T
terryc
Guest
On 02/11/12 00:23, Damian wrote:
Refridgerator
Lighting
The dooles like mobile phones, torches, the radio(s)(AM/FM/UHF, etc)
(Where did they all come from)
The laptop
The 12 volt TV.
Medical machines.
Even stuff like fans on diesel/gas space heater and/or 12V electric
blanket. Sigh, there is even 12v hair dryers.
When it comes to stuff like aircon, then you need to run a generator of
sufficent size to run it. Add in the microwave to that as well.
Over here, camp sites can be divided into those that allow generators,
where mos caavans go and thse that don't, where most campers go. man
people don't like one destroying the peace and quiet.
light demands like a refridgerator, lighting amd the doodles.. Most
times you will have no problems if you have adequately specced the
batteries to give you a couple of day's requirements.
It is when you are camped for the week, then you can run into problems
from it being heavily overcast all week. I have something like the honda
generator on my plans as a emergency back up.
I have also gone for four days capacity, so that effectively means that
at worst case I only loose the peace and quiet for one day in four.
If you are travelling every day/few days, like doing the big loop, that
C-tek D250S that was linked is the way to go as it tops up your caravan
battery from the solar panels when you're stopped or from the car
alternator when you are travelling. you need an auto isolator that
switches the car feed in after the car alternator has recharged your
starter battery.
OTOH, some places here, it just means that instead of stopping in the
bush camps, you pay for a powered site overnight and charge your
batteries up then.
I'll point out that I'm talking from the Australian perspective where we
have 30 million population spread over an area the size of
Europe/Mainland USA, but mostly in a few big cities and little facilties
in between.
You need to look at your power requirements and work them out.Thanks mate.
The two massive 6V batteries that I mentioned aren't in my hands yet. I have
been considering getting them to maintain a good long lasting power source
for the van. But, now I think it may be an overkill and a pretty heavy job
as well.
Refridgerator
Lighting
The dooles like mobile phones, torches, the radio(s)(AM/FM/UHF, etc)
(Where did they all come from)
The laptop
The 12 volt TV.
Medical machines.
Even stuff like fans on diesel/gas space heater and/or 12V electric
blanket. Sigh, there is even 12v hair dryers.
When it comes to stuff like aircon, then you need to run a generator of
sufficent size to run it. Add in the microwave to that as well.
Over here, camp sites can be divided into those that allow generators,
where mos caavans go and thse that don't, where most campers go. man
people don't like one destroying the peace and quiet.
Batteries and a solar panels are a basic way to go here if you haveI think I am better off with a 125Ah sealed deep cycle battery and may be a
backup one. I reckon it's better to rely on a small generator rather than
carrying massive heavy batteries like I was planning to do.
What do you think about that?
light demands like a refridgerator, lighting amd the doodles.. Most
times you will have no problems if you have adequately specced the
batteries to give you a couple of day's requirements.
It is when you are camped for the week, then you can run into problems
from it being heavily overcast all week. I have something like the honda
generator on my plans as a emergency back up.
I have also gone for four days capacity, so that effectively means that
at worst case I only loose the peace and quiet for one day in four.
If you are travelling every day/few days, like doing the big loop, that
C-tek D250S that was linked is the way to go as it tops up your caravan
battery from the solar panels when you're stopped or from the car
alternator when you are travelling. you need an auto isolator that
switches the car feed in after the car alternator has recharged your
starter battery.
OTOH, some places here, it just means that instead of stopping in the
bush camps, you pay for a powered site overnight and charge your
batteries up then.
I'll point out that I'm talking from the Australian perspective where we
have 30 million population spread over an area the size of
Europe/Mainland USA, but mostly in a few big cities and little facilties
in between.
Thanks
"terryc"<newsninespam-spam@woa.com.au> wrote in message
news:k6t0lv$eft$1@dont-email.me...
On 01/11/12 14:05, Neil wrote:
I
suspect a 300Ah battery would be considerably more expensive than 3 x
110Ah batteries together, but you would have to research that
yourself.
125Ah are the largest common Deep discharge wet cells in Aust. Rather than
put tweo in parallel to get larger capacity. I preferred to buy two 6Volt
225 Amphour batteries. that was to prevent the problem of one failing and
pulling down and maybe destroying the other.
Another factor is my ability to lift individual batteries in and out of
locations. I remember that the 12V 125AmpHr batteries weighed 35kg each
Can not remember the figure for each 6V 225Amphour battery.
The differences between battery types are basically this:
Leisure batteries are designed for prolonged but light current drain,
Traction batteries are designed for electric propulsion and other
Vehicle starting batteries capable of delivering very high currents
My rule of thumb is that if the battery is rated in amphours, then it is
designed for "deep discharge" use. If it is rated in CCA, then it is a ICE
starter battery.
All lead/acid batteries have the potential to emit hydrogen and oxygen
when they are overcharged. This is actually beneficial when
equalising a battery, but requires the ability to be able to replace
the water lost in so doing.
This is why cheap battery chargers are a bad idea. They do not limit the
final trickle voltage and can run wet cells dry.
I don't have any links for you, I got my battery from a local caravan
spares dealer.
I actually go to a battery specialist who originally had traction as well
as alarm batteries but a seems to have moved more to alarm and specilist
motor starters(changing market in the area). Look in yellow pages, etc for
battery supliers in industrial areas and avoid main street battery shops.