The lithium upgrade for your Sterling caravan.
Sterling caravans are no longer in production, but thousands of Eccles, Continental and Elite models remain in use on UK sites. If the original lead-acid in your Sterling is tired after years of service, a TITAN gives you close to 100% usable power in the same locker footprint, holds voltage rock-solid when the motor mover surges, and handles months of winter storage without degrading.
Sterling: a Swift Group brand, discontinued in 2018
Sterling was a premium caravan brand within the Swift Group, built in Cottingham, East Yorkshire alongside Swift's own ranges. For 2018, Swift consolidated its entire caravan portfolio under a single brand name, retiring Sterling as a separate marque. The final Sterling models were the 2017 season range. The Eccles range, which had sat under the Sterling umbrella, was retained and rebranded as the Swift Eccles from 2018 onward. The Continental and Elite ranges were phased out with the brand. No new Sterling caravans have been produced since.
This guide is written for owners of used Sterling caravans - Eccles, Continental and Elite models bought on the second-hand market - who want to modernise a well-kept van by replacing a tired original lead-acid with a lithium battery. Because Sterling was a Swift Group product, the construction follows exactly the same architecture as a Swift caravan: a front offside external battery locker, the same power system, and similar locker dimensions. For that reason the Swift caravan battery guide is closely related reading.
Unlike motorhomes, a caravan has no engine and no alternator. The leisure battery is the only on-board power source, charged on a serviced pitch via the mains hook-up or from roof solar on a site without electric. That makes capacity and charging strategy more important than on a motorhome - and makes the shift from lead-acid to lithium a meaningful improvement on an older van whose original battery may have lost a significant portion of its rated capacity. For a full overview of switching caravan batteries, the caravan battery guide covers the fundamentals.
Sizing a TITAN for your Sterling
Sterling caravans typically left the factory with a lead-acid leisure battery in the 85Ah to 110Ah range. Most owners find that a TITAN in the same bracket gives a dramatic improvement in usable capacity, because lithium delivers close to 100% of its rated capacity where lead-acid delivers around half.
| How you use it | Typical scenario | Good fit |
|---|---|---|
| Weekend touring, mostly on hook-upServiced pitches the majority of the time. Lighting, fridge, water pump, phone charging. | Rarely off-grid, no motor mover | 100Ah |
| Touring with a motor moverMotor mover fitted. Mix of serviced and club sites. Standard electrical loads. | Mover use on arrival and departure | 100Ah to 120Ah |
| Regular off-grid touringCLs, farm sites, rallies without electric. Relying on solar and the 13-pin trickle. | Off-grid regularly, possibly motor mover | 150Ah |
These are starting points, not fixed rules. The honest figure comes from your own loads - total them in the battery size calculator. Sterling model years vary on the used market, so always measure the front locker including terminal height before ordering - do not assume from the Ah figure alone that it will fit. On older Sterling caravans, check that the existing onboard charger has a lithium charging profile before fitting a lithium battery - see the charger compatibility list. Sterling shared Swift Group's build, so the Swift caravan guide is closely related reading.
Where the leisure battery lives in a Sterling caravan
On Sterling caravans the leisure battery sits in an external battery locker at the front offside corner of the van, separate from the gas locker. This is a dedicated ventilated compartment, sharing the same location and general layout as the equivalent Swift caravan locker - because Sterling was built on the same production line. Typical lockers accommodate a standard leisure battery around 225mm tall, 175mm deep and 353mm wide, but this varies between model years and specification levels, and used-market caravans may have had the locker modified by previous owners.
The original battery in most Sterling caravans was in the 85Ah to 110Ah range. A TITAN of the same Ah rating uses a DIN leisure-battery footprint that fits the standard locker without modification. Always measure your own locker, including the height available above the terminal posts to the lid or any retaining bar, before ordering. Do not rely on the previous battery's dimensions alone - terminal post height can vary between battery types.
The TITAN case is sealed to IP67, so it handles the damp and temperature swings of a front external locker without issue. The RJ45 comms ports drop to IP32 while a cable is connected - keep any plugged port clear of standing water. Because the TITAN case is low-profile and DIN-format, it sits stable in the locker and does not rattle on the road.
Charging your Sterling caravan's lithium battery
A caravan has no engine, so there is no alternator. Charging comes from three sources:
- 230V mains hook-up via the onboard charger. This is the primary source on a serviced pitch. The onboard charger fills the leisure battery from the site electric. On Sterling caravans produced before 2018, the charger may have a lead-acid profile only. Before fitting a lithium battery to an older Sterling, check your charger against the charger compatibility list to confirm it supports a lithium charging profile. A lithium battery charges considerably faster than the lead-acid it replaces - it is typically full well before you reach for the morning coffee.
- Roof solar through an MPPT controller. Solar is the key charging source on club certificated locations and sites without electric. An MPPT controller extracts more from the panels than a basic PWM unit - if your Sterling has roof solar, or you are planning a retrofit, an MPPT controller is strongly recommended alongside a lithium battery. The solar sizing guide helps you match panel area to your loads.
- Trickle charge via the 12S or 13-pin towing plug. While the caravan is being towed, the tow car sends a small charge to the van through the 12S or 13-pin electrical connection. This is a maintenance trickle, not a fast charge - it keeps the fridge running and tops up the battery gently on the move. It is not a substitute for mains or solar, but it means you arrive at a site with a slightly fuller battery than you left home with.
Motor mover and lithium. If your Sterling is fitted with a motor mover, lithium makes a meaningful difference. Motor movers draw a large surge current to get the caravan moving - a tired lead-acid that is even partially discharged can sag badly under this load, causing the mover to hesitate or cut out. A TITAN holds its voltage flat right through the surge, so the mover gets full power throughout the manoeuvre. The higher usable capacity also means you can pitch and reposition several times on the same charge without anxiety.
Winter storage. Caravans often sit unused for several months. Lead-acid batteries self-discharge steadily and can suffer permanent capacity loss if left discharged. A TITAN lithium has a very low self-discharge rate and tolerates long storage periods without degradation. The built-in low-temperature heater in the custom BMS means the battery charges safely down to -30C - so if you connect it to solar or mains during winter, it charges correctly regardless of ambient temperature. Every TITAN carries a lifetime, fully transferable warranty.
