I've never used my leisure battery. Last week I switched off the mains supply, switched on the battery, tried a light and nothing happened. I have no intention of visiting a site without mains supply (microwave, TV, toaster etc) so is there any technical reason I cannot dump the dead weight of the battery? I always have a torch in the van.
Leisure battery
- Thread starter DavidS1
- Start date
Im not sure how your van works david but im pretty sure i only have the microwave and two lights in my van that are run from the 240v supply, the others are run from the caravan battery. The vans electric flushing toilet and electric ignition for the cooker etc are all from my caravan battery as well as my motormover. I think too the alarm is also run off the 12v supply. so i wouldnt or couldnt do without my caravan battery.
Martin
Martin
We are the same, two lights and microwave running from mains supply, and of course fridge and heating, but everything else comes from the battery.
Surely if you discard the battery, nothing else is going to work!
Surely if you discard the battery, nothing else is going to work!
Damian
Moderator
David, as has been said, most caravans have two internal lights which operate on 240 volts, the rest use 12 volts, as does the water pump, toilet flush, mover, if you have one fitted, and the heating fan is 12 volt also.
Whilst it is "technically" possible to not have a battery, it is not a good practice, as the vans charger, and 12v supplier when on mains hookup, needs a "load" to ensure the charger does not malfunction.
Whilst it is "technically" possible to not have a battery, it is not a good practice, as the vans charger, and 12v supplier when on mains hookup, needs a "load" to ensure the charger does not malfunction.
Hi, please ignore my ignorence hear,but as i am new to caravaning i am not too sure how everything works,my van is a old but very nice 1985 swift danette,as far as i am aware their is no mains to the 12v system however does this mean i can install a onboard 12v charger,steve
Hi, David here again. Thanks for the replies. The thing is , over the last 2 winters my battery has just sat in the 'van and come easter I've just hitched up and gone about my touring and I only have the black connection to the car so how can the battery be charged? Everything in the 'van works fine. How do I find out what is supposed to work off the battery and what works off the mains? Should I disconnect the battery on my next trip and find out what works and what doesn't and if everything works I can just ditch it?
even though you are plugged into the mains, water pump, lights etc etc will all only run off a 12 volt supply. Mains power is converted to 12 volts via the 12 volt control board or mains charger if fitted.
It is possible to run the 12 volt stuff in the van without a battery in place but, this is not recomended as the battery will smooth out surges and spikes in the voltage which would otherwise damage the delicate 12 volt system.
(been there, tried it, costa fortune replacing loads & loads of blown fuses. LOL)
It is possible to run the 12 volt stuff in the van without a battery in place but, this is not recomended as the battery will smooth out surges and spikes in the voltage which would otherwise damage the delicate 12 volt system.
(been there, tried it, costa fortune replacing loads & loads of blown fuses. LOL)
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