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Topic: Do I need a leisure battery on hook up

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saxo1

10/1/2018 at 6:17pm
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Most continental EU vans are designed to run without a battery.
A Battery and Charger are often optional extras.
saxo1

jeff juke

10/1/2018 at 8:31pm
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I would advise you to get a battery as i ran my van without one to start with and when it came to using the lights at night and the blow heating the 12v gauge needle was bouncing from one end to the other it was too much load on the charger..

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carolelmsmith

10/1/2018 at 8:45pm
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Thanks to everyone, most helpful

Colin21

10/1/2018 at 9:42pm
Location: East Herts
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Personally I would fit a battery, but if you are intending to leave the van on a seasonal site where EHU is always available, just a ordinary car battery will do fine. If you are planning to fit a new battery to your car anytime soon, use the old car battery in the caravan.

Having a battery will stabilise the 12 volt supply provided by the charger, and will be an emergency back-up should the mains fail for a short while. At least the lights and water pump will still work if the mains goes off.

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trog100

10/1/2018 at 10:13pm
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dont be tight.. buy a battery for your nice van.. they dont cost that much and will come in useful.. he he

trog

Opensauce

11/1/2018 at 8:11am
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Quote: Originally posted by jeff juke on 10/1/2018
I would advise you to get a battery as i ran my van without one to start with and when it came to using the lights at night and the blow heating the 12v gauge needle was bouncing from one end to the other it was too much load on the charger..

Your post actually confirms that a battery is not required. The needle was moving according to amount of power being drawn. The clue is in the name. Transformer/charger. A stabilised power supply that also charges a battery if fitted. Most caravan transformer/chargers are 20amp output which is more than enough.

Johnnie Boy

11/1/2018 at 12:54pm
Location: Cleveland
Outfit: Swift select 164

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I would fit a battery.. had power cuts on 2 sites in the last 8 years or so of caravanning.. Probably just been unlucky .

Geoff48

11/1/2018 at 1:43pm
Location: Bolton
Outfit: Avondale Dart 510 5

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The Caravan Manual (3rd Edition) reprint 2003 by John Wickersham states "Bear in mind a 12v supply should not be drawn from a mains operated charger, without having a battery in place". (page 96) Technology does move on and I'd agree this advice isn't necessarily relevant for modern vans but I'd go with the expert advice given in 2003 for a van date of manufacture 2005.

paulwarning

03/8/2023 at 12:29pm
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depends on the Caravan, my old one wouldn't work the 12v stuff without a battery, like the toilet flush, my new one will

Fiona W

via mobile 03/8/2023 at 2:06pm
Location: Ayrshire
Outfit: Auto-Sleeper MHs

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Quote: Originally posted by paulwarning on 03/8/2023
depends on the Caravan, my old one wouldn't work the 12v stuff without a battery, like the toilet flush, my new one will

Welcome to UKCS. The OP asked the question back in 2018 & they haven’t posted anything since 2020. Hopefully your reply will help someone else though.

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2024 = 20 sites / 41 nights. 2023 = 9/23. 2022 = 13/35. 2021 = 11/29. 2020 = 4/20. 2019 = 13/35. 2018 = 20/33. 2017 = 10/22. 2016 = 19/33. 2015 = 15 sites / 27 nights. Didn't count 1976 to 2014.

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