Leisure Battery Help

Technical questions and answers about the Mazda Bongo

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rhunllwyd
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Re: Leisure Battery Help

Post by rhunllwyd » Wed Jul 11, 2012 3:52 pm

Thanks. Fair play, he emailed me back within an hour and is going to try and sort one out this weekend.

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mikeWalsall
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Re: Leisure Battery Help

Post by mikeWalsall » Wed Jul 11, 2012 5:01 pm

If you get the battery tray of him at the same time, a 110ah leisure battery will fit in ...
JAL Mushroom roof,12/240v, fridge, cooker, sink, LPG V6 .. (written off @ £5500 Nov 2016)
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Re: Leisure Battery Help

Post by Observer » Fri Jul 13, 2012 3:31 pm

mikeWalsall wrote:If you get the battery tray of him at the same time, a 110ah leisure battery will fit in ...

Would it be possible to lower the original battery tray by maybe elongating the holes? Anyone tried it?
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Bogmonster40
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Re: Leisure Battery Help

Post by Bogmonster40 » Fri Jul 13, 2012 4:47 pm

With regards to a leisure battery - We are off to europe next month and my kids want their dvd players/laptops/games stuff etc etc "Well I am nowhere near there yet" !!!! so was thinking of getting a leisure battery set up put in.
I have a V6 2.5i Tin top would anyone advise going for a diy set up with a battery inside the vehicle seating area or is there room under the bonnett - come to think of it I do not even know where my battery is :oops: :oops: :roll:
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mikeWalsall
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Re: Leisure Battery Help

Post by mikeWalsall » Fri Jul 13, 2012 5:40 pm

A Willinton tray / split charging system is an ideal simple solution to fitting a leisure batty ..

But the Southern (one battery) off side starter battery tray will fit onto the near side utilising most of the Mazda bolt holes ... but you will have to fabricate two simple 'L' shaped brackets into the holes in the chassis rail to support the tray on the engine side ..

My 90ah starter battery ..

Image

My 110ah Leisure battery is also a snug fit ...

Image
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Simon Jones
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Re: Leisure Battery Help

Post by Simon Jones » Fri Jul 13, 2012 8:11 pm

Observer wrote:
mikeWalsall wrote:If you get the battery tray of him at the same time, a 110ah leisure battery will fit in ...

Would it be possible to lower the original battery tray by maybe elongating the holes? Anyone tried it?
The vertical support under the tray is pretty substantial. It could be modified, but it would be a cut and re-weld job.
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mikeWalsall
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Re: Leisure Battery Help

Post by mikeWalsall » Fri Jul 13, 2012 9:52 pm

I have not modified my starter battery tray and the 90ah battery fits OK .. just used some 6mm neoprene rubber as a tray mat ..

I bought a genuine Mazda starter battery tray for my leisure battery (both are the same part numbers) .... this one ..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110902327264

As I did not have the pressed steel support as used on the northern spec. second battery .. I made two brackets that fit into the original holes in the chassis rail .. and these bolts onto the leisure battery tray ..
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Re: Leisure Battery Help

Post by Observer » Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:32 am

mikeWalsall wrote:I have not modified my starter battery tray and the 90ah battery fits OK .. just used some 6mm neoprene rubber as a tray mat ..

I bought a genuine Mazda starter battery tray for my leisure battery (both are the same part numbers) .... this one ..
Hi Mike, I thought you were implying that a large capaacity LB such as 110 ah would not fit. Ours must be the Northern type and has a nearside tray but the LB is only 70 ah. Would you happen to know the largest capacity LB which will fit this space without modifiying the original tray?

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bongobaz
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Re: Leisure Battery Help

Post by bongobaz » Sat Jul 14, 2012 10:58 am

I had my willinton kit within 2 days of ordering, great service and follow up.
Read instructions 3 times to get jist of it and fitted in 30 mins in the street
can't recommend enough don't hesitate.
Beware size of battery, i had to go for low profile 95 amp and still tight fit.

Ps i have no connection with "Willinton kit" other than being impressed.
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mikeWalsall
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Re: Leisure Battery Help

Post by mikeWalsall » Sat Jul 14, 2012 11:00 am

My V6 is a JAL conversion .. they had fitted an 'home made' rather crude, un painted, angle iron battery tray for the 75ah leisure battery ..

Image

When I tried to fit the 110ah the battery in the 'tray' it was to tall ... I contacted Martin at Wilington, but at the time he did not have one of his fibreglass trays available..

looking at the parts list the genuine Mazda battery is the same for the Twin battery Northern spec. as the single battery Southern model ... but ... the pressed steel support / bracket is different ...

http://lushprojects.com/bongopartsmk2/c ... mgno=.html

The OEM steel tray I got, fitted directly into of Mazda original drilled / tapped holes in the engine compartment, I just had to make two 'legs' to support the tray and bolted it into the OEM tapped holes present in the chassis (where the pressed steel bracket would have been bolted in to)..

If ... you have a Northern spec. there is enough room length ways .. ie: from the inner wing / lecky relays to the engine for the battery .. but if they use the same mounting holes to determine the hight of the battery I don't know ..

My 110ah leisure battery is nine inches high x fourteen inches long and fits in the available space nicely..
JAL Mushroom roof,12/240v, fridge, cooker, sink, LPG V6 .. (written off @ £5500 Nov 2016)
wicksie

Re: Leisure Battery Help

Post by wicksie » Sat Jul 14, 2012 12:24 pm

Hello all from our 2nd week travelling Europe!

At a campsite the electric tripped so we inadvertently ran down our leisure battery. We have now had it on charge for a couple of days but it's not working our appliances.
The battery is new and a multimeter tells us it's charged so there is clearly another problem. We're running a supercharger and a quick look at the electrics available without taking the rear conversion out, we can see that it's not outputting 12v.
The fuses on the charger seem to be fine.
Again, we're new to the bongo world and the van was already converted so we're not sure where else to look.
Any tips or ideas what could be wrong?


Hoping to be able to take advantage of the lovely Aires in France so we can get more than 2 months out of our budget. Loving living the Bongo life. :)
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mikeWalsall
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Re: Leisure Battery Help

Post by mikeWalsall » Sat Jul 14, 2012 12:32 pm

Have you got a separate trip / circuit / earth leakage breaker in the van that needs resetting (ie:turning back on)..??

Image
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Re: Leisure Battery Help

Post by wicksie » Sat Jul 14, 2012 12:51 pm

Ee, it would appear so!
A simple solution that we over complicated but it's all a constant learning curve.
Pleased it's something simple :-s
Many thanks.
wicksie

Re: Leisure Battery Help

Post by wicksie » Sat Jul 14, 2012 1:58 pm

New problem is when my other half was screwing the supercharge back on, the screw went through a wire.
So now we're back to not having electrics.
Le sigh.
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Observer
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Re: Leisure Battery Help

Post by Observer » Sat Jul 14, 2012 3:38 pm

mikeWalsall wrote:
My 110ah leisure battery is nine inches high x fourteen inches long and fits in the available space nicely..
I've just checked ours and to the top of the terminals, it's about the same plus 5/8" or so extra for a pair of studs and wing nuts attached (part of the willinton) which could be removed/turned upside down.

It's time to check the dimensions of a few different makes of LB's unless anyone can direct me to a 110 ah that will fit in the nearside unmodified tray. :-? :-?
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