# Second leisure battery in 654 legend



## 99175 (May 12, 2006)

Hi out there,

We've got a hymer 654 and having read all the magazines we have come to the conclusion we need a second battery. Not being particularly bright with electrics I thought I could just add two leads and linkup second battery in parallel to the original(They would be next to each other)
My better half suggested I speak to Hymer first before blowing the van up.
Hymer told me I could not do what I wanted as they have to recalibrate the electronic control panel to accept the second leisure battery.....not cheap!

Is this the gospel truth? Help........


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## legend654 (Mar 28, 2006)

Hi there. We also picked up our Legend 654 in May. When originally negotiating with dealer, leisure battery installed was £308, so I can only imagine that re-calibration is correct. We also had solar panel installed at same time. Really pleased with our MH......hope you are too!


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## sergeant (Jun 7, 2006)

Hi Kryten, Funny smell around your dealers, is it cows? is it sheep? No it's bulls---t, Steve


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## Hymie (May 9, 2005)

*2nd Leisure Battery*

Hi,

We had a second leisure battery fitted to our B614G when we collected it from germany.

I bought the battery in the uk ( cheaper here than in germany!) and the dealer fitted it in about 15 minutes.

The only "adjustment" was to the lcd display in the van which you can do yourself via the controls so that it displays the correct ah etc.

The one thing we did need to be careful about was making sure the second battery was identical in make and amp hour and about the same age! before adding it to the system.

Our batteries are the Exide "Gel" type and i ordered the new one from an automotive battery supplier without any problem.

cheers


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## edgehill (Sep 20, 2005)

kryten123 said:


> Hi out there,
> 
> We've got a hymer 654 and having read all the magazines we have come to the conclusion we need a second battery. Not being particularly bright with electrics I thought I could just add two leads and linkup second battery in parallel to the original(They would be next to each other)
> My better half suggested I speak to Hymer first before blowing the van up.
> ...


hi this is lee from edgehill motorhomes, you can fit another battery in parallel but it must be the same spec as the battery as the one that is fitted at the moment OR my advice instead of paying silly amount of money for a gel battery (which in our opinion are no better than sealed lead acid battery) i would replace them with 2 x 110v sealed lead acid batterys.
a gel battery would cost around £180 each
a sealed lead acid battery 110v would cost £50 each
all you have to do on the electroblock is flick a switch to change the charging rate and the lcd panel above the door takes 2 mins to change.

remember gel batterys were made for boats not motorhomes, and sealed lead acid batterys are fine because they don`t pass gas when charging they are even better when they are in a outside locker.
i hope this helps
best regards
lee


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## 92859 (May 1, 2005)

Greetings,

I am thinking of fitting two 110 ah batteries to replace the fitted 80ah gel battery when I get my Hymer 644, I believe the present battery is under the front seat? I need to determine where the best place to fit the tow batteries would be, I suppose it would be practicable in the rear storage area but would mean long runs of cable to the front.

Maybe I could build a box somewhere at the front to take the two 110's.


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

Humber-Traveller said:


> Greetings,
> 
> I am thinking of fitting two 110 ah batteries to replace the fitted 80ah gel battery when I get my Hymer 644, I believe the present battery is under the front seat? I need to determine where the best place to fit the tow batteries would be, I suppose it would be practicable in the rear storage area but would mean long runs of cable to the front.
> 
> Maybe I could build a box somewhere at the front to take the two 110's.


Peter,

Why not under the other cab seat :?:  That's where mine are fitted.

Don


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## 92859 (May 1, 2005)

Greetings,

I have looked into the possibility of using the other seat Don but it appears that it contains the electronic systems and also I think (maybe) that a 110 could be too big. I wil know when I get the van in January anyway.


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

Peter,

Timberland fit a 110ah battery under each cab seat. There's only the batteries there nothing else.

Don


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## 92859 (May 1, 2005)

Greetings,



> Timberland fit a 110ah battery under each cab seat. There's only the batteries there nothing else.


Thanks for that Don, I will have to look into that when I finally get the van, if I can get a 110ah under the seat it should be OK then try and find somewhere for the other, or make up some sort of cradle under the floor with an access hatch.

But we have got another problem, Jury service on the 2nd January so it looks as though I have to leave the pick up for the Hymer till the weekend and only have one night out instead of two.


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## ChrisWade (Jul 3, 2006)

*2nd battery location*

Hi Humber-Traveller,

Exploring the same question with my local dealer, I was advised that in my B584 the second battery could only go under the bench seat/ sofa.


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## 92859 (May 1, 2005)

Greetings,

Ah Fireman, well I could put this under the dinette seat on the nearside of the van so it is not far from the original battery. will take some storage space up but the battery is more important I think.

Once I pick up the van I willl be better equipped to address the probabilities of what goes where............. I hope! :hathat14:


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## 94055 (May 1, 2005)

edgehill said:


> all you have to do on the electroblock is flick a switch to change the charging rate and the lcd panel above the door takes 2 mins to change.
> lee


Hi Lee,
As I intend fitting 2x110 Batteries to my 2005 Hymer B544, could you please advise which switch you flick in the electroblock and what are the settings for the lcd panel? I am unable to find anything in the manual to help.
If you are able to help is it the same for Left hand drive as Right hand?

TIA

Steve


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## LittleGreyCat (Jun 22, 2008)

*Second battery - where?*

Just bumping this thread up to the top again.

I am contemplating fitting a second leisure battery to my 2002 B544.
I can see that I need two matching batteries connected in parallel and ideally as close together as possible.
My existing leisure battery is under the drivers (RHD) seat so the logical place is under the dinette squab behind the driver's seat. I could use the space under the passenger seat but have been advised this can also be turned into a safe with an easily fitted door. The questions are the same, regardless.

My questions now are:

(1) How do I secure the battery tray - is it O.K. just to screw it to the floor (assuming I can get under the back of the squab without damaging myself unduly).
(2) Where do I run the wires to join the two batteries together? Do I have to go down through the top level of the double floor and then back up again? Has anyone done this?
(3) How 'meaty' should the connecting wires be? As far as I can see they don't need to be as thick as the leads on the automotive battery because I won't be cranking the engine over, but they should not offer too much resistance to current flow between the batteries.
(4) Do sealed lead acid batteries require a vent through the floor (I assume sealed ones should not give off hydrogen gas outside the battery when charging).
(5) Is it easy to get the seat off to get at the battery underneath?

See - all easy to answer 

TIA

LGC


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## LittleGreyCat (Jun 22, 2008)

Just bumping this thread up again as I have the extra battery but have not yet fitted it.
Can anyone answer the questions posted?
I am wondering if Hymer do a standard kit to fit an extra battery under the passenger seat (to match the fitting under the drivers seat) or if a 'bespoke' solution is normal.
Main worry is the routeing of the cables - don't want a trip hazard between the seats.


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## BillCreer (Jan 23, 2010)

Hi,
That was a long visit to the shops.

The seats come off very easily. two bolts at the front and two allen screws at the back. It's very heavy.

You only need one cable between the two batteries as you connect the earth, on the new battery, to chassis.

I used a cable about 1/2 the thickness of a normal battery cable and protected it at the new battery end with a 30 amp in line fuse. Maybe needs a fuse at both ends of the cable.

My control panel is analogue so needs no adjustment.


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

If that cable joining the positive terminals shorts to earth both batteries will be short circuited so it needs a fuse at both ends. If the batteries are side by side I wouldn't fuse at all between them.

As to clamping them down, you have to consider the battery is very heavy in any impact it will want to keep moving. However the floor is fairly strong and very stiff so the traditional clamp that you can bolt through should be enough especially if you use a penny washer under the nut or bolt to spread the shear load.


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## LittleGreyCat (Jun 22, 2008)

Not sure how available a chassis ground will be if I put the battery under the front dinnette seat; the B544 has a double floor so I may be a long way away from essential metalwork.
The front dinnette seat looks a better location at the moment because I don't have to have even one battery cable going along above the cab floor.
The cable(s) can run along the side of the van out of the way of everything.

Does anyone have a source for battery cables with in line fuses?
I can find standard cables with fitted ends (Halfords do some good ones) which would easily connect the two batteries but I haven't found a fuse holder designed to connect to a battery yet.

I couls also do with some angled metal like the two pieces which hold the standard battery down under the driver's seat - replicating that fitting arrangement seems a sensible idea.
I could probably bend some but a ready made solution is always easier 

Cheers

LGC


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## LittleGreyCat (Jun 22, 2008)

BillCreer said:


> Hi,
> That was a long visit to the shops.


Yeah - included a seven and a half month world tour but now I am back and the "to do" list hasn't got any shorter.



BillCreer said:


> The seats come off very easily. two bolts at the front and two allen screws at the back. It's very heavy.
> <snip>


Someone very kindly posted a guide on how to remove the seat a while back.
Removing Hymer front seat

Cheers

LGC


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## BillCreer (Jan 23, 2010)

Thinking about it Frank is right. Putting one inline fuse achieves nothing, you need one at each end.

I used G.E.Middleton & Co Ltd., Auto Electrical Specialists, 359, City Road, Manchester, M15 4DE......0161 872 0923.

Inline fuse about £5 and 16mm cable about £2.80 a mtr. They have everything you would need including terminal covers and crimp on connectors.

Let me know if you need the part numbers.


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## LittleGreyCat (Jun 22, 2008)

Thanks Bill.

Couple of things; 

(1) can't find them on t'Internet to look at products
(2) you mention crimp on connectors. To use these, don't I need a crimping tool (which can be quite expensive)?

Cheers

LGC


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## BillCreer (Jan 23, 2010)

LittleGreyCat said:


> Thanks Bill.
> 
> Couple of things;
> 
> ...


No they're a smallish old fashioned firm but they have everything you'd ever need including old rotor arms etc.

The basic crimping tool is all you need they only cost a few quid from places like B&Q.


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## LittleGreyCat (Jun 22, 2008)

Possibly being dumb here.

I have a crimping set for small diameter wire (automotive spade terminals etc.) but if we are talking about crimping a fairly meaty battery cable then don't I need something a bit more industrial?

B&Q crimper

B&Q crimpers (tinyurl)

Something like this?


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## BillCreer (Jan 23, 2010)

No you'll find it's the other way round. You need high quality ones to put delicate ends onto thin cable. You use the crudest crimp in your cheapo ones. You could almost use the wire cutter on a pair of pliers.


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## LittleGreyCat (Jun 22, 2008)

BillCreer said:


> Thinking about it Frank is right. Putting one inline fuse achieves nothing, you need one at each end.
> 
> I used G.E.Middleton & Co Ltd., Auto Electrical Specialists, 359, City Road, Manchester, M15 4DE......0161 872 0923.
> 
> ...


Shopping list at the moment (part numbers welcome):

2m black 20mm^2 battery cable, ring terminal one end battery clamp the other.

2m red 20mm^2 battery cable, ring terminal one end battery clamp the other, 50 amp inline fuses both ends.

50 amp fuse because that matched the fuse in the existing earth connection.

20mm^2 cable because that is rated at 135 amps continuous which seems suitable for a fuse which is 50 amp continuoaus 100 amp blow.

I note that the battery earth connection does not go directly to earth in the cab area, but goes via a wall mounted fuse holder into a tube which leads it through the cab floor.

Wall mounted fuse holders are an acceptable alternative to in line fuse holders although this involves a couple of extra short leads.

I have also found (via Google) a firm called Extreme 4X4 which makes up cables to order including fitting terminals. I have contacted them (for a comparative quote) and am awaiting a response.

Cheers

LGC


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## ched999uk (Jan 31, 2011)

Have a look at http://www.rawcomponents.co.uk/ I haven't used them yet but their prices look good. I am intending to use them soon as I will be adding extra leisure batteries. They also seem to do lots of bits and bobs in the electrical area. Can't seem to find out p&p though.


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