Which battery

[Morganic]

My caravan doesn't have a battery or an external battery box.
I intend fitting a mover and was thinking of putting the battery under a bed in a box.
Which type of battery should I buy?

 

[JTQ]

On safety grounds definitly a true VRLA battery. That stands for "valve regulated lead acid" and these are much much less likely to vent off the highly explosive gas mix of hydrogen and oxygen that occurs with simpler "flooded" technology batteries.
It is very important to have an appropriate charger to work with the VRLA battery, a rudimentary charger will not be safe and will wreck a VRLA battery..
Standard UK practice is to place batteries in freely ventilated outside spaces; the VRLA batteries lessen but dont completely overcome that risk but are commonly found in continental motorhomes and caravans.

Do you actually need to install a battery for a mover? If you only need the mover at home then like me you could drive the mover with a portable battery. Mine for my 1900 kg van is a 60AH one for portability; it is left on charge always at home ready for departures and arrivals. I do it that way as my van has a Deep cycling, expensive battery not best suited to drive a mover, and this way it is normally not abused; just a thought that could save you a lot of money. The battery could then be a cheap flooded one and charged with a Lidl or Aldi budget charger somewhere ventilated and safe.

 

[RogerL]

Most caravanners would find the high cost of a true VRLA battery prohibitive - a "sealed" zero maintenance type (not "low maintenance") is adequate for most caravanners.
The CTEK models and the Aldi/Lidl budget smart chargers will cope with all types of lead-acid battery including VRLAs.
If the battery is just for a motor mover, then the use of a conventional car battery shouldn't be overlooked - they'll output 400A, far more than any leisure battery. I, and a few others, have used them for decades particularly in conjunction with a smart charger rather than the dump onboard power supply fixed at 13.8v

 

[Morganic]

Thank you both for the response. I only need a battery for use with the mover so perhaps I could connect when using the mover and take it out of the caravan and stored externally when not wanted. I have a CTEK charger to keep it periodically charged..
What size battery would I need do you think? My caravan is 800kg laden and I am looking at a Purpleline mover.
I'm fed up with pushing it or trying to reverse it into a tight space!!

 

[Terry_5112949]

On Thursday 3rd October Lidl have their smart charger on sale at £13.99, I`ll be having another

 

[RogerL]

Thank you both for the response. I only need a battery for use with the mover so perhaps I could connect when using the mover and take it out of the caravan and stored externally when not wanted. I have a CTEK charger to keep it periodically charged..
What size battery would I need do you think? My caravan is 800kg laden and I am looking at a Purpleline mover.
I'm fed up with pushing it or trying to reverse it into a tight space!!

For exclusively mover only use, my preference would be for a car battery - they can handle the current and their inability to handle deep cycling is irrelevant in this application - I used the same 72 Ah Vauxhall battery for 12 years in my 1250 kg Pageant running the Powertouch Heavy Duty mover so a car battery around 60 Ah should be fine for your 800 kg caravan.
If you buy a leisure battery you'll need 110 Ah as a 85 Ah will struggle with the instantaneous current.

 

[JTQ]

If you go down the portable battery route for driving only the mover as I mentioned then a "starter" battery is as suitable as a leisure battery; it like starting a car has a short term, limited depth drain then is straight back on charge.
Your van is very light so the capacity needed is quite low unless you have a long steep drive.
My choice would be something like a Banner Starting Bull of about 55Ah, though a bit smaller would also work though typically have a shorter life. This is quite a respectable manufacturer, not a branded [ badged] product sourced from the cheapest manufacturer.
.http://www.tayna.co.uk/065-Banner-Starting-Bull-Battery-55519-P8263.html
In going this route it is important to recharge it straight after use; your CTEK is ideal for this and can be left doing its stuff whilst you are away.