# Second Leisure battery fitting?



## Borisd0 (Jan 3, 2006)

Re Hymer B574 2002

I intend to replace the original leisure gel battery (12 years old) at the end of the season with two new leisure batteries. 
The original is fitted under one of the front seats, I guess the second battery can go under the other front seat. 
Any advice on cable routing between batteries and fixing to the floor would be gratefully received.
Does the Electroblock need any adjustment apart from the gel/acid switch position?
Also I read that Bosch/Varta have new technology and the S5 sealed lead acid battery is superior to gel batteries, is this generally accepted?


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Can't help much, but a friend installed his batteries like you suggest, and went under the floor with the connecting cable.

He thought it was better than trying (_without much success_) to conceal the cable across the floor of his van.

Yours may be different, but it's a thought if you have problems.

Dave


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## stevegos (Jun 23, 2013)

I have just bought a 110ah Bosch S5 and its working extremely well. Holds charge very well and seems to charge much quicker and its capacity is excellent.

It was too large for the battery box in the floor of my Burstner so had to relocate it in a nearby seat locker. Just made a holder for it with L shaped aluminum to stop it sliding around. About one metre of 20A cable needed to go under the floor so I found some flexible hose and fed it through the hose and then sealed it both ends with bathroom sealant and tacked it to the underfloor.

One thing to consider is your Electroblock may not be able to handle charging two batteries. My Electroblock is 15 amps and the general rule is to x10 this to indicate the max battery size, thus max 150Ah battery which some people say should also include the starter batt if it is charged from the Electroblock.


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## 747 (Oct 2, 2009)

Sometimes a van is equipped with only one leisure battery for a reason. That reason could be that the charger is not suitable for a total of 220 ah leisure batteries plus charging the vehicle battery as well.

The recommendation is that the battery charger should be at least able to charge at one tenth of the total battery capacity*. 

ie: 220 ah + 85 ah = 305 ah. The charger should be able to charge at 30 amps. If it only charges the leisures then it should be capable of 22 amps.

* Taken from the website of A & N Caravan Services.


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## Geriatricbackpacker (Aug 21, 2012)

747 said:


> Sometimes a van is equipped with only one leisure battery for a reason. That reason could be that the charger is not suitable for a total of 220 ah leisure batteries plus charging the vehicle battery as well.
> 
> The recommendation is that the battery charger should be at least able to charge at one tenth of the total battery capacity*.
> 
> ...


Not knowing any of the above I replaced the single 85AH battery with 2x125AH batteries on my 2001 Hymer 584. These were relocated under the side bench seat above the rear axle. I also hard wired my 3k inverter next to the batteries and made up a harness to secure them. I only have a single floor so I made use of the black strip joint that runs laterally across the van behind the seats. I extended the wires from their original position under the drivers seat (LHD) and plaited them together, soldered and heat sealed. I then managed to feed the extended wires under the floor strip and then follow the inside of the outer wall through the seat locker to the rear of the van. 
I have not noticed any problems with regards to the Electroblock charging the two LB's and the car battery.
Hope that helps.

Terry


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## Borisd0 (Jan 3, 2006)

Thanks for all responses so far.

I will consult A & N for advice re charging capacity of the Electroblock.
My van is on a Maxi chassis, how easy is it to install under floor wiring between the front seats. Is it an easy job when on a vehicle lift?

Widening the post a little. The driving force is to exist for a week in summer without 240v hook up; this would not be a frequent event. 
The power demands are quite modest, estimated at 10amp/h per day
Do I fit extra battery capacity? fit a solar panel & regulator? buy a secondhand "quiet " generator? 
I have read the cheapest option it the latter, as it will have a secondhand value whereas all other solutions frequently are a total loss.

Any thoughts?


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## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

Fitting an extra battery will give you longer between charging needs, but when you do charge it will take twice as long if you haven't uprated your charger.

We have 26A chargers on an 110AH battery, soon to be 50A charger on an 220AH battery.

Solar panels are good, they don't need any attention apart from an occasional cleaning. They work without supervision and prices are quite reasonable. 

For 220AH I'd suggest 2 X 100W panels and a 30A controller.

Peter


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## FordPrefect (Feb 9, 2010)

The Electroblock on our 2007 Adria was fine with a change to 2 leisure batteries, what needed some adjustment was the control panel which reports the available capacity and the percentage charged.


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