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Old 10-17-2018, 07:48 PM   #1
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House Batteries

So the AGM Intimidator batteries have been intimidated after only three years. Any suggestions on where to buy replacements at a decent price?

Maybe my memory is failing but I thought Jared said they were an eight year battery.
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Old 10-17-2018, 08:17 PM   #2
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Walmart starting batteries have a 3 year warranty and are a heck of a lot cheaper than AGM's
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Old 10-17-2018, 10:45 PM   #3
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Walmart starting batteries have a 3 year warranty and are a heck of a lot cheaper than AGM's
House batteries shouldn't be starting batteries.
They need to be deep cycle.

They should have more than 3 year life.
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Old 10-17-2018, 10:52 PM   #4
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House batteries shouldn't be starting batteries.
They need to be deep cycle.

They should have more than 3 year life.
https://72land-n-sea.blogspot.com/20...batteries.html
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Old 10-18-2018, 05:27 AM   #5
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This is not an area where you want to go cheap. I replaced mine with Interstate 31 series AGMs. 3 year free replacement warranty (not prorated). Pricey but well worth it.
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Old 10-18-2018, 06:28 AM   #6
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AGM are a bit more robust than LA( lead acid ) but still have limits on discharging and requirements for charging .


Don't treat them properly and 3 years from AGM is not that bad.
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Old 10-18-2018, 07:27 AM   #7
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Congratulations... I can write a BS blog too...
I prefer to buy quality gear and treat them as intended.
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Old 10-18-2018, 08:05 AM   #8
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Don't skimp. 8 years would be a long time for a battery to last...but it can be done if taken really well care of. Most RV's, this is not the case. Every time you take the battery down to below 50%, you are taking a small piece off the top of its capacity. So hypothetically speaking, if you drop it below 50% then the next time it charges up, you might only get 99% of its original capacity.

As an example...the rental account I used to handle has always bought the very best flooded batteries they could get. High end, Interstate, true deep cycle. That rental account bought the best, because renters rarely take care of the batteries and they would have to replace batteries within one season...because they would drain them down so far and so frequently that they would be toast in one year. SO they bought the best to try and prevent that. If they could get two seasons with a more expensive battery, that was better than buying two sets of cheap...not to mention the service calls for the cheap batteries. When I came over to Dynamax, we ran AGM's and I did more research....which I passed on to them.

This year, they switched over to AGM's and did not replace one single set. One, you can drain AGM's down further than flooded without damage (I suggest not testing that with your own batteries), they are a true deep cycle and are maintenance free. So no worry about "low fluid levels causing further damage". They were "JUST" user proof enough, that people had a harder time being stupid with them.

So anyway...real world example from a fleet using 400 sets of batteries.
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Old 10-18-2018, 08:10 AM   #9
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Lol starting batteries are even more sensitive to being run down than deep cycle. Much thinner plates are used to get high CCA but since they’re used for only starting they’re not meant to be discharged heavily. Have fun wrecking your starting batteries
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Old 10-18-2018, 08:16 AM   #10
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Originally Posted by Bullrider View Post
So the AGM Intimidator batteries have been intimidated after only three years. Any suggestions on where to buy replacements at a decent price?

Maybe my memory is failing but I thought Jared said they were an eight year battery.
Battery life is as simple as a number of cycles to a certain discharge level. The deeper you discharge the less cycles you get. I think most AGM are around 1000 cycles to 50%. Much less if they get taken to 20%. Outside of a quality AGM you’re only step up is lithium. It’s a huge upfront cost but cheaper in the long run. Without heavy daily battery use though I find the AGMs to be the happy medium.
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Old 10-18-2018, 08:18 AM   #11
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Kenny, at first I thought "wow, that's a little harsh", then I read that guy's blog, written by an old man who just doesn't care anymore about stuff like battery care, and would just as soon go out and buy a new battery after he abuses the first one. I noticed my dad is like this guy now too. Doesn't drain old fuel from small engines, doesn't change oil in them, just doesn't care about a lot of stuff anymore. Guess that's normal when you get that old. Big difference between starter batteries and deep cycle/marine batteries. My deep cycle Exide from Tractor Supply used to run my CPAP when tent camping is over 5 years old and still going strong, but I don't over discharge it, and keep it to a nice CTEK multistage charger at home next to my bed.
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Old 10-18-2018, 08:43 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by bclemens View Post
Don't skimp. 8 years would be a long time for a battery to last...but it can be done if taken really well care of. Most RV's, this is not the case. Every time you take the battery down to below 50%, you are taking a small piece off the top of its capacity. So hypothetically speaking, if you drop it below 50% then the next time it charges up, you might only get 99% of its original capacity.

As an example...the rental account I used to handle has always bought the very best flooded batteries they could get. High end, Interstate, true deep cycle. That rental account bought the best, because renters rarely take care of the batteries and they would have to replace batteries within one season...because they would drain them down so far and so frequently that they would be toast in one year. SO they bought the best to try and prevent that. If they could get two seasons with a more expensive battery, that was better than buying two sets of cheap...not to mention the service calls for the cheap batteries. When I came over to Dynamax, we ran AGM's and I did more research....which I passed on to them.

This year, they switched over to AGM's and did not replace one single set. One, you can drain AGM's down further than flooded without damage (I suggest not testing that with your own batteries), they are a true deep cycle and are maintenance free. So no worry about "low fluid levels causing further damage". They were "JUST" user proof enough, that people had a harder time being stupid with them.

So anyway...real world example from a fleet using 400 sets of batteries.


I like anything that is “user proof” as it protects me from my own stupidity. [emoji1]
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Old 10-18-2018, 09:01 AM   #13
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Well, that's one person's opinion.

Being on a long boondock and buying a battery every few weeks seems silly.
Car starting batteries will fail if depleted to "flat" more than once. Lead Sulphate will clog the waffling on the plates and the battery will be near useless.

I got 9 years out of my pair of DECA group 24 batteries and they are awful. I was waiting for them to fail to put better batteries in, but never did because they would not die with careful management. I wound up selling the camper before I needed to put new ones in.
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Old 10-18-2018, 09:17 AM   #14
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I'm not sure why HOUSE batteries, at least the 6v deep discharge type, like mine, would be subject to 'failing' in only several short years. My experience, with our 4 6v 'stock' wet cell House batteries, after over 85,000 miles over four years and many, many overnights and off-grid times where the battery bank is typically fluctuating between the fully-charged 12.8 or so, down to 11.8, or even slightly lower, before recharging, is that the batteries are holding up fine.

I've certainly seen the complaints from some about the less-than-quality 'stock' batteries that their factory supplied, but I've not had any complaints. If they work, they work... I don't even know if there is any data or label on them to tell 'what' brand they are. I guess I haven't really had to care, either.

They may not 'look' good, as they tend to give off chemical growth more than I think they should, which requires periodic 'cleaning' from time to time, but they've rarely needed any water added, and I have 'Equalized' them several times over the course of ownership, whenever it 'feels' as though they are not holding a charge as long as my experience has otherwise shown.

We've been through many different weather conditions, both extreme heat, humidity, and extreme winter weather during our travels, and even while parked for months on end, and the batteries are never an issue.
The coach has spent more time in 'dry dock' over the last year, but used frequently for short day trips, or several overnights at a time, and they continue to provide the 12v systems and the Inverter the power they need, without issue.

Maybe I just got a 'good' batch of batteries. or maybe it has something to do with usage. My father-in-law can't believe my batteries perform so well, at least by the way they 'look', but apparently the outside of the batteries is not an indicator of what's going on 'underneath' : )
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Old 10-18-2018, 09:18 AM   #15
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Electrical storage is the great bugaboo in the energy world.

Lithium is a small step forward at great cost. Not worth the 7-10x.

One of these days there will be a big step. Just not right away.
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Old 10-18-2018, 01:19 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by bclemens View Post
Don't skimp. 8 years would be a long time for a battery to last...but it can be done if taken really well care of. Most RV's, this is not the case. Every time you take the battery down to below 50%, you are taking a small piece off the top of its capacity. So hypothetically speaking, if you drop it below 50% then the next time it charges up, you might only get 99% of its original capacity.

As an example...the rental account I used to handle has always bought the very best flooded batteries they could get. High end, Interstate, true deep cycle. That rental account bought the best, because renters rarely take care of the batteries and they would have to replace batteries within one season...because they would drain them down so far and so frequently that they would be toast in one year. SO they bought the best to try and prevent that. If they could get two seasons with a more expensive battery, that was better than buying two sets of cheap...not to mention the service calls for the cheap batteries. When I came over to Dynamax, we ran AGM's and I did more research....which I passed on to them.

This year, they switched over to AGM's and did not replace one single set. One, you can drain AGM's down further than flooded without damage (I suggest not testing that with your own batteries), they are a true deep cycle and are maintenance free. So no worry about "low fluid levels causing further damage". They were "JUST" user proof enough, that people had a harder time being stupid with them.

So anyway...real world example from a fleet using 400 sets of batteries.


Thanks, do you have any suggestions for where to purchase in Georgia?
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Old 10-18-2018, 02:18 PM   #17
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Does Amazon ship batteries? I do loves me some Amazon.
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Old 10-18-2018, 04:14 PM   #18
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Batterysalesandservice.com came up as an Atlanta are wholesaler of agm. Batteries plus and advanced auto also listed them.
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Old 10-19-2018, 09:52 AM   #19
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Batterysalesandservice.com came up as an Atlanta are wholesaler of agm. Batteries plus and advanced auto also listed them.


Thanks y’all!
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Old 10-22-2018, 02:27 PM   #20
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If you're looking at wet cell deep cycle batteries, go to Costco. 660Ah for 600 bucks. Water them once a month if they're like mine, continually topped off with solar.

I leave the fridge on (RV is in the driveway so its the 'other' fridge) and they get down to about 90% of capacity before being topped of the next day.
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