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..
------------- Animals have feelings..
JEFF................
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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.
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.
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.
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.