7 best leisure batteries for motorhomes

A working leisure battery is an essential element of any motorhome. Whether you holiday off-grid or often hook up to a caravan site’s power supply, the leisure battery in your vehicle will store the energy needed to power your motorhome’s 12v appliances. But what’s the best leisure battery for a motorhome or campervan, and what should you consider when choosing the right leisure battery for your van?

Here’s all you need to know about leisure batteries, including our top seven models with prices and buying links.

Best leisure batteries for motorhomes and campervans

The best leisure battery for a motorhome is one that’s powerful, easy to charge and easy to fit. A low maintenance or maintenance free battery is also a big plus, as is the level of discharge a battery can reach without permanent damage.

You’ll probably also have a preference about which type of leisure battery is best for your motorhome, for example lithium or sealed acid, as well as of course taking budget into account. We cover the differences in these below, and have included a model of each type in our best leisure battery for a motorhome roundup. Whatever your needs or budget, you’ll find a battery to suit from our list!

1. Platinum AGM Plus Leisure Battery 12V 100Ah AGMLB6110L

£169.99

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The first in our best leisure battery for a motorhome list offers excellent performance for its price. It’s an AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) battery, so is fully sealed and doesn’t need any maintenance or ventilation. It’s also resistant to vibrations, so will continue to perform even in bumpy conditions. This model is rated as “A class” by the National Caravan Council, meaning it’s powerful enough to use for off-grid living.

Key benefits:

• Powerful AGM battery with excellent performance for the price

• Rated as “A class” by the National Caravan Council, so can be used for off-grid living

• Comes with three-year warranty

• 100Ah (amp hours) capacity

Considerations:

• Should not be discharged to 50% or below

2. Renogy LifePO4 Smart Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery

£499.99

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This model from Renogy is a lithium battery, considerably more lightweight than other leisure battery types (between a third and half of the weight of a standard AGM battery). The Renogy LifePO4 is good for a whopping 4,000 recharge cycles, so could last for up to 10 years, and it’s extremely tough too, working in sub-zero temperatures. This is the best leisure battery for a motorhome if you want to holiday in all weathers.

Key benefits:

• Highly durable and long-lasting lithium battery

• Five-year warranty

• 80% (DoD), compared to the 50% of AGM batteries

• 100Ah capacity

• Weighs just 11.3kg

• In-built battery management system protecting against short circuits, overcharging and excess temperatures

Considerations:

• Higher price

• Additional shipping fee for Scotland and Northern Ireland if ordered direct from Renogy

3. Yuasa L36-100

£190

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As well as AGM and lithium batteries, a popular type of leisure battery is the sealed lead acid model. As its name suggests, these types of batteries are sealed, so don’t require maintenance with topping up.

A sealed lead acid leisure battery like the Yuasa L36-100 will work well in a wide range of temperatures, so consider this model if you plan to use or hire out your motorhome in autumn or winter. At a manageable weight of just over 23kg, the Yuasa is National Caravan Council verified Class C and comes supplied, charged and ready to fit.

Key benefits:

• Works well in almost all temperatures

• 100Ah capacity

• Optimised for repeated charging & discharging

• Enhanced safety features including integrated flame arrestor and carry handle

Considerations:

• Sealed lead acid model, which have shorter lifespans than an open lead acid battery

• Should not be discharged to 50% or below

4. Royal Battery SuperBatt DT120

£119.99

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A fourth type of caravan or motorhome leisure battery is the open lead acid battery, one of the first styles of leisure batteries on the market. These are “open” in the sense that they need to be regularly topped up with electrolyte solution to keep running, which obviously needs a higher level of maintenance than an AGM or sealed lead battery. That said, these types of batteries are usually less expensive and are designed to be sturdy and long lasting.

The SuperBatt DT120 is our pick for an open lead acid battery as it uses ACT (Advanced Calcium Technology) to make it maintenance free and give longer life. Best of all, it’s dual purpose, able to be used as an engine starter as well as a power supply.

Key benefits:

• Powerful 120Ah battery, designed to be long lasting

• Maintenance free

• Dual purpose battery: great choice for motorhomers who don’t want a dedicated leisure battery, as well as those who use their vehicles often

• Two-year warranty

Considerations:

• Needs to be regularly checked/topped up

5. Expedition Plus EXP12-110C

£189.99

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The Expedition Plus EXP12-110C is a gel acid battery, a battery type that’s leak- and maintenance-free like an AGM battery, but storing its electrolyte in a gel form. Gel leisure batteries are perfect for warm weather as higher temperatures can increase their lifespans, and as deep-cycle batteries can completely recharge from 4-10 times faster than lead acid. They’re also good for off-grid motorhoming as they can drop to 20% charge without issue.

Check out the Expedition Plus if you’re looking for a high quality gel acid battery for under £200: it uses the latest lead carbon gel construction, allowing for much faster recharge and discharge while greatly prolonging the battery life.

Key benefits:

• Long-lasting battery

• Offers 1500 +cycles at a DoD of 50%

• Sealed for life – dry-cell, unspillable and safe

• Very fast charging

• Five-year warranty

Considerations:

• Should not be discharged to 80% or below

6. Platinum Leisure Plus Battery

£85.85

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Also from Platinum’s Leisure Plus range is this budget-friendly sealed acid battery, retailing at under £100. It’s designated as C class by the National Caravan Council, so is best used for occasional off-gridding rather than prolonged periods without mains power.

But if this is the style of motorhoming you prefer or if money is tight, the Platinum Leisure Plus is a highly reliable battery from a reputable brand. It’s available from several outlets, but the lowest price we’ve found is from Tayna Batteries, linked above.

Key benefits:

• Best leisure battery for a motorhome for budget travellers

• Sealed and spill-proof

• Strong deep-cycle capabilities

• Maintenance free

• Comes with State of Charge Indicator so you can easily see the battery's charge and acid level

• 110Ah capacity

• Two-year warranty

Considerations:

Not suitable for prolonged off-grid use

7. NX 6-CNFJ-100 Lead Crystal Battery

£516.41

Buy online

The final type of leisure battery available for motorhomes is lead crystal, a model of sealed lead acid battery. These batteries use lead crystal technology to perform at a very high standard, while also being maintenance free.

They’re exceptionally long lasting at up to three times the lifespan of standard sealed lead acid batteries and will work in almost all temperatures. The biggest advantage of these types of batteries is that they can sustain up to 100% discharge rate without damage.

Like lithium batteries, lead crystal leisure batteries are on the higher-priced end of the market. But if you have the budget, this model from NX is our best leisure battery for a motorhome: it has a very low self-discharge, charges twice as fast as standard lead acid batteries, and will work in any temperature around the world.

Key benefits:

• Very low self-discharge: can be stored for two years without a top-up charge

• Uses non-corrosive SiO2 acid which electrolyte crystallises over time to improve battery performance

• Capacity of 110Ah

• Works in temperatures from -40°C to 65°C

• Three-year warranty

• 99% recyclable

Considerations:

• Higher-priced battery

• Price range of a lithium battery but significantly heavier (30kg)

Considerations when choosing the best leisure battery for motorhomes and campervans

As outlined above, there are several types of leisure batteries for motorhomes and campervans. These can be considered when choosing which type works best for you:

Open lead leisure battery

The earliest type of leisure battery on the market, open lead or flooded batteries, are generally the least expensive option. However, they require maintenance by topping up the electrolyte, and are often heavy. They can also stop working if discharged to below 50%.

Sealed lead acid leisure battery

Sealed lead batteries have the same weight and potential discharge issues as open lead batteries. But this style of leisure battery is fully sealed, making it safer and leak-proof. A sealed lead battery will usually cost more than an open lead.

AGM leisure battery

These use a fibreglass mat to hold the electrolyte safely. AGM batteries are usually pricier than open or sealed lead batteries, but their higher price comes with several advantages including that they’re designed to withstand vibrations. They can usually be discharged up to 50%.

Gel leisure battery

Gel batteries work on a similar principle to AGM ones, but their electrolyte comes in a thick gel rather than a liquid. They’re a top choice for off-grid camping as they can be discharged up to 80% without permanent damage. They also have a longer lifespan than sealed or open lead batteries. But they’re more expensive than AGM batteries and aren’t ideal for high load motor movers.

Lithium leisure battery

These are by far the lightest leisure batteries for motorhomes, and as such cost more. They last much longer than lead acid batteries and can usually be discharged up to 80%. They cope well with frequent discharges. As a lightweight and powerful battery, these are among the highest priced leisure batteries.

Lead crystal leisure battery

The huge advantage of lead crystal leisure batteries is that they can be fully discharged without damage. They work in extreme temperatures and have up to three times the lifespan of AGM batteries. They’re among the most expensive models of motorhome leisure batteries available.

Other considerations when choosing the best leisure battery for motorhomes and campervans include:

Battery capacity and motorhome use

How you use your motorhome will determine what battery capacity you want to consider. Although batteries come in a wide range of Amp-hours, anything under 100Ah will be best suited to light use, for example a couple of days off-grid or a holiday where you use campsite electricity almost every night.

If you plan to be mostly off-grid, it’s worth getting as high a battery capacity as you can – look for batteries labelled as Class A by the National Caravan Council standards.

Size and weight

Even though you should get as high a battery capacity as possible, consider the physical size and weight of the battery too. Most motorhomes will be able to cope with most batteries, assuming an average battery weight of 25-30kg. However, some batteries weigh up to 90kg, not ideal for keeping payload low.

Leisure batteries are fairly standard in size, but if you’re really pushed for space consider a small and compact model like the Renogy LifePO4 above.

Season and temperature

Most batteries will work at capacity in standard UK temperatures. However, if you’re going to a warmer country, or storing your motorhome unused over winter, it’s best to look for a battery that will continue to perform in most temperatures.

Charging

The charge of your leisure battery will normally be maintained or even recharged while you’re driving your motorhome. Be aware though that some types of engine (such as Euro 6) won’t maintain battery charge even while driving.

You should also check ahead that any campsite you plan to book has sufficient hook-up supply, as a 6A hook-up will obviously take longer to charge a battery than a 16A. For full peace of mind, you might also want to consider buying a portable leisure battery charger to keep in your motorhome.

Check out our detailed guide on how to charge a leisure battery on a motorhome for more details on keeping your battery juiced. And if you plan to use solar power for battery charging, ourmotorhome electrics guide has you covered.

Make back the cost of your motorhome leisure battery (and more!)

As with most things motorhome, a leisure battery comes in a wide range of prices. But to allow full versatility for anyone using your motorhome, it’s best to get as high quality a battery as you can. Getting a leisure battery like the lithium or lead crystal models above will ensure your motorhome can be used in all conditions.

Now that you know the top models for the best leisure battery for a motorhome, why not test your battery out on the road? Our best motorhome campsites in the UK guide has lots of inspiration for places to stay.

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