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Old 05-22-2018, 08:38 PM   #1
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Battery Vs/ Batteries

It has been recommended that I ditch the single 12V battery that came with my new R-190, and get two 6V Golf Cart batteries.

Is that practical?

What is the advantage?

Thanks.
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Old 05-22-2018, 08:56 PM   #2
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It has been recommended that I ditch the single 12V battery that came with my new R-190, and get two 6V Golf Cart batteries.

Is that practical?

What is the advantage?

Thanks.
If you have the room and can handle the weight it is very practical.
The greatest advantage is a significant increase in capacity. i.e. you will have more juice.

Edit: If you went to 2 12v Batts you will increase your capacity as well but not as much as a pair of 6’s. Keep in mind that not all batts are created equally and you should use a matched set.
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Old 05-22-2018, 09:29 PM   #3
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Not only more practical but that 12 volt battery that you have on the camper is not a deep cycle battery and won't last long anyway.

6 volt Golf Cart batteries are built better and can handle more abuse.
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Old 05-22-2018, 11:08 PM   #4
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If you never dry camp and always have hook ups then there is no real advantage. If you do dry camp (boon dock) then it is very practical and a great advantage.
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Old 05-23-2018, 07:09 PM   #5
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I put a brand new battery in Tuesday (yesterday) and my green/red light is blinking on my carbon monoxide / propane. Low voltage.
Is my converter bad?
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Old 05-23-2018, 08:07 PM   #6
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I put a brand new battery in Tuesday (yesterday) and my green/red light is blinking on my carbon monoxide / propane. Low voltage.
Is my converter bad?
Did you fully charge the new battery first?
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Old 05-23-2018, 08:19 PM   #7
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I One More Time Around: RV Batteries
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Old 05-23-2018, 08:31 PM   #8
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Yep, I like that philosophy.
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Old 05-23-2018, 09:35 PM   #9
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Not a bad viewpoint on the subject. I use 2x 12volt deep cycle multi purpose batts myself. My old Creek used 4x 6v monsters to run the residential fridge on inverter for 4 days.
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Old 05-24-2018, 07:40 AM   #10
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What an awful article with little facts to support the author's statements.

The 50% rule is a nice one to follow to increase battery cycle life but taking the battery below 50% will not damage it. You can safely go to 80% DOD without damaging battery but you will get reduced lifespan out of them

At 50% DOD, expect about 1150 cycles over battery lifespan.

At 80% DOD, expect 675 cycles over battery lifespan.

If you only camp 3-4 times a summer then your batteries will still last a very long time regardless if they are 12 volt or 6 volt golf cart batteries and if take them down to 80% depth of discharge.

So, the author abuses 12 volt batteries because they are cheaper than 6 volt batteries? Is that the argument or is there some other reason?

My golf cart batteries cost me $100 each from Sam's Club that has a Spring sale on them each year ($20-25 off). That is a very reasonable price.

For most people out there, batteries don't really matter as most are campground campers with plug ins.
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Old 05-24-2018, 10:30 AM   #11
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I only camp once during the summer. All of it!
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Old 05-24-2018, 10:32 AM   #12
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What an awful article with little facts to support the author's statements.

The 50% rule is a nice one to follow to increase battery cycle life but taking the battery below 50% will not damage it. You can safely go to 80% DOD without damaging battery but you will get reduced lifespan out of them
Reduced lifespan IS my definition of damage.
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Old 05-25-2018, 03:23 PM   #13
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Curious --- how do you know when you've used 50 or 80% of your batteries? How long is 80% timewise during a typical boondock? Do you also track charging cycles? How many years do you actually get on a pair of golf cart batteries? Does the converter that came with the camper work OK with golf cart batteries?
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Old 05-25-2018, 03:28 PM   #14
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Meter.

Most OEM converters/chargers are not 'smart' converters, not four stage. Needs to be four stage to not fry batteries if left plugged in to shore power a long time. PD brand, Boondocker brand. Bestconverter.com is good source.
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Old 05-25-2018, 06:00 PM   #15
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Meter.

Most OEM converters/chargers are not 'smart' converters, not four stage. Needs to be four stage to not fry batteries if left plugged in to shore power a long time. PD brand, Boondocker brand. Bestconverter.com is good source.

Thanks for all your input folks.

Whoa! Now I'm learning too much too fast. You're saying that I should not leave my new RPod 190 connected to shore power? Why the hell didn't the dealer tell me that? Why don't these things come with an owners manual?
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Old 05-25-2018, 06:42 PM   #16
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Thanks for all your input folks.

Whoa! Now I'm learning too much too fast. You're saying that I should not leave my new RPod 190 connected to shore power? Why the hell didn't the dealer tell me that? Why don't these things come with an owners manual?
No!

Modern converters will safely charge your battery.
I had no issues with the WFCO converter in my 2007 Roo and it worked well for the 10 years i owned it.
Now I have a WFCO on my 2016 TracerAIR and so far it's worked just as well as the other one.

But the Progressive Dynamics models are definitely an upgrade.
But see how your OEM one works first.
In my 25 years of owning various RVs, ive never had any issues with the OEM converter.
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Old 05-25-2018, 10:02 PM   #17
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There is a myth that has propagated through the internet that OEM converters are no good and will destroy your battery. Well that is exactly what it is, a myth.
Yes, there are better converters out there that will charge the battery quicker, but your OEM converter will work just fine.
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Old 05-26-2018, 08:00 AM   #18
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Thanks

Thanks for the info and thought sharing.
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