2nd leisure battery, what exactly is the benefit? (1 Viewer)

[themountaintiger]

Bear with me cos im newish!! What exactly (or near enough) is the advantage in having a second leisure battery fitted. Will I get twice the usage of having just the one battery or is it 1.75 x the usage due to some dissapation (wow thats a big word after a bottle of wine). How is this affected by having 3 batteries instead of the 2. Im going out tommorrow to buy 2x 110, but cant work out if Im actually better buying a third or should I be thinking instead of installation of solar panels with the 2 batteries??

thanks for any advice

 

[JJ]

Hi Mountaintiger...

Try thinking of your batteries as water tanks. Instead of storing water they store electricity. The thing is though, a water tank is useless unless it is filled with water just as 100 leisure batteries are useless unless you keep them full of electricity.

I full time and have three 110 amp batteries which are charged by three solar panels (or by the engine if I am on the road.)

Having extra batteries is good if you spend several days parked away from hook ups but they will need filling after you have used up the electricity!!!

So you need to consider both the number of batteries and how you are going to fill them (solar, engine, genny, hook up etc. etc)

I hope this post isn't insulting to you in its simplicity!!!

JJ

 

[Fatalhud]

More batteries mean you can survive longer with no hook up, The down side is you are adding extra weight which will reduce your payload,
Alan H

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[Terry]

As JJ says :thumb:- If you go for more than 2 you will find you need a bigger charger. Ask yourself how long you go without hook up ? you may find you do not need to add more than one extra battery :thumb:
terry

 

[Beachbum]

JJ explained it perfectly Mountaintiger. May I add, if you put in another battery, get it as close to the other battery as possible when connecting. Also use heavy duty connection leads. I have 3x110 batteries which are charged by 2 x 60 w solar panels. Good if you are wild camping. :thumb:

 

[movan]

Thanks JJ for that explanation.

I hope this next question isn't too stupid. IF you have the electricity stored in the TWO leisure batteries does that mean yu can use equipment, like electric hairdryer or straighteners which take more power .... or does it not work like that. If it doesn't work like that canyou please explain it in the 'teacher-type' way you explained the first part of this thread as to why not.

Maggie spent ages yesterday explaining why I couldn't use electric heater in van when not on hook up but I can't get my head round it.

MOUNTAINTIGER. I am sorry if it looks like I am stealing your thread but I thought you might also want this explaining as your first question applied to my own problem too. Joy

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[activecampers]

All the batteries are are stored power. 110 gives 110; 2x110 gives 220 etc.
As long as batteries are matched then you should get "full power" from them all (to their standard levels anyway).
If batteries are far away from each other then this efficinecy will drop due to long distance voltage drop. If you connect batteries together with small wires again you will get voltage drop. Use thick cable and fuse each battery

no matter how many batteries you have shouldn't change what you can run - only how long it will run for.

e.g. if electric device is 100W which at 12v is 8A, then on a 1x110 battery this will last for 10 hours (110AH-30% or so for saftey - 80AH / 8A = 10H). 2 batteries it would last for 20 hours.

If you want to run higher power items you need to consider cabling/fuses etc etc.....

And the electic heater question:-
low power electic heater on mains is, say, 1kw. Which at 240v = 1000W/240 = 4 Amps.
Getting the same energy/heat out on battery means the 1kw stays the same but at 12V = 1000W / 12 = 83A

One battery is 110AH (-30% for saftey) = 80AH, so you could run a 1kw electic heater for 1hr on a full battery. Assuming the cable is sufficient for 80A which is huge and generally your entire habitation area may only be cabled for 10A max, so "pop"



For OP: If you are wild camping, 3x 110 (or even 100 x 110) batteries are a great idea. But, you have weight issues, and also once they are flat, how long does it take to charge? Your mains charger may be 10A or 20A max. At 10A that means it will take 10hrs to charge up each battery. So 3 batteries would be 36hrs from flat...... Also when driving you won't get them filled up. 2x batteries and a solar may well help to keep them topped up - depends on sunlight and usage.....

 

[hilldweller]

I hope this post isn't insulting to you in its simplicity!!!
JJ

Far from it. An almost perfect and easily understood analogy. People are confused by electricity.


Almost perfect - the filler pipe on this particular water tank has a leak so you put back in something like 1.5 times as much water as you take out. It means you take that much longer to fill it than you might expect.


And SIZE matters. Your "water tank" at home is the size of an Olympic swimming pool, your "water tank" in a MH is the size of a bucket. So forget hair dryers, electric kettles and heaters, they will empty your bucket in minutes.

 

[themountaintiger]

Thanks JJ for that explanation.

I hope this next question isn't too stupid. IF you have the electricity stored in the TWO leisure batteries does that mean yu can use equipment, like electric hairdryer or straighteners which take more power .... or does it not work like that. If it doesn't work like that canyou please explain it in the 'teacher-type' way you explained the first part of this thread as to why not.

Maggie spent ages yesterday explaining why I couldn't use electric heater in van when not on hook up but I can't get my head round it.

MOUNTAINTIGER. I am sorry if it looks like I am stealing your thread but I thought you might also want this explaining as your first question applied to my own problem too. Joy

No worries Movan, join in the fun, your questions are similar to mine anyway!!

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[themountaintiger]

Hi Mountaintiger...

Try thinking of your batteries as water tanks. Instead of storing water they store electricity. The thing is though, a water tank is useless unless it is filled with water just as 100 leisure batteries are useless unless you keep them full of electricity.

I full time and have three 110 amp batteries which are charged by three solar panels (or by the engine if I am on the road.)

Having extra batteries is good if you spend several days parked away from hook ups but they will need filling after you have used up the electricity!!!

So you need to consider both the number of batteries and how you are going to fill them (solar, engine, genny, hook up etc. etc)

I hope this post isn't insulting to you in its simplicity!!!

JJ

Insulting..er no!!, the main thing from your response ive picked up, is the refilling of the batteries which I had not considered..... If you think your being insulting, then please insult me again....

 

[themountaintiger]

Here is what ive learnt

ok, here is what Ive learnt so far...MountainTiger dont get 3 batteries cos although you would get longer usage out of them, your going to have a problem refilling them with Electric. So just get the 1 additional one for now. It would help especially on shorter journeys to have perhaps a solar panel to fill the 1st/2nd battery quicker, but for a third battery then a solar panel (or generator) would be a must.

Even though Id have another battery this doesnt mean to say that I can have the telly/hairdryer/electric kettle on for hours.

When fitting a 2nd battery, put it close to the first, have the same amps/type batteries have thicker cables and fuses between them, put 2nd battery in battery box.

I could do with finding out if my batteries are charged at 10a or 20a

Ta

 

[Terry]

ok, here is what Ive learnt so far...MountainTiger dont get 3 batteries cos although you would get longer usage out of them, your going to have a problem refilling them with Electric. So just get the 1 additional one for now. It would help especially on shorter journeys to have perhaps a solar panel to fill the 1st/2nd battery quicker, but for a third battery then a solar panel (or generator) would be a must.

Even though Id have another battery this doesnt mean to say that I can have the telly/hairdryer/electric kettle on for hours.

When fitting a 2nd battery, put it close to the first, have the same amps/type batteries have thicker cables and fuses between them, put 2nd battery in battery box.

I could do with finding out if my batteries are charged at 10a or 20a

Ta

Almost :thumb: try before you buy :thumb:you will find hair-dryers kill the batts quick but a tv will last hours.SEE how you get on before falling into what you Want rather than NEED -- saves money :thumb:
terry

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[Beachbum]

ok, here is what Ive learnt so far...MountainTiger dont get 3 batteries cos although you would get longer usage out of them, your going to have a problem refilling them with Electric. So just get the 1 additional one for now. It would help especially on shorter journeys to have perhaps a solar panel to fill the 1st/2nd battery quicker, but for a third battery then a solar panel (or generator) would be a must.

Even though Id have another battery this doesnt mean to say that I can have the telly/hairdryer/electric kettle on for hours.

When fitting a 2nd battery, put it close to the first, have the same amps/type batteries have thicker cables and fuses between them, put 2nd battery in battery box.

I could do with finding out if my batteries are charged at 10a or 20a

Ta

I personnally would not use heavier voltage equiptment, such as hair dryers, kettles etc: direct from your battery. In fact, I don't think it would work. An Inverter would be required. Make sure your Inverter is x3 of the equiptment. i.e 800w microwave= 2.5Kw
Inverter. If my advice above is wrong, I am sure someone with more knowledge will correct me. (I am no electrician) Something I have learnt from the lads on here. Hope it helps.

 

[pappajohn]

All the batteries are are stored power. 110 gives 110; 2x110 gives 220 etc.
.

Sorry, not so.

agreed, a 110ah battery will give you 110amps but only if you completely flatten it.

do that and in a very short time you'll be buying yet more new batteries as they will sulphate and wont charge properly, if at all.

50% discharge is the recommended maximum discharge (40% is kinder to you batteries) so your 110ah battery will only provide 55amps before it must be charged or risk damaging it.

 

[imprint]

Thanks again all you big guys - proves how right those of us are who bang on about how useful you are, even if you're ugly...