Marine and Caravan

Engine start, dual use or deep cycle?

An engine-start battery hands out short, heavy bursts. A deep-cycle battery releases energy slowly and recovers from being drawn down hard, ideal for lights, pumps and fridges. Dual-use models sit between the two and suit smaller boats that carry a single battery.

Sizing a leisure bank on paper

• List every appliance and its daily consumption in watt-hours.
• Multiply that total by your planned nights away from hook-up.
• Add plenty of headroom, as lead-based batteries dislike being emptied.
• Build multi-battery banks from matched units bought together.

Quick answers

Which chemistry for a motorhome?

Glass-mat and gel need no maintenance at all. Lithium saves a lot of weight but asks for compatible charging from the alternator, the mains charger and the solar regulator.

Protecting the bank over winter?

Charge fully, then isolate or keep a maintainer connected. Storage options are also in Solar. Brands to explore include Fullriver, Exide and Optima.