new battery opinion/options

[bpa098]

In the next few days i am head over to the battery shop to get a new battery for my camper. Its an old local shop, knowledgeable owners and my family has been dealing with them for years for the farm. Might be able to save a few bucks else where but like dealing with and supporting them.

Any ways, at this time i have an older 12v battery that just doesn't seem to last as long anymore. I will take it with me and have them test it. Dont think anything is wrong with it and will keep it as maybe a back up. I plan to buy a new battery also. Typically we dont camp with hook ups and we are good about conserving power and we dont need much. Not worried about anything fancy, have lots of camping gear that doesnt need electric.

Ive read many of your electric posts and its mostly greek to me. So my plan, buy a new battery and hook it up, put the old one to the side un hooked. If the new one dies then hook up the old one. Was thinking about wiring it so i dont have to do that but read on here not to do that unless both are new batteries.

Not worried about a cut off switch as when i get home i plug in to the house to charge the batteries and keep the fridge cold.

Oh, not looking to spend much right now, this new camper is nickle and diming me with mods and new gear thanks to you guys.

So in my boat, how would you set this up with one new and one old battery?

oh, i have a 2015 Palomino Solaire 213x if it matters here. Just wanna use my lights, radio, water pump and not much more.

[clr]

OK if $ is the main concern your plan is the best option I would say. Go to Walmart and buy a group 29 deep cycle battery less than 100$. Use the new battery and take the old along as a spare. Just remember to charge the old battery often. Good luck and happy camping.

[Herk7769]

A 2 battery cut out switch is made to do what you want without the real risk of swapping wires all the time.

Blue Sea 6007 Battery Switch Selector-6007 Blue Sea - Star Marine Depot

Just remember not to select "BOTH" unless they are a matched pair.

[rsdata]

not only charge the old one, but recharge the new one also as soon as possible when you return
leaving a battery discharged longer than a day or two will cause you to lose capactiy rather quickly

get yourself an under $10 digital multi-meter and watch the voltage of the battery and do not discharge to less than 12V...
Battery Basics: A Layman's Guide to Batte | BatteryStuff Articles

[mud yapster]

With a battery bank like this you can have electric for a very long time. Just messing around. Good luck with it. Happy Camping

[bpa098]

Originally Posted by Herk7769

A 2 battery cut out switch is made to do what you want without the real risk of swapping wires all the time.

Blue Sea 6007 Battery Switch Selector-6007 Blue Sea - Star Marine Depot

Just remember not to select "BOTH" unless they are a matched pair.

I like the idea off that switch, much easier to switch over.

Can i flip it to both after i am home and hooked up to power so they will both charge at the same time?

[clr]

OK I am sure you will get differing opinions on using the both switch position at home to charge the batteries. I would not recommend that you do this but it will work to charge both batteries. When you place the switch into the both position you are connecting both batteries in parallel so you have an old weaker battery paralleled with your new battery. You will still have some slight load on the batteries since the vampire loads will be connected also. Your smart battery charge will be looking at one battery, that is your paralleled pair of batteries. So does this smart charger then put out more for the weaker battery or less for the new battery. It will tend to put out more for the weaker battery because it will be dragging down the new battery. This is very hard to explain but the new battery will tend to be dragged down to the condition of the old weak battery.

[bpa098]

Originally Posted by clr

OK I am sure you will get differing opinions on using the both switch position at home to charge the batteries. I would not recommend that you do this but it will work to charge both batteries. When you place the switch into the both position you are connecting both batteries in parallel so you have an old weaker battery paralleled with your new battery. You will still have some slight load on the batteries since the vampire loads will be connected also. Your smart battery charge will be looking at one battery, that is your paralleled pair of batteries. So does this smart charger then put out more for the weaker battery or less for the new battery. It will tend to put out more for the weaker battery because it will be dragging down the new battery. This is very hard to explain but the new battery will tend to be dragged down to the condition of the old weak battery.

in case i wasnt clear, my charging method is plugging the camper into my house and letting the camper charge the battery, no a separate charger i hook up. Not a big deal, when i get home and plug in, i can charge the new battery first, then the next day flip over and charge the old one. i was more worried i was creating 24v and doing damage. so if i had two new batteries on this switch and flipped it to both would i being pulling from both but not creating 24v?

[clr]

Yes you would be pulling from both. And no you would not be creating 24v only 12v since the batteries would be connected in parallel. Your charge plan with a new and old battery would work great. Just turn off the AC power before you switch and then turn it back on after you switch.

[KQ2N]

Are you talking about Yorkville Battery? Just fyi, I have four 12 volt deep cycle batteries in parallel (from Yorkville Battery), but when these go, I'm going the 6 volt series/parallel route instead. From all I read, 6 volt batteries have more capacity than 12 volt batteries. Virtually all my camping here in the summer is dry camping at NY State parks.

[bpa098]

Yes Yorkville. Same here, I prefer state parks, cheaper and I always get sites on the lake. Some day I want multiple batteries with inverters and solar but just not in my budget right now. Heard the same about the 6v but then I've got to buy 2 batteries, I assume theyre priced similar

[bpa098]

Well I bought the largest 12v marine battery they had, 31mdc, after discount and core charge, $114. They had the cut off selector switch you mentioned but it was heavy duty and like $50 so I'll order one online later. Although, my two batteries wouldn't fit on the tongue so don't really need the switch until I build a box on the tongue. Salesman gave me a crash course on inverters and solar. Can't wait till those are in the budget.

Did end up at harbor freight for some things and saw a small 400w inverter for $20. I grabbed one, put the old battery in a storage compartment, hooked up the inverter and plugged in our phones. Charged them perfectly last night. Just don't tell the kids it will run the tv. That's off limits unless it rains for multiple days

[Phinias]

Sam's Club has Gel Pacs for a tad more than 100. Each

[spock123]

If you need a great battery buy two 6 volt Trojans. I would never buy a battery from Walmart for my camper


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