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Just looking at what I would need to buy as accessories for a new van, and wondered whether a leisure battery was actually neccessary. We don't anticpate using sites without EHU, so the real question is whether the 12V electrics within the van will operate off a transformer (I assume there must be one for the charging circuit of the battery) or whether power needs to come from a battery.

Thanks for your help,

Paul

we have been advisd t get one and one comes with the starter pack

dont know if it is essential or not though

Don't need one, but you might be glad of a small battery  when some muppet overloads the electrics late one night and the warden won't come out until next morning to reset the system. They are not all that expensive.

I am sure that if you always use site with electrics you would be OK most of the time but the real problem occurs if the power fails. Also it could be inconvenient  where you store the caravan not having any means to power up lights. If you were thinking of fitting a mover to the van you would most certainly need a leisure battery.

David

Hi,

A car battery will be sufficient, as long as it fits in your box and has the right connectors, any one will do.

This link makes very interesting reading; http://www.sterling-power.com/support-faq-2.htm

Mr UM

This is getting to be a bit like "if I am on a seasonal pitch, do I need wheels on my van?"

If your van was designed and built with a leisure battery, then you would be advised to have one.

It sounds crazy to me to pay thousands of pounds for a caravan and then start to skimp over whether to pay out 50 or 60 pounds for a leisure battery

We have gone the oposite way and have only 3 items on board that require EHU.

A water heater.
A mini oven.
The battery charger.

EHU, when it is available and we feel that we could use it, is paid for but only as an extra luxury. However, medical reasons may force us to change that opinion shortly and EHU may become a necessity. However that is by the by on this topic.

We feel that because we look after our 12v system, it is more dependable than the site's 230v system.

Also, if you want to "break up" a journey, with an overnight stop such as on the motorway services, you will need one if only for the lights, rather than messing about with torches.

As has been said, we have needed ours on more than one occasion when the EHU has gone off and the battery kicked in.  Well worth the £50 or so in my view.

I suppose you could try the caravan on the EHU without a battery to see if it works. Continental built caravans often come without batteries. They have a transformer to allow the 12v stuff to work. The caravan 12v stuff will work while plugged into the car so the fridge will work while driving & you can use interior lights & tap if you stop, but obviously you need to make sure you dont flatten your car battery.

When people buy a German caravan they often want to fit a leisure battery & I know there is a bit more to it than just wiring.