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03-24-2017, 08:02 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 140
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Baffled a bit on battery selection
I need a better battery, or bank of batteries. Torn between 1 12v deep cycle, 2 12v parallel, or 2 6v series. I want a deep cycle only battery. No dual purpose. What are some battery make/model suggestions? Price is a concern of course. Some info about my Aframe: 2015 A192HW. I currently have 1 12v dual purpose provided by dealer (cheap crap IMO). I installed 1 100w Renogy solar panel w/30amp controller wired directly to the battery. Wishlist: Mostly camp with shore power, but occasionally venture off grid. Spent 4 days in South Dakota off grid. 12v for 2 interior lights, minimum water pump usage, and small parasitics. Propane for fridge. My big wish is to be able to use the furnace set to 60 degrees at night.
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03-24-2017, 08:10 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Southern NM
Posts: 9,505
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We have had good luck with 2 12v interstate deep cell series 27 batteries. They last an average of 4 years. We boondock/drycamp 80% of the time, so they get used a lot. Will run the heater all night if need be. We recharge them with generators.
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Scott and Liz - Southern NM
2012 Wildcat Sterling 32RL - w/level up (best option ever)
2007 Chevy 2500HD Duramax
Reese Fifth Airborne Sidewinder
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03-24-2017, 08:17 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 140
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Thank you. Regarding Interstate batteries, I have their 2017 catalog and see they only make 2 deep cycle only batteries. Both of them are AGM . The 27's are dual purpose (starting/deep cycle). Glad they work well for you, but not sure would be a good fit for me.
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03-24-2017, 08:18 PM
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#4
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 15,243
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Before buying batteries, I would configure the entire system. Running the furnace on a cold night will normally draw a single 85Ahr battery to 50%. You will need 8 hrs of full sun on your 100W panel every day to recover it from the furnace alone. Suggest you look at 2 golf cart style 6V batteries and at least one more 100W panel. Unless you camp where there is sun every day, you need some reserve.
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2015 Freedom Express 248RBS
TV 2015 Silverado HD2500 Duramax
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2 100W solar panels
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03-24-2017, 08:23 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Southern NM
Posts: 9,505
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We have actually used true deep cycle before, but these deep cell 27s actually last longer. But then we don't draw them down past about 60% and ensure they fully recharge. Good luck in your selection!
__________________
Scott and Liz - Southern NM
2012 Wildcat Sterling 32RL - w/level up (best option ever)
2007 Chevy 2500HD Duramax
Reese Fifth Airborne Sidewinder
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03-24-2017, 08:31 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 140
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flybob
Before buying batteries, I would configure the entire system. Running the furnace on a cold night will normally draw a single 85Ahr battery to 50%. You will need 8 hrs of full sun on your 100W panel every day to recover it from the furnace alone. Suggest you look at 2 golf cart style 6V batteries and at least one more 100W panel. Unless you camp where there is sun every day, you need some reserve.
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Is that assuming the furnace running non stop? I usually run the furnace till it hits target temp, then shut it off. Then 2 or 3 hours run it again. This occurs 4, maybe 5 times at night only. Just to take the bite out of the cold. I believe the furnace draws 4amps. My math sucks in these situations, lol. A 2nd solar panel I agree with. My 1st one is mounted on yhe front roof between the two dinette bubbles. I think a 2nd one on a pivoting/rotating mount would be more beneficial. Thank you for your input.
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03-24-2017, 08:34 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 140
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NMWildcat
We have actually used true deep cycle before, but these deep cell 27s actually last longer. But then we don't draw them down past about 60% and ensure they fully recharge. Good luck in your selection!
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I think our difference is you using a generator versus me using a solar panel. Again, thank you for your input.
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03-24-2017, 08:46 PM
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#8
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Canadian Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Eastern GTA, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 6,229
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I'm no expert but I'd suggest that if you only do a single night, you could make a single 12v, Group 31 battery suffice. For a 4 day off grid stay, you should go with 2 6V batteries in series.
Trojan Batteries are top rated. Deka batteries are also respected. Also look at VMAX batteries on Amazon.com. Even Costco 6V golf cart batteries are respectable.
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2023 Rockwood Signature 8262RBS
2016 Ford F-250 XLT SuperCrew, 6.2L, 4x4, 6'9" bed
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03-24-2017, 09:55 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Florida
Posts: 1,363
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True deep cycle you will need to go 6v. Most all 12 that I know of are dual purpose. Trojans are top notch.
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2016 Forester GTS 2801QSF
2011 Jeep JK Toad
Habitual RV Modifier
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03-24-2017, 10:17 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 140
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Quote:
Originally Posted by itat
I'm no expert but I'd suggest that if you only do a single night, you could make a single 12v, Group 31 battery suffice. For a 4 day off grid stay, you should go with 2 6V batteries in series.
Trojan Batteries are top rated. Deka batteries are also respected. Also look at VMAX batteries on Amazon.com. Even Costco 6V golf cart batteries are respectable.
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I'm seriously thinking going the dual 6v route. Thanks for the suggestions
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03-24-2017, 10:18 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 140
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sgtlm17
True deep cycle you will need to go 6v. Most all 12 that I know of are dual purpose. Trojans are top notch.
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Thank you for the feedback.
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03-25-2017, 01:03 AM
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#12
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Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 12
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I just took a hard lesson in this and I'll share my experience.
I bought a new trailer and had them add a second 12v battery. Each battery was 75 amps/hr for a total of 150 amp/hr.
I took it camping a month ago and it was COLD. Like 10 degrees cold. I ran the generator until around 10pm with the furnace on. The furnace uses 8/10 amps/hr. After a couple hours, with no generator on, my batteries were taking a beating and dropped to about 60 percent. Baffled, I didn't want to take the batteries past 50 percent so I **** the heater off and went to bed. Woke up a few hours later and it's 16 degrees in the trailer and at this point I put the furnace to 40 degrees, I'm so cold I just don't care if it kills them.
I quickly realized I wasn't properly prepared for this type weather. I packed up and left the next morning.
After research, this is what I learned. I had 150 ah, you don't want to go past 50 percent for the batteries to last.
This gives me only 75ah right? Then you bring in the cold factor. There's charts for this but at the temp I was camping the cold reduced my battery capacity by around 60 percent!! So now I only have 60 percent of 75ah. So I have only roughly 40 Ah to play with for the entire night. The furnaces uses 8-10 and at these temps it's going to run a lot!!! Not much insulation and temp drops fast.
Solution? Proper sleeping gear for those temps. There's no battery system that can run my furnace all night at those temps. A nice warm sleeping bag or run the generator all night.
Obviously this is an extreme case. Funny thing is, the next morning it warmed up and as temps rise so does battery capacity and it brought itself back up to 60-70 percent.
From my understanding, amps/hr is amps per hour weather 12v or 6 volts. 6 volts don't help in any way except allow more charges or hold charge for longer periods of time meaning more years if properly operated. If you have 12 volt bank with the same amps/hr as the 6volts, you gain nothing.
I camp in cold weather often living in Colorado so I did upgrade to 2 6volts because it increased my amps/hr from 150 to 225. I wanted all I could get.
I also have a 100w solar panel it keeps my two 6volts charged using lights, radio, fridge (on LP), fantastic fan, water pump. It doesn't even stress the system. The problems will start when the temps drop super low and the furnace fan is needed. I'll just use a. I've warm sleeping bag for those nights.
Another option is a my buddy heater which uses zero power but I wouldn't sleep with that on. Works great while awake though. Hope this helps!
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03-25-2017, 05:44 AM
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#13
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World Wide Wanderer
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Sprung Leak, NC
Posts: 1,732
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Two 6 volt Trojan T105 are the industry gold standard for deep cycle flooded cell batteries. They will run ~$130-$150 each. Take care of them and you will get a good life out of them, I typically get 6+ years.
Trojan also makes gel batteries and AGM. I would take a very close look at your total usage/recharge capabilities and how the cold affects what you are doing. The T-105 is rated to 225 @ 20 hour rate.
Aaron
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Aaron & Rhonda
wahoonc & Airangel60
2016 Coachmen Concord 300DS
2015 Fusion Hybrid following along
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03-25-2017, 07:03 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Idaho
Posts: 2,058
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I have 12-volt Deka DEEP CYCLE batteries that are a little over four years and going strong. Trojan is also a good brand.
My problem with 6-volt batts is if you have two wired in series and one fails, you cannot run anything with the batteries.
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Trailer: Lifted 228BH, heavy duty springs and Yokohama tires DELAMINATED ROOF
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Spare TV: Two Alaskan Malamutes
Living somewhere in ID; previously lived in Moab UT; previous to that, don't ask!
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03-25-2017, 09:25 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 140
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Quote:
Originally Posted by f5moab
I have 12-volt Deka DEEP CYCLE batteries that are a little over four years and going strong. Trojan is also a good brand.
My problem with 6-volt batts is if you have two wired in series and one fails, you cannot run anything with the batteries.
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Excellent point. Didn't even consider a failure possibility. You just convinced me to go with a 12v battery. Thank you so much!!!
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03-25-2017, 09:32 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Englewood FL
Posts: 2,797
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ccamper
Excellent point. Didn't even consider a failure possibility. You just convinced me to go with a 12v battery. Thank you so much!!!
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While that idea has been floating around for years, it isn't that simple. It is true that if one battery in a series connection fails, you will have only 6v left on the remaining battery. However, if you have a bad 12v battery in a parallel connected system it will eventually kill the other 12v battery and you may not notice the problem until it is too late.
Batteries all die. Be kind to them, keep them charged and watered and buy from solid vendors.
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2015 335DS
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03-25-2017, 12:37 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 133
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My new Tiffin Phaeton came with 6 duracell 6 volt deep cycle batts.we'll see how they last.
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03-25-2017, 12:42 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 2,832
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottBrownstein
While that idea has been floating around for years, it isn't that simple. It is true that if one battery in a series connection fails, you will have only 6v left on the remaining battery. However, if you have a bad 12v battery in a parallel connected system it will eventually kill the other 12v battery and you may not notice the problem until it is too late.
Batteries all die. Be kind to them, keep them charged and watered and buy from solid vendors.
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You would notice if you had a real battery monitor which is the missing element from most battery discussions.
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There is no reason why a Trojan or Deka/East Penn 12V deep cycle pair shouldn't last 7 -10 years in service if properly taken care of ...watered of course and then FULLY charged every time...and never discharged more than 1/2 the rated amp hours....(NOT the voltage). (Victron or Trimetric).
I am a BIG fan of Trojan T105 in banks of FOUR but prefer their or Dekas 12V's if room or budget only allows for two. Get the biggest size that will fit in the space available...Group 31, 27, 24 in that order. Deka makes many private label brands look for DC in the model number regardless to insure you get a deep cycle rather than DP (dual purpose.)
If you don't boondock...you don't really care about cycle performance so go for the cost effective EverStart Marine Maxx batteries (Johnson Controls) available from Walmart. The group 29's may be all you need and come with a 2 year full replacement warranty from any Walmart in the country
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________
Cam
2015 Georgetown 280DS
2019 Vespa Primavera 150's (pair)
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03-25-2017, 12:47 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Englewood FL
Posts: 2,797
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X2...X3...X4 on that.
It totally amazes me that RV manufacturers will put 4 big batteries, a generator, a 70 amp converter and a 2000 watt inverter into an RV and skip a $150 DC system monitor like a Trimetric or Victron. Why do they bother to put in a gas gauge? If you are filling up you are adding, if you are running you are using...that is really all the damn 4 LEDs show anybody. No modern RV should be without an SOC monitor.
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2015 335DS
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03-25-2017, 01:05 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 140
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Quote:
Originally Posted by camaraderie
You would notice if you had a real battery monitor which is the missing element from most battery discussions.
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There is no reason why a Trojan or Deka/East Penn 12V deep cycle pair shouldn't last 7 -10 years in service if properly taken care of ...watered of course and then FULLY charged every time...and never discharged more than 1/2 the rated amp hours....(NOT the voltage). (Victron or Trimetric).
I am a BIG fan of Trojan T105 in banks of FOUR but prefer their or Dekas 12V's if room or budget only allows for two. Get the biggest size that will fit in the space available...Group 31, 27, 24 in that order. Deka makes many private label brands look for DC in the model number regardless to insure you get a deep cycle rather than DP (dual purpose.)
If you don't boondock...you don't really care about cycle performance so go for the cost effective EverStart Marine Maxx batteries (Johnson Controls) available from Walmart. The group 29's may be all you need and come with a 2 year full replacement warranty from any Walmart in the country
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What are your thoughts on an Interstate (I know Johnson Controls) 31m-agm? DC only according to their 2017 catalog
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