Batteries failed.

[Obanboy666]

I have been parked up on a CS site near Penrith since Wednesday, relying on 220 watts solar to support 2 x100 watt Platinum batteries.
These are just over 2 years old and original fit from new.
Watching tv and message on screen stating low voltage. Checked Victron app on phone and voltage 10.2 volts.
Batteries have been fine all day, on float as fully charged. Now on EHU and will head home Tuesday morning instead of Scotland. Checking battery spec on Alpha batteries website, batteries aren’t suitable for wilding and only 70 recycles so I reckon they have done well to last 2 years as I’ve hammered them to be honest.
So reckon I will order 2 x Bosch / Varta or lead carbon that are more suitable for wildcamping.
Any suggestions ? My Pilote controller states I can have up to 250 amps of battery, lead acid, gel, agm and lithium Can be fitted.

 

[REC]

70 recycles doesn't sound much? What a pain for you...Hope you can restart your trip once new batteries in place. Good luck!

 

[Obanboy666]

70 recycles doesn't sound much? What a pain for you...Hope you can restart your trip once new batteries in place. Good luck!

Will order new batteries on Tuesday and from past experience they should arrive quickly. Being retired not an issue delaying my trip up north for a day or 2.

 

[1 Cup]

Ive only got 520 wh today in Shakespeare land. How do they know 70 ?. batteries hay.

 

[trevskoda]

Dont seem a long time 2 years and 70 cyl. i don't stay away more than a day but have a com fridge running 2 90ah truck batteries and 200w solar, been in van 9 years and still going strong

 

[jagmanx]

I have been parked up on a CS site near Penrith since Wednesday, relying on 220 watts solar to support 2 x100 watt Platinum batteries.
These are just over 2 years old and original fit from new.
Watching tv and message on screen stating low voltage. Checked Victron app on phone and voltage 10.2 volts.
Batteries have been fine all day, on float as fully charged. Now on EHU and will head home Tuesday morning instead of Scotland. Checking battery spec on Alpha batteries website, batteries aren’t suitable for wilding and only 70 recycles so I reckon they have done well to last 2 years as I’ve hammered them to be honest.
So reckon I will order 2 x Bosch / Varta or lead carbon that are more suitable for wildcamping.
Any suggestions ? My Pilote controller states I can have up to 250 amps of battery, lead acid, gel, agm and lithium Can be fitted.

Thanks for posting..Slightly concerned. I have similar bought 18 months ago and not used until June this year ! 3 months with no Ehu.
All good....currently showing 12.8 v and never below 12.5.
I find it alarming that Alpha say they are not suitable for wilding. If that is the case it seems we were both ill advised/mis-sold.
I have as you 2x 100 amp-hour and 120watt solar.
I got 5 years from a single banner battery and expect the same from the Platinum pair ?
Time will tell ?

 

[Snapster]

I can recommend Varta LFD90’s. We had two for 4 years. They have only been kept topped up with a 100watt solar panel and a few short journeys ( about 500 miles in total ) over the last 12 months or so .

 

[Obanboy666]

Dont seem a long time 2 years and 70 cyl. i don't stay away more than a day but have a com fridge running 2 90ah truck batteries and 200w solar, been in van 9 years and still going strong

I stay away for up to 3 weeks wilding and on sites all year round rarely using EHU so batteries have had a hard Life. Tv and heating in winter certainly hammmers them.

 

[jagmanx]

I stay away for up to 3 weeks wilding and on sites all year round rarely using EHU so batteries have had a hard Life. Tv and heating in winter certainly hammmers them.

Even so ? I assume they get topped up by solar and some driving !

 

[wildebus]

I have been parked up on a CS site near Penrith since Wednesday, relying on 220 watts solar to support 2 x100 watt Platinum batteries.
These are just over 2 years old and original fit from new.
Watching tv and message on screen stating low voltage. Checked Victron app on phone and voltage 10.2 volts.
Batteries have been fine all day, on float as fully charged. Now on EHU and will head home Tuesday morning instead of Scotland. Checking battery spec on Alpha batteries website, batteries aren’t suitable for wilding and only 70 recycles so I reckon they have done well to last 2 years as I’ve hammered them to be honest.
So reckon I will order 2 x Bosch / Varta or lead carbon that are more suitable for wildcamping.
Any suggestions ? My Pilote controller states I can have up to 250 amps of battery, lead acid, gel, agm and lithium Can be fitted.

These batteries are on a sale at Alpha and were very good value at the original price, so at the new one, even better!

12V 110AH Expedition Plus Lead Carbon Gel Ultra Deep Cycle Battery (EXP12-110C) - Alpha Batteries

Ultra Deep Cycle Lead Carbon GEL Battery

www.alpha-batteries.co.uk

(PS. these are GEL batteries, not AGM as you may think from the link. The battery description is correct)

5 Year warranty, loads of charge cycles and something that is very useful for WIld Camping ... Lead Cabons, like Lithium, are fine with a PSOC - Partial State Of Charge. Most Lead Acid batteries want to be recharged back to full ASAP - Lead Carbons are fine sitting partly charged and doesn't hurt them at all.

If you are interested in these, check the physical size - they are slightly longer than your current batteries I think and taller.

 

[Obanboy666]

These batteries are on a sale at Alpha and were very good value at the original price, so at the new one, even better!

12V 110AH Expedition Plus Lead Carbon Gel Ultra Deep Cycle Battery (EXP12-110C) - Alpha Batteries

Ultra Deep Cycle Lead Carbon GEL Battery

www.alpha-batteries.co.uk

(PS. these are GEL batteries, not AGM as you may think from the link. The battery description is correct)

5 Year warranty, loads of charge cycles and something that is very useful for WIld Camping ... Lead Cabons, like Lithium, are fine with a PSOC - Partial State Of Charge. Most Lead Acid batteries want to be recharged back to full ASAP - Lead Carbons are fine sitting partly charged and doesn't hurt them at all.

If you are interested in these, check the physical size - they are slightly longer than your current batteries I think and taller.

Thanks for posting, I was going to pm you regarding an old thread you posted about lead carbon.
Fortunately they will fit the available space I have and I can select gel on my control panel / charger and alter the settings on my Victron solar controller. Agree at the reduced price they are a bargain.
Will probably order a pair tomoss and pay extra for express delivery to get them here ASAP.

 

[Obanboy666]

Well just an update on battery issue.
After batteries suddenly dropped to 10.4 volts last night I put them on ehu for 3 hours then unplugged at 10.00pm. According to my Victron app voltage held overnight and showed 12.8 volts at 7.15am.
Tv pulling 3.00 amps plus charging ipad has been on since 7.45am and now at 9.00am all appears ok with voltage still showing 12.8 volts ????
Will monitor today but this one has me beat, will they suddenly die on me again ? I’m nervous going to Scotland for 2 weeks not knowing if they will fail mid trip but would rather not spend £200-£300 if I don’t need to.

 

[Robmac]

I would say Steve if they have fully discharged ie. 10.4 volts they are probably done for and it might be worth biting the bullet and replace them.

Do you have time to test them out for a couple of cycles before you go to Scotland?

 

[trevskoda]

Seems like you are just overdoing them to me, but a test cycle will confirm good or bad, if they drop voltage fast there goosed.

 

[jagmanx]

Politely suggest not to panic buy.
Cut down on tv use and do some driving.
We have been stood for 4 days.
My pair of platinum showing 13.3 v on an overcast morning at 9:25am
Mind you limited heating
No TV
Just phone and tablet on charge from 8:30 only 120 watt solar

 

[Fisherman]

We have 2 95ah Varta lead acid batteries and two 120amp solar panels, and a varta mppt controller. From April to sept we can have the tv on all day if we wanted (we don’t) and the batteries are still fully charged come nightfall. We cannot use all of the power we harvest, even if it’s dull. In winter we can manage two days without moving if careful. In autumn and spring if careful we can manage 5-7 days without moving. And we have never went below 12.2v at any time.

 

[Obanboy666]

I would say Steve if they have fully discharged ie. 10.4 volts they are probably done for and it might be worth biting the bullet and replace them.

Do you have time to test them out for a couple of cycles before you go to Scotland?

Testing them now of a fashion. Overcast so solar only putting 2.5 amps into batteries and I have tv on and charging iPad so pulling more out of batteries than solar is putting in.
Watch this space, I’ll update later.

Seems like you are just overdoing them to me, but a test cycle will confirm good or bad, if they drop voltage fast there goosed.

Take your point but weather has been sunny so every day solar has gone to float and batteries fully charged.
I would normally just see a gradual drop whilst watching tv on an evening after solar has shut down not a dramatic quick drop to 10.4 volts.
I’ll just see what happens today and will keep things on to load batteries and update thread later.

 

[Phantom]

It could just be a loose connection on battery?

 

[trevskoda]

Maybe using a compressor to blow up the lookalike wendy dolls.

 

[wildebus]

Well just an update on battery issue.
After batteries suddenly dropped to 10.4 volts last night I put them on ehu for 3 hours then unplugged at 10.00pm. According to my Victron app voltage held overnight and showed 12.8 volts at 7.15am.
Tv pulling 3.00 amps plus charging ipad has been on since 7.45am and now at 9.00am all appears ok with voltage still showing 12.8 volts ????
Will monitor today but this one has me beat, will they suddenly die on me again ? I’m nervous going to Scotland for 2 weeks not knowing if they will fail mid trip but would rather not spend £200-£300 if I don’t need to.

10.4V would suggest batteries are pretty well fully drained.
12.8V would suggest a fully charged battery.

Doing the basic maths, you are not going to be able to recharge 200Ah of batteries with 3 hours of Mains charging. You could get back up to "full charge" in that time if the battery capacity had dropped significantly.
When that happens, the batteries seem ok, then suddenly they drop off the cliff voltage wise.

When I got my new (to me) Motorhome a year ago, it came with a pair of good quality 100Ah Batteries. But they were old and the first weekend I went out (to the Kelso Meet) a few days after getting it, all was ok until boom - voltage plummeted to 9V - whilst TV was on. What happened there sounds very similar to your experience.

IMO, you will be able to likely get some life from the batteries, but they are on the way out and you will always doubt them. Yup, you could change your usage habits and use less power of course, but you should use your time time away as YOU want to, and not how your battery bank dictates.

Choices to me seem to be between getting some better quality batteries and enjoy your trips away, or keeping your fingers crossed. I think the latter is just delaying the inevitable ...