Deep Cycle Leisure Batteries

[Coco]

Caravan Shop sale:

Ive been offered the part of end of season stock on deep cycle leisure batteries, there are 2 types, 75ah & 105ah , £50 & £75 respectively. I was wondering if anyone is using one of these and if so how long do they last?

cheers

Guy

[ollypenrice]

They last pretty well forever unlike those pure junk 'power tanks.' Buy all you can!

Olly

[starstalker]

They last pretty well forever unlike those pure junk 'power tanks.' Buy all you can!

Olly

whats wrong with the powertanks??

[MarkF]

I just bought a 75ah one for my erm, caravan, for 63 quid, so 50 is a bargain, look at the size for portability the 105 will be big, the 75 about the same size as a med size car battery.

As Olly said, far better than the starter pack batteries, as its deep cycle a decent deep cycle charger will ensure you get the best from it. Car batteries are designed for a short burst supply whereas these are for a constant drain, so if you are using 10amps continuously 7.5 hours or 10.5 hours respectively.

Charge it after use and at least once a month if not used, stored properly it should last for ages.

[Jamie]

whats wrong with the powertanks??

Nothing is wrong with them mate...

If looked after properly they will last you for years....Some people don't look after them and then blame the tank for not working for them.....

[ollypenrice]

Well, I have a couple of friends in the tyre and battery trade and both have stopped selling them because of endless returns. I had one that lasted a reasoanable time and one that was very soon useless. A deep dishcarge battery I had outlived the vehicle in which I was using it. (OK, Ford Transit so maybe not all that difficult!!) On many previous threads on this subject this seems to have been confirmed by other members. So yes, sometimes they are okay and do good service but often they don't, whereas there is strong support for the reliability of deep discharge batteries. The latter are more expensive for a very good reason, that's the crux of it. If you can pick some up for a good price why not? Really I would go for it.

I'm certainly not trying to upset anybody!

Olly

[Jamie]

Hey no worries Olly, I too have had the deep cycle batteries and would recommend them as being the best option to use.

I just didn't want the power tank that so many have & rely on (me included), rubbished in such a flippant way.

[starstalker]

Nothing is wrong with them mate...

If looked after properly they will last you for years....Some people don't look after them and then blame the tank for not working for them.....

phew!! thought i had just blown a hundred quid! thanks for that:icon_salut:

[ollypenrice]

Hey no worries Olly, I too have had the deep cycle batteries and would recommend them as being the best option to use.

I just didn't want the power tank that so many have & rely on (me included), rubbished in such a flippant way.

You're right, it was flippant, and power tanks come in all sorts of qualities, I don't doubt. Jamie was quite right to reproach me as he did! Coco seems to be onto something though.

Olly

[ronin]

The "problem" isn't with the battery it is the use to which we put them.

A "normal" lead-acid battery as in a car is meant to be kept charged and to deliver a surge of power, and not to drain completely. The alternator does the constant charging, you want a big burst of power to start the car.

A leisure battery is manufactured so that it delivers power slowly, does not need to be kept fully charged and can drain down. Then still recover afterwards. Think that if you tried to start a car with one then you would damage it - too great a surge.

When we use a power tank, which tends to use a standard lead-acid battery, we charge the power tank, connect it up then run the thing until it will not power the instruments any more. By this time we have probably damaged it. Perhaps not terminally the first time, but after a few drains it has basically had it.

Used to have a motor bike with an alarm, leave it for several weeks and I needed a new battery. Guess it is the same size battery in a power tank as on a bike.