Campervan Batteries

What is the Best Leisure Battery for a Campervan?

Buying the right campervan leisure battery can be challenging, with so many products on the market with contrasting features and prices.

This Snappy Start guide collates all the information you need to choose a great camper leisure battery to keep your camping trips running smoothly.

What is a Campervan Leisure Battery?

Camping leisure battery products work differently from car batteries - they provide a steady supply of power for longer periods to run things like your lights and cooking equipment.

The leisure battery camper is made for longer uses and deep cycling. This means that you can run the charge down do 50% and recharge after that.

How Do I Choose the Best Leisure Battery for Campervan Trips?

Choosing the best campervan battery may be tricky. All of the different campervans require different requirements and may depend on people's preferences such as:

• How often you camp away from electrical hook-up points.
• Whether you have any heavy-duty appliances on board (and their power rating).
• The type of car you use to tow your caravan.
• Whether you need a dual-use campervan leisure battery.

We'll explain each of the priorities below to help you narrow down the right campervan leisure battery for your needs.

What Are The Most Common Types of Batteries?

Campervan adventures require reliable power sources, and choosing the right type of battery is crucial. Here we explore four main types of campervan batteries tailored to different needs and vehicles.

• Advanced Leisure Batteries: These are specifically designed for campervans, offering a blend of durability and high performance. They can handle frequent discharges and recharges, making them perfect for powering your on-road home's lights, fridge, and other essentials.
• AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) Batteries: Known for their robustness, AGM batteries use glass mat technology to contain the electrolyte. This design enhances their charge efficiency and makes them spill-proof - an excellent choice for rough terrains.
• Low Height Batteries: Ideal for campervans with limited space, these batteries offer quality energy storage in a compact form. Their shorter stature allows easy installation in tight spots without compromising on power.
• Lithium Leisure Batteries: The lightest among all types, lithium leisure batteries boast superior longevity and recharge rates. Despite being pricier upfront, they provide unmatched efficiency over time, saving money in the long run.

Each type brings distinct advantages, from enduring harsh conditions to fitting snugly in constrained spaces or delivering fast recharge times. Selecting the suitable category depends on your vehicle's size, your travel habits, and how you plan to use your appliances on the road.

Battery Chargers and Power Inverters

Battery chargers are essential for maintaining your campervan batteries, including lead acid leisure batteries and lithium ion batteries. They replenish the power used during your travels, ensuring that you always have a reliable source of electricity.

Most chargers are designed to be user-friendly, automatically adjusting the charging rate to prevent damage to the battery.

Power inverters transform the DC electricity stored in your leisure battery into AC power, which is what most of your home appliances use. This means you can run devices like laptops and kitchen gadgets directly from your campervan.

Choosing an inverter that matches your power needs is crucial for efficient energy use and avoiding overload on either lithium batteries or lead-acid types.

Choosing the Right Campervan Battery

Selecting the perfect battery for your campervan involves careful consideration. You'll need to assess your travel needs and equipment usage to make an informed choice.

Before choosing your campervan battery, there are some things you need to take into consideration. These elements will make a tremendous difference for your vehicle and some of them include:

• Capacity: The capacity of a battery, measured in ampere-hours (Ah), indicates how much electricity it can store and deliver over time. A higher capacity means more power for longer periods, ideal for extended trips or powering multiple appliances.
• Voltage: Campervan batteries come in various voltages, commonly 12V or 24V. Your choice should match the voltage requirements of your campervan's electrical system to ensure compatibility and efficient power use.
• Wattage Needs: Wattage tells you how much power your devices need to operate. Calculating the total wattage required by all your equipment helps determine the battery size needed to meet these demands effectively.
• Construction Type: The construction of a battery affects its longevity, maintenance needs, and performance under different conditions. Lead acid batteries are traditional but require regular maintenance; lithium leisure batteries offer greater efficiency and lifespan with minimal upkeep.

Understanding these factors will guide you in selecting a campervan battery that suits your travel needs and ensures reliability on the road.

Power Requirements Of A Campervan Battery

To accurately size your batteries, you first need to understand how much electricity your campervan uses daily. Calculate the total wattage of all appliances and tools that will run off the battery.

Consider how long you plan to use these devices each day and whether you'll have access to charging facilities regularly. For continuous power without frequent recharges, opt for a larger capacity battery, possibly a high-quality lithium leisure battery which offers more cycles and longer life compared to standard lead acid batteries.

Ensure the voltage of the chosen battery matches your campervan's system to avoid compatibility issues. This strategic approach ensures your adventures are powered effectively without unexpected power shortages.

There are many campervan leisure batteries on the market, so it's worth knowing what they mean and the contrasts in performance.

• Open lead-acid batteries are models that are fairly basic and have a sulphuric acid solution inside. They are very heavy and require topping up with distilled water to maintain functionality.
Sealed lead-acid battery units require zero maintenance (and they're our preferred model at Snappy Start!). They are sealed for safety.
• Absorbed Glass Mat or AGM leisure battery camping products are built with fibreglass mats to avoid pressure build-up and are almost leakproof. However, they can be expensive and last a shorter time than conventional models.
• Gel leisure batteries for camper units are leakproof and have a longer service life. However, they are also not normally available in the UK and are better suited to hotter Mediterranean climates.
• Lead crystal campervan leisure batteries are fairly similar to AGM models, but cost around double the price of a normal battery and are not easy to buy.

Picking the Right Size Battery

Size matters in both the physical camper leisure battery size and the AH (amp-hour) rating. The first step is to measure the tray space for your campervan leisure battery - you need a battery that will fit in the tray, although some vehicles have a bit of extra room.

The lowest AH available is 70 AH. Most go for a larger battery than that, with 100 AH as our smallest available model. Less powerful campervan leisure batteries are only suitable if you tend to use mains hook-up sites and have the battery solely as a backup.

Off-grid camping will require at least 100 AH to keep your appliances working.

How Heavy Should Campervan Leisure Batteries Be?

Weight is important because most camper leisure battery units are pretty heavy and need to comply with the maximum load weight in your vehicle.

Overloading can cause many issues and a typical 100 AH camper leisure lithium battery will weigh about 25 kg. Some of the larger leisure lithium batteries for camping units weigh as much as 90 kg, although you can also get lightweight lithium leisure batteries, weighing approximately 13 kg.

It's also essential to think about where you will store your camper lithium leisure battery. If the space is near the front, it might affect the nose weight of the vehicle. Most campervan leisure battery slots are found above the axle, where the vehicle has more ability to support the weight.

How to Charge a Leisure Battery for Camping?

The best way to recharge a leisure battery camping model is through your main power supply at home or a battery charger.

You can also recharge a leisure battery for camping at a pitch hook-up.

Electrical Hook-up Charging

Charge rates vary between campsites and depend on your campervan's onboard charger.

Some sites offer low 6A chargers, up to 16A for full power, so it's worth investigating the quality of the hook-up and whether it's suitable for your campervan leisure batteries before you plan your trip.

Charging While Driving

Most cars will allow you to preserve the charge in your camping leisure battery while you drive - although charging from the vehicle is rarely efficient because it can take a considerable amount of time.

Modern cars are often unsuitable, but you can check this when buying a leisure battery for camping.

Are There Alternative Ways to Charge Campervan Leisure Batteries?

You might opt for a portable charger to keep your leisure battery camper running, which isn't particularly expensive and means you have more flexibility about when and where you recharge.

Another alternative is to fit solar panels, which can charge a leisure battery camping unit as you drive - but you need to have the right number of solar cells depending on the type of camper leisure battery you have.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below you'll find the answers to some of the common questions about choosing the best leisure battery for campervan vehicles.