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Old 09-15-2012, 04:56 PM   #1
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Replacement Battery

Hi,

I just purchased my first RV, a 2006 Surveyor SV264. The original owner has a Duralast auto battery in the battery box. It's rating is CCA 660 and Cranking Amps 825. He's apparently used it for some time with no issues that he mentioned but what type and size of battery should I be using for this trailer and should I wait until it dies or should I go ahead and replace it now?
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Old 09-15-2012, 05:10 PM   #2
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If it were me I would use it and see how it works but be prepare to replace. If it doesn't hold a charge then it would be sooner than later. In the meantime it could be helpful to continue doing some research on this topic. I found it a little over whelming when I upgraded my battery because I didn't understand the differences with batteries.
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Old 09-15-2012, 06:59 PM   #3
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You don't need a "starting" battery for your trailer. Cranking amps do not help you. You need a deep charge battery with the most amp hours you can get. Marine batteries are deep charge but again you don't need the starting version.
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Old 09-15-2012, 07:03 PM   #4
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Yep, you want a battery that is rated in RC (Reserve Capacity) in minutes or AH (amp hours) NOT Cold Cranking Amps (CCA).

ANY battery that boasts its CCA rating has plates too thin for providing power to your RV's appliances for any length of time.

HOWEVER, if you NEVER boondock (live off the battery) and always have hookups at campgrounds you will never know the difference.
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Old 09-15-2012, 08:26 PM   #5
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Quote:
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You don't need a "starting" battery for your trailer. Cranking amps do not help you. You need a deep charge battery with the most amp hours you can get. Marine batteries are deep charge but again you don't need the starting version.
So if I'm understanding you then just any Marine Deep Cycle battery is not what I need. I need to look for one that is rated in reserve capacity and amp hours as mentioned by herk7769. Are the RV dealers the only ones that carry that type of Deep Cycle battery and do they come warranted like an auto battery with 12, 24 and 36 months free replacement depending on how much you're willing to spend on one?
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Old 09-16-2012, 05:16 PM   #6
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You should be able to find a deep cycle marine battery anywhere. They make a combination deep cycle/marine starting battery. You don't want that one. Look for a "deep cycle marine battery". Costco has them, Sam's club., O'Rielys, Walmart or any auto supply. If you can find a marine battery with a year warranty you will be lucky. They don't warranty them like car batteries.
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Old 09-16-2012, 05:28 PM   #7
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I tried to answer last night but the internet at our campground was wonkie.

You do not need to spend a fortune to buy a good Deep Discharge battery.

http://www.batteriesinaflash.com/dee...-cycle-battery

http://www.batteriesinaflash.com/dee...-cycle-battery


http://www.batteriesinaflash.com/dee...f-cart-battery
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Old 09-21-2012, 09:22 PM   #8
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Thanks everyone for the great comments concerning my replacement battery on the trailer. I was looking at Walmart this evening and they had a deep cycle with 92 Amp Hour rating for under one hundred dollars and with a 24 month free replacement warranty.
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Old 09-21-2012, 10:06 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stingingfork View Post
Thanks everyone for the great comments concerning my replacement battery on the trailer. I was looking at Walmart this evening and they had a deep cycle with 92 Amp Hour rating for under one hundred dollars and with a 24 month free replacement warranty.
Sweet!
A pair of those would be just fine! 184AH!
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Old 09-22-2012, 04:48 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by Stingingfork View Post
Thanks everyone for the great comments concerning my replacement battery on the trailer. I was looking at Walmart this evening and they had a deep cycle with 92 Amp Hour rating for under one hundred dollars and with a 24 month free replacement warranty.
I agree with all who replied. Putting a car battery on a camper is just plain silly for lack of a better word. Those that don't know, the phone company's central office systems primarily runs on batteries... actually cells, because they are about 2.17 volts (DC) each depending on type, which are arranged in strings, then continually charged. They are deep cycle but they don't drop very far before a huge generator kicks in... or hopefully it does. An office like this is in trouble with out commercial power or generator in as little as a few hours. The 3 chargers were 800 AMPS each. These cells are huge, expensive and with proper care, will last a very long time. I have seen some older than 30 years. The cells are kept at the same temperature and cells monitored for consistency of specific gravity, temperature and voltage not to mentioned kept clean.

The one or two batteries we hang on the front of a camper can't and won't get this kind of care; some folks don't care for them at all. But, we can do a few things that will save money by making them last longer. I have found most factory inverter / chargers are not the way to go... but by isolating batteries from each other (when stored) and having a battery charger (such as Battery Tender) one for EACH battery; make sure the electrolyte is kept full; try keeping them from extreme temperatures (when possible), the resulting long life will surprise you. Take a look at this very informative article: Solar Battery Blunder Prevention @ Survival Unlimited.com
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Old 09-22-2012, 05:25 PM   #11
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One last thing. I was at Sams Club today and they had a "Dual Purpose" Battery on sale so I looked at it.

While it had a CCA number it also said it had an RC of 160.

Just so you know an RC of 160 is NOT 160 amp hours. To convert RC in minutes at 25 amps to AH (amp hours - hours at 20 amp draw), you need to multiply the RC by 0.4167.

That battery (that was HUGE by the way) was heavy and crappy as a house battery because it was only 66 Amp Hours for all that weight. 160*0.4167
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