What brand house batteries to buy?

[ForestWalker]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

If you live near Seattle there is a local company that's been making batteries since the late 40's. Dyno batteries are used by most of the commercial boats that home port in Seattle and by the local transit systems. While they offer automotive batteries their forte is heavy duty and marine/deep cycle batteries.

I toured their factory about 12 years ago and was impressed with their focus on quality rather than high speed production merely to produce quantity. I'd put them on the same level as Trojan but without the national presence.

If you're around Seattle and need batteries I'd check them out. Their 12V Marine/Deep Cycle batteries offer the same AH ratings as the popular 6V batteries. Yes, one can buy 6V batteries with twice the AH rating of the largest 12v but they need to both have the extra space (height usually) and weight carrying capacity as they're also twice as heavy (each).

Purchase locally and they're priced pretty good considering that there is no freight involved like with the big name battery mfr's.

The local outlet in the Seattle area is Fisheries Supply which is darn near next door to the Dyno factory.

RV batteries and railroad batteries, too. You've just made my day.

[Kevin & Judy]

I have had 2 Group 31 Trojans in our 3010DS for the past 4 years and they have been exceptional. Have 260 watt's of solar and a 2000 watt inverter. We mostly dry camp.
Have never run out of battery.

[RobnCari]

Had a Optima once. Less than impressed! WAY LESS!

[gmacklem]

Originally Posted by Wolverine 1945

Did your Sunseeker only come with 1 house battery ???
Our 2013 came with 2 maintenance free 31s !!!

Yes, but I bought it used and suspect the previous owner kept one of the batteries. He also kept the airbags from the air suspension! I couldn't get air into the bags, crawled under the rig and the line was cut and no sign of bags. Fortunately the dealership installed new bags at no cost to me .

[gmacklem]

Wow, I don't stop by for a few days and you guys continue to give me food for thought! Gotta love this forum.

To answer a few questions, I have never camped w/o electric hookups. I would, but my wife won't. I have gotten by with 1 battery for the last 3 seasons, but do want 2 this time just in case.

I will scan this thread and the other thread mentioned and make a decision in the next week or two. The good news is, I will be de-winterizing my RV in just a few weeks!

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by gmacklem

Yes, but I bought it used and suspect the previous owner kept one of the batteries. He also kept the airbags from the air suspension! I couldn't get air into the bags, crawled under the rig and the line was cut and no sign of bags. Fortunately the dealership installed new bags at no cost to me .

Good to hear dealer installed new air bags for you !!!

[Fireman1]

I personally have had very good luck with Optima batteries. For the record I have experience using automotive batteries, deep cycle batteries, and 6 volts batteries. I started using Blue Top Optima batteries around 12 years ago. My first set lasted almost 9 years. I currently have 4 group 31 batteries in my Cedar Creek 34RL2. I believe Optima batteries have several advantages over standard lead acid. First they are maintenance free. Second they use glass mat technology which do not release toxic, corrosive, and flammable gas. Third they can be mounted in any direction. The biggest advantage is they last years longer than standard lead acid batteries.

[Wolverine 1945]

Optima Batteries around $330 each,,,
They better last a while !!!

[aircommuter]

I think most of the glass mat batteries are pretty good compared to flooded, I don’t think the spiral has anything special nor do I like them because their name may try to imply optimal.
There is good family owned and operated battery made in West Covina CA, and they have a second plant in Georgia, Concorde Battery Corp. I mentioned a couple others previously. Personally I will pay more for longer life and a battery that charges faster which I think is important when I am using the solar for charging.

[Joe_GA]

My 36CKTS came with four 6 volt Interstate batteries when I bought it in February of 2012. Assuming they were brand spankin' new at that time, they are now 6 years old and work great. I have always checked water levels monthly and I replaced the original converter with a good Progressive Dynamics converter shortly after I bought my camper. When I need new batteries, it will be Interstate.

[Wolverine 1945]

Anyone know who makes Motorcraft batteries ???
I have had GREAT luck with them !!!

[Joe_GA]

Originally Posted by Wolverine 1945

Anyone know who makes Motorcraft batteries ???
I have had GREAT luck with them !!!

I had a Motorcraft in a Ford F-150 that lasted 8 years. They are good.

[tomkatb]

i have been involved with the MG cars since forever. The battery issue comes up often.

We have not observed enough advantage to the optima batteries to justify the substantial price increase. I get 8-10 years out of an Autozpne $110 battery.

for $200 a Costco set of interstate 6 volt batteries provides about 230 amps.

I doubt you can get a single less powerful Optima for that price.

[Duckogram]

Originally Posted by Wolverine 1945

Anyone know who makes Motorcraft batteries ???
I have had GREAT luck with them !!!

Johnson Controls - Same folks that make Optima Batts.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by aircommuter

I think most of the glass mat batteries are pretty good compared to flooded,

When researching batteries there is always one thing that comes up in the comparisons. Flooded lead acid batteries are still the lowest cost per Kwh of storage. Even when battery lifetime is taken into consideration, the best batteires so far on that basis are still the Old School Lead Acid batteries. Combined with a good charging/maintenance system and regular water check (using only distilled water) and they will be trouble free for a lot of years for a lower outlay of cash.

[camaraderie]

Originally Posted by Wolverine 1945

Anyone know who makes Motorcraft batteries ???
I have had GREAT luck with them !!!

Johnson controls same as walmart!

[camaraderie]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

When researching batteries there is always one thing that comes up in the comparisons. Flooded lead acid batteries are still the lowest cost per Kwh of storage. Even when battery lifetime is taken into consideration, the best batteires so far on that basis are still the Old School Lead Acid batteries. Combined with a good charging/maintenance system and regular water check (using only distilled water) and they will be trouble free for a lot of years for a lower outlay of cash.

Absolutely right. Under lab test conditions AGM type batteries supply 10% LESS cycles to 50% than flooded making flooded a real bargain.

The problem is that in real life...people don't water their batteries or use single stage chargers plugged in full time that boils it off..and of course they don't EQ them either ... so flooded don't last as long in real life.. for the average owner...as Agm's since no maintenence is required.
One thing to remember though is to ALWAYS refill AGM's to 100% after use as they really don't like being stored in a state of partial charge.

When buying AGM's remember that MOST brand name deep cycle AGMs are really dual purpose batteries and are NOT designed for nearly as many deep cycles a a premium flooded. TRUE deep cycle AGM's are available...Lifeline and Trojans are the most popular.

OPTIMAS are about as bad a choice for DEEP CYCLE AGMS as you can make. At least 15% fewer amp hours, thinner plates and fewer cycles to 50% than Lifeline or Trojan. Even they don't claim a deep cycle battery in their own marketing!

[aircommuter]

It is true that flooded is still the most for the least dollar, but AGMs will charge faster and that can have a value too. I have 24 flooded L16 Rolls Surrette batteries in my boat and the biggest drawback is going down there and dumping in 6 gallons of water, the second drawback is having a fan that comes on when charging to evacuate all that hydrogen. So there is more to it than just dollar per amp hour.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by aircommuter

It is true that flooded is still the most for the least dollar, but AGMs will charge faster and that can have a value too. I have 24 flooded L16 Rolls Surrette batteries in my boat and the biggest drawback is going down there and dumping in 6 gallons of water, the second drawback is having a fan that comes on when charging to evacuate all that hydrogen. So there is more to it than just dollar per amp hour.

I sympathize with you and your 24 batteries.

While I was in the Army (back in the 60's) I had an after hours job running the projectors in the base theater. I was in a foreign country where 220V was the standard and they had a battery bank to run the emergency house lights. It consisted of a long row of open top glass "jars" (about 5-6 gallon in size) with a charger controlled by a rheostat. Every shift I had to check the rheostat for proper charge rate and then top each "cell with water. All 34 of them. Don't recall that they used as much water as yours though. About 5 gallons per month seems like what I remember. We kept the charge rate so low we didn't see bubbles.

Was a simple system where the lights just switched straight to battery power with no conversion necessary. The open top batteries were a little disconcerting though as any splash meant a good pair of pants just bit the dist. Insects that landed in the electrolyte didn't last long either.

[camaraderie]

Originally Posted by aircommuter

It is true that flooded is still the most for the least dollar, but AGMs will charge faster and that can have a value too. I have 24 flooded L16 Rolls Surrette batteries in my boat and the biggest drawback is going down there and dumping in 6 gallons of water, the second drawback is having a fan that comes on when charging to evacuate all that hydrogen. So there is more to it than just dollar per amp hour.

For sure! Just correcting some common misunderstandings. Faster charging IF you have a bigger charger in most production RVs. ...and heavier wiring!
Other advantages are 1/10th the self discharge rate and higher peak current delivery. Definitely good reasons to buy AGMs...just need to understand what they do and do not do for 2x the price of wet cells. I had 4 8Ds AGMs in my boat for the same reasons as you! Happy with a pair of dual purpose grp27s now since we are always plugged in!