replacing 12v battery with 6v

[jonasjmac]

Replacing my Sunseeker 2500TS batteries. Currently have 2 12v in parallel. After reading went and bought 4 6v in order to place them in series. VMax XTR6-235
Problems
1. 4 6v will not fit. Have I completely missed the boat and do I only need 2 6v in series to replace the 2 12v.

So if it works where I can put the 2 6v in series. Would it make sense to keep the other two in the future or will they decay over time and send them back to get back my money

Or did I screw this whole thing up and send back all 4.

[rbq]

Take the 2 6 volts back for a refund. 2 6 volt batteries will give you more power than the 2 12 volt. You're ahead with the 2 6 volt batts & they usually have a longer life cycle than the 12. You only need the 2 6 in series to make things work. The other 2 would just be for longer amp power.

[Duckogram]

If the pair of 6’s fit where your 12’s are, keeping 2 may be better than what you have.
I say may be better because I don’t know what you have or what you bought. Not all 6v batts are better.

[jonasjmac]

I bought Vmax charge tank 6v agm high performance deep cycle battery xtr6-235, i had 2 12v of what came original in 2015 Sunseeker

[camaraderie]

Send a pair of 6V back...and then take care of the remaining pair. It does not pay to hang on to a second set as they will sulphate over time.
AGMS don't need any maintenance but what they DO need is to NEVER run down and left partially charged. They need to be FULLY recharged which means at least 6 hours of charging time plugged in or on the generator. A battery monitor like the Victron would help a lot so maybe the refund on the other batteries can be used for that. Also...watch the temperatures your batts reach while charging if in hot country...without real venting AGM's are also more susceptible to heat over 120. Some chargers have temp sensors...otherwise you can use a temp gun to double check.
They naturally LOSE charge at 1/10th the rate of wet cells...so a fully charged AGM will last many months if there is no load on it without getting discharged. If you are putting your unit to bed for a while...fully charge the new batts and then disconnect them rather than leaving them on a charger or trickle maintainer.

[joeuncool]

Comparing capacity on batteries depends on their amp hour capacity. You had 2 12 volt batteries connected in parallel. Connecting batteries in parallel keeps the voltage the same but doubles amp hours (AH) which is the capacity.

When you have 2, 6 volt batteries, you have to connect those in series, which doubles the voltage to 12 volts but keeps the AH the same. The best description I heard is when you connect 2 6 volt batteries together you are essentially making on big 12 volt battery. To connect 4, 6 volt batteries, you will be connecting 2 each in series and then connecting each pair in parallel.

This all being said, 6 volt batteries "generally" have more AH's than 12 volt batteries do. Not a bunch more but more. So, generally, 2, 6 volt batteries will will have more capacity than one 12 volt battery. Now, 2, 6 volt batteries may or may not have more capacity than 2, 12 volt batteries. Again, this depends on the size of the 12 volt battery.

4, 6 volt batteries will definitely have more capacity than 2, 12 volt batteries. At the end of the day it all depends on they type of camping you do. Lots of dry camping or boondocking? 2, 6 volts at a minimum. Always camp at a campground with electrical hookups? Batteries don't matter as much.

Dry camp for long periods of time? You want as many batteries as possible.

Looking to use an inverter to change the 12 volts to 120 volts so you can use the microwave while dry camping? Lots of battery capacity.

My camper doesn't currently hold 4 batteries but due to our boondocking and dry camping, I am in the planning stages on modifications to hold 4, 6 volt batteries.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by jonasjmac

I bought Vmax charge tank 6v agm high performance deep cycle battery xtr6-235, i had 2 12v of what came original in 2015 Sunseeker

Don't AGMs require a different converter/charger for maximum lifetime? Should OP change the converter, too?

Larry

[Duckogram]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

Don't AGMs require a different converter/charger for maximum lifetime? Should OP change the converter, too?

Larry

Not if he has a PD Charge Wizard.