Never disconnect the battery from the charger while it is connected to the mains, as this may cause a spark and disastrous consequences. Even without a smell, be aware of the temperature of your battery while charging as a hot battery normally means there is a problem.
Considering the increased number of electronic gadgets and improved technology used in all aspects of our lives nowadays, the National Caravan Council NCC has introduced a Verified Leisure Battery Scheme to give caravan and motorhome owners peace of mind when purchasing a new leisure battery. When purchasing a verified leisure battery, caravan and motorhome owners can rest safe in the knowledge that they are paying for a reliable, fit for purpose leisure battery.
Not only does this indicate a sensible purchasing decision in financial terms, it also provides some level of safety assurance. All verified leisure batteries will display the scheme logo as well as an indicator of which category applies. At present, Banner, Platinum and Yuasa are amongst the manufacturers whose leisure batteries may be verified by the National Caravan Council. More manufacturers are expected to join in the near future, and the NCC will publish updates as and when appropriate.
We will also update this article whenever possible. The NCC has published a table of all verified leisure batteries, which can be viewed in full here. Check back before your next leisure battery purchase in case of updates.
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Call us on for a quote. Providing exceptional service is our priority at Lifesure, which is why we have appointed our new Customer Care Champion! We are delighted to announce an exciting new partnership, by bringing motorhome insurance to Honcho for the first time! With quarantine and travel restrictions changing regularly and the vaccination rollout in different countries varying, the UK has seen a huge increase in summer vacations.
Take a look at some of the handy tips, advice and hidden treasures we have put together. There are a number of ways to purchase insurance policies; maybe you buy direct, through a comparison website like comparethemarket or by contacting a broker. With so many options and deals to consider, it can be a minefield of information to sift through.
So, let us try and clarify some of the jargon so you can find the best deal. We're delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted for three industry awards! Keep ahead of the curve with our regular updates on just what's happening with caravan and holiday home sites across the UK.
Get a quote for your caravan insurance First things first: what is a leisure battery? Is a leisure battery just a different name for a car battery? Types of leisure battery Most leisure batteries are lead-acid batteries, although we will provide information on some alternatives later in the article.
Within the category of lead-acid battery, there are a few different types available: Standard starter batteries — also known as calcium or cranking batteries Standard leisure batteries — also known as auxiliary or deep-cycling batteries Semi traction and traction batteries — also known as deep-cycling batteries As well as these lead-acid batteries, there are a few alternatives which may be used as leisure batteries in certain circumstances.
Gel batteries — These are used in vehicles such as jet skis and quad bikes, which have a higher than average risk of crashing. The use of gel inside the battery removes the risk of damage from being tipped over and, therefore, the risk of injury from leaking corrosive acid. Some imported caravans and motorhomes are now fitted with gel batteries for extra protection in the event of an accident. AGM batteries — We mentioned these briefly in the section about car batteries v leisure batteries.
AGM, or Absorbent Glass Mat batteries comprises of lead plates and compressed glass fibre in each cell. Combined with specific manufacturing processes, this makes the battery capable of a much longer lifespan than a lead-acid one. However, it is also more expensive to produce. As well as being able to withstand a greater number of charging cycles, AGM batteries have the advantage of being functional as both starter and leisure batteries.
Maintenance-free batteries — While conventional batteries have removable caps to allow the acid levels to be checked and topped up with deionised water, some manufacturers are now producing what is described as a maintenance-free battery. Sealed batteries are designed to operate for a certain number of cycles. They are also referred to as VRLA valve regulated lead-acid batteries.
This lets gasses escape during the charging cycle. Therefore its potentially possible with proper maintenance for an open lead-acid battery to have a longer service life. So AGM batteries still contain lead and an electrolyte, but with a different construction. The electrolyte is trapped within a fibreglass mat. AGM batteries are also a form of VRLA valve regulated lead-acid batteries to stop a build-up of pressure within the battery.
A specific benefit of AGM batteries is their ability to cope well with vibration. Therefore as you will appreciate with the significant number of potholes on UK roads, their ability to cope well with vibration makes them a great choice for caravans and motorhomes. The downsides are you will have to spend more on an AGM than either a flooded or sealed battery.
Also, they will have a shorter operating life. However, if you only do some infrequent off-grid camping or you have a motormover, an AGM should be a serious consideration. However, instead of using a fibreglass mat to suspend the electrolyte, it has been made into a thick pasty gel. The main advantage of Gel batteries is their discharge rate. Therefore, if you are a frequent off-grid camper , a Gel battery may be for you.
Another advantage of gel batteries is they can have a longer service life over 25 degrees Celcius. However, if you only use your motorhome or caravan in the UK, the number of days above this temperature is pretty rare.
Now, there are two main downsides to Gel batteries over AGM. Not only are they more expensive, but they also do not handle high discharge and recharge rates as well. The construction of the mat and electrolyte is different. The video below serves as a good introduction to what a lead crystal battery is and how it works. This technology does not suffer from sulfation, so what that means is you can deplete the battery without permanent damage. You can discharge down to 0V and fully charge back up from 0V.
You can even leave a lead crystal battery at a partial rate of change without damaging it. A lead crystal battery will also provide a significant advantage in the number of charge cycles.
Typically it will have a lifespan triple that of a standard sealed lead battery. It also still performs well in cold and hot temperatures.
The only real downside, you guessed it, price. Finding lead crystal batteries available for sale is also currently quite difficult. They are also predominantly used in hybrid and electric cars. My father owns a Nissan Leaf and the performance of the battery pack is really impressive. In terms of leisure batteries for caravan and motorhomes, Lithium batteries also know as LiFePO4 and have some significant benefits. Compared to lead-acid technology Lithium can provide roughly double the energy density for half the weight!
Lithium batteries will also last much longer than lead-acid, up to potentially ten times longer. However, if a Lithium battery is fully discharged it can cause damage. Lithium leisure batteries have a much higher energy density and lower weight, however currently they are significantly more expensive: Image — Amazon. The only real downside to Lithium leisure batteries is their current cost.
You will have to spend significantly more than you would for even the best lead-acid batteries. However, as electric cars start to become more common expect that price to drop significantly and for Lithium leisure batteries to become the default for caravans and motorhomes.
So as you can see from the information above, 12V lithium batteries have some significant benefits when it comes to their use as a leisure battery. The biggest downside is their cost. However, I recently became aware of Valance 12V lithium batteries. You will find Valance lithium batteries used in commercial EV vehicles and various other commercial applications.
In the commercial sector, they typically replace these batteries every couple of years. With leisure batteries, you need to consider their physical size and their amp hour AH rating. You need to go out and measure the battery tray in your caravan or motorhome. Depending on the size of the battery currently fitted there may be some spare space to fit a larger battery. As you would expect, a battery with a higher AH rating will generally also be physically larger.
Good quality AGM automotive batteries are also suited to heavier duty cyclic applications, such as frequently operated caravan movers. Generally, AGM batteries are constructed with a pure glass highly compressed advanced mat, instead of traditional poly-ethylene separators. This is placed between each plate during the manufacture of battery cell packs. Higher pack compression improves the life and gas recombination efficiency, making the battery completely maintenance free, unlike conventional battery types.
The batteries are better engineered to operate in lower states of charge, which reduces the effect of corrosion to the grids which is more prevalent in conventional batteries operating in low states of charge. These considerations lead to a decision to be made by the customer for either a low cost throw-away battery, which is unlikely to provide long-term reliability, or a more robust product that will provide multiple seasons of service.
Furthermore, consideration must be given to the level of durability required, for example, a high durability option is best suited for a caravan mover, where low durability options are best suited to powering lighting alone.
A good leisure battery is constructed in a way that optimises the design for a life of repeated cycles and some limited over-discharge service abuse. Some of the limitations of basic lead acid battery chemistry cannot be overcome, but certain design rules and special additives are used to minimise the damaging effects of over-discharge in service. Others technologies with more severe duty cycles are sold in the traction and semi traction markets, but based on normal leisure usage, tend to be an expensive solution.
Semi-traction and traction type batteries typically use higher density thick plate or tubular technology designed for repeated deep discharge cycling. This technology tends to be expensive and out of the reasonable price range for the leisure market in general.
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