The lithium battery for your Swift caravan.
From the compact Basecamp to the twin-axle Elegance Grande, every Swift caravan leaves the dealer with a lead-acid leisure battery that limits you to around half its rated capacity. A TITAN gives you close to 100% usable power in the same footprint, handles months of winter storage without degrading, and holds voltage rock-solid when the motor mover demands its peak surge.
Swift Group, Cottingham: the UK's largest caravan maker
Swift Group is based in Cottingham, East Yorkshire, and is the UK's largest caravan manufacturer. The Swift caravan range spans four model lines: the compact and lightweight Basecamp, the mid-range Challenger and Conqueror, and the range-topping Elegance and Elegance Grande twin-axle. If you own a Swift Sprite, that is a separate sibling range with its own guide at lithium battery for a Sprite caravan.
Unlike motorhomes, a caravan has no engine and no alternator. The leisure battery is the only on-board power source, charged either on a serviced pitch via the mains hook-up or from roof solar on a site with no electric. That makes battery capacity and charging strategy more important than on a motorhome - and it makes the shift from lead-acid to lithium a much more obvious upgrade.
Swift generally does not supply a leisure battery from the factory on many of its ranges. It is typically dealer-fitted, with a minimum around 85Ah recommended (75Ah on Basecamp due to the tighter underfloor space). Most Swift caravan owners are choosing their first proper leisure battery, which means lithium is a straightforward choice rather than a compromise on a legacy system. For a broader overview of switching to lithium in any caravan, the caravan battery guide covers the fundamentals.
Sizing a TITAN by Swift caravan model
A starting point by model line. Single-axle models carry tighter payload headroom than the twin-axle Elegance Grande, and the Basecamp has the most restricted battery locker - measure before ordering.
| Model | How it gets used | Good fit |
|---|---|---|
| BasecampCompact, lightweight, tighter underfloor battery compartment. Payload headroom matters most here. | Weekend touring, lights, fridge, phones | 100Ah (check underfloor dimensions carefully) |
| Challenger / ConquerorMid-range, mostly single-axle. Standard front offside locker. | Touring - lights, fridge, heating controls, water pump | 100Ah to 120Ah |
| Challenger / ConquerorMotor mover fitted, regular off-grid club sites. | Off-grid or motor mover use, longer stays | 150Ah |
| Elegance / Elegance GrandeLuxury twin-axle. Most payload headroom of any Swift caravan. | Touring with full onboard kit | 120Ah to 150Ah |
| Elegance GrandeExtended off-grid, inverter use, or twin-battery setup. | Extended off-grid, inverter, large appliances | 180Ah |
These are starting points, not fixed rules. The honest figure comes from your own loads - total them in the battery size calculator. Locker dimensions vary between model years and trim levels, so measure the space including terminal height before ordering. Watch payload headroom carefully on single-axle models. Swift Sprite owners should see the separate Sprite caravan guide.
Where the leisure battery lives in a Swift caravan
On most Swift 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 compartment with ventilation for a standard leisure battery. Typical front lockers accommodate a battery roughly 225mm tall, 175mm deep, and 353mm wide - but this varies between model years and specification levels. Always measure your own locker, including the height available above the terminal posts, before ordering.
On the Basecamp the battery location is different. The compact and lightweight build of the Basecamp means the battery sits in a tighter low or underfloor compartment rather than a full-size external locker. The usable space is more restricted here, which is why the recommended minimum is around 75Ah and why a 100Ah TITAN should be measured in before assuming it will fit.
The TITAN case is sealed to IP67, so it handles the damp and temperature swings of an external front 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 DIN-format and purpose-built for leisure battery lockers, it sits low and stable without rattling on the road.
Charging your Swift 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's electric. Most modern Swift caravans use a Sargent power system, and TITAN recommends setting the charger to a lithium profile. Check your charger against the charger compatibility list to confirm it can charge lithium correctly. A lithium battery charges considerably faster than the lead-acid it replaces, so the battery is typically full before you reach for the morning coffee.
- Roof solar through an MPPT controller. Solar is the key charging source on club certificated locations and any site without electric. MPPT controllers extract more from the panels than a basic PWM unit - if your Swift is fitted with roof solar, an MPPT controller is strongly recommended alongside a lithium battery. The solar sizing guide helps you match panel area to your load. Upper Swift ranges such as Elegance come with solar provision from the factory; it is easy to retrofit on Challenger and Conqueror too.
- 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 Swift is fitted with a motor mover, lithium makes a meaningful difference. Motor movers draw a large surge current to get the caravan moving - a lead-acid battery that is even partially discharged can sag badly under this load, causing the mover to hesitate or cut out under heavier caravans. A TITAN holds its voltage flat right through the surge, and the mover responds as the manufacturer intended throughout the state of charge. The higher usable capacity also means you can move the van several times on the same charge without the anxiety of watching the battery drop.
Winter storage. Caravans often sit unused for several months. Lead-acid batteries self-discharge steadily and 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 also charges safely down to -30C - so if you do connect it to solar or mains during winter, it charges correctly regardless of the ambient temperature. Every TITAN carries a lifetime, fully transferable warranty.
