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Dick Lane Motorhomes, Dick Lane, Thornbury, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD3 8QD.

Sales tel: 01274 661 441 - Service tel: 01274 667 216

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Power Management

A motorhome gives you the freedom to be as independent as you wish. For those who prefer not to be tethered to the mains for their electrical requirements there are a number of ways to help to make your power supply last longer.



Leisure Batteries

If your power demands are greater than the standard leisure battery can support or you prefer not to drive around too much just to charge a battery, fitting an additional leisure battery is the easiest and cheapest way to increase your electrical capacity.


Although superficially similar, leisure batteries and starter batteries are not the same. Starter batteries have thin lead plates to provide a quick release of power for engine starting whereas the thicker plates of leisure batteries are better suited to repeated charging and discharging, and the slower release of power required for the 12 volt equipment in a motorhome. Some batteries which are sold as leisure batteries are no different to starter batteries and will not perform as well in the long run.


Batteries supplied as leisure batteries by Dick Lane are manufactured as such by reputable manufacturers and are not simply re-labelled starter batteries.



Sterling Advanced Battery Chargers

Alternators do a reasonable job of charging an engine battery but were never designed to get the best out of a leisure battery. A Sterling Battery-to-Battery charger makes more efficient use of the alternator’s output. It takes the surplus power from the alternator which isn’t needed for the engine battery and uses it to provide a four-stage charge for the leisure battery. This not only charges the leisure batteries approximately five times faster than a standard alternator, but also puts more charge into the batteries. With a battery-to-battery charger you don’t have to drive as far to re-charge your batteries.



Solar Panels

Solar (photovoltaic) panels convert light into electrical energy. Once fitted, a solar panel will provide free energy, with no maintenance, no running costs, and without the noise that even the quietest generator produces. When connected to a solar panel, a leisure battery can provide significantly more power for extended periods without the need for external charging .

The energy from a solar panel is stored in the leisure battery for use as needed, not used to power appliances directly, so the batteries will always benefit from some degree of charge during daylight hours. The amount of charge will vary depending on the strength of the sun, whether it is cloudy, and the position of the sun in relation to the panel. Panels are typically mounted flat on the motorhome roof but can be fitted on to a GPS tracking unit which follows the sun and can increase yield by a factor of three.

Solar panels are available in various sizes and should be matched to a suitable bank of batteries. We can advise on an appropriate set-up to suit your electrical requirements.

For further information on any of these products, please call

01274 661 441

Oyster SunMover solar panel

Sun-Mover® solar panel with GPS tracking unit

Advanced battery charging