Powrtouch mover+ battery usage

[Gilitygirl]

Hi,

Quick query...grateful for your replies.

I have just had a mover fitted on my little van. The only worry I have with it is the amount of battery life it will take up/ need and how it will then affect the battery if I go away somewhere without a mains hook up.

The battery is a 100 amp/h and the van is 1,100kg mtplm.

I know this is a bit 'how long is a piece of string'...but I'm hoping someone with experience might give me a pointer...

Will the mover drain 'too much' energy from the battery for a week away of light battery usage?

Also do you think I will need to worry about having sufficient battery left in the van at the end of said week to use the mover when I get back?

If so, do you think I would need either a second battery, or a solar panel to top the battery up while I'm away?

I REALLY look forward to your replies...

 

[Jimbob1]

Hi Beej,

I reckon you will be ok on that battery it'll take a fair ol'bashing but it wouldn't be a bad idea to use a solar panel to top it up it'll put your mind at rest knowing that you you have plenty of power there,not only that you can leave the battery on a slow charge when you are not using the caravan as we do.Jimbob

 

[Gafferbill]

Hi Beej

Do not forget that your car is fitted with a battery charging system.

Your caravan battery should receive a charge when the towing electrics are connected to the caravan, and the car engine is running.

You can always charge the van battery by connecting and running the engine for 5 minutes whilst on site.

This product makes this easier if you have a 12S connector

http://www.towsure.com/ Put E22 into search box

You journey home will also charge the battery.

 

[rob_jax]

Beej,

We have a 1200 kg Eriba and a Reich Comfort mover - powered by a Varta 65AH battery - so unless you decide to take the caravan walkies, you shouldn't have a problem.

PV solar panel - yes a good idea - you need to work out how much charge you typically remove from the battery each day - and then buy a suitably sized panel to replace the losses.

A 40watt PV panel will typically replace around 20 AH during the summer, more on a good day, and rather less during the rest of the year.

Car hook up - yes this will recharge the battery - but a 5 minute charge? - you'll need to check the fuses and wire rating but expect a maximum charge current of 8 amps - and that's around 8 AH in 5 minutes

Robert

 

[Gilitygirl]

Many thanks for your replies.

Any recommendations for a solar/daylight panel - or at least any pointers as to where to look....?

 

[rob_jax]

I'd suggest you need to work out what size (in AH) you need to replace typical daily losses - and then use pricerunner or one of the other price comparison sites to find the lowest price...

Panels are typically rated 30 Watt, 45 watt, 60 watt, and upwards. If you divide the Watt rating by 2, that'll give an approximate figure for how many AH they will pump back into a battery over a whole day of use. Remember this is approximate, and will vary as the seasons change.

If you think you need X watts, but decide you don't want to spend that amount of money, then don't be tempted to buy a smaller panel - say half the capacity or worse - that's just a false economy, and you might be better served by looking at alternatives - like a Kipor generator or a second battery...

And remember that you will need a charge controller to regulate the amount of power being feed into the battery - and to stop overcharging...

Somewhere like http://www.peakgenerators.co.uk/products.asp?cat=High+Efficiency+Solar+Panels will give you an indication of what's available, but I'd certainly suggest buying a good brand name PV panel - like Sharp, Kyocera, etc...

Robert

 

[AlanJ]

Hi

I have a power mover fitted with 110 Amp battery. I have to use it up a 1 in 4 slope and then park onto a hard standing all of which takes about 10 minutes of battery power at a fair few amps. This is all quickly recharged once hooked up to the car and on the move or plugged into the house mains if returning. Just enjoy the freedom from strain and torn muscles!!

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Beej,

Caravan batteries are rated in Ah(Amp/hours)In theory a good new battery rated at 100Ah should be able to deliver 1A continuously for 100Hours, 2A for 50 hours and so on to 100A for 1 Hour. In practice most batteries will not handle the 1 hour discharge rate as the current draw may damage it. Another factor that limits the actual capacity of the battery is the caravans built in charging circuit, The output voltage is limited to only 13.8V which will not fully recharge a battery. So realistically you probably only have about 80% of the batteries stated capacity.

When you consider that a mover will draw about 16 to 24A when running you might think it will use a lot of battery capacity, in fact you need to consider how long you use the mover. Most people will probably only use it for about 5Mins in total, which is 1/12th of an hour so although it pulls say 24A it does for a short time based on my scenario that would be only 2Ah capacity or the same as running a 12W florescent tube for 2 hours.

Using a mover should not really be a problem over a few days.

So

be in brand new conditions and so their total capacity will be less than the stated

Most motor movers need a initial pulse of current of around 40 to 60amps for fraction of a second just to get them moving (Stall current) but as soon as the motor is spinning the current demand drops to a far more reasonable 14 to 20 Amps whilst the van is moving on a flat surface. If you add up th total time you are using the mover, it probably is no more than 5mins, which if you