Leisure batteries

Well  for a battery that claims it is not a Engine Starter Battery then gives a Marine CCA (SAE) : 750 makes me wpnder. I suspect this is a dual purpose battery and its weight at 29Kg seems to suggest that.

Depending on usage it could last 3/4 years on a leisure boat if only discharged to a SoC of 25% on the 3/4 weeks the boat is used per year. On a liveaboard where the want is to discharge to 50% that would mean 500 cycles ( one cycle a day) so easily could be less than 18 months. Discharge over 50% and its life will be rapidly shortened.

What is the usage and expect Amphours used per day?

Buy something better is my advice I have full traction batteries one bank 12 years old the other is 5-6 years old still ok and showing 12.25 volts with the inverter, fridge, central heating pump and tv plus lights all on. My last bank cost £600 squids my mate bought a bank last year for same price you need to think big I am afraid

With electric hook-up and a decent charger the batteries should never cycle at all and almost anything should last 3 year, except during the 5 week cruising. However I agree with Peter for the best traction batteries are the best and looked after would probably last you 15 or 20 years, maybe even longer.

Really need a power audit to recommend bank size, but my guess would be 440Ah based on power hook-up and only 5 weeks cruising a year.

BTW should have been DoD not SoC brain is getting pickled.

Still reading here. I gotta ask, Geo, is this you?
www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/what-is-the-best-leisure-battery.23204/#post-280237

Assuming it is, then you are saying cheap & cheerful, & peterboat is saying get full traction for £600. Cant say I've seen any for that price, besides which there isnt the room & it would need an angle grinder to get rid of my existing battery tray (sized for 6 bog standard cheapo 'leisure' batteries the same size as the starter battery).

Trojan T105s are also out without having to remove my current battery tray & have a new 1 welded in wider longer & lower ('cuz I'd want 6 of them).

Any recommendations apart from full traction or trojans?

No it is not me Not a site I know and being about motor-homes not a mode of transport I am interested in.



Well as to space in your earlier post you stated, “…aiming for a 600Ah bank.” A doubling in size compared with your 300Ah existing bank. I assume that would have required alterations and extensions to the battery boxes. If by chance you have reduced from 6 to 3 batteries then that suggests the original design electrically was for a 600Ah bank not a 300Ah.



However for the moment let us assume a 600Ah bank of standard batteries, to get the best life out of them that would give an available 150Ahs (25% SoC). Now if the standard batteries were replaced with traction batteries, the need would be for only 300Ah of traction batteries as they are quite happy to discharge to 50% of their charge and still give you a long life. I suspect they would fit quite happily into your 6-battery box. I suspect even 400/450Ahs of traction batteries would fit into your 6 standard battery box and give a 50% discharge point of 200/225Ahs and a long life if properly charged and maintained.



The perfect solution does not exist, as we have not got all the information, a full power audit. In terms of £’s per Ah over the battery life I suspect Traction batteries would be more economical compared with standard lead acids, but of course they have a higher up front cost.



It all comes down to initial outlay and what you are willing to shell out. If you can shell out for traction batteries in the long run the cost will be lower than standard led acids, which would be cheaper but have to be replaced a lot more frequently, ending up costing more per watt or Ah available than tractions. Personally for a boat being used for 5 weeks a year I would fit standard lead acid. If the boat were a full-time live aboard I would fit Traction. Horses for courses plus the size of the initial budget.

Foxy, could not agree more, which is why rarely do I recommend a manufacturer. However, I have just replace the car battery with a Yuasea which via Halfords comes with a lifetime guarantee for about a tenner more than the standard hobby. The new one weighted noticeably more than the old when I changed it.

lol We will see, but if it lasts me six years in my 2 litre diesel think I might be happy. The car manufacturer's just made 3 1/2 years.

Regarding the KIAs bought one for my young lady, it undercut it's equivalents by a couple of thousand, the quality is reasonable compared with others in its class and the seven year warranty compared with others gives a good safety from major cost. Like all car manufacturers the let down is the dealerships.