Battery for Mover

[Haydne]

Hi All,

I have a mover fitted to my van (kit is 4 years old) with a Leisure Gel Battery to power it. Recently, the battery (90 Ah)has started to loose its power all too quickly. My caravan dealer advises that the battery is shot and that it needs replacing. Problem is that they've quoted over _350 to supply and fit!

As we always use serviced sites with power hook-ups and don't need to rely on the batter for lights etc. a friend has suggested that I buy a car battery costing a lot less.

Does anyone have any views on this idea? Will the car battery be capable of driving the EuroMover?

Thanks

 

[mauron]

Hi Haydn,

I think I would be inclined to stick to a leisure battery and I would have thought 90Ah is OK for your useage (once the van is moving the mover doesn't use that much power),

However am I right in understanding that your dealer is trying to charge you 350 Euro to fit a battery?

I would have thought that a decent 110Ah battery would be about

 

[Jennifer2]

That seems very expensive indeed! I would have thought around

 

[Hamer_5041128]

Hayden,

About 2 years ago Numax brought out a 113amp leisure battery designed for amongst other things motor movers. It is the same size as the 110amp battery.

I bought one of the first ones on the advice of my dealer and had it fitted to my then new Swift Conqueror 655.

It is an excellent piece of kit and not too expensive. About

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Hayden

I wonder why you have been quoted in Euro's, I have to assume you are not in the UK, so whilst I recognise that _350 seems a lot, it may be the going rate for such batteries where ever you are.

If as you say you mainly use pitches with EHU's then you shouldn't need such a large capacity battery. A smaller car type battery would give power the mover needs, but they don't respond as well to 24/7 charging. But being considerably cheaper you might be prepared to stand the shorter life expectancy.

Hope this helps

 

[Haydne]

Hello Hayden

I wonder why you have been quoted in Euro's, I have to assume you are not in the UK, so whilst I recognise that _350 seems a lot, it may be the going rate for such batteries where ever you are.

If as you say you mainly use pitches with EHU's then you shouldn't need such a large capacity battery. A smaller car type battery would give power the mover needs, but they don't respond as well to 24/7 charging. But being considerably cheaper you might be prepared to stand the shorter life expectancy.

Hope this helps

Thanks all for your helpful comments. I have looked at the prices here in Germany & they seem so much more expensive than the UK prices - why???

Anyway, I will be looking on the internet to see if there any any companies in the UK that can ship out a suitable replacement for me(Any ideas anyone?). Even at

 

[Haydne]

Thanks all for your helpful comments. I have looked at the prices here in Germany & they seem so much more expensive than the UK prices - why???

Anyway, I will be looking on the internet to see if there any any companies in the UK that can ship out a suitable replacement for me(Any ideas anyone?). Even at

 

[haydn_374343028]

Hi Haydn. not many of us Haydn's around, I fitted 110amphr with no problems cost uk

 

[Haydne]

Hi Haydn. not many of us Haydn's around, I fitted 110amphr with no problems cost uk

 

[Peter_374392356]

Sounds like you need to give it a deep cycle charge. The caravan charger only charges up to 13.8 volts. You need to charge it it at 14.4 volts or above to get the battery to "gas". This cleans up the plates inside and hopfully restores the battery. Take out the battery and charge it on a good old car charger (high power).

24 hours should help.

Good luck.

Pete

 

[John_miller]

Our Rhyno Mover instructions state that Gel batteries are less suited to mover operation than the normal (& cheaper) lead-acid type because of the way they recycle.

 

[JTQ]

Haydn,

I think key to your issue is to ask why your van has a GEL battery as opposed to a wet acid battery.

GELs are used in German caravans and motorhomes and there may be some regulatory or insurance requirement for this, certainly where it is located within the habitation area. Here in the UK van makers house the battery out of the habitation area and can thus safely use wet acid batteries.

GEL batteries of the 90/95 Ah from leading makers here cost about

 

[JTQ]

Sounds like you need to give it a deep cycle charge. The caravan charger only charges up to 13.8 volts. You need to charge it it at 14.4 volts or above to get the battery to "gas". This cleans up the plates inside and hopfully restores the battery. Take out the battery and charge it on a good old car charger (high power).

24 hours should help.

Good luck.

Pete

Peter,

As its a GEL battery your advice is dangerous; at 14.4 volts for 24 hours it would need to gas but as its sealed it cant!!!

It must be charged with a GEL specific smart charger.

 

[Lutz]

I am not aware of an insurance requirement here in Germany, but certainly most batteries in German caravans are located in the habitation area (because so few are fitted with batteries over here, the manufacturers don't see the need to provide a dedicated locker), so it only makes sense to have a gel battery.

 

[Guest]

Not sure about the requirements in Germany but my Dutch/Belgian/German Euro van has a self contained battery box under the seat as standard and I have a 110 amp leisure battery in there, fitted by the manufacturer. The box has vents in the floor and the lockers also has vents and as the battery is sealed the risks are very low.

Again, I supect the high price is for the type of battery but I do not see the need for such a type.