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hi micheal,

no mover just use site without EHU so like to use invertor for tv at night for kids, so need best battery for them, but need to know best way to look after it too, thanks

see battery page

http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/datasheets

Looking after your Leisure Battery

Quote: Originally posted by GAYNOR68 on 15/3/2010

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hi micheal,

no mover just use site without EHU so like to use invertor for tv at night for kids, so need best battery for them, but need to know best way to look after it too, thanks

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I have had the same 2nd hand battery for 5 years now and still going strong. I don't take any special care of it other than check the electrolyte level twice a year and leave the EHU on when at home and on site occupied.

Quote: Originally posted by GAYNOR68 on 15/3/2010

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hi ive had it plugged in at home all winter (van in drive its great) and it still only shows bit full when unplugged so think battery has had it??,  plus as i said bought van with battery so dont know how old it s ??

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When a battery has been on charge, immediately it is switched off it usually reads 13+volts.

When left a wee while, the voltage will drop to;-

12.80v....Fully Charged.
12.40v....50% discharged.
10.70v....Fully Discharged.

As to battery size etc, I have a very small 2 berth van [see my gallery] and I have a 110Ah battery with a 60watt solar panel on the roof.

This summer I will also be carrying a spare 110Ah battery in the boot of the car and a battery to battery charger. .

Quote: Originally posted by jhsw on 16/3/2010

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Quote: Originally posted by GAYNOR68 on 15/3/2010

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hi ive had it plugged in at home all winter (van in drive its great) and it still only shows bit full when unplugged so think battery has had it??,  plus as i said bought van with battery so dont know how old it s ??

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Hi GAYNOR68, same here,mine on timer every 4hours for 4hours,drops down to 12v when unhooked, I check battery leavels and discharge battery approx every 3months or so, as read somewhere that dischargeing battery to flat, then rechargeing it builds up to it's full capacity and prolongs it's life, there will be more experienced guys in that fieldto give you the facts, hope this helps

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I think that the advice is normally to never let the battery totally discharge as it is unlikely to be able to recharge it back to it's original state. In practice it is best not to let the battery discharge to less than 85% of it's capacity. Using a direct current
voltmeter check the state of charge. 12.7 volts or above indicates a
fully charged 12v battery, 12.3 volts means it is approximately half
charged and anything less than 11.8 volts means it is very flat and
may not recover. As LobeyDosser said, get down to a reading of 10.7 and thats it. It is an ex Battery

The life of the battery depends on a number of factors such as age, as suggested by Gaynor68. Prolonging its life can be assisted by regularly inspecting for electrolyte levels if it is not a sealed battery (top up with distilled water if not a maintenance free type) and checking the state of charge. Voltmeters can be bought for this purpose for as little as £6 or £7. On charge it will probably read at 13.5 but after taking it off charge let it settle (terminals still carry a charge and so you get an artificial reading) and then read it and it should settle back to 12.5. It is also worth cleaning the battery around the terminals and ensuring that the area is grease free, clean any white deposits from the terminals with warm water and coat the terminals with a petroleum jelly/vaseline. Like most things caravanning batteries need plenty of TLC to keep going

Phil