6552072/technical.pdf

  • triky auto
    triky auto Forum Participant Posts: 8,690
    1000 Comments
    edited September 2016 #9

    On " Amazon" right now ..

    " Numax" 110 ah-----------£80.41,

    " SuperBat" 110ah --------£69.99.

    " SuperBat" 120ah---------£74.99.

  • triky auto
    triky auto Forum Participant Posts: 8,690
    1000 Comments
    edited September 2016 #10

    Also from " Amazon" ,,,Bestek Electronics Inverter. A 1000w unit with a surge up to 2400w for £ 69.99.I'm going to run my 'amp' for the guitar from it .Wink.

  • Navigateur
    Navigateur Club Member Posts: 3,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited September 2016 #11

    Jings!  That will draw over 200 amps on DC from the battery.  Well, not for long it will.

  • triky auto
    triky auto Forum Participant Posts: 8,690
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    edited September 2016 #12

    Undecided , Hmmm, thanks 'Nav' .i do have a 'genny' as back-up though !! .

  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
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    edited September 2016 #13

    Batteries of course have a limited life and in particular will only suffer so many charge/ recharge cycles. Three years is not very good but if you have been regularly discharging then this would explain it. I am assuming that you have a so called "intelligent
    charger" which will properly recharge a discharged battery. This would be quite usual on a motorhome with solar panel etc. but less common on a caravan. A conventional step charger does not take the battery offline to charge it so will not give enough voltage.

    The links given above concerning the battery study identified the best leisure batteries of which Banner was one.

  • ocsid
    ocsid Forum Participant Posts: 1,395
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    edited October 2016 #14

     

    The links given above concerning the battery study identified the best leisure batteries of which Banner was one.

    That it should be noted was Banner Energy Bull which is a conventional wet Leisure battery. I have one of these and am very happy with it.

    It should not be confused with the Banner AGM Running Bull battery which has seen some OEM use in motorhomes and is reportedly proving, according to some, less suitable for that application in that the life is disappointing.

    The arguments made revolve around the AGM is best suited to withstand lack of use, not actual use; so better for applications where long periods of lying idle are faced, which is arguably what many MHs see. Periodic rather than more frequent use.

    Comes back to being important to buying the battery technology best needed for the job in hand.

  • saxonjaxnjohn
    saxonjaxnjohn Forum Participant Posts: 9
    edited October 2016 #15

    is the Varta LFD90 a good buy ?

  • Boff
    Boff Forum Participant Posts: 1,742
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    edited October 2016 #16

    I had a Exrider 105ah battery that needed to be replaced. The Varta 110ah weighed over 29kg and it was  a better battery.  My own belief is that if you are always on Ehu then any old rubbish will do if you go off grid then it is worth investing in something
    like a Varta or Banner. 

    If you have the battery in the habitation area, for instance under a seal then strictly speaking you should have a gel or agm  battery as they don't gas even if over charged. 

  • ocsid
    ocsid Forum Participant Posts: 1,395
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    edited October 2016 #17

    is the Varta LFD90 a good buy ?

    I also have one of these and one of their 60 Ahr version, both purchased because I thought they were very good for the price. The 90 does not get tested to any telling extent as I use it. The 60 I use extensively and quite hard as a portable battery to power
    my TV. It has for 3 years given faultless service. It is charged from a solar cell using a Morningstar DUO controller, whilst off EHU camping and at home on a CTEK 5.

    I have no regrets buying either.

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
    1000 Comments
    edited October 2016 #18

    We have a Banner Energy Bull and it seems to be doing very well.

    I did a fair bit of research before buying and they came out very well. They are heavy, which means they have more lead in them......and apparnly that's where the energy is stored.

  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
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    edited October 2016 #19

    It should be mentioned that a leisure battery for a motorhome should be of the "sealed" type. You don't see too many open vented flooded cells these days but they do give off Hydrogen when charged which is dangerous in an enclosed space.

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