Our cheap battery!

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wildebus said:
I guess it depends on your carpentry skills, but after redoing the electrics in my Motorhome, I have the kind of electrical setup I would have put in a Self-build, but with the interior build quality that - in my own case and skill levels - I could only dream of.
Win-Win (y)
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wildebus said:
I guess it depends on your carpentry skills, but after redoing the electrics in my Motorhome, I have the kind of electrical setup I would have put in a Self-build, but with the interior build quality that - in my own case and skill levels - I could only dream of.
Win-Win (y)
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Same here.... My woodworking is definitely NOT my strong point...

And the extra space is nice too....

The extra exterior size... Less so.

I can probably see myself going back to a self build again BUT on a 4.7/5m metre back rather than the 4m of the transit Jumbo to give us the extra room for a toilet/shower but still the same open layout we had in the transit.
 
Bought two of these probats (post #9) September 2020 and they are doing well, l think a lot of the complaints about them were to do with their delivery.
 
Time for a progress report on the two Probat 100 amp batteries I purchaced in september 2020,post #9,They were lead acid at about £65 each.One was to be used for LB and the other EB but they are just about permanantly linked together with a large fuse and heavy cable topped up from victron mppt.I do know this isnt recommended but it works for me by using the engine bat as a leisure,I do pull the fuse when I reckon about half total capacity is left.Any how The LB has just bit the dust so I am replacing it with a LiFePo4 100amp.The engine bat is doing fine but I would like to give you guys the tip that ECO WORTHY are selling 100 amp lithium at £216 on ebay,So any way I got over 3 years out of one probat and will weigh it in and get about £ 9 for it so not too bad eh?
 
barryd said:
I do wonder if its worth spending lots of money on batteries. We have had our van 12 years+ and its only on its second leisure battery. When we got it, it had a Banner 110ah which I dont think is an expensive brand. That lasted until either 2014 or 2015 where it just died and I replaced it in France with I think an Alphaline or something like that from Battery Megastore in Caen (about 100 euros for a 125ah maintenance free) and its still going. Apart from this year the van goes on really long trips and rarely on hookup. Solar April to September does the job and no battery problems. It must be about due to pop but not showing any signs yet. For the price of a tank of diesel for maybe 6 years use+ is it worth spending more on batteries?
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Change it now before it lets you down at some very inconvenient time!
 
wildebus said:
I am not sure I agree with that point made in such a sweeping way.

The reason so many batteries on motorhomes don't last is not due to not being used, but due to not being treated correctly.

How many times do we read posts about batteries found to need big top ups of water when the owners remembered to check them?
How often are batteries correctly charged? Many Solar Controllers are not able to fully charge a battery, especially outside the summer months; Most vans don't have a proper Battery-to-Battery charger but just a relay to connect the alternator output to the Lesiure Battery; Same with Battery Chargung when on Hookup - too many just put out a too-low voltage to the battery from a simple power supply.
Most Batteries do not like to be left without a full charge, so all the above contribute to the problem. Lithium Batteries can be left without a full charge without a problem (and can actually prefer it). Lead-Carbon Batteries also don't mind being left in a Partial State of Charge (PSOC).
But the Lead Acid Batteries that are generally fitted to Motorhomes really need to be fully - and properly - charged as soon as possible after use. And for most vans, used a little or a lot, that doesn't tend to happen.
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Just read on Boat Owner mag that there are insurers out there who don't like lithium batteries after a number of fires, depending on the type, bit i think lithium iron phosphate are probably ok though.
 
JQB said:
Just read on Boat Owner mag that there are insurers out there who don't like lithium batteries after a number of fires, depending on the type, bit i think lithium iron phosphate are probably ok though.
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Yes they are...
 
Out of interest on this insurance topic, I was sent this reply that a customer got from his insurance company regarding both the use of Lithium Batteries on his Catamaran, and installed in a Hybrid manner ....

"My boat insurance company have given me the go ahead. They said "As Lithium Batteries are relatively new on boats the information and expertise is limited. The Insurance market is currently working with the British Marine federation to try to get some clear guidelines in place which will assist all parties involved. You appear to have more than adequate experience in lithium batteries. Whilst the information we currently have is that the marine experts do not encourage mixing battery types we have to bow to your better judgement. As you state, technology is moving and improving all the time. We are happy to confirm that your Insurance cover will remain in force""

The second sentence from the insurers in the above is interesting I think in general terms.... "The Insurance market is currently working with the British Marine federation to try to get some clear guidelines in place which will assist all parties involved"
 
wildebus said:
Out of interest on this insurance topic, I was sent this reply that a customer got from his insurance company regarding both the use of Lithium Batteries on his Catamaran, and installed in a Hybrid manner ....

"My boat insurance company have given me the go ahead. They said "As Lithium Batteries are relatively new on boats the information and expertise is limited. The Insurance market is currently working with the British Marine federation to try to get some clear guidelines in place which will assist all parties involved. You appear to have more than adequate experience in lithium batteries. Whilst the information we currently have is that the marine experts do not encourage mixing battery types we have to bow to your better judgement. As you state, technology is moving and improving all the time. We are happy to confirm that your Insurance cover will remain in force""

The second sentence from the insurers in the above is interesting I think in general terms.... "The Insurance market is currently working with the British Marine federation to try to get some clear guidelines in place which will assist all parties involved"
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So time for the leisure industry to lay down a standard for lithium, but would need to be europewide i think, which means the the UK EU doubters would need to step in line, yea gods!
 
Markd said:
When considering new batteries it is very important to take I to account what you are going to use them for and how you will recharge them.
It's very likely that your existing motorhome charging system will be set up (but not optimised) for standard lead acid batteries.
AGM batteries require a much higher voltage for the main charge phase and apparently only a few of the continental converters installed AGM chargers.
Solar controllers are better in this respect as most are built to match lead acid, AGM and lithium batteries.
AGM batteries are very sensitive to temperature (because the electrolyte is 'trapped' and can't circulate to dissipate heat) for this reason major car manufacturers are moving away from them after premature failures in hot climes. I've seen charts showing very short life for vehicles run in desert conditions. Sat in southern Spain in the summer with no cooling could be close to that.
Therefore if you use your batteries to deliver large currents for sustained periods such as cooking via an inverter you can seriously eat into the cycle life available.
I remain of the view that there's a lot to be said for wet/flooded batteries for most of us.
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Our wet flooded Banners lasted 6.5 years freecamping winter and summer on solar, ehu rarely except in frosty weather parked up at home. Fed up with backbreaking topping up twice a rear (1942!) i changed to AGM. Did'nt know anything about charging requirement or overheating.
Our van has your bog standard Rapido italian charging kit (the firm collapsed) and retrofit solar & gubbins. Batteries are in a spacious box.
All seems to work well enough so far.
 
trevskoda said:
Chap we know was working in a open sided shed cutting wood with a garage oil burner running, he fell off his seat and other chaps could not waken him, doc arrived and pronounced him dead, carbon monoxide poisoning, be very careful.
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Carbon monoxide was leaking from what appeared to be a modern balanced flue heater in our shop years back. I was suffering extreme tireness and lots of aches and pains and poor sleep. Chatting to our gas approved plumber saved my life i reckon he straightaway pulled the hratet off the (damp) wall to find a badly fitting homemade plate interface to the rough wall. So a new heater means i'm still standing! Keep an alarm in the van!!
 
Well the new bat arrived but the terminals are different so before weighing in the old one l liberated the round posts.After drilling two 8.5mm holes in the posts, a junior hacksaw completed the job, ten minutes work and a further saving of 6 quid, At the scrapyard the battery netted £8.50 .The posts bolt straight into the lithium terminals.
20231114_120435.jpg
 
martinmartin said:
Well the new bat arrived but the terminals are different so before weighing in the old one l liberated the round posts.After drilling two 8.5mm holes in the posts, a junior hacksaw completed the job, ten minutes work and a further saving of 6 quid, At the scrapyard the battery netted £8.50 .The posts bolt straight into the lithium terminals. View attachment 125095
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Interesting idea reusing the posts. I like that. I have bought removable posts in the past to do something similar, but you have given me a thought there :) - and I have a couple of batteries awaiting disposal I could harvest them.

Remember to use the right posts on the right terminals ;) (the negative post is slightly smaller than the positive post)
 
wildebus said:
Interesting idea reusing the posts. I like that. I have bought removable posts in the past to do something similar, but you have given me a thought there :) - and I have a couple of batteries awaiting disposal I could harvest them.

Remember to use the right posts on the right terminals ;) (the negative post is slightly smaller than the positive post)
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Yes l got the posts the right way and drilling them while they are on the battery before sawing makes the job much easier.
 
martinmartin said:
Bought two of these probats (post #9) September 2020 and they are doing well, l think a lot of the complaints about them were to do with their delivery.
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It's great to hear that your probats from September 2020 are thriving! It seems like the initial concerns or complaints may have been related to the delivery process rather than the quality of the probats themselves. Sometimes, shipping issues can impact people's experiences with a product. If you're planning to give these probats as a gift, you could highlight not only their successful growth but also the enjoyment they've brought since their acquisition. Personal experiences can be valuable for others looking to make similar decisions.
 
molly 2 said:
You pay your money and take a chance should get a few years from it
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At £216 I thought the lithium was worth a punt as the spec is much more than a lead bat,i have got by the last 13 years with leads but late november to late january is becoming anoying getting by on little power use.It can be done as i do it every year just using lig
 
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