Leisure 'Gel' Battery - What Size?

[GDog]

I'm new to this campervan lark so need a bit of advice regarding leisure batteries please.

From what I've read a Gel-type leisure battery is a good choice due to the lack of fumes etc in an enclosed space such as my small van. This is what I plan to buy.

I only have space for one LB and don't have much in the way of electrical items on board - just lighting mostly and the 12v Whale pump and tap microswitch all routed thru a Zig CF8. What size/output will be ideal for the small overnight/weekender setup?

Ta folks

GDog

 

[Channa]

85 ah is sufficient for overnight a weekend, 110 ah naturally gives you a bit longer on the wilds, and particularly useful if powering a fan on a trumatic heater etc.. and dark nights of winter but tend to be bigger batteries if space is a premium.

If weekending , overnighting is your gig you shouldnt have too many problems with a 85 ah.

I personally would look for a small soalr panel with a couple of crocodile clips that you can top the battery up during the day of your dashboard...I dont think you need a regulator built in unless it is extremely sunny or you are abroad for the uk...i tjust puts a little juice back and perhaps extends your wildy period.

Channa

 

[Braighe]

From what I've read a Gel-type leisure battery is a good choice due to the lack of fumes etc in an enclosed space such as my small van. This is what I plan to buy.GDog

I think Channa has said it all.

All I would add before you go buying Gel you might want to have a look here

 

[GDog]

Cheers both. The link re batery types is very eye-opening! I guess gel batteries aren't as good as I first thought! The only thing nagging me now though is, if I go for a standard lead-acid battery for leisure use, it's got to be housed inside the van and will give off fumes. Not liking that idea at all.

GDog

 

[Channa]

tbh I have never had a problem with this.

What you can do is on the vent...attach a piece of fish tank piping ...and vent
it to the outdoors.( good practise)

101 ways of going about it from a hole in the floor to a longer routing and making use of an existing vent.

That said I have never found the need fumes that is being a problem on a standard lead acid set up.

From your description of what you want to achieve a 85 ah with solar panel trickler on the dashboard when parked up, and the battery vented should address your need.

Also as a bonus if you are wilding in aspot for a long time ...you can charge the vans battery using the same set up for an hour or two

Channa

Channa

 

[Braighe]

There is a post here you might find helpful with regard to venting.

All internal battery/batteries will have some arrangement to vent charging gas to the outside.

 

[maingate]

When you talk about a lead acid battery giving off fumes, that means it is `gassing`.
This occurs when an old fashioned charger is putting close to 15 volts into the battery.

The modern chargers put between 13.8 and 14.2 volts into a battery and gassing should not happen. You will need to enclose the battery or batteries and vent them in case you have an electrical fault on the charger. In normal operation however, you should not have any problems.

 

[t4camperman]

Yea i agree with all above and a gel battery is not worth the extra money i had two and wont buy another what u should do as well is wire up ur second battery to charge off ur van when driving and fit a spilt switch to stop it draining the van bat at night weny parked at night.mac.

 

[tiderus]

Hi GDog. Be carefull when you swop batteries as I asked the question with Sargent charging systems. They advised me that i could'nt change to Gell type. Also I was advised from another electrician that if I changed to normal lead acid batteries, I would have to have the charging unit altered accordingly to suit. Don't think Gassing would be a problem, as mine are under the drivers seat. (We do get gassing there, but I won't go there as its to much information). On ebay they seem to offer a good deal on all types of batteries, next day free delivery, or 10% off if you collect. With their 90 amp Gell ones at £69.99, plus 4 year G/tee, it don't seem half bad. but havn't dealt with them yet myself. Item No. 180477426288 carbatteriesdirect at M/chester. Hope you crack it. Rgds' Graham.

 

[Kontiki]

Mine came with a 85 amp Exide gel battery, the dealer had mistakenly fitted a solar panel (which I got for free ) but he stuck a 110 amp leisure battery (unvented) in place of the original. The battery he fitted was the same as I had bought for my other van for about £45. I told him to put the original back in (Exide gel battery around £200 - 300 ). I did consider fitting another but the price was just to expensive, that said we manage wild camping with it ok. We have been wildcamping through France, Spain & are now sitting on a wildcamping place by the library in Nazare Portugal.
The lowest I have ever seen my leisure battery is 12.1 volts, that was after staying somewhere for 3 days with really bad weather. Usually with a bit of sunshine it is up to 13 volts by lunch & goes to about 14.1 by the time the sun goes down. It then seems to drop back to 13/13.5 volts.
When you ask what size battery though you can't have too much, what you need to think about is what you are running. We have met people here with 3 x 110 amp batteries & they still run their gennies they have microwaves, hairdriers, toasters, electric fan heaters, or they are stuck inside watching their soaps on satellite. I don't know why they bother coming, their is so much else you can do. We watch the odd film from the hard disc recorder & put the satellite on to get the radio but aren't bothered about sitting in watching TV.

 

[GDog]

fit a spilt switch to stop it draining the van bat at night weny parked at night.mac.

I'm shoving all my wiring thru the Zig CF8 unit which has a switch for using either the engine bat or leisure bat. Don't need another switch do I?

GDog