We also want to use this website to share our road trip and van building experiences to inspire our readers. MPPTs come into their own in winter and on cloudy days. For Example: We intend to use our LED lights for roughly 8.5 hours each day, between from 6-8AM and from 5-11:30PM. If you want to power speakers, gadgets, fridges, laptops and even your washing machine and e bike, its possible with the right leisure battery set-up, just follow our buying guide. We both grew up in Asia ( Japan & Hong Kong ), we left our jobs and homes in 2018 and started traveling full time from Canada to Argentina in our self-converted camper van since end of May 2019. As a result, the batteries cannot leak and can be fixed in any position. A battery will have reached the end of its life when it cannot hold more than 60/70% of its initial capacity. We estimated that we would be using 116Ah per day of battery capacity and in reality, we used an average of 71Ah per day. We wouldnt want to be wild camping in a pristine, quiet setting only to have the moment ruined by a loud generator humming in the background. They are intended to withstand high- and low- temperatures, experience little self-discharge and therefor remain usable for a long time. Campervans are perfect for couples or small families, they are often equipped [], HBSprinter has a very nice 1 year timelapse into building a campervan conversion starting from a 2018 Mercedes 144. Each row should only have a single type of device, like LED lights. We hope you enjoy! Car Battery Charger,Trickle Champion Power Equipment 200961 2500-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Inverter Generator, Ultralight. Open lead acid batteries emit gases (hyrdogen and oxygen) which need to be adequately ventilated, they have to be refilled with deionised water and must be kept securely in an upright position to prevent leaks. Lithium deep cycle batteries are lightweight, compact and maintenance free with excellent usable capacity, a fast recharge rate and constant voltage. Are very compact, light and last longer than lead acid batteries. The discharge cycle specifieshow many times a battery can be discharged and chargedwithout reducing performance or capacity. Gel batteries use a gelled electrolyte, formed from sulfuric acid and water suspended in a silica agent. In this post, we go over each of these common charging solutions, their pros & cons, and essential product recommendations, if you choose to utilize that specific charging method. For example, a battery which has a rating of 100Ah, can provide 1 amp for 100 hours or 10 amps for 10 hours. One charge cycle is to discharge the battery to 0% and then charge it again to 100%. You can charge it in different ways. The charging profiles for lead-acid and lithium batteries are outlined below. Lower voltage results in higher current consumption so you need thicker cables. Once the battery is almost fully charged, the regulator provides a trickle charge to keep the battery topped up during periods of excess solar energy. An 80% DoD means the battery can discharge down to 20% of its capacity. Wandering Welsh Girl is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'wanderingwelshgirl_com-large-leaderboard-1','ezslot_9',115,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-wanderingwelshgirl_com-large-leaderboard-1-0');report this ad. It's small and can delivery a powerful 20A of power to your leisure battery. So a battery of 100Ah can handle an inverter of 500 watts maximum. Which campervan fridge to choose for your recreational vehicle? This is a common problem among the van life community. Campervan batteries are an essential part of your van setup whether you plan to use electric hook-ups for your campsite holidays, park up in fields for weekend-long festivals or live off grid with a solar kit set up. This post may contain affiliate links, from which we earn an income. There are usually a couple of tell-tale signs; If youre simply looking for a replacement battery, it is often easier to just purchase like for like. Your products must be suitable for 24 volts. Decide the quantity of each device in your camper. Leisure Batteries The 230 Ah battery fitted within this picture. and finally the power they provide: measured in Ah Amp hours are a measure of the amount of current that a battery can provide over a period of time, the bigger the better, The battery you use for starting your engine has been specifically designed to produce a large burst of current in a short time frame. But if you intend to charge more than one laptop or smartphone, so you will need to enter the appropriate quantity for each device. Download our free e-Books with intuitive electrical, solar, and plumbing diagrams. You can also get flooded lead acid batteries which are sealed and sold as being maintenance free. Camper van batteries can also be charged by receiving power from the vehicles alternator. Once youve entered the operating wattage for each device, scroll down to Step 4. Because they use an absorbed glass mat material to hold their electrolyte they can be mounted in any position and require no maintenance. You can check if your van has an AGM leisure battery by reading the label look for AGM, Absorbed Glass Mat, dry cell, sealed regulated valve, non-spillable, or valve regulated on the label. AGM leisure batteries offer the best performance to cost ratio and for this reason would be a smart choice for most van lifers. We hope you enjoy! Battery Along with solar panels, a charge controller and wiring, leisure batteries form a vital part of your campervans solar setup. Thanks in advance I really appreciate it! We named our site Asobolife because the life is always uncertain and we live only once so its important to always keep positive, playful mind and enjoy the moment you are in the present. For these reasons AGM batteries are popular in the camper van and motorhome world. WebMotorhome Batteries. Source:Victron datasheet lead acid batteriesVictron datasheet lithium batteries. Type now could be the time to upgrade to increase efficiency and cut-out maintenance. At 50% discharge, the life of an AGM battery is approximately 600 charge cycles. In addition, we wanted to be able to stay off-grid (without sun) for two days. Solar Panels (360W) We installed two 180W solar panels on our vans roof and feed the power through our Victron charge controller to the leisure batteries. We call this sum your Daily Energy Usage. Gel and lithium batteries can last up to ten years. Also, the lifespan of a semi-traction battery compared to an AGM battery is shorter. Always try to use identical cables (length/diameter) so that the resistance remains the same. The more full cycles there are, the longer the battery life. With higher power consumption (3000> watts) you can choose to connect your auxiliary batteries in series, 24 Volts, to use thinner cables. At 30 C the lifespan is 4 years and at 40 C 2 years. Phrases like deep cycle and amp-hours, series or parallel can be a bit overwhelming at first glance. The lifespan may be stated on the battery in years or in cycles, which if you remember from above is the amount of times a battery is discharged. The cells shaded in green are for you to fill out. Disclaimer:Some links in this article are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through them I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Tip: Ask your supplier if you can get batteries with the same batch numbers. BougeRV 9BB Cell 180 Watts Mono Solar Panel,20.5% High Efficiency Module Monocrystalline Technology Victron Energy SmartSolar MPPT 100V 30 amp 12/24-Volt Solar Charge Controller (Bluetooth). Leisure A 100 watts of solar panels can generate on average 400 watt-hours of energy per day (in a good day) so you need more than 100 watts of solar for a good size compressor fridge. Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) solar chargers are more efficient and improve battery performance and life. Mercedes 144 Sprinter Conversion CamperVan Timelapse. Many Motorhomes are fitted with 2 batteries i.e. If you get it right though, you can have so much more than that. An MPPT based charger can achieve average battery charge levels of 90 to 95%. In cases like these, estimate the number of minutes you plan to use those devices per day and enter the following formula into the appropriate cell: For Example: We estimated that we would use a hair dryer for 6 minutes every day. WebJanuary 23, 2023. We all want the comforts of home in our vans stuff like charging devices, watching tv or listening to music. We hope this article has helped inform and inspire you to begin building your own camper van electrical system. If youre looking to buy an gel battery, check out these brands Exide andLeoch. For Example: If you visit the Amazon page for these LED lights [Amazon], you can find that the wattage is 3W per light. The battery wont stop working completely after the stated amount of cycles, they just wont perform as well.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'wanderingwelshgirl_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_15',106,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-wanderingwelshgirl_com-mobile-leaderboard-1-0'); Sealed lead acid batteries typically last anywhere from 4 8 years, whereas lithium batteries can last 10 20 years. For more information, read our DC-DC charger installation post. Light leisure battery usage is almost always defined as occasional weekend caravan, boating and motorhome holidays, usually where fixed power points are available. In Step 4, we will include the total quantity of each device in your van. You can check if your van has a gel leisure battery by looking for the words gel filled on the label. One a long & sunny summer day, were able to put back as much as 1.8kWh back into our batteries. Leisure Battery We're Yuko and Eric and we are traveling the Pan-American Highway from Canada to Argentina in our self-converted camper van. Leisure Battery Height, Length, Width and the positioning of the terminals. Leisure 6 Reasons Why 12V Fridges Are Essential For Van Life, How To Install A Power Inverter In A Camper Van (With Diagrams), Campervan Wiring: Best Wire Sizes For A Camper Van Conversion, How To Install A DC-DC Charger In A Camper Van. But generators can be useful in emergency situations. However, because our solar panels and DC-DC charger already do such a good job in keeping our batteries charged, shore power only provides roughly 5% of our power charging needs. Arron. We both grew up in Asia ( Japan & Hong Kong ), we left our jobs and homes in 2018 and started traveling full time from Canada to Argentina in our self-converted camper van since end of May 2019. A ~40% difference. Clean battery extremities and keep battery terminals and covers free of dust and corrosion. Gell batterie are closed just like AGM batteries. If you plan to live in your van full time for many years to come, a lithium battery would be a good investment. In this chapter they are conveniently listed so that you can make a better choice. All you need to do now is decide whether you will be using AGM or lithium batteries. There are many different types of leisure batteries and charging methods our easy guide to motorhome leisure batteries has all the information you need to understand battery systems, and choose the right batteries for your van. Of course you want your auxiliary battery to last as long as possible! are an essential part of your van setup whether you plan to use electric hook-ups for your campsite holidays, park up in fields for weekend-long festivals or live off grid with a solar kit set up. Delving into the subject of batteries for your campervan can subject you to a whole new world of words and numbers which are sure to get you glazed over quick time. This dialogue box instructs you to make a copy and save the file to you down cloud drive or computer. Some deep cycle battery types have a Depth of Discharge (DoD) rate as high as 80% before they require re-charging. Building a camper van? They are designed so that they can be discharged to a certain amount, (known as depth of discharge: DOD) hundreds of times in their lifetime. The starter battery or car battery is what starts your vehicles engine. The only time it came up short was during our winter trip to Georgia. Platinum AGM 12V 100Ah Overall Winner, 2. A Lithium battery in your motorhome is an excellent long-term choice. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); So many choices! Thanks for your support! 1st stage: BulkThis stage is completely the same as for lead-acid batteries. These batteries are based on sulfuric acid, lead plates and are therefore very heavy. In Column C, review each of your electrical devices and determine how many of them you will have in your camper van. For example, a battery which has a rating of 100Ah, can provide 1 amp for 100 hours or 10 amps for 10 hours. What do all those numbers and abbreviations mean? Were Yuko and Eric! Gel batteries have all the benefits of an AGM battery and typically have a longer lifespan if they are adequately cared for. Even if youre a heavy electricity user, you can get two AGM batteries and still have plenty of money to buy beers to put in your deliciously cold fridge! This battery has been given the A class by the National Caravan Council which is the highest rating a battery can get. rigid and flexible panels see this guide. They are designed to withstand high and low temperatures, experience little self-discharge and therefore remain usable for a long time. The gel battery has a charge efficiency of around 85-90%, with superb heat tolerance and no off-gassing. If youre short on time here are my top picks for a. campervan battery setup. Which auxiliary battery is right for you depends on a number of factors: You can use the calculator for the first two points, and calculate the battery capacity (Ah) you need! Victron Energy MultiPlus 2000VA 12-Volt 120V AC Pure Sine Wave Inverter 80 amp Battery Charger, 50 Best Camper Van Sinks Which Are The Best For Van Life? Higher voltage results in lower current consumption. A portable leisure battery charger will provide emergency power to your leisure batteries, and can also help you manage your batteries when your motorhome is in winter storage. 1000 full cycles simply means it can be charged and discharged 1000 times. Gell batteries are more expensive than semi-tracie batteries, but are also heavy and can be discharged up to 50%. The usable capacity of a flooded lead acid battery is around 30-50% of the total capacity. Direct current electricity flows in one direction: out the Positive (+) side of the battery, to the appliance, and back into the Negative (-) side of battery. A regulator or controller will ensure your battery runs through this charge and discharge cycle regularly. The charging current should preferably not exceed 20% of the battery capacity (20A for a 100 Ah battery). Buy online or in-store today! Speed Up Your Electrical Install With Our Free eBook. Camping fridges, toilets, showers, tents. Its just basic maths my friends , Deciding what battery capacity to get will very much depend on your needs. Make sure the battery is fully secured to prevent movement and shocks. So much to learn and so much to enjoy! We hope you enjoy! WebOne RV park in Florida has 4 different nightly rates. Campervan Battery Weve reviewed the top 18 on the market today, so you can compare and work out what suits you and your motorhome. For me this is the best battery for campervans and motorhomes because it has the best performance to cost ratio. Whats the difference between a starter battery and a leisure battery? Their biggest downside is the hefty price tag attached. VARTA Leisure batteries are built to power marine craft such as electric boats, yachts and motorboats, plus all kinds of caravans and motorhomes. Lead-acid batteriesSemi-traction, AGM , Gell batteries are all lead-acid batteries. If you use a split charge relay to charge your leisure batteries from the engine battery, this will need to be changed to a DC battery to battery charger. Camping locations. If you plan on living in your van through the winter, Id opt for the lithium battery instead. WebThe domestic leisure battery runs all the power in the habitation area of your van, whenever youre not plugged in to mains power. Doing so virtually guarentees youll have sufficient power throughout your van life journey. It also explains how you can connect multiple batteries together. In addition, a lithium battery will last up to 10 times longer and cope with frequent discharges at around 80% capacity without any issues. They can be mounted in various position (except upside down!) We're Yuko and Eric and we are traveling the Pan-American Highway from Canada to Argentina in our self-converted camper van. Do you need one? You can read more about camper fridges choices in the which camper fridge article. If you have a bigger budget, the best lithium campervan battery is the Renogy 100AH Smart Lithium Iron Phosphate. And if they arent prohibited, we doubt your neighbors would enjoy hearing your generator churning out power. If you scroll down on the battery calculator file, youll reach our battery recommendations. Deciding what battery capacity to get will very much depend on your needs. This should be easy because you will only have 1 of most items, like Inverter or Fridge or Blender. Then you should probably look for AGM leisure battery as they offer the best price to power ratio and ease of use. WhichCamperVan.com helps you learn more about your Home on wheels or your Home away from home. 110ah Leisure Batteries When it comes to batteries, more money typically means a better product. The capacity (Ah) remains the same. If the acid comes into contact with seawater, chlorine gas is produced. For full product reviews, read through to the end. We would recommend a Lithium battery to anyone. Lots of motorhome beginners ask these questions, so were here to explain everything you need to know about getting your motorhome checked over. Built-in LCD screen displays: capacity, charging status and output. Ideally, you need to be able to adjust the charging voltage of the battery in your chargers, especially if you are using a solar charger, as lithium batteries do not need to go through the same bulk, float and absorption cycle as lead acid. Motorhome Leisure Batteries It goes without saying, a reliable electricity supply is absolutely vital for keeping you and yours comfortable on tour. However, portable generators are not popular within the camper van community because they can be loud when turned on. Make sure to dispose of old batteries correctly. Renogy Smart Lithium Iron Phosphate 100Ah, If you just need a battery for occasional use, the. For flooded lead acid batteries only at least annually, service and clean the battery tray, terminals and connectors, and smear the latter with petroleum jelly. We opted for the DC charger, instead of the cheaper split charge relay, because our lithium (LiFePO4) leisure batteries are a different chemistry than our AGM starter battery. Which Leisure battery should you choose for your campervan? Any home on wheels needs a leisure battery to keep the habitation area supplied with electricity. Disconnect the inverter, if you have one. First of all you should note that batteries designed to start up your vehicle (crank or starter batteries), work differently to batteries intended to run appliances on your van (leisure or deep cycle batteries). Since there is no liquid in a lithium battery they can be mounted in anyway (including upside-down!) Types of Leisure Batteries Flooded Lead Acid Removing the battery bydisconnect the negative lead first(black) and then the positive lead (red). However, if you get an inverter with an additional charger module, you will also be able to convert AC power back to DC power, to charge the batteries. Leisure We regularly get asked the same questions so we gathered all these together in one place, along with our answers and useful tips to help your motorhoming journey go smoothly. should last roughly three times as long as lead-acid battery, the average compressor fridge will drop the temperature to -20 in around an hour and generally uses. If youre replacing your current battery and it has a designated spot in your van, battery dimensions will be a hugely important factor. Our guide has all the information you need on how to get tv in a motorhome. In summer 2022, we swapped our Semi Traction battery for a Lithium battery. As a rule of thumb, you can keep in mind that the power of the inverter in watts should not exceed five times the capacity of the battery in amp-hours. They also have the fastest recharge rate and an extremely long life at around 2000-5000 charge cycles. You can check if your van has and acid leisure battery by reading the label look for wet cell, flooded lead acid, lead acid, or liquid lead acid. Temperature tolerance check the batterys ability to withstand different temperatures, especially if you plan to travel in very hot or cold climates. and secondly consider a lithium battery rather than a lead acid battery, since these perform better in cold temperatures.