Extra battery question

[slinger]

I am an electrical engineer but new to motor homes, I have a Burstner Solano with a 75Ah liesure battery, I would like to add another 75Ah in parallel, am I likely to have any problems with this? Would it be cheaper to just replace the 75Ah with a 150Ah?Eventually I want to fit solar panels but one step at a time.

 

[Winston_C_4ever]

personally i woodnt bother buying solar pannels as they are extremely ineffient. i'd suggest u use wind power. it might be a better idea to get a more powerful battery as the present one mgiht be old therefore might need replacing anyway. also 2 battires = more space and more weight = waisting fuel carrieng around extra weight for the sake of it

 

[Tony Santara]

I agree with Winston if your original battery is tired it would constantly drain your new one shortening its life
I decided to sack my 75ah for a new 150Ah also saving space :thumb:

 

[Digger Driver]

I have 3 batteries on mine!
A 95 amp, a 100 amp and a 120 amp!
According to all the fitters i have talked to you can fit as many as you like!
It just puts a little more stress on your alternator!

 

[Gonewiththewind]

Hi Slinger,
Each to thier own, I went down the road with solar panel and doubled up my battery.
with a 130 watt panel and 2 x 110 amp batteries I dont go near hook ups.
For what its worth winter is great for winds and so is Fuartaventura (spelling) But if you get a good summer, where is the wind.
My solar panel work 52 weeks a year, ok, variable but your wind turbine is going to be even more unpredictable. Have you ever noticed how the big turbine dont work in the high wind !!!!
Ill stick with the solar. Work on the basis 50 Watt panel + 50 Amp battery per adult as a minimum.

Don

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[Geo]

I have 3 batteries on mine!
A 95 amp, a 100 amp and a 120 amp!
According to all the fitters i have talked to you can fit as many as you like!
It just puts a little more stress on your alternator!

It also means your two larger batteries are working as your lowest ie 3 x 95amp.
multiple batteries should be matching batteries
ie a new 75 amp battery put with an old 75amp only giving say 60 amp, would make the new one work at 60 amp also
Geo

 

[Digger Driver]

It also means your two larger batteries are working as your lowest ie 3 x 95amp.
multiple batteries should be matching batteries
ie a new 75 amp battery put with an old 75amp only giving say 60 amp, would make the new one work at 60 amp also
Geo

I do know that but i get my batteries for free!
They work forever after being fully charged!

 

[stagman]

I am an electrical engineer but new to motor homes, I have a Burstner Solano with a 75Ah liesure battery, I would like to add another 75Ah in parallel, am I likely to have any problems with this? Would it be cheaper to just replace the 75Ah with a 150Ah?Eventually I want to fit solar panels but one step at a time.

Nothing wrong with solar panels,more reliable than wind quiter than a genny,I have 3x110 amp and a 70w solar panel,3 weeks in France no need for hook up ,

 

[slinger]

Thanks guys,

My 75Ah battery is nearly new (18 months). So I have to decide on the weight issue and either get another 75 Ah or swap it out for a 150.

I like the solar panels, even though they aren't efficient , they do work all the time. I have done a lot of study if wind power and I don't think it is what I want.

Any recommendations on Solar panels?

 

[Gonewiththewind]

Hi slinger
You Asked "Any recommendations on Solar panels? "

Can only repeat myself. When I was looking into my solal panel, I was advised to look at, as a minnimum, 50 Watt of Solar Power and 50 Amp of battery for every adult.

I am a Loner but went for 130 Watt Solar and 2 x 110 Amp Battery.
My panel came from
Link Removed


works for me.

Don

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[slinger]

Fiited and working

Hi Guys,

I have fitted my second battery, I got an identical model Varta 90 Ah from a local supplier at £99.73 inc vat which I thought was a good price as the cheapest online was £122 + £10 delivery. I had trouble finding a battery tray and in the end I went for a battery box from the 12 volt shop for about £13.00. I used 16mmsq 100A cables and a 100A fuse to protect them. the large cable size keeps the resistance low and should give me fairly even charging as the charger is connected to the original battery and I didnt want to muck about with moving existing cables. The cable distance between the batteries is about 1m. I found an existing hole in the floor and routed the breather tube out through that, there was a lot of pipes and cables under the floor and I didn't fancy having to drill a hole! The whole job came to about £130. So I now have 180 Ah, next project will be solar panels.

 

[Bulletguy]

Hi Guys,

I have fitted my second battery, I got an identical model Varta 90 Ah from a local supplier at £99.73 inc vat which I thought was a good price as the cheapest online was £122 + £10 delivery.

How much?????????

Are the terminals gold plated or something?

A supplier in my locality sells 110ah at £56 and that comes with a TWO YEAR warranty as well.

Can give anyone on here the details if they are looking for a new battery.

 

[stagman]

How much?????????

Are the terminals gold plated or something?

A supplier in my locality sells 110ah at £56 and that comes with a TWO YEAR warranty as well.

Can give anyone on here the details if they are looking for a new battery.

Agree do sound a bit on the expensive side.

 

[pappajohn]

that'll be £60 for the battery and £40 for the Varta name. :thumb:

 

[bobandjanie]

Hi Slinger it all depends on how long you stay in one place, we have 2 x 85 ah and we go 3 days no problem, Solar panels are a lot of money but worth it if you need them . We have a generator which we hardly ever use, and I think it would be the same with solar keeping the batteries charged up, Yes they would but if we were to move on after 3 days they would charge anyway! So its only buy what you need we all have so much stuff we dont need. Good Luck. Bob.

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[oldun]

Thanks guys,

I like the solar panels, even though they aren't efficient , they do work all the time. I have done a lot of study if wind power and I don't think it is what I want.

I am interested in this type of panel as mine definitely do not work at night.

I agree with the comment on wind turbines. They are more difficult to store/carry, more difficult to erect, work only when it is reasonably windy, are unsightly and can cause vibrations through the van.

Solar panels are much more efficient/effective.

 

[Bulletguy]

Solar panels are much more efficient/effective.

Depends on what you are expecting from them?

My mate bought a small one to stick in his windscreen as his MH spends long periods standing idle in the driveway. Cost £9.99 from Maplins it proved enough to keep his battery topped up to start on the button.

If you expect to run TV, PC, fridge whilst keeping the batteries charged up you need to be shelling out a few grand for panels the size of your roof.

I can well understand 'full timer' folks investing in serious solar or turbine power, but it would take years for the average weekender to recoup the cost.

 

[roger loiselle]

Thanks guys,

My 75Ah battery is nearly new (18 months). So I have to decide on the weight issue and either get another 75 Ah or swap it out for a 150.

I like the solar panels, even though they aren't efficient , they do work all the time. I have done a lot of study if wind power and I don't think it is what I want.

Any recommendations on Solar panels?

The result of my research on solar is this:
Solar is useful if you are always going to camp wild. If you use sites with plug -ins solar is a waste of money as your batteries will charge as soon as you go onto mains.
In between stops, whilst motoring you are charging.
A second battery same size, same age, will give you about three days power when camping wild.
There again I am a newbie, what do I know?
Regards Roger Loiselle

 

[iceni]

Hi Slinger,
Each to thier own, I went down the road with solar panel and doubled up my battery.
with a 130 watt panel and 2 x 110 amp batteries I dont go near hook ups.
For what its worth winter is great for winds and so is Fuartaventura (spelling) But if you get a good summer, where is the wind.
My solar panel work 52 weeks a year, ok, variable but your wind turbine is going to be even more unpredictable. Have you ever noticed how the big turbine dont work in the high wind !!!!
Ill stick with the solar. Work on the basis 50 Watt panel + 50 Amp battery per adult as a minimum.

Don

I agree with windy. I dont even think about the solar panel. Just make sure you get one big enough and get the battery capacity to go with it otherwise the solar will shut off when the battery is full anyway and so waste the charge...unless you fit a battery master and then it will start to charge the vehicle battery.

turbines are good if its windy and will work all night too but they all have to be set up when you arrive. Not really any good if you wild camp.

Phill

 

[Douglas]

I can only describe my own system as everybody will have different demands from the 12volt system.

First I use a computer for 3 hours a day then the TV for another 3 hours and that represents quite a lot of amps a day.

To supply this I have 3 solar panels, 2x85 watts and 1x50 watt, total 220 watts going into 300amp batterys.

As we use the motor home in the winter there are days when there is no sunshine so the batterys have to be big enough to supply for at least 2 or 3 days with very little charging.

The other thing I do is to mount the solar panels so that at least onw of the 85 watt panels can be lifted up to face the sun as panels that are flat only recieve 1/3 of to possible max that it could recieve.

But of course I am full timing, and wild camping but if you are using camping sites and only for a few weeks a year you want need any thing like the needs that I have.

Horses for courses,

Doug...

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[Kon tiki]

How much?????????

Can give anyone on here the details if they are looking for a new battery.

Ok then find me a 85 amp Gel battery to go with my Exide one at a decent price. Cheapest I can find is around the £250 mark, and no the teminals aren't gold plated.

 

[Douglas]

I am interested in this type of panel as mine definitely do not work at night.

I do know a guy who claims that when he parkes under some street lights in Sagras he gets a charge all night, I suspect its only a verry small on though.

Doug...

 

[roncab]

extra battery

Hi I am wishing to add second leisure battery to my Auto Trail Mohican. Is it possible to diy it or do I need an Auto electrician.
If possible to diy, where do I buy the extra cables ?
Regards
Roncab

 

[Puddleduck]

So its only buy what you need we all have so much stuff we dont need. Good Luck. Bob.

.

Totally agree. I'm having a big clear out an it's amazing the stuff that has accumulated over the years. A lot of stuff is going on freecycle.....

 

[jonandshell]

Is there an award for resurrecting the oldest thread from the dead?!

In answer to the question, Sargent Electrical might sell leads for your Autotrail, if not any auto ele trical outlet should have the required bits to make some.

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[Ivory55]

What do you mean old, that's quite up to date for us in Norfolk

 

[DAVWOD]

Nothing wrong with solar panels,more reliable than wind quiter than a genny,I have 3x110 amp and a 70w solar panel,3 weeks in France no need for hook up ,

I had two new lion 110 amp fitted had no problem having to hook up..whilst touring as driving between stops tops up the charge anyway.. matter of personal choice however l am conservative on how many lights I have on at night and have no tv on board.. oh:

 

[peterc10]

Hi I am wishing to add second leisure battery to my Auto Trail Mohican. Is it possible to diy it or do I need an Auto electrician.
If possible to diy, where do I buy the extra cables ?
Regards
Roncab

How old is the existing one? Normally you should not put an old battery with a new one, as it just damages the new one. And you should use the same size and type (lead acid or gel) of battery for both. I replaced my 6 year old 95Ah gel battery with 2 x 110Ah lead acid ones. Easy enough to do as long as you have got the room. I bought car starter battery leads from Halfords to join the two. Overkill really because they do not take as much current as the starter, but safe.

 

[gibbon]

personally i woodnt bother buying solar pannels as they are extremely ineffient. i'd suggest u use wind power. it might be a better idea to get a more powerful battery as the present one mgiht be old therefore might need replacing anyway. also 2 battires = more space and more weight = waisting fuel carrieng around extra weight for the sake of it

Untrue re inefficient solar panels !
We have a 130W panel controlled by a ctek dc to dc charger which is also a mppt controller. A trojan 135 ah deep cycle semi traction battery to store the 12v in. Just done a 2 month trip & found that with our modest 12v consumption we don't need a hookup at all ! Only go to campsites to empty the toilet cassette.

 

[peterc10]

They are "inefficient" in the sense of the amount of energy they output for the energy that is input. But in real life I agree they are not, because the energy being input would otherwise be wasted. As long at produces enough energy for your needs it is not inefficient IMHO.