Battery’s

[ronald2702]

Hi all I have a Fiat ducato 1988 camper van my intention is to have a solar panel fitted and inverter so I can live without a hookup for as long as possible I would like to know the best battery’s to by I’m told I’ll need 2 but what power do I need .
I’m completely new so I am kind of blank wen it comes to all this at the moment

 

[Spriddler]

Welcome.
It depends upon what you're going da do, Ron ron . Will you be driving every day or two or static for several days?
Your solar power, battery type and capacity will depend upon what you intend to run from them (T.V., laptop, inverter....?) and for how long at a time.

 

[Lenny HB]

You don't say what you intend to use the inverter for. Bear in mind if you want your batteries to last if you were running a 1000 watt you will need 400ah of batteries which means 4 x 100ah batteries.
Also with the age of your van the charger will be a basic single stage charger which will not do the batteries a lot of good and will be worth replacing.

You can never have too much solar for off grid use, rough rule of thumb a minium of 100 Watts of solar for each 100ah battery.

 

[ronald2702]

It will be parked most of the week
I will drive a little and stay in it for 2 -3 days I would run a tv or tablet and charge phones there is a fridge and shower water pump etc so it would run that too.

 

[ronald2702]

You don't say what you intend to use the inverter for. Bear in mind if you want your batteries to last if you were running a 1000 watt you will need 400ah of batteries which means 4 x 100ah batteries.
Also with the age of your van the charger will be a basic single stage charger which will not do the batteries a lot of good and will be worth replacing.

You can never have too much solar for off grid use, rough rule of thumb a minium of 100 Watts of solar for each 100ah battery.

I need to learn about the charging process what kind of charger do I need

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[Spriddler]

It will be parked most of the week
I will drive a little and stay in it for 2 -3 days I would run a tv or tablet and charge phones there is a fridge and shower water pump etc so it would run that too.

It's highly unlikely that your fridge is the type that will operate on batteries (i.e.12v) except when driving. Gas will be your only option if not connected to EHU.
Your 'new motorhomer' (no offence intended) questions require more than a simple reply as there are various options and since you only have one more free post I recommend that you subscribe to be able to do the subject justice.

 

[ronald2702]

It's highly unlikely that the fridge is the type that will operate on batteries (i.e.12v) except when driving. Gas will be your only option if not on EHU.

It’s a 3 way fridge ill
Prob run a tv tablet charge stuff and lights water pump

 

[Lenny HB]

More efficient to use a 12v & 12,v chargers/USB sockets for tables, phones etc. Run the fridge on gas.
You don't really need an inverter.
As for batteries I would suggest 2 x Varta LDF90 (90ah) & 200 Watts of solar.
If using the van our of the summer season best to invest in a decent MPPT solar controller.

 

[ronald2702]

It's highly unlikely that your fridge is the type that will operate on batteries (i.e.12v) except when driving. Gas will be your only option if not connected to EHU.
Your 'new motorhomer' (no offence intended) questions require more than a simple reply as there are various options and since you only have one more free post I recommend that you subscribe to be able to do the subject justice.

Thanks I have subscribed my experience is zilch so I’m going to need it

 

[ambulancekidd]

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[ronald2702]

More efficient to use a 12v & 12,v chargers/USB sockets for tables, phones etc. Run the fridge on gas.
You don't really need an inverter.
As for batteries I would suggest 2 x Varta LDF90 (90ah) & 200 Watts of solar.
If using the van our of the summer season best to invest in a decent MPPT solar controller.

These ones ?

 

[Speve]

If you have enough solar you could have your fridge connected to it which is really useful on sunny days

 

[Lenny HB]

If you have enough solar you could have your fridge connected to it which is really useful on sunny days

Not with the age of his van, the 12v only works well on modern vans.

 

[Lenny HB]

These ones ?

View attachment 523467

Looks like it try Tayna Batteries or Battery Mega Store.

 

[autorouter]

I need to learn about the charging process what kind of charger do I need

There are several types of battery, based on lead-acid chemistry. Standard flooded, sealed flooded, AGM and Gel. To charge them, it's best to get a multi-stage intelligent charger, which has adjustments to suit the type of battery.

A 3-stage charger has a bulk, absorption and float stage.

In bulk mode the charger starts by putting in its maximum amps output. For a fairly flat battery the resulting voltage is quite low, maybe 13 to 13.5V. The charger continuously monitors the voltage as it slowly rises, until it reaches the 'absorption voltage'. At this point the battery is about 80% charged. The charger switches to absorption mode.

In absorption mode, the voltage is fixed at the absorption voltage, and the current (amps) is continuously monitored as it slowly falls from the maximum value. At a preset level, the charger decides that the battery is 100% full, and switches to float mode.

In float mode, the voltage is fixed at a level less than the absorption voltage. The idea is that the float charge just compensates for the self-discharge of the battery over time. A battery can be left indefinitely on float charge, without overcharging.

Different battery variants require slightly different absorption voltages (14.4 to 14.8V) and different float voltages (13.4 to 13.8V). Also some chargers add a timed section, maybe a few hours, onto the absorption stage.

All this happens automatically, but you have to tell the charger the type of battery that is connected. There are selection switches for this.

If you connect to a battery that is already nearly full, the bulk and absorption stages will be very short, and the battery won't be overcharged.

Some chargers add in extra diagnostic stages, to avoid charging a dud battery. Some have a 'reconditioning' stage, good for flooded batteries.

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[two]

Hello.
Do not expect to be able to use electricity as you would at home.
Forget kettles, toasters, or anything that produces heat if you are not using hook-up.
Get a modest inverter and then you won't be tempted to use 12V power faster than you should.
In sourcing new batteries, get two of the same but take sure they will fit into the space available.
If there is a choice, the heavier ones will be more robust and are likely to give better service.
Take your time, there's a lot to absorb. Research previous threads and ask questions.
If you rush, you may waste money and spoil the adventure.