Additional leisure battery (1 Viewer)

[Aminthule]

I have been advised that rather than add a second, new leisure battery to my motorhome I should consider installing two new ones of the same model/type and selling on my existing leisure battery. The existing leisure battery is only around 8 months old, but I have been advised that buying two together will provide me with a better and longer lasting set up. Both batteries will be kept topped up by a solar panel.

Can anyone give me a technical explanation of why this might be good advice or is in fact necessary?

Thanks.

 

[pappajohn]

If it's been looked after, ie not allowed to go flat etc, then just buy one new one.
After just 8 months its doubtful there is anything wrong with it.

The reasoning behind replacing both is if the origanal was much older it wouldn't be accepting or holding charge as well as it used to so pairing it to a new battery will reduce the efficiency of the new to match the old....less capacity between the two.

Battery make, model and capacity are immaterial.
Your charger will only see the combined capacity of both batteries.....110ah + 80ah will be seen as one 190ah battery or any other permutation of capacities.

 

[Lenny HB]

As your battery is less than a year old providing it has been looked after, you can just add a second battery. Needs to be the same type of construction, i.e. wet cell/gell /AMG approximately same size.

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[Allanm]

The reason is that batteries deteriorate over time, so if you are going to have two ( or more) batteries running together in parallel, then it makes sense to get new ones at the same time.
However, I fitted a second and third battery ( of the same make and size) a few months apart and all three batteries still perform as new.
Depending on the make and quality of the battery you have you may be ok just to add batteries.
I used to work for BT, all the exchanges ran off a bank of lead acid batteries. If one failed, we just fitted a new one. Never had any problems with the overall voltage and current, as long as they were maintained and kept charged.

 

[Aminthule]

Thanks all, that's good to know, I may have a look and see what my existing one is.