How long should a leisure battery last
8 replies
commeyras replied on 14/12/2016 13:19
Richard M replied on 15/12/2016 22:59
Posted on 15/12/2016 22:59
Here are two excellent article that give all the answers
https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/caravans/articles/general/all-about-leisure-batteries
https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/caravans/articles/practical-advice/caring-for-and-charging-your-leisure-battery
cyberyacht replied on 16/12/2016 08:37
Posted on 16/12/2016 08:37
mickysf replied on 16/12/2016 10:41
Posted on 16/12/2016 10:41
Two words come to mind, quality and maintenance. Spend a little more money and spend time looking after it. I've never had to replace any all lasted at 4 years+ and never experienced failure or loss of capacity, then newer vehicle purchased along with new batteries.
hitchglitch replied on 16/12/2016 19:39
Posted on 16/12/2016 19:39
The better the quality of the battery, the more charge/discharge cycles you will get. Some guidance for getting the maximum life:
Dont keep it permanently on charge or EHU. If at home, leave it off charge most of the time but with an occasional top-up, say, once per month.
Dont discharge to less than 25% capacity.
If the battery is discharged then use a high quality charger to recharge. This usually means disconnecting from the van and using a separate leisure battery charger (unless you have a van with an intelligent system like Sargent).
Unless you regularly use sites without EHU then you should get around 4-5 years. Many people get more.
1 person likes this
Johnc 26 replied on 28/12/2016 18:10
Merve replied on 01/01/2017 22:09
Posted on 01/01/2017 22:09
I would agree that 5 yrs is about average but it really does depend on many factors. Keeping it charged will be no 1 and not letting it discharge. Since I had my SP roof fitted I have never had to take the batteries out and mess about! It charges during the day in decent light and then uses some battery power during the dark hours to run the alarm/tracker etc. The flow of electrons in and out of the battery helps to prevent sulpation of the plates so I am told by someone who knows about these things. There is no substitute for a well made and quality battery ( or in my case - batteries!)
xtrailman replied on 23/02/2017 10:45
Posted on 23/02/2017 10:45
My last cheap battery was 9 years old, never left the caravan, and never saw a 3 stage charger.
It would have lasted longer but i inadvertently flattened it down to 5volts, so killed it.
One before that was another cheapo with a 2 year warranty again, i let that go with the caravan at 7 years old.
I have recently bought a new battery which is a good make with a 4 year warranty, i expect to get a long life from it, but time will tell.
My next caravan comes with a 3 stage charger as standard, but i don't expect that to make any difference to its life, going on my previous experience.
Same as the OP always on mains, but use a mover for a 1556 kg caravan.
This is the battery i've just bought through recommendation, my first battery purchase on the internet.
https://advancedbatterysupplies.co.uk/product/varta-lfd90/#tab-description
And its also one of the two makes the club tested that did well, other one was Banner.
It weighs over 24kg.
mdr
Caravanner