The battery in our wan has had better days and has to be replaced,
is there any difference between makes and country of origin,
where is the best place to buy, (in Tassie)and size, the last one was 115AH non sealed
All lights come off battery even when we are in camp grounds with power, when we free camp i use gas to run my fridge and every thing is battery powered even my cpap machine
patrol03 said
08:34 AM Oct 17, 2017
I suggest you check the internet.There are myriads of sellers at various prices. Depending on your vehicles electrical capability the best unit for your van would be an AGM fully sealed unit of about 100AH.I use a 120ah Full River brand but there are many good ones out there.Some even have free delivery.Most of the batteries these days come out of China,Korea and Malaysia and most users have very little or no trouble with them.I would certainly steer clear of calcium batteries and go for an AGM. Under the bonnet of my vehicle I run a 55ah deep cycle to run the fridge in the back and the alternator copes with the start battery the van battery too.
Phillipn said
09:04 AM Oct 17, 2017
Cowboy, try Island batteries. they give great service.
macka17 said
12:10 PM Oct 17, 2017
Hi.
Firstly. What are you charging it with. Alternator. Panels ??.
Price "Giant" AGM's. I got mine from net 85a x 2. Never missed a beat so far.
They fitted in my front boot position neater than 1 x 110\120a I had.
With 2 x 130w Panels to feed them. (Have spare 85w on Ute roof).
Will install another panel later if req'd.
Have a Hybrid AGM "Spiral Wound Cell" Battery too, under my bonnet.
Aussie Dealer. Aussie Warranty.
With further (older)85 x 90 CCA Wet cells in tray too for veh.
Charged through elecronic, Dual batt controller with the 80w panel to float.
I tried 2 x Full River AGM.s yrs ago (Different times).
Neither lasted as long as my Exide Exremes. on same panel eg system.
NOT very impressed for the price (exxy in those days). Primarily kept on float.
Van parked. with Compressor fridge permanently on along with a coupla lights.
Both only gave around 4 yrs. (345w panels)
Sold van, Sans, Battery's. Buy your own.
New.
IF you are game and have $ then try the LiFePO4 120AH from accessantennas in Perth And Brisbane. I have only done 10days with a mix of free camps and parks around vic and nsw. It is a direct replacement for a single AGM battery no series or parallel and charged only by a 220Watt cheap mppt panel. At this stage looking okay but too early to recommend but it does have a 2 year warranty and most normal battery chargers work . The BMS battery management system is internal so treat like a AGM. I did watch the 240 batt charger start to hit 16 volts and called the guys, said no problems.
Kebbin said
08:20 PM Oct 17, 2017
Make sure to check out different brands same A/hr and see if there is a difference in weight the heavier batteries are probably correctly rated with the lighter ( by 3-4 kg) are probably over rated, all Giant Batteries are lighter then named brand batteries, just saying, so don't bother Macka.
Tony Bev said
08:39 PM Oct 17, 2017
When I was looking for batteries a while ago, I was under the impression that batteries were no longer made in Australia
I purchased 2 x Bosch 120 AH, AGM batteries, as they were heavier than other brands of the same AH
I also brought local because, if they failed, the cost of sending them back through the post, would have been expensive
Tony Bev said
08:44 PM Oct 17, 2017
RoamerAllWaze wrote:
IF you are game and have $ then try the LiFePO4 120AH from accessantennas in Perth And Brisbane. I have only done 10days with a mix of free camps and parks around vic and nsw. It is a direct replacement for a single AGM battery no series or parallel and charged only by a 220Watt cheap mppt panel. At this stage looking okay but too early to recommend but it does have a 2 year warranty and most normal battery chargers work . The BMS battery management system is internal so treat like a AGM. I did watch the 240 batt charger start to hit 16 volts and called the guys, said no problems.
May I be one of the first to welcome you to the forum, RoamerAllWaze
Is there any chance of giving some periodical updates on your LiFePO4 120AH battery
RoamerAllWaze said
11:38 AM Oct 18, 2017
Tony Bev wrote:
RoamerAllWaze wrote:
IF you are game and have $ then try the LiFePO4 120AH from accessantennas in Perth And Brisbane. I have only done 10days with a mix of free camps and parks around vic and nsw. It is a direct replacement for a single AGM battery no series or parallel and charged only by a 220Watt cheap mppt panel. At this stage looking okay but too early to recommend but it does have a 2 year warranty and most normal battery chargers work . The BMS battery management system is internal so treat like a AGM. I did watch the 240 batt charger start to hit 16 volts and called the guys, said no problems.
May I be one of the first to welcome you to the forum, RoamerAllWaze
Is there any chance of giving some periodical updates on your LiFePO4 120AH battery
Hi Tony,
thanks for the welcome
Unfortunately my roaming status is in the heart and we still have a home base.
We will be heading Off for another two weeks free camp/parks late November, will let you know how it goes. From my perspective it is the discharge capacity and low weight I am paying for.
We are not on the road full time but the batt is lighter and can be drained to near empty according to the specs.
So prepared to risk it given that an AGM cannot discharge so low.
By the way, My 5 + year old 100AH FullRiver is now in the Triton cab feeding the Evakool compressor and still purring along.
So I have the highest regard for the AGMs.
macka17 said
11:48 AM Oct 18, 2017
Wasn't going to bother Kebbin.
Look at "reviews". On ALL items you going to buy. of any type. I always do.
PS. For others....
Mine's a coupla yrs old. ticking over nicely. along with the Spiral Wound Chinese?.
under bonnet.
-- Edited by macka17 on Wednesday 18th of October 2017 11:52:24 AM
JeffRae said
06:58 PM Oct 18, 2017
Hello Cowboy7307 You have Battery World in Hobart, there are also 6 Jaycar stores in Tasmania, also Island Batteries I notice Island Batteries are agents for Full River batteries which would be my choice Cheers JeffRae
Cowboy7307 said
08:07 AM Oct 19, 2017
Thanks for replies all helpful
Cupie said
04:23 PM Oct 19, 2017
Kebbin wrote:
Make sure to check out different brands same A/hr and see if there is a difference in weight the heavier batteries are probably correctly rated with the lighter ( by 3-4 kg) are probably over rated, all Giant Batteries are lighter then named brand batteries, just saying, so don't bother Macka.
Kebbin ... You had me a bit worried with your comment about weight ... My new Giant 130aH has just arrived at my front door freight free. I had looked at weight as well as price along with reviews before choosing Giant.
A quick check/comparison of weights showed the only direct comparison in the 100ish aH range was
115aH Giant 28.5kg v 115 aH FullRiver 32kg.
So it seems you are right, but there's buggar all in it .... not like the price.
I think that I made an OK decision.
Oh yes ... This is a supplier of FullRiver and others in Tassie.
Out of interest.
Who's factory do his Battery's come out of..
China.Japan. Europe. Malaysia?.
IE. The actual MFG's label. Giant. Full River. etc.etc.
Hylife said
01:04 PM Oct 27, 2017
Tony Bev wrote:
When I was looking for batteries a while ago, I was under the impression that batteries were no longer made in Australia
Century (owned by Yuasa) still manufacture here using a mix of local and imported components
-- Edited by Hylife on Friday 27th of October 2017 01:05:24 PM
Craig1 said
09:42 PM Oct 30, 2017
They spent a few million last year on a new Australian factory
Hylife said
12:47 PM Oct 31, 2017
I guess we probably all know this, but what makes a 'lead-acid' battery a deep cycle Vs not a deep cycle, is the size and quantity of the lead plates.
Regardless of type (wet, gel, glass mat, etc), they are all still just variations of lead-acid and the rest of the design doesn't really change, just how the electrolyte is managed.
The amounts of additional materials that are added to the lead, to make various lead alloys, such as antimony, silver, calcium, etc, are really quite small and represent just a few grams of the total overall weight of a battery
Go visit a battery outlet and ask to see a disassembled battery and you discover that the plastic housing weighs only approx. 1.5kg .
So, those batteries that weigh 4-5kg more, are, (all things being equal with regard to case design), manufactured with more lead and therefore are better able to handle either a deeper discharge/cycle or a greater number of recharge cycles.
Tony Bev said
10:16 PM Oct 31, 2017
Hylife wrote:
Tony Bev wrote:
When I was looking for batteries a while ago, I was under the impression that batteries were no longer made in Australia
Century (owned by Yuasa) still manufacture here using a mix of local and imported components
-- Edited by Hylife on Friday 27th of October 2017 01:05:24 PM
I was unaware that Century batteries are made in Australia, Hylife
So thanks for that information
I shall look at Century Batteries, when I need replacements, somewhere down the track
The battery in our wan has had better days and has to be replaced,
is there any difference between makes and country of origin,
where is the best place to buy, (in Tassie)and size, the last one was 115AH non sealed
All lights come off battery even when we are in camp grounds with power, when we free camp i use gas to run my fridge and every thing is battery powered even my cpap machine
Cowboy, try Island batteries. they give great service.
Firstly. What are you charging it with. Alternator. Panels ??.
Price "Giant" AGM's. I got mine from net 85a x 2. Never missed a beat so far.
They fitted in my front boot position neater than 1 x 110\120a I had.
With 2 x 130w Panels to feed them. (Have spare 85w on Ute roof).
Will install another panel later if req'd.
Have a Hybrid AGM "Spiral Wound Cell" Battery too, under my bonnet.
Aussie Dealer. Aussie Warranty.
With further (older)85 x 90 CCA Wet cells in tray too for veh.
Charged through elecronic, Dual batt controller with the 80w panel to float.
I tried 2 x Full River AGM.s yrs ago (Different times).
Neither lasted as long as my Exide Exremes. on same panel
eg system.
NOT very impressed for the price (exxy in those days). Primarily kept on float.
Van parked. with Compressor fridge permanently on along with a coupla lights.
Both only gave around 4 yrs. (345w panels)
Sold van, Sans, Battery's. Buy your own.
New.
PS. Full River are Chinese MFG. Or were.
I purchased 2 x Bosch 120 AH, AGM batteries, as they were heavier than other brands of the same AH
I also brought local because, if they failed, the cost of sending them back through the post, would have been expensive
May I be one of the first to welcome you to the forum, RoamerAllWaze
Is there any chance of giving some periodical updates on your LiFePO4 120AH battery
Hi Tony,
thanks for the welcome
Unfortunately my roaming status is in the heart and we still have a home base.
We will be heading Off for another two weeks free camp/parks late November, will let you know how it goes. From my perspective it is the discharge capacity and low weight I am paying for.
We are not on the road full time but the batt is lighter and can be drained to near empty according to the specs.
So prepared to risk it given that an AGM cannot discharge so low.
By the way, My 5 + year old 100AH FullRiver is now in the Triton cab feeding the Evakool compressor and still purring along.
So I have the highest regard for the AGMs.
Wasn't going to bother Kebbin.
Look at "reviews".
On ALL items you going to buy. of any type.
I always do.
PS. For others....
Mine's a coupla yrs old. ticking over nicely. along with the Spiral Wound Chinese?.
under bonnet.
-- Edited by macka17 on Wednesday 18th of October 2017 11:52:24 AM
Hello Cowboy7307
You have Battery World in Hobart, there are also 6 Jaycar stores in Tasmania, also Island Batteries
I notice Island Batteries are agents for Full River batteries which would be my choice
Cheers
JeffRae
Thanks for replies all helpful
Kebbin ... You had me a bit worried with your comment about weight ... My new Giant 130aH has just arrived at my front door freight free. I had looked at weight as well as price along with reviews before choosing Giant.
A quick check/comparison of weights showed the only direct comparison in the 100ish aH range was
115aH Giant 28.5kg v 115 aH FullRiver 32kg.
So it seems you are right, but there's buggar all in it .... not like the price.
I think that I made an OK decision.
Oh yes ... This is a supplier of FullRiver and others in Tassie.
Every Battery ...
ps .. The Warranty might be another story .. But THE PRICE !!!! makes my decision.
www.batteryvalue.com.au/
Who's factory do his Battery's come out of..
China.Japan. Europe. Malaysia?.
IE. The actual MFG's label. Giant. Full River. etc.etc.
Century (owned by Yuasa) still manufacture here using a mix of local and imported components
-- Edited by Hylife on Friday 27th of October 2017 01:05:24 PM
Regardless of type (wet, gel, glass mat, etc), they are all still just variations of lead-acid and the rest of the design doesn't really change, just how the electrolyte is managed.
The amounts of additional materials that are added to the lead, to make various lead alloys, such as antimony, silver, calcium, etc, are really quite small and represent just a few grams of the total overall weight of a battery
Go visit a battery outlet and ask to see a disassembled battery and you discover that the plastic housing weighs only approx. 1.5kg .
So, those batteries that weigh 4-5kg more, are, (all things being equal with regard to case design), manufactured with more lead and therefore are better able to handle either a deeper discharge/cycle or a greater number of recharge cycles.
I was unaware that Century batteries are made in Australia, Hylife
So thanks for that information
I shall look at Century Batteries, when I need replacements, somewhere down the track