Is this all I need? Leisure battery/split charge.

Post by **Emma&Al** » 04 Feb 2016, 17:37

Im going to fit a leisure battery to run lights, stereo and perhaps..i don't know, some other small item.

Is this what I need?
1. 110amp leisure battery like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Leisure-Battery ... B0039TEDVQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

2. Split charge kit - like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261599613436?ul_noapp=true" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; or this:https://www.brickwerks.co.uk/voltage-se ... harge.html

3. Leisure battery earth lead?

4. Zig Unit? (optional?) id like one...

Want to give this a go myself, am rubbish with electrics but the above kit says its simple to fit and fully instructionable. Is this something I should go for or am i barking up the wrong tree?

Thanks all

Post by **Ruralman** » 04 Feb 2016, 17:55

Hi Emma&Al,
I fitted a 110ah battery and the same split charging kit recently its working fine but some members of the forum ridicule using the more expensive kit.
You can find cheaper split charging kit, see wiki for ideas, my idea is to fit 2x110ah leisure batteries to enable off grid camping, I'll also fit solar panels to charge the batteries.
Regards
Keith

Post by **Emma&Al** » 04 Feb 2016, 18:00

Hi Keith, thanks for your suggestions.
I am a complete novice (with a capital C!) so perhaps the kit is the best way forward for me, but ill certainly look at wiki to see what it says

Can I ask where you fitted the leisure battery? Where will you fit the second battery? I have one place underneath the passenger seat but I've heard some say that you need to vent it so the fumes are out of the van?

I also hope to fit a solar panel or 2 at some point. How would you go about doing that? Have you sourced your panels yet?
How exciting!!

Post by **Winchweight** » 04 Feb 2016, 18:15

It's all you need. You don't even need a Zig unit: make your own with a piece of ply, a voltmeter, a fuse box and some switches. Be sure to earth it properly and use good quality wore. Make sure you have properly rated fuses in in each service spur from the battery.

Look for Carchet fuse box on Amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/CARCHET" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;®-Blade-Board-Interior-Marine/dp/B00K4P10JG/ref=sr_1_2?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1454609419&sr=1-2&keywords=12v+fuse+box

2x 110ah batteries would easily do a couple of days with a Waeco CR50 fridge and LED lights. You can add an LED TVs/DVD player, Eberspacher etc, but you'll probably need to top up the batteries by running the motor as the Eber is voltage sensitive. Also if you're somewhere hot the fridge will be on a lot more. If you add a charger from the 230v circuit, it will recharge your batteries when on hook up.

Tap in a solar panel and all your bases are covered.

Post by **Ruralman** » 04 Feb 2016, 18:27

Hi Emma&Al,
I have a cupboard under my gas rings and grill, it was easy to put the first battery in with space left for a second one when another offer of a discount is sourced, the cupboard is behind the drivers seat so it was easy to route the cables to the starter battery and I'm rewiring all the services for leisure to the leisure batteries, leaving the starter battery for starting Sergy.
I do have an old leisure battery under the front passenger seat but the space is not big enough for my off grid requirements ie at least 2 batteries.
My thoughts were to buy a folding solar panel kit to charge the batteries off grid.

Regards
Keith

Post by **Emma&Al** » 04 Feb 2016, 18:44

Thanks for explaining Ruralman,
So what would you expect to run having 2 leisure batteries? Lights, stereo? What else? I go off grid mostly, some campsite camping, but mostly parking up randomly, so like you, I won't be using hookup.
The fold up solar panels sound good - what are their advantages? I guess that you don't have to get them fitted on top of the van?

Post by **Ralf85** » 04 Feb 2016, 18:54

Going by your numerous posts, you seem to be planning to spend a lot of cash on lots of different things. The question is do you need to spend a lot of money on power supply? Not really. Unless you intend on standing still for days without driving then a standard split charge will keep a standard 60ah battery charged up . If you use camp sites you can get hook up for just a few quid when you are camping - so much cheaper. Is there a plan to go on a long trek off road around Europe or normal camping? If the latter, I would suggest you could save some money by not buying all this extra kit. So what's the plan?

Post by **Emma&Al** » 04 Feb 2016, 18:59

HI Ralf85, you might be right. I don't use campsites really so I don't normally have access to electricity when i go camping. There will be times this year where I go camping for days at a time where I don't start the van. Not being electrically minded, I find it hard to know how much power I will actually use. It will only really be to have lighting in the van and to have the stereo on. Id like the option of perhaps being able to charge up my phone, or a run a laptop although not sure thats possible?
IM not sure ill be going off trekking yet (ooh, that'd be nice!) so the solar panels are for a much later consideration, but definitely want to get a leisure battery in there, as my last hi top was a leisure drive conversion and I found everything so easy (zig unit etc).

What do you think?

Post by **Ruralman** » 04 Feb 2016, 19:14

Hi Emma&Al,
Even with deep discharge (leisure) batteries you dont really want to discharge them much more than 50%, so work out what you will be using as a total Amp hours then multiply by 2 - so in reality your 110Ah battery will give about 55Ah usage. If you use an inverter your 3A tv will use more as the inverter is only about 85% efficient, now is the tv 3A at 12V or 3A at 240V (3A at 12V will use about 3 1/2 A max per hour - 3A at 240V works out at about 60A per hour via an inverter) the best bet is to avoid an inverter as much as possible (if you do get one get a pure sine wave version) and get a TV that can run on 12V (some have a 12v mains adaptor).
This of course assumes that you will be using the engine and charging your batteries on a daily basis. in most cases people have several 110V batteries connected up in parallel. its worth noting here that the leisure batteries shouldnt be connected in with the starter battery (they are different types of battery plus you dont want to flatten your starting battery), unless your using a split charging relay of course.
My idea of the folding solar panels was for longevity and simplicity, the panels just connect to batteries via crocodile clips and you can put them on your pitch next to the van, stowing them away when you want to move.
I have a 12v TV, Led lights, strip lights, 3 way fridge, Stereo Radio/CD and a Prospex Blown Air Space Heater.
Regards
Keith

Post by **Emma&Al** » 04 Feb 2016, 19:25

Hi Keith - thanks for all that info.
I must admit Im still finding it all really confusing. Is an inverter like a zig unit?
Id like to use a split charge relay, as from what I can make out so far, this means that no charge is taken from the alternator to the leisure battery? Is that right? So its in now way connector to the alternator, thus it will cut off when it gets low and not use the motor battery power?
I hope I've got that right.
Next, I won't be using any TV. Id like the option to charge a mobile perhaps - ahhh, that might be where the inverter came in??

So in brief, I think I still just need a 110 leisure battery and a split charge relay? Leave the whole solar panel thing till later (i like your idea of a fold up charger that clips on). I just need to run some small LED spotlights in the evening and a little music on the stereo.
I have NO idea how to calculate the power I need for those?!

Post by **marlinowner** » 04 Feb 2016, 20:17

Campingaz lantern and ghettoblaster = job done.

Post by **lefty67** » 04 Feb 2016, 20:21

All depends how far you want to take it Emmaali.
I never had a leisue battery in my first van, just had a couple of led lights, an old radio which took a 9v battery (still going after 3 years) and a small portable solar charger to charge phones, got by ok. A friend of mine just takes a normal car battery and inverter with him when he goes 'off grid', charges it at home before he goes, lasts a few days just charging his phone and vape.
If its only for charging phones and small things then no need to go ott

Post by **Ruralman** » 04 Feb 2016, 20:22

Hi Emma&Al,
Check out the following:-

http://deepredmotorhome.com/electrics.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/split-charging.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My understanding is that the Alternator will still charge the Leisure batteries once the starter battery reaches a particular level of charge the relay switches the charging to the leisure batteries.
Regards
Keith

Post by **irishkeet** » 04 Feb 2016, 21:14

this is worth a read before buying your leisure batteries

http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/media/6552 ... hnical.pdf

Post by **Emma&Al** » 04 Feb 2016, 21:48

Thanks for those links, they look really interesting - i definitely need to read them all before going any further, thanks guys.

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