Leisure Battery Capability

 
 
 
 
 
 
briannealon
Newbie
Avatar
Gender: n/a
Age: 52
Posts: 12
Registered: 10 / 2021
Subject:

Leisure Battery Capability

 · 
Posted: 14.10.2021  ·  #1
Hi All
Im a new owner and still quite green to all of this.
My question is this. If going off grid, what can i expect from my leisure battery.
Im trying to gauge how long it will last if im going away without EHU.
Im hoping to use a pre charged laptop for my tv and do my cooking on my gas hob so im wondering on the dark cold nites would i get 1 or 2 or 3 or more hours just running my heating and led strip lighting off it?
Thanks in Advance

Liked by: sprinter

Mark&Wendy
Eat's Sleep's craic
Avatar
Gender:
Location: Killinchy, Co. Down
Age: 57
Posts: 1294
Registered: 02 / 2016
My Motorhome: Roller team 707
Base Vehicle: 2016 Ducato
Subject:

Re: Leisure Battery Capability

 · 
Posted: 14.10.2021  ·  #2
Tough question to answer as it depends on the state of your battery/ies and do you have solar. I find that my heating which is gas but with an electric fan really does eat up the battery if I run it all night. I only did that once. Lights are no issue. TV, a couple of hours. With solar in the summer I can manage 3 nights off grid, maybe 4. Usually only do 2 at a time in the winter.

Liked by: briannealon

JJF
Eat's Sleep's craic
Avatar
Gender: n/a
Location: Donegal
Age: 56
Homepage: MotorhomeCraic.com
Posts: 5319
Registered: 10 / 2014
My Motorhome:
Base Vehicle:
Subject:

Re: Leisure Battery Capability

 · 
Posted: 14.10.2021  ·  #3
Ditto, what Mark Said.
Lot depends on a few factors.

1. Battery condition
2. Battery type
3. Battery capacity
4. Current draw of consumables
5. Serviceability of charge systems & BTB charger helps a lot.

A second battery is a good idea, (replacement batteries if more than one should be fitted at the same time)
Solar is a superb addition, even for winter use coupled to a quality MPPT controller and a monitor to establish condition/draw/SOC
ALL lights should be low current LED’s
Try and have TV’s/chargers/etc run on 12 volts

A good setup and management of the system can leave you off grid for long periods, even indefinitely.

As with everything there is limitations and no one size fits all, but you reach a level where it is acceptable, it’s comfortable and you begin to manage the expectations and limitations that presents itself.


sprinter
Eat's Sleep's craic
Avatar
Gender:
Location: Co Wicklow
Age: 92
Posts: 7388
Registered: 01 / 2015
My Motorhome: Matilda 2 Pilote 703FP Explorateur
Base Vehicle: 3ltr 318 Sprinter Automatic
Subject:

Battery Capability

 · 
Posted: 14.10.2021  ·  #4
Quote by briannealon

Hi All
Im a new owner and still quite green to all of this.
My question is this. If going off grid, what can i expect from my leisure battery.
Im trying to gauge how long it will last if im going away without EHU.
Im hoping to use a pre charged laptop for my tv and do my cooking on my gas hob so im wondering on the dark cold nites would i get 1 or 2 or 3 or more hours just running my heating and led strip lighting off it?
Thanks in Advance

All of what JJF said, is the way to go,but if you want to know what your currently equipped van will give you, The only one who is going to answer that is yourself.
The best place to do this kind of experiment is in your own driveway.
I would suggest go out to your van tomorrow night and do all of the things you think you may do on an away night and then take the van for a couple of hours run, Saturday and do the same thing Saturday night. read up on how low you can let your battery go, run the laptop also to see how long you will get from a full charge.
when you have that answer, then you will have some idea as to what you may need to add.

Liked by: briannealon, eirebus, ntg

briannealon
Newbie
Avatar
Gender: n/a
Age: 52
Posts: 12
Registered: 10 / 2021
Subject:

Re: Leisure Battery Capability

 · 
Posted: 15.10.2021  ·  #5
Thanks so much guys for all your Knowledgable replies. Every one of them makes sense.
I think trial in error is the way to go.
My first couple of trips are planned under the safety of EHU but with winter coming then we are limited to the campsites that are open off season so im fairly eager to do an off grid nite.
Would u guys reccomend a little generator maybe?


JJF
Eat's Sleep's craic
Avatar
Gender: n/a
Location: Donegal
Age: 56
Homepage: MotorhomeCraic.com
Posts: 5319
Registered: 10 / 2014
My Motorhome:
Base Vehicle:
Subject:

Re: Leisure Battery Capability

 · 
Posted: 15.10.2021  ·  #6
eirebus
Eat's Sleep's craic
Avatar
Gender:
Location: kildare
Posts: 7437
Registered: 10 / 2011
My Motorhome: Dethleffs Advantage
Base Vehicle: Fiat 2.3
Subject:

Re: Leisure Battery Capability

 · 
Posted: 15.10.2021  ·  #7
You'll get a lot of solar for half the price of a good Genny


TommyS
Eat's Sleep's craic
Avatar
Gender:
Location: Co Armagh
Age: 20
Posts: 2094
Registered: 10 / 2017
My Motorhome: EuraMobil
Base Vehicle: Fiat
Subject:

Re: Leisure Battery Capability

 · 
Posted: 15.10.2021  ·  #8
I am a recent convert to solar having had generators in my motorhomes for over 25 years. I recently installed a 200w panel and it feeds 2 x 110 AGM batteries. I can boil a kettle, run a coffee maker,hair dryer and a 1200w electric oven. It would probably run a low wattage heater for a short period but not overnight

I still have a 2500w built in generator as back up :D

Liked by: briannealon

The Rambler
Eat's Sleep's craic
Avatar
Gender:
Location: Galway
Age: 50
Posts: 2346
Registered: 07 / 2017
My Motorhome:
Base Vehicle: Vauxhall Movano 2.5 CDTI
Subject:

Re: Leisure Battery Capability

 · 
Posted: 15.10.2021  ·  #9
As Sprinter has said, the only way to really know your battery limitation is through using your appliances over time and monitoring the battery. You can try this either as a test on the driveway, or through real usage, and determine when you have discharged your battery to 50%. You will not want to be discharging below this value in general, in order to extend your battery lifetime.

The problem of coarse is determining when you have discharged to 50%. Reading the voltage can be a very poor measure. If you have a bit of money to spend it would be worth investing in a battery monitor , link. There’s no guess work with these (ish). It counts the current used over time and will tell you your capacity.

It is no harm though to write down what appliances you have. What currents they draw and an estimate of how you will run these each day. You can get a good idea of how many days you can go on battery power. (Tip- Convert everything to 12 volt battery amp-hours, add together subtract from battery capacity).

Liked by: briannealon

ntg
Eat's Sleep's craic
Avatar
Gender:
Location: Portglenone. Co Antrim
Age: 24
Posts: 3822
Registered: 04 / 2012
My Motorhome: Autotrail
Base Vehicle: Comanche
Subject:

Re: Leisure Battery Capability

 · 
Posted: 15.10.2021  ·  #10
Quote by briannealon

Thanks so much guys for all your Knowledgable replies. Every one of them makes sense.
I think trial in error is the way to go.
My first couple of trips are planned under the safety of EHU but with winter coming then we are limited to the campsites that are open off season so im fairly eager to do an off grid nite.
Would u guys reccomend a little generator maybe?


There is no better time to give it a try than when EHU is available, hook up to power but do not turn on.
If your battery power becomes low then switch on EHU.

Liked by: eirebus, Mark&Wendy

petereire
Craic Addict
Avatar
Gender:
Location: Ardee
Age: 55
Posts: 349
Registered: 05 / 2020
My Motorhome: autoquest 270
Base Vehicle: Talbot express
Subject:

Re: Leisure Battery Capability

 · 
Posted: 15.10.2021  ·  #11
I, after some thought and a bit of research bought myself a solar generater/batt pack and in daylight i can charge it from a small(110w) soalr panal and it runs most of my stuff all night ,then leaves my batt system,(with a solar panal and 2 batts) with gas for cooking and heating and my little van is grand for power, i also agree with all of the above but can i add and say the night before you go on your trip,plug your van into the mains to charge up everything and cool the fridge down,enjoy :)


ntg
Eat's Sleep's craic
Avatar
Gender:
Location: Portglenone. Co Antrim
Age: 24
Posts: 3822
Registered: 04 / 2012
My Motorhome: Autotrail
Base Vehicle: Comanche
Subject:

Re: Leisure Battery Capability

 · 
Posted: 15.10.2021  ·  #12
Our van stays on mains all the time,smart charger keeps batteries topped up.
Fridge stays on as we go out most weekends,and the way I look at it is does anyone switch off their fridge when they leave their own house?
Now that will not suit everyone but it suits us.👍

Liked by: eirebus, sprinter

Daffysparks
 
Avatar
 
Subject:

Re: Leisure Battery Capability

 · 
Posted: 15.10.2021  ·  #13
My last van I had for 18 months before I ever connected it to ehu. Never had a problem. Two 75 Ah batteries and 200watt of solar.
I wouldn’t leave my Motorhome fridge on constantly however, it’s operating system is completely different than your normal domestic fridge, and it depends on heating elements to operate when on ehu or 12 volt. Now, everyone knows that immersion elements, and every other type of heating element has a finite lifetime, so why leave it on indefinitely, and significantly reduce its lifespan. The compressor in your domestic fridge works completely differently, and will operate for years without difficulty. I switch my fridge on either the evening before, or the morning of our departure. No waste of energy, and no unnecessary use of its elements. That’s my opinion, to each, their own. 😐


sprinter
Eat's Sleep's craic
Avatar
Gender:
Location: Co Wicklow
Age: 92
Posts: 7388
Registered: 01 / 2015
My Motorhome: Matilda 2 Pilote 703FP Explorateur
Base Vehicle: 3ltr 318 Sprinter Automatic
Subject:

Leisure Battery Capability

 · 
Posted: 15.10.2021  ·  #14
"the night before you go on your trip,plug your van into the mains to charge up everything and cool the fridge down,enjoy"
Great advise, add to that, cool everything in the house fridge,/freezer, and then load the Camper fridge with everything, including ice and frozen dinners just before you leave home. That way you are not putting extra pressure on the Camper electrics.
I think both, Daffy and Norman are doing the right thing in the circumstances,
If you are not using the M/H for a few weeks turn the fridge off and leave the doors open. If you are regularly using the M/H leave the fridge on, but on a low setting until the night before you go.
On a house fridge if you are not opening and closing the door, like when you are away turn down the setting to low, and remember to turn it up when you return.

Liked by: baguette, CHAUSSON, eirebus, Paul mcg, TommyS, +deleted user

baguette
Eat's Sleep's craic
Avatar
Gender:
Location: Cork
Age: 73
Posts: 2817
Registered: 11 / 2011
My Motorhome: Rapido 963F
Base Vehicle: Ducato 2.8 JTD Power
Subject:

Re: Leisure Battery Capability

 · 
Posted: 16.10.2021  ·  #15
The 12v and 230v heating elements in caravan /motorhome fridges do burn out and can be expensive and awkward to replace.
For that reason I also turn the fridge off when I get home and leave the doors open. I turn it back on the night before taking to the road.

Liked by: CHAUSSON, eirebus, Paul mcg, Thornwood, +deleted user

Selected quotes for multi-quoting:   0

Registered users in this topic

Currently no registered users in this section

The statistic shows who was online during the last 5 minutes. Updated every 90 seconds.