Using Yuasa Silver 5000 (100Ah) as leisure batteries?

[CamperVanBeethoven]

I got an offer that was too good to pass up. A pair of Yuasa Silver 5000 100Ah batteries, surplus to requirements, at a very good price. A round price ...

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/bulbs- ... -guarantee

I'd like to use these as leisure batteries. Now, the problem is they aren't strictly speaking right for the job. I'll probably get a reduced lifespan out of them and have to replace them in a couple of years. However, I think this would be doable long as I slap a voltmeter on the pair and don't let them discharge too low. Possibly coupled with a low voltage alarm. What do you think?

They've had a few months usage but weren't the correct type for where they were fitted (think they needed deep-discharge batteries). And they have never been deep-discharged ...

[EDDY99]

Dont be suckered by the leisure battery label, most are rebadged car batteries.
I know this is an old test but not much has changed
https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/media/13871919/ccmnovtechnical.pdf?type=archive
Proper deep cycle batteries are the type fitted to fork lifts etc, they weigh a ton and are expensive.
Any good quality car battery will do as a leisure battery.
A good quality battery charger and or solar will keep your batteries in good nick.
I have a CTEK charger which has an option to recondition batteries (de-sulphate the plates).
Not sure how much it helps but I have had my batteries for a few years now and there is only a slight reduction in performance.

Eddy

[EDDY99]

Worth a read

The truth on leisure and starter batteries..

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_printer_threads.asp?ForumID=6&TopicID=226834

[dumper]

The local farm to me use leisure battery's for their cattle fences and come harvest time the battery's go on to the combined harvesters and also use them to jump off tractors as well if they are the right money go for it

[CamperVanBeethoven]

The local farm to me use leisure battery's for their cattle fences and come harvest time the battery's go on to the combined harvesters and also use them to jump off tractors as well if they are the right money go for it

They were free (that's what I meant by a 'round price' - 0 ).

OK, so I'll go for it! Just need to figure out where to put them ...

[dumper]

That's the price you can get as for fitting on the mk5 100 lwb I had I put one each side of the van next to the rear wheel arch box so to spread the weigh evenly across the van

[CamperVanBeethoven]

That's the price you can get as for fitting on the mk5 100 lwb I had I put one each side of the van next to the rear wheel arch box so to spread the weigh evenly across the van

Yeah, I was considering either doing that, or putting both on the left hand side (to equalise to some extent the weight of all the furniture on the RH side). They're 24 kilos each, so the pair would be 50. It would help balance out the constant load on the springs a bit better ...

[dumper]

I was lucky wit my 100 lwb I had two six foot beds at back o/&n/s a ten gallon water tank across the back of th van the kitchen unit behind drivers and a draw unit at the sliding door so it was very well layed out unlike the jumbo I have now it has to much weigh on the drivers side .the next van I will look at spreading weight more evenly again .

[makenmend]

those batteries will do fine and if charged correctly and not discharged below 50 percent of state of charge, should hold up for longer than just 2 years.
I use this smart charger to maintain my tractor and trolling motor batteries, Noco Genius Smart Battery Charger from Amazon.
For my van I have 3 methods to charge my house and starter batteries.
1. VSR, Smart Duel Battery 140 A Isolator, from Amazon
2. Shore power through 45 amp converter. Also from Amazon
3. Solar
I can monitor my batteries SOC from the solar charge controller. But for quick reference I use this. Baylite 100 A battery monitor from Amazon

My loads are coffee pot every morning 950 watts , crock pot 90 watts on occasion, tv+ blue ray 2-3 hours in evening 35 watts,plus phone, laptop and tablet charging as required, my SOT has never been below 63 percent an is usually back to 100 by early afternoon with Solar alone. With 2 X 100 ah house battery bank and 320 watts Solar,I have not used shore power to date.

MM