My turn for battery question . . .

[RECONUSMC]

This battery holds up in all conditions

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00075OSCO..._t3_B000MSDKMA

[Trawlerphil]

I'd go with (2) 6 volt golf cart batteries to replace the single group 27. You'll gain around 70 lbs, but it will be worth it. Your unit is new so I wouldn't worry about the converter. My guess is you already have a battery disconnect in the battery area, but I leave everything on all of the time, even in winter storage with the power connected.

[babock]

Originally Posted by RECONUSMC

[B][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]This battery holds up in all conditions

Optima used to be good until they moved their production to Mexico. So many defective batteries now they are no longer a good choice for AGM.

[babock]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

Maybe so, but it still does fine for long term boondocks. See no need to upgrade something that performs satisfactorily. Also, my converter is 30' from my batteries with stock wires. Again, it works just fine for our needs, so I'm not spending any effort or $$$ to fix something that ain't broke

Probably charges them but takes 50% longer. Difference between running your generator 6 hours vs 4 hours. If you can live with that, you are fine. Personally, I prefer to have minimum voltage drop and have the battery charge as fast as it can.

The problem is the RV manufacturers do this kind of stuff and most people don't even realize what a good operating system can do and they place things so they look nice but aren't an optimum location. I would be surprised if they even ran 2 gauge wire that 30'!

[510Rick]

Originally Posted by RECONUSMC

This battery holds up in all conditions

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00075OSCO..._t3_B000MSDKMA

Unfortunately these once awesome batteries aren't what they used to be . Ever since they changed the manufacturing plant they have went to crap .

[babock]

I have a friend who used to buy the Optimas by the pallet load. Rarely had a bad battery. Once he started getting up to 3 bad ones per pallet, he switched vendors.

Where I used to work for an automotive electronics company, we used to use Optimas for our test vehicle equipment. They stopped using them too.

[67L48]

In addition to that strategy of battery use and care, I'd add removal. If your trailer is going to sit for any period of time, I recommend removing the battery and storing it in your garage. Batteries don't like big temperature swings and will be happier in a more climate-controlled environment like a shop, garage, or basement.

Good luck.

[Brother Les]

Originally Posted by NCBBA11043

Need to replace original battery in fiver, but want to get the right one and take proper care of it - so here's the plan:
Get REAL 12v deep discharge battery.
Install battery disconnect switch to totally isolate the battery. Use a Battery Tender charger. Now for the details.
When traveling, put battery in use as normal (break-away brakes, etc need power). When connected to shore power, disconnect battery completely and put it on the Battery Tender. This prevents over-charging (hopefully). All 12v loads are fed from converter, so no issue there (or is there?). When dry camping, battery is switched back in to use.
Any flaws to this approach?
Thanks.

You have several flaws in your thinking of 'proper care' for your battery.

1)You say: "Get real 12v deep discharge battery"???
I say: Batteries come 'charged' and should be Deep Charged before starting off. Deep Charge, you can not get from 'Converter or battery tender'.

2)You say: "All 12v loads are fed from converter, so no issue there"..????
I say:Yes, there is an issue... the converter will give you 12v power 'if' the battery is not keeping of with need. You will be sitting in a camper with very dim lights and the converter running wide open (and you say there are issues with this type of converter... well the owner may have disconnected the battery and the converter is running wide open and shortening its' life)... not good. Also, if you plan to use the furnace, you must have a decent battery hooked up to get the 'fan' ect. going. The converter by it's self will not be able to get the furnace going correctly.

3)You say: "Putting a battery tender on battery and isolate from camper, when camper is connected shore power???
I say:Why??? no logic to this. The converter will be used as a battery tender and keep battery up for when you need the deep 12v power.

Rethink your 'plan'.... batteries seem to last around 5 years. What your plan is above may extend the life of your battery for a little while, but you will be hard on some of your other equipment. Converters and work on your furnace cost more than a battery....

[ScottBrownstein]

Originally Posted by Brother Les

You have several flaws in your thinking of 'proper care' for your battery...

Guess you learn something new every day.

DEEP CHARGE????? Perhaps you mean equalize and while you are right, you will not get that from a standard converter (some solar charge controllers will do it and there are a few units with equalize). However, the last thing that a bunch of new batteries need is to be equalized. That is only done if there is a significant difference between the SG of the cells and equalization takes care (you need to disconnect the coach since the voltages used are pretty high for nominal 12 volt systems.) Sometimes batteries never NEED to be equalized at all.

Converters can supply a lot of current and I cannot imagine overloading one for very long without using a big inverter, but the inverter will be bypassed where on shore or generator power, so nothing there. The battery is nice as a filter for the converter output, although almost all converter vendors say their units will work without batteries connected.

Finally, I agree that the OP should use the converter and not some other system.

[boondocking]

Originally Posted by RECONUSMC

This battery holds up in all conditions

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00075OSCO..._t3_B000MSDKMA

Over priced for what you get.

Fours of those would give you 220 AH at close to $1200 and they are not true deep cycle.
Two GC-2 batteries would give you 220-230 AH at around $200 and they are true deep cycle.

[garbonz]

Originally Posted by ScottBrownstein

Guess you learn something new every day.

DEEP CHARGE????? Perhaps you mean equalize and while you are right, you will not get that from a standard converter (some solar charge controllers will do it and there are a few units with equalize). However, the last thing that a bunch of new batteries need is to be equalized. That is only done if there is a significant difference between the SG of the cells and equalization takes care (you need to disconnect the coach since the voltages used are pretty high for nominal 12 volt systems.) Sometimes batteries never NEED to be equalized at all.

Converters can supply a lot of current and I cannot imagine overloading one for very long without using a big inverter, but the inverter will be bypassed where on shore or generator power, so nothing there. The battery is nice as a filter for the converter output, although almost all converter vendors say their units will work without batteries connected.

Finally, I agree that the OP should use the converter and not some other system.

Yeah I was wondering about the terminology also and can make no sense of that post. Geez.

Using a decent digital voltmeter will tell you all you need to know about your charging equipment and getting a very good battery or batteries is essential. If you really want to extend your battery life, get a real battery monitor like a Victron or trimetric and use it, keeping your discharge less than 50% state of charge. No shortcuts here.

[MadDog2020]

I’ve never seen my WFCO go to bulk charge mode when testing for that. I’ll connect a discharged battery to my home battery charger and it immediately goes to bulk charge. I disconnect the battery and put it in the trailer, connected to shore power and the WFCO will not go to bulk mode even thought the manual says it should. That said I still have the WFCO in my trailer but I leave my batteries on the home charger in the garage when home and only install them when I take a trip. I lost one battery already after it being only 4 months from new. I haven’t convinced myself to replace it with a PD.

[Tom48]

Originally Posted by Sbosserman

As an electrical engineer, I would just like to remind everyone that the battery performs more than one function, i.e. it storing 12 DC power. It also acts as a filter to help smooth out the pulsating DC charge current that the converter supplies. Different converters have different characteristics and different levels of filtering. Often the more expensive converters have smoother DC output, but nearly all of them will say in their instruction manual that it is NOT supposed to be used WITHOUT an approved (often lead-acid type) battery installed in its circuit. Without a battery in the charging / converter circuit you can often get a 60 Hz "hum" that can be heard over the radio or TV audio circuits. The battery in the charging circuit will help minimize or eliminate this "hum".

That hum is more than JUST A HUM. It means that the quality of current being used by your sensitive electronic component is not Good. It means there is no battery there to buffer surges and drops in voltage when loads are turned on and turned off.


We have solar and never turn our batteries off in any but really long periods of storage, but operating with batteries off is a bad idea. Disconnecting batts at home and using a good tender is probably a great idea, but remember, tenders may not CHARGE a depleted battery so be sure it or they are charged before shut down and putting the tender in play.




Far more batteries are killed by over discharge and maintenance neglect, than are kill by a bad converter.

[Tom48]

[QUOTE=babock;1779769n.

I would be surprised if they even ran 2 gauge wire that 30'![/QUOTE]


I would be surprised if any manufacturer of travel trailers has ever even seen 2ga cable, let alone a30 ft run.