Club 80-90 Forums

Hi having trouble finding a leisure battery that will fit under passenger seat (91 autohomes komet). there is something about this in the archive but wonder if anyone has more recent experience. Looks like 180mm is max height. Any ideas? we don't need anything too powerful. I do think a leisure battery will be better than car battery - will charge more often. thanks

Loads of threads on this! Autohomes run the cables behind an alloy plate in the cupboard behind the drivers seat. You can intercept their wiring and fit a leisure battery there. Most people use a standard starter battery to overcome the height restriction.

UK Code 096

75 A/H... nice snug fit

available from most good motor factors

Not all 096 will fit. Some are 175 mm high and some are 190 mm high... you need the 175 mm high one.

thanks for the help. Local battery specialist SYBS tell me they've had customers who found a 190mm fitted; they've said I can try one for fit before buying, but twice as expensive as Towsure!! also found this one that is just the right size and sold as suitable for VW http://www.great-outdoors-leisure.co.uk/index1.html
From what I've read ordinary starter batteries don't last for this kind of work. Is that not people'd experience??
thanks.......veewee

veewee wrote:From what I've read ordinary starter batteries don't last for this kind of work. Is that not people'd experience??
thanks.......veewee

and from what I've read there's not much difference between the two.

You see, a true leisure battery or traction battery, to give it the proper name, usually come in 6 or 2 volt cells arranged in banks, connected in series.
the lead plates are very thick and well spaced

The standard, so called, leisure batteries, are simply starter batteries with extra support for the active lead material. This may increase the life by 5 - 10 %, but does not turn a starter battery into a deep cycle battery. True traction (deep cycle) are not available at a sensible price.

if you intend on spending months away from a power source then you may well invest in a deep cycle battery.
But for weekends and even a week, a standard 096 starter with a 75 Amphour rating, will suffice.
I would be considering how to save power rather than using it like you were at home

Kev is right on. Most of us with campers are using car batteries for leisure power and have no problem running lights, heater, notebook, stereo, LCD DVD players, etc. for 2-4 days at a time when on holiday and weekend trips.

Thanks for the link hightower. http://www.tayna.co.uk/Type-096-Varta-B ... P3197.html May order one of these for my westy

really grateful for all the good advice. Helpful to know an ordinary starter batterywill last a couple of days - that would be all I'd need