Leisure Batteries

tonyidle

tonyidle

Joined
Aug 6, 2013
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Kendal, Cumbria
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27,352
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Le-Voyageur RX958 Pl
Exp
since 1999
I know there are a number of threads relating to decent leisure batteries but I find it hard to piece them together so ..............

I (probably without enough research) bought a couple of Elecsol batteries two years ago. Despite the fact that I have taken good care of them they both failed at the end of last year. Testing suggests they are short of water because the van charger brings them from 11.5v through 14.5v then to float at 13.8v within two hours. At which point they're still charging but only at 30mA or so (they're 100Ah each). They are sealed batteries & attempts to remove the top suggest that it's bonded on. So I'm looking for a new battery or batteries totalling around 200Ah. From the various threads I've read I know a few Funsters have strong views (based on long-term use) on the best batteries for the job. I'm open to suggestions.
 
@gillnphil. Was that price 8 years ago? Just paid £340 for a pair, the one I have replaced is 5 years old and still going strong.
 
personally I am in the standard lead acid camp with heavy plates. currently best value is alphaline batteries with a 4 year warranty £110 - £120 a pair delivered. I figure that if they last 4 years, then thats cheap power at £30 a year. if they fail under 4 years they are covered by the warranty

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TheBig1 said:
personally I am in the standard lead acid camp with heavy plates. currently best value is alphaline batteries with a 4 year warranty £110 - £120 a pair delivered. I figure that if they last 4 years, then thats cheap power at £30 a year. if they fail under 4 years they are covered by the warranty
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2 x 88AH delivered £98.50 on ebay with 4 years warranty
 
I
gillnphil said:
We have 2 x Exide G 80 gel batteries into there 8th year now. Speaks for itself. ( around £ 150 each )
Phil
Click to expand...

I'm also in the Exide G80 camp, pretty sure ours are original so that would make them 9 years old.
You would need to make sure that you have a charging system that can be set to Gel.
Don't worry about them only being 80ah as they are specced at something like the 5hr rate at 20 hr rate which most people use they are about 100ah.
They run an inverter for microwave coffee machine etc no problem.
 
Elecsol went down the pan several years ago.. I had one that failed within two years. the internet was full of stories about it.. so not surprised yours have also failed.. and no recompense.

I'm also in the FLAs (flooded lead acid ) camp.. my last set for my RV bought in 2005, just cheap ones, 4 x 110ah were still going strong when I sold her in 2010 .. we lived in it for 3 years they took a good hiding on many occasions.. keep 'em topped up, don't abuse too often and they will last years.. bang for buck .. hard to beat.

Warranties: .. lets say you have a 3 year warranty and they fail in year two.. you will generally not get replacements.. but, if lucky a pro-rata reduction on another pair.. I said if your lucky .. they may well argue that you were responsible for damaging them by over discharging.. you cannot prove you didn't.. so you are relying on the good will of the seller to give you the benefit of the doubt.. the lesson here is to buy from a reputable supplier locally and keep your fingers crossed.

I cannot understand why gels are bought for situations that don't need them.. gels are designed for applications where they may be turned on their side by accident and an acid spill would cause a risk to people or equipment. ie.. electric mobility scooters, boats etc .. it could be argued that if your leisure battery is within the cab or hab area they are a safer option .. if your batteries are in a locker.. absolutely not required. .. if you do have FLAs under the seat ensure they are vented to the outside world with a vent tube.

Gels use the exact same technology as an FLAs, but the acid is held in a jelly state rather than liquid.. they are expensive and unnecessary..

If you have extra cash to splash, rather than spending on Gels, buy traction batteries, such as Trojan Flooded deep cycle batteries.. . they can take a lot of punishment and designed to be discharged below 12v without detriment..

Another excellent battery manufacturer is Lincoln batteries, made at Leigh-on-Sea, Essex SS9 5JU . you can buy at the factory or have them delivered.. I used them when I lived in Essex.

Halfords.. an excellent supplier.. a little bit pricey, but good quality batteries and they have a no quibble warranty.

If you want to know the quality of a battery .. check the weight.... the more lead, the more it weighs, the better quality it is.. most battery spec sheets give the weight.

All the above is my opinion, but based on many years of experience both in the leisure world and in industry.

I expect flack from the Gel lovers.. everyone has a right to an opinion, and it's not my money that is being wasted spent .
 
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No FLack particularly from me, they were on our van when we bought it and I can't fault their performance.

They can be taken to 80% discharge like a good flooded lead acid, I believe that they don't suffer plate Sulphation/Sulfation to the same degree as floode lead acid and possibly more importantly they do what I want them to do including fitting into the standard battery compartment in the garage floor.

Yes they are considerably more expensive than some lead acid batteries so I will stay on the look out for something that will do the same job for less money.
 
Just got two Victron 130 amp AGM deep cycle batteries. To be fitted today!

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FLA traction camp here!

Need to charge 'em quick, gel won't cope with that!
 
daveandsan said:
@gillnphil. Was that price 8 years ago? Just paid £340 for a pair, the one I have replaced is 5 years old and still going strong.
Click to expand...
I was the best price recently I could find. I looked because I couldnt believe they last so long if I wanted to replace them.
The price could well be £ 340 for two now.
Phil
 
I'm a fan of Gel's also and now they have come down in price to under £150. Last van had Gel's they were still performing like new batteries at nearly 6 years old & we never use EHU.
 
FLA traction for me as well.
Never buy a so called Leisure Battery again after the last 2 Banner failed at 2 year old in the Alps just engine batteries with a different label and dearer price IMO
 
Used 2 Exide leisure FLA's on my narrowboat - after 9 years they were still going strong, kept floating with solar panels. Always plenty of amps available for lights, TV, 'fridge etc.
 
Forestboy – batteries, any batteries, at two years old don't usually fail unless they're neglected or abused.

Did you claim on the warranty?
 
ive got trojan 105s no complaints so far coming up for 2 years old 2x6v just check the sizes as they tend to be different to other batteries i did a lot of research before i bought them but they were used in so many industrial commercial projects i decided these people would know what was best

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I just bought 4 x 110ah lead acids......£147 the lot.

If they only last 2 years it's still cheaper than paying over £100 each.
 

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