Extra Leisure Battery. (1 Viewer)

Nik

Oct 29, 2014
359
238
Cornish exile in Surrey
Funster No
34,038
MH
Autotrail Delaware
Exp
1 year
Hi All.
I already have 2 x 115AH leisure batteries (1 year old) in my Delaware but I now have another of exactly the same type, age and AH rating. I was thinking of adding this to my 'battery bank'.

I have an AT wiring harness and was going to securely place this 3rd battery under the seat just forward of the kitchen and above where my current batteries are sited in the side skirt locker.

Whilst I am happy drilling holes and attaching wires I am not up to speed on things like Amps/charging and other in depth electrical stuff so I would value any practical comment, positive or negative, relating to this proposal.
My Delaware is as standard, with the 100W solar panel.

We have done a little wild camping and intend to do quite a bit more so thought this extra battery would be useful.
Thanks all in advance.
Best regards
Nik.
 

hilldweller

LIFE MEMBER
Dec 5, 2008
605
36,108
Macclesfield
Funster No
5,089
MH
Zilch Mk1
Exp
From Aug 2007
so thought this extra battery would be useful.
Nik.

You can only get out what you can put in. 100W solar is nowhere near enough to support 300Ah of battery.

Basically 100W of solar means you are limited to that small amount of power unless you can add to it. If you set off fully charged then you will have the extra time before the batteries run out but then it's back to the 100W.

So if you go away for a long WE fully charged, you win. Go for a long off grid trip and that second and third battery is just a waste of time.

I'll put it another way - you have a 20 gal fuel tank. You can by only 5gal a day. You use 20 gal a day so you last a day and a bit. You fit another 10 gal. Off you go and you last a day and a half.
 
Feb 9, 2008
8,924
18,663
Corby, Northants
Funster No
1,455
MH
Coach Built
Exp
Since 2007
A couple of points for your consideration. Get your handbook out and check the maximum battery bank your on board charger can manage. I have a 2011 Autotrail with the EC 5000 control panel with the px-300 factory fitted charger. The handbook states a maximum battery bank of 220 AH. Are you sure you need the extra battery, I have 2 x 100AH Banner lead acid batteries and 1 x 125W roof mounted Solar Panel and a 1 x 120W suitcase Solar Panel and this is more than enough for our wild camping needs. Once the winter days lengthen we only need the roof mounted S.P. to keep our batteries topped up. We also have a 300W Inverter which is great for things like lap tops etc. If I was in your position I would add more solar on the roof providing you have the space. You can never have too much solar power.

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Aug 6, 2013
11,941
16,533
Kendal, Cumbria
Funster No
27,352
MH
Le-Voyageur RX958 Pl
Exp
since 1999
I have no idea why charger manufacturers state a maximum battery Ah unless to cover an attempt to charge batteries that are well below the 50% discharge recommended. The van PSU, like a car alternator, is sized to cope with all van services when on EHU - with a decent amount of output left over to re-charge the batteries where necessary. As long as you don't attempt to charge batteries that have gone below 12v the existing charger will be fine. If you do find yourself with utterly dead batteries connect an additional charger as well. Or connect one permanently so you're covered and you can forget about any limitations. An additional charger, like an additional battery, can simply be paralleled with what's there already.
 
Feb 9, 2008
8,924
18,663
Corby, Northants
Funster No
1,455
MH
Coach Built
Exp
Since 2007
I have no idea why charger manufacturers state a maximum battery Ah unless to cover an attempt to charge batteries that are well below the 50% discharge recommended. The van PSU, like a car alternator, is sized to cope with all van services when on EHU - with a decent amount of output left over to re-charge the batteries where necessary. As long as you don't attempt to charge batteries that have gone below 12v the existing charger will be fine. If you do find yourself with utterly dead batteries connect an additional charger as well. Or connect one permanently so you're covered and you can forget about any limitations. An additional charger, like an additional battery, can simply be paralleled with what's there already.
Well now there we have it! Sargent a world wide electronic company with a reputation for building and supplying high end quality products is clearly wrong about the products they design and build. I'm so glad we have so many experts on fun who know better and can advise accordingly.
 

andy63

Free Member
Jan 19, 2014
4,672
15,017
south shields
Funster No
29,767
MH
None
Exp
since 1990
My thoughts are that there should be no real problem with adding additional batteries... the charger should still charge the additional batteries just take longer..
But it does appear with a lot of new motorhome power supply and manageent panels it' not always that straight fwd and it does pay to check that the all parts of the system can in fact deal with the additional load adding batteries might impose..
http://www.aandncaravanservices.co.uk/add-a-second-battery.php
Andy..

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Allanm

Free Member
Jun 30, 2013
5,431
9,191
Cotes d'armor, France
Funster No
26,730
MH
Burstner Harmony TI 736 G
Exp
Since 1987
I think the main point is to use as little power as you can when off grid. We managed for weeks all year round with one 30watt solar panel and 3x 110ah batteries, (now in our latest van, we have one 120watt solar panel and 2 x110ah batteries) but we do travel almost every day.
Extra batteries will give you that extra reserve, but a solar panel will only work in daylight, and if it’s a dull day then your solar input to the batteries will be low and may not put back in what you have already taken out.
 

bigtwin

LIFE MEMBER
Oct 29, 2009
5,165
9,792
Derby
Funster No
9,111
MH
Concorde
Exp
Since 2006
You can only get out what you can put in.

That, of course, goes without saying. However, in relation to a typical lead acid battery, the answer is approximately 50% of what you put in.

100W solar is nowhere near enough to support 300Ah of battery.

Whether it is, or isn’t, is entirely dependent on the delta between the rate that you drain the ‘tank’ and the replenishment rate AND for how long you wish to do this.

100W of solar may be perfectly adequate for the OP’s needs.

Basically 100W of solar means you are limited to that small amount of power unless you can add to it.

I don’t follow that line of reasoning. That would only be the case if your objective was to never let that ‘tank’ be anything other than full!

The OP wants to increase the size of his ‘tank’. That will buy him extra time before the ‘tank’ is empty.

If you set off fully charged then you will have the extra time before the batteries run out but then it's back to the 100W.

And that extra duration may be perfectly acceptable dependent on the OP’s needs. You seem to be assuming that his net usage rate and ‘tank’ capacity will be insufficient for his needs. You don’t know whether it will or will not be!

So if you go away for a long WE fully charged, you win.

Which may well be all that he is looking for!

Go for a long off grid trip and that second and third battery is just a waste of time.

It wouldn’t be a waste of time, as it would last longer than a single battery, but it may not be sufficient. The premise of your argument seems to be one based on ensuring that your replenishment rate matches your usage rate. That being the case, you wouldn’t really need any storage capacity!

I'll put it another way - you have a 20 gal fuel tank. You can by only 5gal a day. You use 20 gal a day so you last a day and a bit. You fit another 10 gal. Off you go and you last a day and a half.

Using your analogy (and data from) above, by increasing the size of the tank he has increased his potential journey duration from 1.25 days to 1.75 days. If he can reach his destination in 1.5 days, he has usefully improved his capability.

If he chose to double his tank capacity (and maintained the same usage/replenishment rates) then he would extend his potential journey duration from 1.25 days to 2.5 days.

As might be evident from the above, my view is that the OP will achieve a benefit from adding the third battery (that he already has in his possession). Should he choose to invest in additional solar capacity he would, of course, gain further benefit.

Ian
 
Aug 6, 2013
11,941
16,533
Kendal, Cumbria
Funster No
27,352
MH
Le-Voyageur RX958 Pl
Exp
since 1999
Well now there we have it! Sargent a world wide electronic company with a reputation for building and supplying high end quality products is clearly wrong about the products they design and build. I'm so glad we have so many experts on fun who know better and can advise accordingly.
Covering their ar*es springs to mind.

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Jaws

LIFE MEMBER
Sep 26, 2008
23,821
71,977
Thetford Norfolk
Funster No
4,189
MH
C class, Chieftain
Exp
since 2006 ( I think ! )
Welllllll.....

To put it simply and to the point............

Sargent equipment is extremely well made. The techy bods are very helpful and their fix and return regime is exceptionally good.

Sadly there is another side .. The equipment might be well made but it is BEYOND overly complex
As far as I can work out, with each new generation of controllers and chargers, they did not start over, but seem to have just added' updated and improved on the previous model
This has resulted in the craziest most complex kit out there with some very strange issues
It is generally bang up to date while still firmly based in the past !
 

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