Hi Folks.
Bit long winded this so please bear with me.
Bought a new battery last march, as left the previous one all winter and was beyond recondition.
Yes I know, Idiot. Done exactly the same this winter, just been ups now and removed from van, put CTEK analyser on and its saying replace.😱😱
This is where my question comes in..We only use sites with EHU, so would everything be ok if we put the battery back on and used as normal EHU. Although I know the battery won't hold charge, or is it a given that I must replace the battery again.
If it makes any difference its the bigger enduraline 115 battery so no cheap.
When a battery goes into a discharge situation it causes it a build up on the plates (I won’t bore you with all the technical jargon) this then prevents the battery from being able to effectively accept and hold a charge. As you try to charge it the plates can warp and short in an absolute worst case scenario the battery can overheat this causes it to gas off and the gas can ignite.
Now with modern battery design this worst case scenario is extremely rare. What is not rare is for past it battery’s to put undue pressure on the charging device like the ones in caravans and cause them to fail. The like of your ctek smart charger (a very good brand) are designed not to be so susceptible to this and will just stop charging and put on the warning light.
To answer your question though. If you are on EHU as long as the caravan 12v power unit is ok you would not notice a problem. However I would not recommend it as you could end up having to replace both battery and power unit.
Hope this is of some help.
Kind regards
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Exactly what we did some time back when cash was short. In fact the cheapo battery lasted 4 years if my memory is correct. Mind you, we did not have a motor mover in those days.
Thanks for the speedy replies folks 👍👍👍
I am going to leave it on the CTEK charger ( in the shed) for a couple of weeks se if owt happens.
will use it when Boris allows us, if I have to bite the bullet again I will.
Will defo remember to take off next winter 🙃😴😴
My last leisure battery £50 Platinum 85Ah lasted 11 years, and l replaced it last April with a £90 LEOCH Adventurer 120Ah SFLA battery, and I do treat it like a baby, over winter it’s kept indoors in a well ventilated area, and goes on charge at the start of each month.
My main charger is the Aldi 5amp smart charger MD19787 at £12.99 it’s nothing special but does it’s job well.
To be fair I won’t be ever buying a SFLA leisure again, my next leisure battery will be a LiFeP04 battery, probably self built 280Ah same size and slightly less weight than my current battery, but around 5 times the useable capacity.
Secondly if you are a member of the CAMC - you get a 10% discount off batteries with Tayna.
We were allowed back in the storage site this week and pretty certain my battery is knackered as well (the van does have a 6w OEM solar panel on the roof and I thought this would have kept it topped up but sadly not). I was going to buy and enduroline but having read the above opted for a different one.
Always take the battery out when in storage. Like gari found to our cost the built in solar panel did not keep the battery charged. Battery now in the garage and give it a trickle every now and again. Would not recommend the cheap car battery route.
Quote: Originally posted by trog100 on 11/3/2021
just buy a cheapo battery and remember not to leave it on the van to go flat next winter..
or you could do what i did and go 300 watt solar powered lithium it only cost me about £1600 quid.. he he he..
they do say spots with no mains hook ups will be a lot easier to find when we all get let loose again..
trog
£1,600?? I didn't pay that for my caravan!
nether did i to be honest.. i paid just under a grand back in 2014...
but since buying it i have spent another 3 grand at least on it.. plus a fair bit of time and effort..
trog
The one I've got now cost me £1,100, and I've probably spent £200 - £300 on it since, including a new battery. I now need new tyres before I use it again, as I've had it 4 years and I'm not certain how long the tyres have been on there. The dealer told me that they were nearly new, and they looked it, but I'd rather play it safe.
The last caravan we had cost us £500 and we had that one 4 years. We sold it for more than we paid for it.
Thanks for all your input guys.👍
Eventually went down this route....XV31MF ENDUROLINE CALCIUM LEISURE BATTERY 12V.
From Tayna..delivered next day, around £95. wanted the 115 however out of stock so they recommended this
Must remember to take off and maintain this one, don't want to be buying new every year.😱