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Solar panel or new leisure batteries

Monty-Wilf bus

Monty-Wilf bus

Monty
VIP Member
Messages
54
Location
Exeter
Vehicle
T5 SE 140
Hello, any advice would be appreciated. I am looking at replacing my 6yr old leisure batteries but thinking for the same money I could just get a solar panel from Roger. We are not heavy electric users, and battery tends to do 2 days but I am thinking that EHU pitches will be in high demand this year and combined with spending longer on sites due to 2 children I was swaying towards solar with no EHU. I don’t really want to do batteries and solar. What would you do? Cheers
 
Had pretty much the same choice myself and decided on solar which is doing very nicely, thank you!
Yet to do a trip to try it out properly but so far a happy camper.
 
If your batteries have had it, you are going to have to replace them soon irrespective of whether you go for solar or not. I would just go for new batteries.
 
As @andyinluton says if your batteries are on the way out any solar charge won't get stored, so you might as well replace the batteries and then decide as to installing solar. Which currently seems to be in short supply.
 
Thanks @andyinluton, @B J G @EddieEagle. I am going to do some checks / monitoring at the weekend as we are hopefully going away for a night with no EHU. Will see how batteries perform. Thanks again
 
Just to add the batteries on mine were often going down to 80/90% after a week or so following the obligatory 24hr EHU. The very cold weather probably affected the figures showing on the ( not very accurate) display. I’m not entirely convinced the 5 yr old batteries are shot but I’ve got solar on board now which will either keep them going or enhance the new ones if and when.
 
You can use solar to extend failing battery life, as long as the batteries get you through the night (fridge, really). Once the sun comes up your battery performance is largely irrelivent.

If your batteries won't run your fridge overnight they are toast anyway.

Solar will also keep new batteries from getting too low and suffering damage.
 
Just to add the batteries on mine were often going down to 80/90% after a week or so following the obligatory 24hr EHU. The very cold weather probably affected the figures showing on the ( not very accurate) display. I’m not entirely convinced the 5 yr old batteries are shot but I’ve got solar on board now which will either keep them going or enhance the new ones if and when.
Ignore the % reading, it's the Voltage that's important.
The % is just a calculation based on a number of factors but the voltage is a direct reading.
 
Do you have a Beach or Ocean/Coast? My beach has 1x leisure battery. I’m replacing that and adding another battery under drivers seat. Should hopefully sort me out for a few days without EHU. If not, then can consider solar
 
My fridge started switching off randomly when the leisure batteries were nearly done. So batteries first rather than solar.
 
It's not random - its low voltage protection cut off. When the fridge detects the battery voltage drops below a set level, it abandons it's attempt to start, waits a while, and then tries again. Slight problem with this is the repeated "retries" then drag the battery well below a healthy level and damage it. Not sure if the Ocean control panel prevents this after a point, but it's very common with almost all campers with fridges.

To give you an idea of expected performance. 1 battery in good health should run a compressor fridge for 2 to 2.5 days. 2 batteries double that, of course.
 

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