Motor Mover and Battery Size

[Moey67]

Hi can any one help me I have a trauma single motor mover and the fault is saying current sence . Wot can I do to fix this problem. Thank you

 

[otherclive]

Hi can any one help me I have a trauma single motor mover and the fault is saying current sence . Wot can I do to fix this problem. Thank you

Hi welcome to the Forum. Sorry to hear of your problem with the motor mover but you haven’t given enough information to enable assistance. What model Truma, age ? The fault description you have given doesn’t help at all, what is “ current sence”. Nowhere do you mention battery size in your post yet the title of the thread included battery size. Is the battery new or old is it charged? For tests on a mover battery size isn’t that important. Please could you give a bit more information and a description of the problem.

My first check would be battery no load voltage, battery connections and the cable connections into the battery terminals.

 

[Damian]

Check your battery for charge.

 

[Hutch]

Remember to check the cable connections to the suppy fuse as well , as the other things pointed out.

 

[Raywood]

Like Clive I cannot understand what you mean by current sense and think it might be an error.
If it helps the mover makers suggest a battery of 110 amps if this is your question. If you have a lightweight caravan and only use the mover on the flat or short distances you should be able to get away with a smaller one.
Batteries are graded A. B & C according to their use.
For a motor mover you need a category B if you can find one, or A for the mover and use off grid. C is for those who use the battery only on sites with a hook up and no mover. Again with a lightweight caravan and no great use of the mover a C could work.

 

[JTQ]

I can't see how the mover can have a clue about the battery's "size", i.e. capacity to store "energy".
The mover's main requirement is "power" the rate at which the battery can yield that energy to the mover; it's the cold cranking Amps that give you that information.
Having said that most "healthy" batteries we might consider other than some specialist high spec GEL are well able to both yield the required amps and store well over what energy the mover would realistically take.

Movers however are great devices to find "unhealthy" batteries out, their highish current draw drops the unhealthy batteries voltage too low and the mover simply switches off trying.

Movers though use very little energy, even if they pull an average of 50 amps for 5 minutes, that is only going to take a little over 4 Ah, not much from even a healthy 60 Ah battery. But at a current that will cripple a sick battery of any sensible size.

 

[Anseo]

Like Clive I cannot understand what you mean by current sense and think it might be an error.
If it helps the mover makers suggest a battery of 110 amps if this is your question. If you have a lightweight caravan and only use the mover on the flat or short distances you should be able to get away with a smaller one.
Batteries are graded A. B & C according to their use.
For a motor mover you need a category B if you can find one, or A for the mover and use off grid. C is for those who use the battery only on sites with a hook up and no mover. Again with a lightweight caravan and no great use of the mover a C could work.

Just to be clear here, I am not making any criticism of what Raywood has said, I have seen similar comments made by so called experts and suppliers and in magazines etc., and I guess that Raywood has read similar content.

I reference Raywood's "mover makers suggest a battery of 110 amps" comment and relate to it insofar as it does not at all fit with what many battery manufacturers would recommend as a suitable leisure battery for motor movers.

And in particular I reference the A, B & C battery classification system.

The entire A, B & C classification is misleading nonsense.
It is an extremely questionable classification system introduced by the NCC (National Caravan Council)
You may want to read:


PREAMBLE:

a) I began to discover that there was much misinformation and deceit in the 12v leisure battery industry, so much so that I determined to learn as much as I could rather than listen to or accept misleading blurb. My recent battery choices took very little account of what advertisers claim.

b) I shall place my caravan in the medium weight range, using 'small-medium- large' as a basic guideline.
I was using an 85Ah battery on my present caravan,
I replaced my 85Ah battery as I needed more Ah for off grid use, the battery was 8 years old and was functioning adequately for motor mover use when I retired it..

c) I am now using a 115 Ah battery, it is rated as CLASS C by the NCC, I have been using this battery for roughly 50% off grid\EHU use. The battery is performing well for both motor mover and off grid use. It remains to be seen just how many years service it will give.



Take for example the Halfords range of leisure batteries specifications:
Halfords

Note:
All of the following have sufficient cold cranking amps to power motor movers.

CLASS A
Yuasa L26 AGM 300 - 90 Amp Hours
CLASS B
Halfords HLB 750 - 100 Amp Hours
CLASS C
Halfords HLB 681 - 115 Amp Hours

I think it is clear from the specifications for the above three batteries that there is little point in using Ah capacity and\or the NCCrating system as a determining factor when choosing a motor mover battery.

 

[JTQ]

If it helps the mover makers suggest a battery of 110 amps if this is your question.

For clarity here, the battery capacity is rated in AH [Ampere hours], not Amps. Many of our caravan's so called Leisure batteries, will be "starter technology" derived, offering some 600 Amps, irrespective of their AH capacity, within sensible limits.

 

[Anseo]

For clarity here, the battery capacity is rated in AH [Ampere hours], not Amps. Many of our caravan's so called Leisure batteries, will be "starter technology" derived, offering some 600 Amps, irrespective of their AH capacity, within sensible limits.

I do empathise with JTQ's mention of "so called Leisure batteries".

Very often, the description ' leisure batteries' is a misnomer.

Deciphering the claims.

 

[Dustydog]

Most Leisure batteries will last at least 5 years.
Numax as an example, 80AH costs £75. 120AH £115. I appreciate £40 is £40 but unless you are really strapped for cash the more powerful AH battery will only cost you £8 pa over the five years. A glass of wine these days!
Why not just get the 120Ah? I agree with JTQ other than the initial start up the running drain on the battery from the mover is very small.

 

[Anseo]

Most Leisure batteries will last at least 5 years.
Numax as an example, 80AH costs £75. 120AH £115. I appreciate £40 is £40 but unless you are really strapped for cash the more powerful AH battery will only cost you £8 pa over the five years. A glass of wine these days!
Why not just get the 120Ah? I agree with JTQ other than the initial start up the running drain on the battery from the mover is very small.

I take your point DD.

But, in the case of an exclusively EHU user (most are I think), why bother with the extra Ah?

The cost saving is more than 50% of the price of a new battery in say 5 years.

Don't you dare go quoting inflation predictions for the next 5 years .

 

[Dustydog]

True John. Since Covid my caravan has appreciated in value so maybe more appreciation than inflation🙀🙀

 

[Hutch]

True John. Since Covid my caravan has appreciated in value so maybe more appreciation than inflation🙀🙀

Not if the dealers see how many "problems" that have cropped up in the last three months, should have gone to Coachman. 🤗😎

 

[Guzzilazz]

Worth pointing out that AGM batteries are now not ridiculously more expensive than traditional Flooded Lead Acid batteries and are much more resilient to discharge than FLA's . II have one on the van, and also had them on the boat, and after initial replacement replaced once in 16 years...

 

[Thingy]

+1 for AGM.

 

[Anseo]

AGM have specific charge parameter requirements, few caravans are supplied with appropriate chargers for AGM.

Video

Text

 

[Damien2021]

I have a Truma Motor mover and recently changed the battery. I made sure to check that the battery type and size was correct. i replaced the battery and now the motor mover wont sycn with the remote.. Ive tried all the trouble shooting tips about holding different buttons in sequence etc and Im stuck

 

[otherclive]

I’ve never had any trouble with loss of synch despite taking the battery home to store. Is the new battery fully charged? If not the reduced voltage can see the mover trip or just not start. Are the cables tight in the battery terminals and the line fuse okay. Will the rollers turn under power if not against the wheels.

 

[Damien2021]

Hi otherclive, yes the battery was bought new and the window on the battery is showing green indicates battery is good. Rechecked the cables, changed the fuse. The control panel has a reset button and remote button sequence to reset. The control unit and remote are flashing fast red and then nothing.. They just won't re sync... What to do???

 

[Thingy]

Try taking the battery out of the remote for a couple of mins. Then try again.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hi otherclive, yes the battery was bought new and the window on the battery is showing green indicates battery is good. ...

I do not trust the "Green windows" on batteries. It is a pretty unreliable device.

 

[Damian]

the window on the battery is showing green indicates battery is good.

No it does not !
The green widow is looking at only one cell of the battery , not all of them.
They are a waste of time and utterly useless.

 

[Malx]

I’m unlucky with batteries. I have seen 4 in the current van which is 9 years old. We use EHUs virtually all the time whilst away. I have a phantom Tracker that warns of low voltage. Not much use if it’s in a dealer workshop over a weekend. That feature was not available when we first had it.

It took a long while to figure out that if you plug the mains in, and turn on the main charger switch the radio turns on by itself, no sound as it’s not on any band. Unplug the mains and the radio stays on, till the battery goes flat.