Need new battery, confused by selection

[pddebruin]

Hi,

I need a new battery for my 2004 Cardinal 312BH fifth wheel. I'm confused by the "CCA" ratings for batteries. Is there a certain number I need? The camper is us d in warmer weather

Thanks in advance!

Peter

[Herk7769]

A storage battery is rated in Amp Hours; not CCA (Cold Cranking Amps).

Most batteries that have CCA on them are not good candidates for a trailer storage battery. Look for the words "Deep Cycle" on the battery and an AH number (the bigger the better).

In a pinch, you can get away with one that says "Marine/RV" on it. These are "Dual Purpose" batteries and are a compromise between a battery needed to start a boat engine, yet still have enough capacity to run the radio (etc.) at anchorage. They will have a CCA number but that number will be much smaller than a starting battery of the same size.

There are many threads here with better information, but this is a start.

[Mars]

Yep deep cycle is what you want. If you only use one battery get the biggest that fits in the compartment/box (group 24/27/31) I use two deep cycle group 24 batteries because that is what fits on mine and I do a little dry camping during the year. If you are always at a campground one battery will do fine.

[itat]

If you never camp without a power connection, then a single Group 24 marine/RV battery will suffice. It should have an amp-hour rating of around 75 AH (based on Deka Marine Master DC24).

If you ever camp without a power connection, even for just a weekend, you definitely need a proper "deep cycle" battery (or two). As Herk said, there are lots of threads here dealing with deep cycle batteries.

[pddebruin]

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the responses. I wound up going to my dealership who confirmed many of these points, and was able to make a purchase. Thanks again!