Minimum Leisure Battery Amp?

[rubarb]

I'm needigng a small leisure battery for my diesel battery compartment at the rear next to the car battery. The problem is that the only batteries small enough are low amp - 34 being the max. Would this be enough to operater fridge, zig for lights/water pump and a propex heater? The leisure battery I have is actually a car battery and years are taking it's toll.

[ghost123uk]

No where near powerful enough !

And you cannot run a normal fridge off any leisure battery, too much current needed (around 7 Amps)

Why can't you fit it where it normally goes, in the box behind the passenger seat (or the drivers seat in the case of a Diesel) ?

You can fit an 85 Ah one there.

[rubarb]

Next to the car battery is where was when i bought the van. Behind the driver is vacant but how hard is it to re-locate?
Cheers

[ghost123uk]

Next to the car battery is where was when i bought the van. Behind the driver is vacant but how hard is it to re-locate?
Cheers

Very easy, one short earth strap to the metal frame, one 60 Amp(ish) cable, via a split charge relay to the main battery +ve. A heavy duty fuse, 40 Amp(ish), at each end of this wire is pretty essential for safety, as are rubber grommets anywhere this cable goes through holes in the bodywork. A lighter wire to an after market 4 way(ish) fuse box (Ebay) is then taken from the leisure battery +ve (anywhere along it's length) to supply lights, Zig etc.

Details on split charge relay wiring are in our wiki

[California Dreamin]

Of course that means you have two battery boxes empty........these could accomodate a pair of leisures to give you some decent capacity.

Even two normal starter batteries...these boxes are a little small but Code 100 batteries fit well (around 72ah) each.

I agree that one 34ah battery is next to useless and wonder why it was ever setup that way.

Martin

[rubarb]

Thanks, I'll give it a go. There is no sign of the battery being behind either front so I can only think it was something Leisuredrive did at the time.

[fodtommo]

Yeah mine was behind the starter battery, but as you say no good for a real leisure battery. TBH I am moving mine under the drivers seat I find having batteries in the engine bay a pain anyway, including the starter.

[California Dreamin]

Yeah mine was behind the starter battery, but as you say no good for a real leisure battery. TBH I am moving mine under the drivers seat I find having batteries in the engine bay a pain anyway, including the starter.

Yes a bit more awkward to access but in reality this is a much better place, as it's closer to the starter motor so you generally don't suffer all the associated problems that the petrol engined variants have with long CABLE runs and voltage drop.
Of course this isn't as issue for a leisure battery when the most amperage flowing will be around 40amps (compared to a diesel starter motor dragging nearly 200amps)


Martin