Leisure battery

[geordiegirl]

First question since joining this site this morning. So please be gentle.
We picked up our caravan yesterday and I've just been in it having a nosey. We can't find the leisure battery anywhere. Do some caravans not have them? We've looked everywhere. It's 2005 Caravalier.
Thankyou for your help!

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Have you looked in the outside lockers? If there's an empty one with 2 leads hanging then that's where the battery should go.

Edit - earlier you said you had a French van. I believe continental vans don't necessarily have a battery system.

 

[bertieboy1]

Geordiegirl,
New caravans don't come with a battery fitted,you have to buy one separately.Used caravans may or may not have a battery fitted depending on whether the last owner left one in the van.
Batteries are usually fitted in a locker accessible from outside the van.
Look in all the external lockers and the one that has two heavy wires (black and red) with battery connection clamps fitted on the ends is the one that should house the battery.
Failing that look inside the van for the two battery leads.

 

[Hutch]

Hi Georqdiegirl, welcome to the forum, I found this link that states, this model or the Caravalier does have a battery.
http://www.gocaravanning.com/caravan-specs/3907/Caravelair-Osiris-500-2005.html

From my visits to France a lot of the caravans don't have batterys and were surpised one time when the power to the site went off, and we still had lights.
Hutch.

 

[geordiegirl]

Thanks EH I'll have a look at the link. We can't even find where a leisure battery would go. If no luck I'll ring the dealer tomorrow. We've had motorhomes before but never caravans, so a bit of a novice.

 

[geordiegirl]

This is ours so it looks like there should be somewhere to put one. Will contact the dealer tomorrow.
http://www.gocaravanning.com/caravan-specs/1774/Caravelair-Ambiance-460-2006.html

 

[Hutch]

A friend of mine in his new Bailey Unicorn, the battery is under the the floor in the middle of the van.
Lets hope we have a good summer , got a long trip planned to see friends, Chablis area then Besacon, down to Carcassone and back up to The Somme area all in 6 weeks, starting August.

 

[geordiegirl]

Oh enjoy your trip

 

[geordiegirl]

well every inch of that flippin' caravan is etched on my brain, can't find anywhere that a leisure battery should be. Will ring the dealer in the morning.
I'm jealous EH, we can't get away for 3 weeks, down to Saumur.

 

[Hutch]

Lovely Town, stayed at Montignac for two weeks, great place. Three courses of Duck for lunch.

 

[Raywood]

Is it possible it is not in a locker. Older caravans might have a box under one of the beds or you might even just find two crocodile clips although that is not good practice. I think our Eldiss was the first time we had a caravan with a locker and before that there was just a sealed box under a bed.
Given this is a French caravan it might not have had a battery when built and there may be something fitted by a previous owner.

 

[geordiegirl]

Thanks Raywood but there is absolutely nothing under bed or in a locker, someone else said not all French caravans have a leisure battery. Am I right in thinking we'd only need one if we had no electricity on the site? I've emailed the dealer but as usual they take a week to answer .

 

[Hutch]

Probably,, is there anywhere in the van that has a voltage meter, to read upto maybe 15 volts on the scale, this would suggest you would have a provision for a battery.
Also most of the French Caravanner we have met normally use them during the july august , time when the eveinings are light, and use large awnings to suppliment the normallly small vans that they tend to use for just sleeping in.

 

[Hutch]

Geordie girl, just found this website , it might help.
http://www.cavaliercaravanclub.co.uk
Hutch.

 

[Hutch]

Sorry that site is for rallys only.

 

[Dustydog]

Sorry that site is for rallys only.

Too much Chablis monsieur Hutch.
Caravalier are made in France by Trigano.
Cavalier caravans were British built . Nothing to do with Caravalier :huh: :silly:

 

[geordiegirl]

Probably,, is there anywhere in the van that has a voltage meter, to read upto maybe 15 volts on the scale, this would suggest you would have a provision for a battery.
Also most of the French Caravanner we have met normally use them during the july august , time when the eveinings are light, and use large awnings to suppliment the normallly small vans that they tend to use for just sleeping in.

There's nothing, the caravan is ten years old but doesn't look like it's even been used so maybe it's never had one.

 

[Hutch]

Thanks for pointing that out DD, And we shal be in the Chablis region, in August, nice little site in Vermenton, for three weeks. Dare not, stay at the municiple in Chabis its self as it would be an over does on the plonk. :woohoo:

 

[geordiegirl]

Just had an email off the dealer, no leisure battery , the previous owners didn't have one ever as it was only used for 2 weeks every summer, otherwise kept under cover in their barn. He has yet to answer my query about is there anywhere one could be placed.

Thanks every one for your input

 

[RayS]

Reading the details this is a very lightweight caravan - MRO around 850 kg and thus may well not have had a battery fitted as standard or indeed even the connections or mains charger unit.
The battery will be roughly the same size as your car battery or the leisure battery in your motorhome but may not have a dedicated external access compartment as UK made caravans have.
If you get no sense from the dealer suggest either look round the neighbourhood for a caravan in a garden and ask the owner - we're a friendly lot - or go on line look for Caravan Approved Workshops near you. Some are mobile rather than fixed and would doubtless come and have a look and advise you what could be done to fit a battery. BUT it will take up quite a lot of the available user payload already pretty limiting on such a small van.
If the van has mains electricity facilities, it may be better to stick to sites that supply mains hook ups (EHU) as the connection cable will not weigh as much or cost as much as fitting a leisure battery and control /charging gear.

 

[Raywood]

A battery should be capable of being fitted but you would need an externally vented one to comply these days plus a charger. The boxes are I gather over £100 as i asked after braking a hinge on ours plus labour for fitting and you then have the cost of the charger so not sure it would be economical. If you are going off grid though it might be essential to fit a battery although for the odd night it might be possible to use the car battery but be careful what power you use if you do and do not run a fridge off it.

 

[geordiegirl]

Thanks Raywood, I don't think we're gonna bother as we always go on sites with electricity but if we do decide to get one at least I now know on average how much it will cost...................