Which battery

[mark10]

We've just bought a 1992 Sprite Musketeer. It has no battery and I'm not sure which leisure battery would be best.There is a TP2 MkV Trailerpack which lives under the front bench seat (ie under the bed)where it plugs in next to the fuse panel etc.

Is it true that I need a gel battery so as not to have fumes or is a normal sealed leisure battery ok? I've seen a Lucas heavy duty sealed 85ah battery for £65.00 on t'internet, is that my best choice do you think?

We won't have a caravan-mover or any other heavy requirements of the 12v system, just the lights, oh and Maybe the fridge occaisionally for a night.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Mark,

Your battery will not last long if you try to run the fridge off it. The fridges 12V systems should be wired to the 7S plug and only receive power when the towing vehicles engine is running.

If the battery is to be stored under the bed, i.e. within the caravan, and it will only be for lights, then you should use a sealed gel type.

However the TP2 unit as I recall is not particularly sophisticated and may well over charge a gel battery. You should either get a dedicated gel type charger or a modern caravan power supply that has a regulated 13.8V DC output.

 

[mark10]

Hi John L, thanks for your reply. Firstly I take your point re the fridge, I'll run it on gas if not on mains thanks. Well, doesn't life get complicated, I gather that gel batteries cost a lot more, in addition to having to buy a new charger I'm concerned about the cost. I was very pleased to inherit a TP2 Trailerpack with the caravan because it seems real neat for carrying the battery complete with charger to a charging place when I don't have a hook up, especially as I'm intending to pitch up on a site with no hook up in the summer for 3 weeks. I'm now thinking maybe I should extend the wiring connections so I can relocate the battery and tp2 into the front gas locker, then use a normal lead acid leisure battery (cheaper). If I so, do you think the Tp2 will be good for the purpose? ie; is it capable of fully charging the battery? because I read somewhere on the internet that some older chargers aren't up to it. I must say that for some years now we had an older sprite Musketeer which had a fairly cheap battery inside the caravan in a side locker, as it ran down we would connect a conventional car battery to it and charge it up in situ. The thing is we never knew this was not reccomended practice but it was always just fine for us. Problem now is that I've been told about it, and feel the need to follow reccommended practice. Is it all just belt and braces stuff or is there a very real risk from the battery fumes

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello again mark,

I recall seeing many caravans with the TP2 in the 1960s and early 70's and as far as I can recall we didn't hear of vast numbers of problems, but with greater interests in Health and safety, the possibility of hydrogen fumes and acid spills from a conventional battery must not be over looked.

And sadly I must pour cold water on the suggestion of putting the TP2 in the gas locker - That is a definite NO- electricity and gas do not mix.

The TP 2 was designed for the more conventional wet batteries, but I suspect they used a float charging system, rather than a regulated voltage like the more modern units and power supplies and so leaving a any battery under constant charge from a float charger may eventually overcharge it.

However, if this is on site and the battery is being used for daily for lights and water pump, then it will probably do no harm. You problem is now where to put it. may I suggest in the awning, where it will stay dry, and any fumes will easily dissipate.

Ultimately you should consider getting or making a proper battery that is only accessed from the outside with ventilations holes.

 

[mark10]

Hi John,thanks for all your advice. Well this certainly is a learning curve for me.I must admit even as I pressed the send button I had thought the gas locker idea wasn't the best plan. I won't do that thanks. So on to plan B: there's a seat locker situated approx over the axle, how about I make a totally sealed section in there with a clamped down lid with rubber seal(I'm a good carpenter) and cut a ventilation hole to either the floor or to the side wall with fridge style plastic vent. Then at a later stage maybe I could even fit an external access door (I suppose you can buy these for battery compartments? or can you in fact buy the complete compartment with door and door frame??) does that sound like a good plan cus I did like your suggestion of sitng it in the awning but don't use the awning for weekend trips. Also I'm really not sure what size battery, I'm sure I don't need more than 85ah but do I even need that? its only for lights, I dont even use the water pump, we normaly get water in a smaller container so it's always fresh, especially in hot weather.

 

[Sproket]

Mark

In my Hymer the sealed battery is under the bed & next to the charger, it has a vent pipe fitted to the side of the battery & goes through a close fitting hole in the floor, never had a problem...

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello mark,

The box idea sounds quite good, or even sprockets suggestion, but you do need a sealed battery with the vent pipe for that.

There are manufactures of through wall mounted battery boxes with doors and vents.

Look at :

Used Caravan Battery box

or

New Battery Box on EBay

Thetford

Some food for thought

 

[mark10]

Thanks for the photo Sprocket, excuse my ignorance but does that mean you've got a special battery with an outlet on it to attach a vent tube?

 

[mark10]

Hello John,

I've looked at the battery boxes on the sites you gave me thanks, I can see a DIY project looming when I can afford a nice Thetford battery box compartment, be like a modern caravan then, how posh would that be!

Meanwhile to get on the road soon whithout spending too much Sprockets idea looks interesting, need to find out how its done.

 

[Sproket]

Mark

On the side of the battery there will be a small moulded spigot where the battery vents through, my original battery when i got the van was a gell type & when i had the mover fitted i bought a new battery ( the one in the other photo ) to vent it outside i used part of a new one man brake bleed pipe, the rubber end fits nice & tight over the spigot & the plasic pipe goes through a hole in the floor, for about three inches...

The pipe costs about

 

[Sproket]

Forgot to say if you use one of these make sure you cut the one way valve off the pipe so any fumes can escape.....

 

[mark10]

Sprocket

Thanks for that info, photographs too! very helpfull.

I'll get a battery with a sprocket, and the brake bleed pipe seems a good idea for getting a seal on a none round spigot.

(I used to use one of those to do my brakes, brings back happy memories of the days when cars were simple enough to work on at home! those days are gone!) Cheers.