Collaborative post
Getting away from electric hook-ups gives you more freedom when travelling by campervan, but it also means relying much more heavily on your 12V system. Before heading off for a weekend of camping, it is worth checking that your leisure battery has the capacity and condition to cope with the way you plan to use it.
The freedom of camping without a hook-up
One of the best things about travelling in a campervan is having the freedom to go somewhere different without needing to plan everything around a hotel or a permanent campsite.
For some trips, that also means spending time away from an electric hook-up.
That is when your leisure battery becomes much more important. Instead of having mains electricity available, the battery is responsible for keeping much of the 12V equipment in the campervan running.
Lights, water pumps, USB charging points and other equipment might not use huge amounts of electricity individually, but over a couple of days it can soon add up.
Understanding what your battery is being asked to do can make off-grid camping much easier.
Your leisure battery and starter battery do different jobs
A campervan will normally have a starter battery and a separate leisure battery.
Although both are batteries, they are designed for different purposes.
The starter battery needs to deliver a large amount of power very quickly to turn the engine over. Once the engine is running, the vehicle’s charging system replenishes it.
A leisure battery has a different job. It is designed to supply power more steadily over a longer period while you are using the living area of the campervan.
This is why replacing a leisure battery with any battery that happens to physically fit is not necessarily a good idea. Battery type, capacity, dimensions and the charging system all need to be considered.
Work out what you actually use
Two campervans parked next to each other can have completely different power requirements.
One owner might only need a couple of LED lights, a water pump and somewhere to charge a phone.
Another might be charging several devices, running a television, powering accessories and spending several nights away from a hook-up.
Before deciding whether your current battery is suitable, think about how you actually camp.
How long do you normally stay in one place? How often will you drive between stops? Do you regularly use campsites with electric hook-up, or do you prefer quieter locations where you need to be more self-sufficient?
The answers give you a much better idea of what you need from the battery than simply buying the biggest one you can find.
Battery capacity matters when you stay off-grid
Leisure battery capacity is normally expressed in amp-hours (Ah).
As a simple principle, a battery with a higher Ah capacity can store more usable energy than a lower-capacity battery of the same technology.
But that does not automatically mean that the highest number is the correct choice.
The battery still has to physically fit the available space and be compatible with the campervan’s electrical and charging system.
It is also worth remembering that the usable capacity depends on the battery technology and how it is being used. Regularly discharging a battery more deeply than it is designed for can shorten its working life.
For anyone replacing an existing battery, the specification of the battery already fitted is a useful starting point.
Do not assume a fully charged battery is a healthy battery
Charging the battery before a trip is important, but charge alone does not tell you everything about its condition.
An ageing battery may appear to charge normally and then lose that charge much faster once equipment starts drawing power from it.
That can be particularly frustrating when the campervan has been sitting at home connected to a charger and everything initially appears fine.
If the battery is several years old, has repeatedly been left discharged or is noticeably losing capacity, it is worth investigating before relying on it for an off-grid trip.
Finding the problem on the driveway is much easier than discovering it on the first evening away.
Think about charging as well as capacity
A good leisure battery still needs an effective way of being recharged.
Depending on the campervan, this might include charging while driving, a mains charger when connected to a hook-up or a solar installation.
How frequently you can recharge is just as important as how much electricity you use.
Someone who drives regularly between locations may have very different requirements from somebody who parks in one place for several days.
Solar can also be useful for campers who spend more time away from mains electricity, but its performance naturally depends on the installation, weather and time of year.
The important point is to think of the battery and charging system together rather than treating them as completely separate things.
Check your battery before the first trip of the season
Campervans can spend long periods parked up, particularly through winter.
Unfortunately, batteries do not always enjoy being left unused.
Before the first proper trip of the year, inspect the battery and its connections and make sure it can still hold a charge properly.
Look for anything unusual around the battery or terminals. If there is visible damage, swelling, leakage or anything else that concerns you, do not simply charge it and hope for the best.
It is also worth testing the 12V equipment before leaving. Switch on the lights, operate the water pump and check the equipment you expect to use while camping.
A little preparation can uncover a problem while you still have time to sort it.
Choosing a replacement leisure battery
If a battery does need replacing, start with the requirements of the campervan rather than simply choosing on price.
Check the physical dimensions, voltage, Ah capacity, terminal arrangement and battery technology. You should also consider the charging equipment fitted to the vehicle.
Battery2U stocks leisure batteries for campervans, motorhomes and caravans, with different sizes and capacities available for a range of touring applications.
If you are uncertain about the specification, compare the details on the existing battery and check the requirements of the vehicle and charging system before ordering.
Getting those basics right is more important than simply choosing a battery with the largest capacity printed on the label.
A little preparation gives you more freedom
Off-grid camping is supposed to be about having fewer things to worry about.
A reliable electrical system helps make that possible.
Before setting off, charge the battery properly, check that it is still performing as expected and think realistically about how much power you will use between opportunities to recharge.
If the battery is getting older, do not wait until it completely fails before checking its condition.
Get the preparation right at home and, once you are away, you can concentrate on finding somewhere great to park, getting the chairs out and enjoying the reason you bought a campervan in the first place.