Re: Leisure Battery

by Dbvwt Sat Sep 21, 2024 3:58 am

What Caraman suggests above is exactly what I would do.
I dithered for a year before doing something similar, a couple of weeks later after the upgrade I couldn’t believe why I had questioned doing it for so long and haven’t regretted it for one moment since.

by Dbvwt Sat Sep 21, 2024 4:33 am

Slightly off topic but I 100% agree about not running the engine to charge the batteries. I’m not sure what the guy is trying to achieve but he has been running his engine for well over an hour, I thought it was a cheap BBQ being fired up till I noticed!!

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by Freeride Tue Sep 24, 2024 3:53 am

I have a TN Power LiFePO4 100Ah Lithium LB fitted as standard under the lounge area seat. It is fitted front to back but measuring it appears it would go cross ways albeit with 5mm to spare. So if I fitted another identical battery side by side crossways (have to be identical LB's) these would take up the same space as one (even allowing for space along the sides of the batteries). Has anyone looked at this or done it?
On the Sargent site it shows you how to fit an additional battery to an Auto Trail but I have failed to find a connection from the existing LB to the CAN Bus so we don't have that in our vans?

by The Bargee Tue Sep 24, 2024 8:32 pm

You should be able to simply connect the additional battery in parallel with the original, + to +, - to -, using reasonably heavy duty cables presuming no increases in loads. That may extend (perhaps double) your off-grid static capacity provided you arrive on site fairly fully charged. It will not get over the question of replacing that power, which will take a long time (8 hours @. 20 amps presuming 80% discharged batteries) on EHU (20 amp charger) or possibly longer than that if driving (20 amp B2B), but B2B will only be charging when the smart alternator is allowed to.

by breakaleg Tue Sep 24, 2024 8:45 pm

Just as a caution, my last van I used to run the enging during the winter months to top the batteries up.

Ended up having to have the engine rebuilt cost me £1500.00+ .

I park on the road so I can't run a cable across the footpath and are unable to take the battery out and into the house.

On my present van I have invested in a lot of solar but of course no use if the sun don't shine, however a lot cheaper to take the van for a long run and cheaper than an engine rebuild.
Pete