We have upgraded from a tent to 350 pounds worth of 12ft, 20 year old ABI caravan. It's great. The only issue is charging my new leisure battery. I tow with an ex AA renault trafic van which does not have the correct wiring loom to charge on the move and I can't afford to have one put in. There are not many cheap/undeveloped sites with electric hook ups but my leisure battery will only last 2/3 nights.
Is there a way of charging my leisure battery & possibly a spare to swap over during our two week holiday so that we can enjoy our new found luxury but still be n a 'rustic' site?
1. 100w solar panel and controller but that is about £200
2. Small generator, again not cheap no change from £300
3. Add wiring to van. You only need a splitcharge relay, wiring, fuses. Should be able to get sorted for £50 assuming you have standard hitch plugs.
Join the C&CC and use their Temporary Holiday Sites, no booking just turn up, a few you have to on Bank Hols., £8 to around £11 a night. Also get a solar panel, mine is a 150w and keeps the 110amp battery charged, so far for a 15 night stay. Cheap prices, more outings, go when you want, plenty of good locations around the country.
This one York at a sports club in July £8 a night and only 20min walk into the city.
Having your van fully wired to charge battery while towing is not going to help you if you are on a non electric site for a fortnight. Unless you want to get a solar panel then your fully charged leisure battery should run your interior lights for the duration used sparingly.
Otherwise just see your caravan as a vast inprovement on a tent that is not going to get flooded when it rains & blown away in a gale.
I've now purchased a solar panel with good reviews so fingers crossed we'll be good for a few days. The battery wasn't cheap and we don't use a tv or lots of lighting. The main thing now is to make it secure when we're out. Any suggestions? I thought fixing it to a board and chaining it to the van?
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Charging leisure batteries
