Load tester for checking caravans

julie8314dave

Hi, could anyone tell me the best load tester that is easy to use on my caravan please, somebody has said because i have a twin axle caravan and a motor mover, and I have a large battery that I need that is more than 100 amps. any help, please.

matelodave

What do you want to do with a "load tester".

If all you want is the battery tested then take it to Halfords or somewhere and get them to test it for you. An easy alternative is to get yourself a multimeter and test the battery using the motor mover as the load.

Make sure the battery is fully charged and the voltage is around 12.6-12.7 volts after the charger has been switched off for around 24 hours. Here is the the slightlt hazardaous bit so be careful and make sure that you have assistance and plenty of space (one person operates the mover whilst another monitors the voltage).

Measure the battery voltage whilst the mover is operating - ideally the battery voltage shouldn't drop below 12volts for alt least a few minutes - if the voltage drops rapidly to below 11.5 or so then the battery is on its way out

julie8314dave

Because I need one to use as a load tester on caravans. Battery load/ drop tester, thanks for the reply, the question is there are so many on the market some say up to 100, some say up to 200 cca that is what I am trying to distinguish.

Oneye12

"..and I have a large battery that I need that is more than 100 amps"

We are little mystified why you want to test your battery - and what needs 100 amps.

Most garages have battery testers for cars but to purchase sets you back several hundred pounds.

molerat

A bit mystified about what you actually want to do but if you are trying to find what your battery is capable of outputting you need to take it to a pro to test.  To buy anything that is reliably accurate will cost more than replacing the battery several times over, the one I used at work cost around £900.

coffeehound

julie8314dave said:

somebody has said because i have a twin axle caravan and a motor mover, and I have a large battery that I need that is more than 100 amps

The book of words for your motor mover should tell you how many amps it can pull

matelodave

They dont always, although for a single axle mover (one motor on each side - which are also used on twin axles caravans) around 80amps is a reasonable guess. If the van is fitted with a twin axle mover (two motors on each side ofthe van) then you could probably double that. 
https://www.practicalcaravan.com/buying-guides/best-caravan-motor-movers gives you some idea of the current consumption of various movers - note the running current is usually a lot less than the starting current. 

However all that said, buying a battery tester to test the battery might tell you if the battery was OK but would not help if there is a problem somewhere else - in the wiring for instance.

A better idea of why the battery needs to be tested and how often this test needs to be carried out would help decide whether it was easier to nip down to Halfords etc and get them to test it, buy a new battery for £100 or spend several hundred quid on a tester that's going to be used once a year or less.

Entirely up to the OP but it's best to know what you are doing, why you are doing it and what the results are telling you rather than lashing out lots'a'money on a "someone said" situation

Just my opinion you understand

forgotmyname

Simply measure the battery voltage with the mover in action.  If its holding 12.4 after a good 20 or 30 feet then the

battery is good. Less than 12.4 then its starting to age.  Below 12v then it needs replacing.

Dont stop and measure though you need a reading whilst its actually moving.

oh_really

I'm not clear what you actually want to measure, your header informs you want a load tester, get a DC clamp meter.

[Deleted User]

I think you are mixing up the battery capacity with a maximum delivery current. If you have a 12v caravan battery for example that says 100Ah on the label then that is the capacity and not the limit of current delivery. 

12v batteries leisure batteries are capable of delivering at least 300 amps, some up to 800 amps.


Rather than a tester, just post the specification / model number / photo of the battery label that you are thinking of using and take it from there.

Ibrahim5

The largest leisure batteries are normally 110Ah. With a large caravan and a motor mover it seems to make sense to buy that size. However the size just determines how long the motor mover can work before it runs out of energy. The motor mover makes it easier to pitch the caravan. Saves forwarding and reversing numerous times which isn't good for the car especially a manual clutch. Using the motor mover uses up the leisure battery and wears the mover. So I wouldn't recommend trying to use the motor mover for long distances. If you stop with the caravan close to where you want it and use the mover for the last little bit you can get away with a smaller leisure battery. However if you are inexperienced with the mover it will probably take you a bit to learn how to do that. The simple answer is to just buy a 110Ah leisure battery.