Gel cell batteries

[robertmayberry]

Am going to put new batteries in soon. We put gel cells in our boat last year and I really like not having to ck the water and filling the cells every three months.

Any recommendations out there for gel cell brands, etc.?

Thank you.

Bob
2011 Solera
San Francisco

[Phinias]

I bought mine at Sam's Club (coach bat.) After one year great, only way to go. Cot me less than 300 for 2

[Ford Idaho]

I have a group 27 Centennial jell, it works well as far as I can tell.

[robertmayberry]

Hi there,

Do you have a model number or code or something?

Do they fit in that space under the steps?

Do you sew the same coach charger?

Thank you so much!

Bob
San Francisco

[Phinias]

they'll fit. nothing else changes.

[robertmayberry]

Oops.

Do you "use" the same coach charger?

[robertmayberry]

Cool. Thank you.

[Still Kickin]

I thought I read in here that battery guru types, did some in-depth research and had said the wet cell was more versital if your going to dry camp. They seem to hold up better, take a charge more readily, if your running days between shore power, thats assuming you stay above 50%. lets face it, if all you do in RV parks, then its moot.

[Phinias]

No, i dry camped at Hershey for 7 days no problems

[camaraderie]

OK...let' dispense with the GEL CELL name. Gel cells do exist but they are almost never used in RV's and will be DESTROYED by the charging parameters in most RV charger/converters.
That leaves us with TWO other types of batteries that are available in DEEP CYCLE configuration...WET cells which need water and AGM (absorbed glass mat) batteries which are sealed. NOT all sealed batteries are AGM...most are DUAL PURPOSE wet cells with a built in water reservoir that should not be used in deep cycle applications.

So first to answer the OP's direct question. There are several brands of AGM's which are widely used and get good reviews. Lifeline has a lot of proponents and is quite pricey. Full River is a chinese battery and gives good value per dollar spent. My own preference would be for the Trojans or Deka Marine Intimidator batteries are in the middle, are built well and are widely available.
I would note that AGMS's are available in both standard 12V sizes and 6V configs.

Advantages of AGMS...and disadvantages first:
-High Cost...2-3 times the cost of comparable wet cells.
- LESS lifespan cycles to 50% than comparable built, well cared for wet cells. (about 10% less).
-REALLY don't like to be left on charge full time
- REALLY need to be charged back up to 100% almost always if you don't want to lose capacity eventually.

So why do people pay more for them?
- No maintenance & water filling.
- Can be charged fully at LEAST twice as fast as a comparable wet cell IF you have a charger that is at least 1/2 of the rated amp hours.
-Can as a result, pay for themselves in generator gas and maintenance savings in a FULL TIME boondocking situation.
- Can supply at least 2x the current of a comparable wet cell for short periods.
- MUCH more resistant to freezing when fully charged.
- May be stored unattended for many months since self discharge is 1/10th that of wet cells.
-May be installed at any angle where they fit....even upside down.

Except in a full time boondocking situation...with a big charger...AGM's are never a good economic decision compared to wet cells. BUT given the care most wet cells ACTUALLY get....they typically last longer in real life! And they have lots of other benefits which may be of importance to some.

Hope this helps with the decision making.

[Still Kickin]

Cam, your the battery guru I was refering too. Thanks, that pretty much summed it up.

[Phinias]

Ya know what, I spoke too quickley. They were Duracel AMG Marine Batteries, They cost 120 bucks at Sam's Club They work great Sorry about the mix up

[John McClain]

life line 31

[rana]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

BUT given the care most wet cells ACTUALLY get....they typically last longer in real life!

That's really the big kicker. IF your wet cells are maintained properly. I know more than a few folks that run through sets of wet cells every 3 or 4 "seasons" and think that's normal. By the time you're on your second set you've already eaten up any cost or energy capacity savings over going AGM from the get-go.

Wet cells don't take that much effort to maintain, however, they MUST be maintained year round. AGM's are much more "set and forget" friendly.

[Phinias]

I'm more of a hands off guy. At 120 bucks a piece, it's more than worth it. IMHO

[Herk7769]

These are on my wish list:

Amazon.com: QTY 2 Vmaxtanks Vmaxslr155 AGM Deep Cycle 12v 310ah total at 12V (155ah ea) SLA rechargeable Battery for Use with Pv Solar Panels,Smart chargers wind Turbine and Inverters: Electronics

[Phinias]

Might be worth but Duracels are half the price and Sam's Club are easy to deal with and accessible

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by Phinias

Might be worth but Duracels are half the price and Sam's Club are easy to deal with and accessible

Also less than 1/2 the capacity - the Amazon's batteries have free shipping to your door. Try to find 310 AH in 2 batteries in a sealed gel battery at that price point.

OK, just looked at the offerings at Sam's club and am curious about what model you are talking about. All I found are starting batteries (big CCA/CA numbers and VERY LOW AH ratings - like 68 AH per battery - largest offered was 80AH) EDIT - THIS IS IN GEL

The only way you can get the equivalent AH in 2 batteries is with a wet battery 6 or 12 volt system.

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/duracel...prod3590217.ip

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/duracel...requestid=3679

[Herk7769]

Also if height is an issue, the gel batteries can be mounted on their sides (unlike wet batteries).

[Phinias]

all i know is, i have used the duracel amg marine bat. successfully for ver a yeay. i traded and left the amg behind. as son as i need to replace the bats in my new rig you can bet i will be a Sam's. when you are on the road Amazon can't reach you