Caravan mover with power pack

[Percy1]

Hi all, our caravan which have had since new is a burstner 455ts from 2004 as we bought it in Germany it has never had a leisure battery, as me and the boss are getting older we feel its time for it to have a mover, I have a basic knowledge of electrics, would it be possible to fit a mover, and power the mover using a power pack, instead of getting a leisure battery installed it the van at extra cost and losing current storage space

 

[Buckman]

TBH I think that fitting a leisure battery will be your best bet in the long run however consider an AGM battery rather than lead acid. The battery will need to be at least 80ah and could perhaps be mounted under one of the front bunks in a battery box?

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hi all, our caravan which have had since new is a burstner 455ts from 2004 as we bought it in Germany it has never had a leisure battery, as me and the boss are getting older we feel its time for it to have a mover, I have a basic knowledge of electrics, would it be possible to fit a mover, and power the mover using a power pack, instead of getting a leisure battery installed it the van at extra cost and losing current storage space

Hello Percy,

The mover was invented with people like you in mind, to help with continuing the hobby when the owners are less capable of manhandling the caravan.

I don't know of anyone who has tried exactly what your suggesting, but in theory it might be possible. It will be a question of having a battery pack that is capable of running the mover you choose.

The things you need to bear in mind are that :-

It will vary depending on the model of mover, the weight of the caravan, and if you are trying to move up an incline.

A caravan mover need maximum current typically (40 to 60A) from a battery to get it moving from a standstill, once its actually moving the amount of current it needs reduces. maybe as low as only 25% or the peak if moving on a hard flat surface or downhill.

Whilst the current demands may seem high, when you take into consideration the usage is usually intermittent, the surprise is that in many cases you may only use 2Ah or less of battery charge. This might make you think you can get away with a small capacity battery say perhaps just 10Ah, but generally smaller battery capacities also means the battery has a lower peak current rating (Sometime called cold cranking amps), and as such a smaller battery may not have the starting grunt you need.

But things have changed somewhat, there are some paperback book sized jump starters that use LiFepo (lithium Ion) batteries. I don't know if these would work as they are only expecting to provide the super high currents for a few seconds

But for a strategy,

It seems you have already decided a Mover is the way to go. so get one fitted. You can then try it with small battery system. If it works great! If it doesn't then all you need to do is get a suitable battery

 

[Ern]

I would instal an AGM battery with a fused output and an isolator switch before the motor mover control box. Continue to use your caravan on mains hook up sites powering lights etc. I would carry a CTec charger and charge the battery in situ when on mains hook up. I have installed a 100 kWh AGM battery in the habitation area of our caravan, and it's fine.

 

[Buckman]

I would instal an AGM battery with a fused output and an isolator switch before the motor mover control box. Continue to use your caravan on mains hook up sites powering lights etc. I would carry a CTec charger and charge the battery in situ when on mains hook up. I have installed a 100 kWh AGM battery in the habitation area of our caravan, and it's fine.

May be an idea for the OP to fit a 100w solar panel on the roof to keep the battery charged, AGM battery is the best as it is designed for deep discharging.

 

[Ern]

May be an idea for the OP to fit a 100w solar panel on the roof to keep the battery charged, AGM battery is the best as it is designed for deep discharging.

Yes. This would be a sensible addition too, although not really necessary if the caravan is always on mains. The OP may be wanting to avoid the additional weight and/or cost, too. Our caravan is stored at home and has a 100 kWh AGM battery located in the habitation area (I moved it there) with 80W solar panel and is not connected to mains except when on site with the fridge and all that running on mains.

 

[ProfJohnL]

... Our caravan ... has a 100 kWh AGM battery

Wow. That's huge 😵 , I think you probably meant a 100Ah battery

 

[Ern]

Wow. That's huge 😵 , I think you probably meant a 100Ah battery

I certainly do. Thanks.