Gel v AGM

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Beltie

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The LA batteries on my 'van are on their last legs and will need replacing shortly.
We are not big users of mains kit, so have no real need for an inverter.

My B2B has a lithium profile, but the charger does not. The CBE solar controller gives no clue, so I'd be replacing that whichever way I go.

Given our useage, I'm not sure that lithium would be worth it apart from the substantial weight saving. I've, therefore, been considering Gel or AGM. I know that the general consensus is that Gel is superior, but have no idea why and would be grateful if someone could explain in simple terms why that is.

TIA
 
Too many bad stories with agm, I haven’t heard any about gels, I think…

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Are the go to gels but just noticed how much they have gone up from when I bought a couple of years ago 😱 at that price I’d consider going lithium…..🤔
 
Just smiffy said:
Are the go to gels but just noticed how much they have gone up from when I bought a couple of years ago
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That is because you are looking at the ES950 rather than the ES900 which is the standard fit in Motorhomes at £176.
 
Lenny HB said:
That is because you are looking at the ES950 rather than the ES900 which is the standard fit in Motorhomes at £176.
Click to expand...

Ahh yes.. but I do have the es950’s as space isn’t a problem for me but I think I paid about £130-40 for them….🤔

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AGM are about the worst possible choice for leisure use.

Gels are extremely good and have a very long life.
They don't like vert high discharge currents but that is not normally a problem.
You can discharge them to 20% and still get a long life only disadvantage is they take a bit longer to reach a full charge.
 
Thanks Lenny that's useful, but I'm intrigued to know why the AGMs are the 'worst possible choice'. It's a bit of a minefield, as I note most manufacturers offer similar lengths of warranty on both AGM and Gel, indeed, some offer longer warranties on AGM. Having said that, I am well aware of the limitations of battery warranties!
 
I wouldn't mess about...get a lithium probs twice as much as a gel but well worth it. The battery is the heart beat of your habitation area...why scrimp
 
From personal experance I had 2 AGM's fail at 18 months in a new Hymer and I know quite a few other people who have had similar.
They are fussy on charging, don't like being under charged.

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I’d get lithium if I was building my van now.
Especially as the new eco drift looks a good price.
Hopefully my AGM will last another yr or 2, as I don’t run them down much lower than 85%.
Always the optimist
 
Do AGM and Gel use the same charging profiles from alternator, charger and solar?
 
I have a pair of AGM under the seat. It came with a single but that died after approx one year and was swapped under warranty. I changed it to a dual fit and it’s been fine since. Wouldn’t dream of using them as Leisure though. They were introduced about the same time as stop start and Smart Alternators and are best left to being connected to that. I have a pair of Lithium in the back. 100Ah each with 100Ah discharge rate.. 25mm cable to the inverter and 16mm to the charger and MPPT.

The ability of Lithium to give a consistent output all the way means more security knowing sunny or cloudy you’ll get power for your fridge and heater.
 
They [AGM Batteries] are fussy on charging, don't like being under charged.
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So why are they used with smart alternators which never fully charge the engine battery?
 
LithiumConvert said:
So why are they used with smart alternators which never fully charge the engine battery?
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Odd isn't it - I think the idea is that they are kept just above the point where they will sulphate, but it's only a guess - our BMW car battery did 18months with little use, then the stop start system stopped coming on, so I guess the battery was getting weak. Our Merc van was crap from day one, but after one year unless on charge it could only manage 24hrs before the tracker low battery alarm complained, but in either case they could have been badly maintained.
 
mick qc said:
Hope not I’ve had my agm’s for 2 yrs😭
Better get saving up
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We have had 2x95Ah AGMs in our Hymer BMCT 600 from new, 3 years and they seem ok. I discussed at the dealer whether to shift to lithium and they keep these as they come with motorhome, probably last 5 to 7 years depending on usage, etc.

I am waiting for them to die then I’ll probably switch to lithium as my Hymer has a Schaudt B2B with a good lithium profile. Not sure about the compatibility with the EBL 30 though

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Beltie said:
The LA batteries on my 'van are on their last legs and will need replacing shortly.
We are not big users of mains kit, so have no real need for an inverter.

My B2B has a lithium profile, but the charger does not. The CBE solar controller gives no clue, so I'd be replacing that whichever way I go.

Given our useage, I'm not sure that lithium would be worth it apart from the substantial weight saving. I've, therefore, been considering Gel or AGM. I know that the general consensus is that Gel is superior, but have no idea why and would be grateful if someone could explain in simple terms why that is.

TIA
Click to expand...
If your decision is to stick with lead and save yourself the expense of changing chargers etc I am selling a 4 module BOS LE300 lithium extension battery (112 Ah) ‘nearly new’. Designed to work with a lead battery and provide many of the advantages of a full lithium set-up. If you are not aware or familiar with the product just google it and get in touch if of interest.
 
Swapped a 4 year old 100ah AGM battery this year after reading many posts and fearing it may be failing although it had never let me down. Replaced with a 120ah AGM. Daughter now using the original in her caravan without any issues, so really there was no problem with it. Too much info can damage your wallet!
 
We have an older van 2000 reg. I just replaced the batteries with Exide ES900s as onehad failed while away. I used theses as the EBL is not suitable for AGM or anything else. The old ones ones were ‘budget’ Hankook 110 AH batteries from 2015 and weighed 21kg each. The new ones are 80AH and weigh 26 kg each.

I think they are likely to out last our MH.

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