Hi, one of the better videos out there. It still doesn't cover my recent experience. I have two class B leisure batteries from Halfords, only installed six months. I was using them off grid with a 1000W pure sine inverter and with the sensitive relay charger on when using the microwave it just about worked but would drain the battery. I upgraded to a 2000W pure sine inverter. I checked the inverter was working using one Battery in my house. I plugged in the electric kettle which draws about 1500W, the battery discharged from 13.2V down to 11.9V within twenty seconds
Hiya... I'm glad that you've done this video as many folk don't realise the issues that you can have! Thank goodness we have a leisure battery and all is fine... best wishes Paolo and Roger aka 'The Camp Caravanners'
Don’t forget, if you have a solar panel, you need to go into the settings to tell it what battery type you have, that way the solar panel charges it correctly.
@thecaravanplace we are a year on and now you have a bluetti. Have you given any more thought to a lithium battery in a caravan. Sounds good for going off grid
Thank you for this. I have jusy bought an older caravan and was going to buy a battery. I will wait until delivery before I do to check what the charger is that is fitted!
Hi Mark, very informative video, thank you. I’m looking for a replacement for my class c 110 battery, which is the same class c battery you showed. I’ve got twin motor movers, which I only use to back up a slight slope off the drive and we only use the caravan when on a hookup. I’m looking at a Lucas LX31 class b battery but it’s only a 105. Would this be a good replacement. Thanks again.
@@thecaravanplace Thanks Mark, much appreciated. We love watching you run in and out of caravans and also giving us handy tips too, which I’ve used a lot of them. Keep up the great work. Take care.
Hi mark great video about battery choice but I’m thinking of getting a lithium battery for our caravan, we have a Bailey unicorn Cartagena 2020 could you advise me of any problems I might have with this thanks very much and keep the video’s coming all the best Colin
I’ve got a older van but decided to upgrade to a agm battery I’ve bought a replacement charger that’s suitable to charge the new battery I’m looking for information on how to connect it to the system is it just a case of replacing the older charger ?
Thanks for the video. I pickup our brand new coachman tomorrow. I bought Yuasa EFB from Tayna batteries (next day delivery) with 10% off with CMHC code. The classes are a guide only. A small 80amp will drive a single motor mover no problem. But you should consider your use case. If you are never going off grid and have no motor mover any old car battery would be ok. I chose EFB over AGM for ease of charging and I didn’t need the number of deep cycles. My van is normally hooked up to mains while in storage.
Yeah a generator might be cheaper. If however you have a Hybrid or EV tow car you can sometime use car to load function or inverter to power equipment. I remember the old days hooking up a 12s supply from the car to run 12v lighting in my 1980’s Eccles Amythist
@@thecaravanplace you know another though on Li-Ion in a caravan. I don’t think any manufacturer would recommend it. They are just too high a risk to fires in a habitation environment and the energy needs to be stored for what we need. I have a video of me shooting a charged laptop Li-ion battery with an airgun and I wouldn’t want that in my van. Car Li-ion batteries have lots of crash protection and active cooling. Tbh the std 18650 li-ion cells should be stored and charged in a fireproof bag. The same type the airlines carry if you phone goes the way of the Samsung’s.
My opinion not good for caravans...Lithium batteries dont like to be 100% charged ..more they spend on 100% more they lost capacity and if you are connected to grid they will be 100% charged for long time. While classic 12V batteries actually like to be on 100%(but they dont like 0%)..its reason they are used in cars
Great video I learnt a lot my caravan came with a battery & full gas bottles from new, so I haven't had to explore that side of caravan life. 2 points though. 1) some caravans are designed to use a sealed battery. When charging batteries give off nasty fumes. I noticed that one of your display batteries was of the unsealed type. In my caravan the battery sits under the bed & even though there are ventilation holes I would only use a sealed battery. 2) I have several occasional use vehicles which live on battery tenders. When fully charged they show a "float" voltage of 13.2dcv. So I go into the caravan & the battery voltage reads let's say12.7vdc, then when I switch on the mains & the battery charger it shows 13.2dcv which is correct because the battery is fully charged. You only get + 14vdc readings when the battery is charging. I'm envious of your sunny skies we are in the middle of a very wet & gloomy week.
@@thecaravanplace Thanks. I'm going to buy one. The old heavy AGM (that has died) was a pain to disconnect and take home for the winter. Something with less than half the weight with more available power will at the very least save me from getting a hernia!
PS I plan to disconnect the vans built in charger and use a dedicated automatic LiFePO4 charger powered from the site hook up. That is, if it needs charging while on holiday!
Hi, if I have a ncc a grade battery on my campervan to enable off grid use when hookup is not available will a portable solar panel be able to keep the leisure battery topped up enough to run everything and especially our rf60 dometic fridge? Also with the fridge on AC mode will it run just on the leisure battery (via solar panel) without being on hook-up? Thanks for any advice😊
Hi, normally u should run the fridge on gas as it will only run from the vehicle battery while traveling to keep cool, and won't freeze down properly on the 12v. If its been wired so it can run just off 12v battery it then depends on the solar panel and size of battery. It Then depends on the sun and how well the solar panel works. If you have 100w solar panel and have 6 hrs of sun it should give you 600w of power to use or recharge the battery. You should be able to find how to calculate the power needed on google. But a 100ah battery x 12v = 1200w of power available, your solar panel then will top this up. Hope this helps, its not an easy one sorry.
@@thecaravanplace Hi, thank you for advice. I don't have gas on board as have a diesel hob/heating so no option for gas for fridge when off grid. I'm just wondering if my fridge on AC mode will continue to cool if not physically hooked-up but by drawing power from the ncc grade A leisure battery kept topped up using a portable solar panel?
No unless you had a inverter to change 12v to 230v it won't work on the Ac unfortunately. It may possibly work on DC but will most likely work from the vehicle battery and drain it very quickly. You can't adjust the DC setting so it won't freeze down, it just works like a cool box. I think gas would be the best option. Maybe a small camping gaz bottle just to run the fridge but again, not sure how long this will run for. Sorry I can't be any better help.
@@thecaravanplace there is an inverter on the van, I'm quite green to this as have inherited the campervan...if I press it on (green light) will this enable my scenario to work when not on hook-up then?
@@debrabeckinsale5549 you will need to find out if the fridge is wired to the inverter. If you disconnect the mains, and try is the easiest way. But I don't think it would last long even with big batteries and big solar panels as it will be drawing a lot of power from the battery like this.
Any of the leisure batteries will be fine with the solar panels, again just check the output from the solar panel to make sure it is enough to charge the AGM battery.
Why no mention at all of gel batteries? You talk about the batteries you show as being "good if you don't want to go off-grid" but then don't mention what is good if you do want to go off-grid hence the gel-type battery that can be used up to 80% without damaging it. And then lithium ion batteries of course but the cost of those is another level.
The AGM is a better battery from our research so not really worth looking at gel compared to AGM. If you have a google of Gel Vs AGM and make your own mind up.
@@thecaravanplace Again depends on use. I'm sure you know that several EU manufactured caravans come with gel batteries. Gel batteries are in fact superior to AGM batteries when used in long, slower discharges. Gel are also better at withstanding external heat, making them more attractive in the warmer areas, so I guess not UK then 😉 It therefore may come as no surprise to you that I chose a Gel battery for my little caravan. I tend not to hook up to mains power at campsites and have never once had it go flat during a camp. Just sayin' 😀
I've had an EFB 100amp batter from halfords for the last 6 year in my camper with no issues, now I've just replaced it with a huasa 95amp from halfords only 2 week ago I've just been of grid for 2 week and when I charge this AMG up to 12.8v then charge two mobile phones it goes straight down to 12.6v,,,,shocking compared to the EFB. Mabe I should have got a AAA instead lol I think these AGM are crap don't buy one go EFB
@@thecaravanplace do you think AGM are good then ?? If so yes I've heard the same and mabe mine as been sat on the shelf for a year in a state of discharge. Mabe take it back and swap it
Hi, one of the better videos out there. It still doesn't cover my recent experience. I have two class B leisure batteries from Halfords, only installed six months. I was using them off grid with a 1000W pure sine inverter and with the sensitive relay charger on when using the microwave it just about worked but would drain the battery. I upgraded to a 2000W pure sine inverter. I checked the inverter was working using one Battery in my house. I plugged in the electric kettle which draws about 1500W, the battery discharged from 13.2V down to 11.9V within twenty seconds
Hiya... I'm glad that you've done this video as many folk don't realise the issues that you can have! Thank goodness we have a leisure battery and all is fine... best wishes Paolo and Roger aka 'The Camp Caravanners'
Great video. The confusing subject of batteries has now become much clearer. Thanks Mark
Thanks Terry
Never knew there where classes. Now going to have to see what’s in my van!
Don’t forget, if you have a solar panel, you need to go into the settings to tell it what battery type you have, that way the solar panel charges it correctly.
@thecaravanplace we are a year on and now you have a bluetti.
Have you given any more thought to a lithium battery in a caravan. Sounds good for going off grid
Yes they work well, solar and inverter and you have your own power generation. Expensive but if you mostly use off grid, then it makes sense. 👍
Thank you for this. I have jusy bought an older caravan and was going to buy a battery. I will wait until delivery before I do to check what the charger is that is fitted!
Always look forward to you videos, a joy to watch and learn from
Hi Mark, very informative video, thank you. I’m looking for a replacement for my class c 110 battery, which is the same class c battery you showed. I’ve got twin motor movers, which I only use to back up a slight slope off the drive and we only use the caravan when on a hookup. I’m looking at a Lucas LX31 class b battery but it’s only a 105. Would this be a good replacement. Thanks again.
Yes the 105s are now equivalent to the older 110s so that will be fine 👍
@@thecaravanplace Thanks Mark, much appreciated. We love watching you run in and out of caravans and also giving us handy tips too, which I’ve used a lot of them. Keep up the great work. Take care.
Hi mark great video about battery choice but I’m thinking of getting a lithium battery for our caravan, we have a Bailey unicorn Cartagena 2020 could you advise me of any problems I might have with this thanks very much and keep the video’s coming all the best Colin
Lithium are very good, but the cost is the issue, and not sure if the benefits are worth the cost unless you are always using off grid.
I’ve got a older van but decided to upgrade to a agm battery I’ve bought a replacement charger that’s suitable to charge the new battery I’m looking for information on how to connect it to the system is it just a case of replacing the older charger ?
It should just be a straight swap
Hi Great Video i like the maintenance Videos thanks Andrew.
Thanks Andrew 👍
Thanks for the video.
I pickup our brand new coachman tomorrow. I bought Yuasa EFB from Tayna batteries (next day delivery) with 10% off with CMHC code.
The classes are a guide only. A small 80amp will drive a single motor mover no problem. But you should consider your use case. If you are never going off grid and have no motor mover any old car battery would be ok.
I chose EFB over AGM for ease of charging and I didn’t need the number of deep cycles. My van is normally hooked up to mains while in storage.
Thanks for this.
Hi iv just brought a 120ah ham batterie for my 55 plate Renault traffic. Will this be ok please ?
That should be plenty, again it always depends how much you are using to how long it will last, but that's a decent size 👍
Thank you very much. Very helpful. By-the-way, are you in destress??? Your Union Jack Flag , in the office, is upside down... !!!
Yes we keep meaning to change it. We are in distress some days though lol
Thanks Mark, I’ve learned something here, thanks, 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Yes I have a battery on my caravan and I have a solar panel connected to it but it does not hold it charge? Please help?
I would think its a faulty battery. I think Halford used to be able to test the battery for you and tell you if it needs replacing.
@@thecaravanplace ok but as I live in Shetland there is no Halfords here
Hi Mark interesting Vlog. To save payload I am thinking of a lithium battery. What are your thoughts on these as a class C alternative.
I don't see the cost is worth it Colin, especially if you only need class c, just got for the smallest cheapest 75ah.
Hi if my battery drops below 12v the water pump dont work ,annoying, Richard.
Yes this is fairly common for that 👍
Hi Mark, do you have any views on Lithium batteries?
Yes very expensive lol. If you are 100% off grid then it may be worth it, but for normal use I couldn't justify thhe price.
Yeah a generator might be cheaper. If however you have a Hybrid or EV tow car you can sometime use car to load function or inverter to power equipment.
I remember the old days hooking up a 12s supply from the car to run 12v lighting in my 1980’s Eccles Amythist
@@rich1ell people still do this lol
@@thecaravanplace you know another though on Li-Ion in a caravan. I don’t think any manufacturer would recommend it. They are just too high a risk to fires in a habitation environment and the energy needs to be stored for what we need.
I have a video of me shooting a charged laptop Li-ion battery with an airgun and I wouldn’t want that in my van.
Car Li-ion batteries have lots of crash protection and active cooling. Tbh the std 18650 li-ion cells should be stored and charged in a fireproof bag. The same type the airlines carry if you phone goes the way of the Samsung’s.
My opinion not good for caravans...Lithium batteries dont like to be 100% charged ..more they spend on 100% more they lost capacity and if you are connected to grid they will be 100% charged for long time.
While classic 12V batteries actually like to be on 100%(but they dont like 0%)..its reason they are used in cars
Realy enjoying your videos thank you... Think your Union flag is upside down (looking in shop) ;-)
Thanks Mark we will sort this one day lol
Great video I learnt a lot my caravan came with a battery & full gas bottles from new, so I haven't had to explore that side of caravan life. 2 points though.
1) some caravans are designed to use a sealed battery. When charging batteries give off nasty fumes. I noticed that one of your display batteries was of the unsealed type. In my caravan the battery sits under the bed & even though there are ventilation holes I would only use a sealed battery.
2) I have several occasional use vehicles which live on battery tenders. When fully charged they show a "float" voltage of 13.2dcv. So I go into the caravan & the battery voltage reads let's say12.7vdc, then when I switch on the mains & the battery charger it shows 13.2dcv which is correct because the battery is fully charged. You only get + 14vdc readings when the battery is charging.
I'm envious of your sunny skies we are in the middle of a very wet & gloomy week.
Hi Bernie, yes both points spot on👍. It was awful weather here yesterday, but has been pretty good otherwise.
Can a LIFEPO4 battery be used for a caravan leisure battery?
Yes, it may need to have the charger setting changed on an older van though.
@@thecaravanplace Thanks. I'm going to buy one. The old heavy AGM (that has died) was a pain to disconnect and take home for the winter. Something with less than half the weight with more available power will at the very least save me from getting a hernia!
PS I plan to disconnect the vans built in charger and use a dedicated automatic LiFePO4 charger powered from the site hook up. That is, if it needs charging while on holiday!
Hi, if I have a ncc a grade battery on my campervan to enable off grid use when hookup is not available will a portable solar panel be able to keep the leisure battery topped up enough to run everything and especially our rf60 dometic fridge? Also with the fridge on AC mode will it run just on the leisure battery (via solar panel) without being on hook-up? Thanks for any advice😊
Hi, normally u should run the fridge on gas as it will only run from the vehicle battery while traveling to keep cool, and won't freeze down properly on the 12v. If its been wired so it can run just off 12v battery it then depends on the solar panel and size of battery. It Then depends on the sun and how well the solar panel works. If you have 100w solar panel and have 6 hrs of sun it should give you 600w of power to use or recharge the battery. You should be able to find how to calculate the power needed on google. But a 100ah battery x 12v = 1200w of power available, your solar panel then will top this up. Hope this helps, its not an easy one sorry.
@@thecaravanplace Hi, thank you for advice. I don't have gas on board as have a diesel hob/heating so no option for gas for fridge when off grid. I'm just wondering if my fridge on AC mode will continue to cool if not physically hooked-up but by drawing power from the ncc grade A leisure battery kept topped up using a portable solar panel?
No unless you had a inverter to change 12v to 230v it won't work on the Ac unfortunately. It may possibly work on DC but will most likely work from the vehicle battery and drain it very quickly. You can't adjust the DC setting so it won't freeze down, it just works like a cool box. I think gas would be the best option. Maybe a small camping gaz bottle just to run the fridge but again, not sure how long this will run for. Sorry I can't be any better help.
@@thecaravanplace there is an inverter on the van, I'm quite green to this as have inherited the campervan...if I press it on (green light) will this enable my scenario to work when not on hook-up then?
@@debrabeckinsale5549 you will need to find out if the fridge is wired to the inverter. If you disconnect the mains, and try is the easiest way. But I don't think it would last long even with big batteries and big solar panels as it will be drawing a lot of power from the battery like this.
If your going to be proud of your country and display a Union Flag, then put it the correct way up
*you’re
Finding anything to moan about like a true pedantic English man
What battery's would be good for solar panels?
Any of the leisure batteries will be fine with the solar panels, again just check the output from the solar panel to make sure it is enough to charge the AGM battery.
@@thecaravanplace ..Tks pal much appreciated.
Thanks for Sharing much appreciated
Thanks Paul 👍
The union jack in your office is up-side down.
Why did you not mention lithium batteries?
They are way too expensive. I just couldn't justify the cost. And I don't know enough about them 😂
Why no mention at all of gel batteries? You talk about the batteries you show as being "good if you don't want to go off-grid" but then don't mention what is good if you do want to go off-grid hence the gel-type battery that can be used up to 80% without damaging it. And then lithium ion batteries of course but the cost of those is another level.
The AGM is a better battery from our research so not really worth looking at gel compared to AGM. If you have a google of Gel Vs AGM and make your own mind up.
@@thecaravanplace Again depends on use. I'm sure you know that several EU manufactured caravans come with gel batteries. Gel batteries are in fact superior to AGM batteries when used in long, slower discharges. Gel are also better at withstanding external heat, making them more attractive in the warmer areas, so I guess not UK then 😉
It therefore may come as no surprise to you that I chose a Gel battery for my little caravan. I tend not to hook up to mains power at campsites and have never once had it go flat during a camp. Just sayin' 😀
Thanks Adam, good insight for anyone looking to use similar to you. 👍
I've had an EFB 100amp batter from halfords for the last 6 year in my camper with no issues, now I've just replaced it with a huasa 95amp from halfords only 2 week ago I've just been of grid for 2 week and when I charge this AMG up to 12.8v then charge two mobile phones it goes straight down to 12.6v,,,,shocking compared to the EFB. Mabe I should have got a AAA instead lol I think these AGM are crap don't buy one go EFB
They are normally very good 👍
@@thecaravanplace do you think AGM are good then ?? If so yes I've heard the same and mabe mine as been sat on the shelf for a year in a state of discharge. Mabe take it back and swap it
@@patrickpirelli7897 yes normally very good, worth having it checked. It may just need cycling a few times also.
hello mark ive just subscribed :)
Thank you very much 👍
My caravan is an old one Avondale dart 2004
Your Union Flag in your office is upside down.
🙈🙈 I need to get my paint brush out and change it.
More guff from the ncc so the sheeple will spend more money, a decent lead acid 110ah will do any job,
I think they have tried to make it easier for people.