Sound like my battery has had it! Question, can I still use the van without the battery if using electric hookup?
Leisure Battery
- Thread starter Peter_374410647
- Start date
You would be able to use your 230 volt electrics ok, but your lights will not work as these are 12 volt and run from the battery. The battery is kept charged by a mains powered charger. Also any 12 volt pumps will also not work. You can use a spare car battery for awhile as long as you do not have a motor mover that requires a heavy amperage.
You can get a battery pretty cheaply if you shop around, so unless you are really strapped for cash, why not just get one?
You can get a battery pretty cheaply if you shop around, so unless you are really strapped for cash, why not just get one?
Hello Peter,
Scotch Lads answere is not quite accurae:-
In the old days (Pre circa 1998) caravans were fitted with rather crude battery chargers, and without a battery the output voltage had a lot of ripple, and in many cases peaked at over 20V. This was bad news for electronics in electronic control systems for lamps and heaters etc.
The battery acted a massive smoothing device, and of course it stored some charge for when mains was not enough or available.
Modern caravans (post circa 1998) don't use basic chargers, but instead a more complex 'power supply'. These are designed to provide a smoothed and regulated output voltage, and depending on the particular model fitted some have up to 16A of 13.8V DC current available. More typically it will be 8 to 12A. These are quite capable of running a limited number of 12V appliances without a battery.
The use of a battery will allow the full compliment of appliances to be used, and of course allows the caravan to be used where no mains supply is available for a limited time. How long depends on how frugal you are when using the 12v systems.
The actual change over from charger to power supply may avry depending on the make of the caravan.
Scotch Lads answere is not quite accurae:-
In the old days (Pre circa 1998) caravans were fitted with rather crude battery chargers, and without a battery the output voltage had a lot of ripple, and in many cases peaked at over 20V. This was bad news for electronics in electronic control systems for lamps and heaters etc.
The battery acted a massive smoothing device, and of course it stored some charge for when mains was not enough or available.
Modern caravans (post circa 1998) don't use basic chargers, but instead a more complex 'power supply'. These are designed to provide a smoothed and regulated output voltage, and depending on the particular model fitted some have up to 16A of 13.8V DC current available. More typically it will be 8 to 12A. These are quite capable of running a limited number of 12V appliances without a battery.
The use of a battery will allow the full compliment of appliances to be used, and of course allows the caravan to be used where no mains supply is available for a limited time. How long depends on how frugal you are when using the 12v systems.
The actual change over from charger to power supply may avry depending on the make of the caravan.
Thanks for all your help, the caravan service didn't go too bad so no real big costs other than the battery. Will be biting the bullet and getting one, any recommendations on where and the best type for use with electric hook up?
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