highbayrack
Member Since: 09 Jul 2008
Location: Northamptonshire
Posts: 2776
  
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I have no experience of these, but is anyone using Gel batteries in their caravan. Is the weight saving worth the extra cost and are there any other advantages/disadvantages in using Gel batteries.
Or I have a brand new genuine LR Defender battery in the garage should I just slap that on my new caravan  On a mission to find the perfect Pork Pie. Just Found it (I think)..(Yes I have)
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 13th May 2014 9:21 am |
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LandRoverAnorak
Member Since: 06 Mar 2014
Location: Surrey
Posts: 1131
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There's no reason why you couldn't but, given their cost, it seems overkill for the application. Darren
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| 13th May 2014 11:32 am |
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highbayrack
Member Since: 09 Jul 2008
Location: Northamptonshire
Posts: 2776
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I agree, but to be honest it didn't cost me anything as I used a free £250 LR voucher to buy the battery for SWMBO's car, but then we sold it, so I put the old one back on hers before it went  but its a heavy battery for the caravan which is why I was looking at Gel to save a bit on weight. On a mission to find the perfect Pork Pie. Just Found it (I think)..(Yes I have)
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| 13th May 2014 11:59 am |
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Bodsy
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I've got a red top in mine. Need to get a bigger one TBH so I'd use your defender one. Even the gel batteries are still heavy.  Bodsys Brake Bible
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| 13th May 2014 12:08 pm |
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LandRoverAnorak
Member Since: 06 Mar 2014
Location: Surrey
Posts: 1131
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Sorry, my comment was actually aimed at the use of a gel battery. If weight really is an issue then every little helps, as the saying goes. Otherwise, an ordinary leisure battery would be perfectly adequate.
A LR starter battery would work, but isn't really suited to the typical charge/discharge cycle that comes with caravan use and it would shorten its' life considerably. Darren
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| 13th May 2014 12:09 pm |
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MikeS2005
Member Since: 13 Sep 2008
Location: Midlothian
Posts: 920
 
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most gel batts are recomended for enclosures which can be open to people in a living space for safety reasons the optima to use for this is the bluetop and if you search theres the same thing cheaper from other manufacturers, manbat is another one
cheers
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| 13th May 2014 12:19 pm |
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highbayrack
Member Since: 09 Jul 2008
Location: Northamptonshire
Posts: 2776
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Cheers guys, I may as well use the LR battery for now then which will give me time to explore the Gel ones. Appreciate advice
Chris On a mission to find the perfect Pork Pie. Just Found it (I think)..(Yes I have)
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| 13th May 2014 1:35 pm |
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allforus
Member Since: 20 Mar 2010
Location: Cumbria
Posts: 492
 
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I got an x demo lithium battery for mine still cost a fortune but light as a feather and eqivalant to 200 amp lead acid or gel can get a full week off hook up even using the TV lights etc
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| 13th May 2014 4:47 pm |
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Russell
Member Since: 24 Aug 2007
Location: Kent
Posts: 10564
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Leisure battery is totally diffrent to a cranking battery, it will work but will not give the slow discharge that a leisure battery does and as such wil go flat very quickly if you are using it all the time, eg running on battery with no hook up MY17 D5 1st Edition Namib Orange
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| 13th May 2014 5:04 pm |
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highbayrack
Member Since: 09 Jul 2008
Location: Northamptonshire
Posts: 2776
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I appreciate that Russell, which is why I will only use it short term until I've looked at alternatives. TBH I've never really used any form of leisure battery in the past as we only use hook-up's but I need one now for the alarm & tracker and remote dial in for the central heating/hot water system as we are leaving our new van on a site for most of this season due to projects going on at the house through the summer and need the space it takes up and somewhere local to escape to On a mission to find the perfect Pork Pie. Just Found it (I think)..(Yes I have)
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| 13th May 2014 8:42 pm |
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mick
Member Since: 21 Jan 2007
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 2049
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Got a Gel battery in mine 10 year old now still fine
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| 13th May 2014 8:44 pm |
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highbayrack
Member Since: 09 Jul 2008
Location: Northamptonshire
Posts: 2776
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Mick what make is it ? On a mission to find the perfect Pork Pie. Just Found it (I think)..(Yes I have)
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| 13th May 2014 9:30 pm |
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mick
Member Since: 21 Jan 2007
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 2049
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highbayrack wrote:Mick what make is it ?
It's an Exide and it's 11 Y O been on my Hymer from new
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| 14th May 2014 7:39 pm |
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