Need advice!! Best Batteries

[SRath]

Here's a hard-learned lesson about battery maintenence:

Last year, with outrageous gas prices and major floods here affecting my job, we had to call it quits after 10 years of motocross racing every weekend. Our old '83 Class C Chevy was our weekend towing/racing vehicle for all those years. It served us well and only sat from November through February each year.

After it had sat unused all of last summer since the previous November, I needed a battery for my son's jonboat. So I took the deep cycle out of the camper (the RV battery; not the vehicle battery). I had left the camper plugged in for all those months.

The instant I hit the starter key to see if the boat motor would start, there was a HUGE explosion!! Pieces of that battery rained down all over my back yard. The only thing that saved me was the fortunate angle of the battery compartment lid deflecting the majority of the blast and battery pieces/acid up over my head.

There really wasn't much acid, it turned out, as I raided my wife's fridge and cupboard for all the baking soda and water I could find. That saved the boat, too. I had never given it any thought, but that old camper's converter/charger apparently has no float mode, and it charged that battery continuously for months until it boiled it dry and sulfated between the plates enough to create a direct short internally. Hitting the key and completing the circuit was like hitting a detonator.

I'll never leave a battery in a camper or vehicle for an extended period again! And I'll never assume a charger is a "smart charger" again just because I had no problems for 10 years.

As for the Lifeline batteries, all I know about them is what I have read. And it is all very good. I can give you my opinion about over-rated and over-priced Optima batteries, though: Don't waste your money.

 

[GaryOwen]

Two 6v batteries hooked up in series will give you 12v output. Take two 220 amp-hours batteries and hook them up in series and you will have 12v and 220 amp-hours total. A slight increase in available power over two 12 marine batteries. The 6v batteries are slightly larger, that is roughly equivalent to the extra power.



I bought two golf cart batteries about 5 years ago at Sams Club for about $60 each. They have lasted well so far. Don't know if they still sell them or not.

 

[RBridenbaugh]

Since they're 6V, I'd have to buy 4 of them. That's $1,080 plus tax. Do they make them in 12V? You can get a lot of deep cycle 12V batteries at Costco for for much money.



I don't mind using my built-in generator as much as I want. It runs on propane, which is relatively cheap anyway when compare to gasoline. Propane is $1. 90 per gal in Albuquerque.

Must to nice to have inexpensive propane. I'm happy when I can find it for $3/gallon.



You can get true deep cycle AGM batteries in 6V or 12V. If you are running four AGM Lifeline 6V batteries with 220 Ah, that would typically give you 440 Ah of 12 V capacity.



Trojan Batteries 12V 31-AGM with 110 Ah each cost $329 each, Lifeline 12V GPL-31MT AGM with 105 Ah each cost $266. Basically ~420 Ah of capacity cost you ~$1100 whether they are 6V or 12V.



DEKA sells a 12V AGM battery that is a "marine" battery (starting and deep cycle, "hybrid") so not as tolerant of deep discharge, but better than a starter battery. Deka Intimidator 9A31 with 100 Ah at $230 each.



A flooded, 6V true deep cycle battery by Trojan T-105 with 225 Ah costs $128 each, so ~$500 for 450 Ah. They last, much more than 10 years if you maintain them.



Walmart Everlast 12V flooded "hybrid" 27DC with 105 Ah cost $70, so 420 Ah costs you ~$280. These lasted only 3 years in my sailboat. If you get 5 years consider yourself lucky.



All depends on what you consider a lifecycle for you RV. I like to keep things forever and fix things once and move on.

 

[SnoKing]

Costco has 220 amp hr golf cart batteries for 75 bucks. SNOKING

 

[Grizzly]

Must to nice to have inexpensive propane. I'm happy when I can find it for $3/gallon.



You can get true deep cycle AGM batteries in 6V or 12V. If you are running four AGM Lifeline 6V batteries with 220 Ah, that would typically give you 440 Ah of 12 V capacity.



Trojan Batteries 12V 31-AGM with 110 Ah each cost $329 each, Lifeline 12V GPL-31MT AGM with 105 Ah each cost $266. Basically ~420 Ah of capacity cost you ~$1100 whether they are 6V or 12V.



DEKA sells a 12V AGM battery that is a "marine" battery (starting and deep cycle, "hybrid") so not as tolerant of deep discharge, but better than a starter battery. Deka Intimidator 9A31 with 100 Ah at $230 each.



A flooded, 6V true deep cycle battery by Trojan T-105 with 225 Ah costs $128 each, so ~$500 for 450 Ah. They last, much more than 10 years if you maintain them.



Walmart Everlast 12V flooded "hybrid" 27DC with 105 Ah cost $70, so 420 Ah costs you ~$280. These lasted only 3 years in my sailboat. If you get 5 years consider yourself lucky.



All depends on what you consider a lifecycle for you RV. I like to keep things forever and fix things once and move on.

I would like to convert to 4, 6V golf cart batteries. I don't have the room in my battery slideout trays for 4, so I would have to mount 2 batteries in the basement storage. Lifeline batteries would be too expensive for 4.



I had one of my 10 gal propane tanks filled this week for $1. 90 per gal, however I was told that the cost is going up soon.

 

[SnoKing]

Lead acid batteries need to be in a vented compartment or in vented box that has inlet and outlet air that is NOT from or to the basement area. SNOKING

 

[Grizzly]

Lead acid batteries need to be in a vented compartment or in vented box that has inlet and outlet air that is NOT from or to the basement area. SNOKING

Well, there goes that idea about basement storage for two batteries. How good would 2 - 6V batteries be compare to 2 - 12V batteries?

 

[SnoKing]

Amp hours will be about the same. In real life, golf cart batteries will perform much better "if" you take care of them. They have much heavier construction. One of the tricks of battery life is to only discharge them to around 50 percent before recharging. You need an amp hour meter to see that. Voltage under load is not a good indicator.

Linkpro



SNOKING

 

[GaryOwen]

I've seen a battery box with a vent hose for batteries that is probably what you would need for batteries in your basement storage. Seems like it was in a boating catalog, just don't remember for sure. Would have to run vent hose to outside though.



Found this box at this link. May be able to find cheaper elsewhere.



Vented Battery Box - RV Parts, RV Supplies & RV Accessories for 5th Wheels, ToyHaulers, Campers

 

[Grizzly]

I've seen a battery box with a vent hose for batteries that is probably what you would need for batteries in your basement storage. Seems like it was in a boating catalog, just don't remember for sure. Would have to run vent hose to outside though.



Found this box at this link. May be able to find cheaper elsewhere.



Vented Battery Box - RV Parts, RV Supplies & RV Accessories for 5th Wheels, ToyHaulers, Campers

It's an option. I don't like the $30 each, so I'll shop around for a better price.

 

[SnoKing]

It's an option. I don't like the $30 each, so I'll shop around for a better price.

That is not big enough for a 6V Golf Cart battery. SNOKING

 

[BIGNASTY]

I went the costco battery 2 6v they would never get a full charge. Then went to Trojan 105 they charge full and last for what seems like forever. never have ran them below 65% there not cheap but everybody that have them swear by them

 

[Skydiver]

Lots of good tips. Batteries -- and Other Electric Stuff by phred



A smart charger is a good investment.

BatteryMINDer 12 Volt 2-4-8 Amp | BatteryStuff.com

I run a 8 y/o Mercedes diesel battery in my Ford 2810 tractor. I have never been able to get more than 24 months from a 4-DLT.

 

[cojhl2]

Pickup sits from Nov to Apr

Since my pickup sits in WA while I am in CO I installed a disconnect to eliminate completely the battery from any circuit.



I found out that with an Odessy battery you cannot let it stay in the discahrged state as long as a wet cell batt.



A word about them: I let mine completely discharge and destroyed the battery after more than a year of use. Odessy replaced the battery no charge and slapped my hands.



Thats why I now have the disconnect.