1 or 2 batteries

[swj]

Dry camping in the Nat'l parks with 1 battery and a generator. Will limited generator hours, 4 hours in morning and 4 hours in afternoon, allow a 38000 running watt gen to recharge battery enough for evening activities, run heater, fridge, water pump, etc... night after night after night. I have a FRiver 251RKS travel trailer. Recharge battery on 2amp- 6amp charge maintain setting or use 10 amp rapid charge on 1 battery set up and/or 2 battery setup.

Will 1 dual-purpose optima BLUETOP battery at $325(55lbs) replace the output of 2 Napa 12v marine/rv batteries fro may application?

[ppine]

At least 2, having 3 is even better.

[wharfrat48]

Really need to determine your usage so you can decide on what your capacity needs to be. Either way I'd make sure to use "true" deep cycle batteries and not the dual use or marine/rv batteries. Check the amp hour ratings to compare which battery to get.

[A32Deuce]

I have 2 group 31 Optima batterys. You can run then down lower then wet batterys. This is in the step of a SunSeeker.

[MtBiker]

Two group 27 or 31 deep cycle batteries and charge for an hour in morning and an hour at night. Trying to get them charged up past about 90% means your generator runs for hours. If your batteries are not getting enough with 1 hour and 1 hour bump up to 1 1/2 hour morning and night. Trying to get your batteries to 100% while charging from your generator is just a waste of time and obnoxious to the other campers.
charge from your built in charging system, it should charge at far more than 10 amps.
You will most likely burn between 50- 90 amps per day. Spread it into two charging cycles for the fastest charging.

[tomkatb]

Two six volts from Costco for about $200 if they fit will do better.

Six volts are designed differently.

Lithium charge better and faster.

No maintenance batteries do not take abuse as well. Charge a little better.

Most bigger rv’s have converters that charge at high amperage. You said 2-6 amp charger! More would be better.

I never thought an Optima specs impressed me. These were designed for planes, atvs and boats.

[bigred123]

I myself changed out factory 55 amp converter /charger to a IOTA 55amp unit equipped with Turbo charging module. These are design for application just as you are looking at. They charge at full amps in bulk charge mode I believe for as long as 4 hrs or until battery hits about 80%. Then switch to absorb mode. Its a more agressive design then the standard 3 stage. Check out there web site. I have both the IOTA DSL-55 and the DSL-75 units with turbo.. I use the 75 at my cabin on a 450amphr system.


https://www.iotaengineering.com/power.htm

[jimmoore13]

If you are serious about boondocking, get solar, and, depending on budget, get 2 x or 4 x 6 volt golf cart batteries.

Solar: https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Monocr...NsaWNrPXRydWU=

Batteries: a good option:
https://www.batteriesplus.com/productdetails/sligc125
Note the AMP HOUR RATING. 235 amp hours with two of these in series yields about 115 USABLE amp hours and a very durable battery bank. 4 of these in series/parallel to make 12 volts will give you 235 USABLE amp hours.

ANY FLOODED CELL battery can be drawn down to about 50% of it's rated AMP HOUR capacity. So a typical group 31 12 volt battery is rated around 100 AMP HOURS and you get to use 50. You CAN get a 12 volt golf cart battery that more or less equals the pair of 6 volts.
https://www.batteriesplus.com/search...p+31+golf+cart

There's no magic bullet in batteries. Even LiFePo's at a kilobuck a pop will deliver about 80 usable amp hours.

8 hours of generator time is an insane way to charge batteries...unless you're running a built-in Onan. They are pretty quiet, but a 3500 watt Honda is an angry neighbor waiting to happen unless you're far from others.

Solar is silent, and in decent weather and decent sun exposure, the 400 watt kit I showed (and I own), will deliver about 100 usable amp hours to the battery bank daily. If it's rainy or you're in shade, the genny can back you up.

In Colorado, with frugal use practices, the camper I just traded had a 100 watt panel and one group 24 battery good for about 35 amp hours before charging. I could camp indefinitely with this setup in my PUP and use the genny only to run 120 volt appliances...about 30 to 40 minutes a day total. That little generator boost in concert with running the microwave and espresso machine was enough to put me over the top.

My new rig has the 400 watt Renology kit and 2 x 6 volt golf cart batteries. I won't have to think about power.

The white weatherproof box on the front of my PUP tub houses the charge controller. The panel is fixed-mounted on the roof.

[Tundra 2014]

I would go w/ 2-6 volts and a 100 watt portable solar. The national park generator hours are not enough to recharge for us. First, get a Kill-a-watt meter, about $20 off Amazon and see what your actual usage is to determine what you need for power. It will tell you accumulated usage in watts.i

[McCormickJim]

run heater, fridge, water pump, etc...?

The heater alone will drain TWO fully charged batteries somewhere between midnight and 3 AM (ask me how I know). For all night heat from your on-board heater, you'll need 3-4 batteries. And then you'll need a bigger generator to re-charge them.

A single, fully charged battery will run the fridge, water pump, and LED lights (if used ONLY when needed), all night and into the morning. Then you can start re-charging with your Zamp 110 Watt suitcase charger.

MY TT has a single National battery. It is kept charged by a 110 Watt Zamp suitcase solar panel. The Zamp puts out twice the amperage of my MUCH cheaper 100 Watt Dokio suitcase (you get what you pay for).

My Georgetown motorhome has two batteries. Those are the ones that went dead at 3 AM. 5 degrees outside and 35 degrees inside was no fun.

For boondocking heat, check out the "Mr. Heater" line of propaane heaters.

[Tundra 2014]

I also use a Buddy Heater when boon docking, the fan motor uses a lot of amps for the heater. Mine uses 6.8 Amp hours, even when cycling.

[Off Rez]

2 group 24 Costco batts and run the gen a couple hours in the morning couple hours before bed and set the heat to 60, we did fine for 3 days with outside temp upper 30s. Ammeter said we never got below 12.2. We ran the gen to make coffee, or in the evening for Instant Pot cooking. No one wants to hear a gen run all day but I think most people tolerate some generator noise. And if not, then it’s their problem not yours.

[Tom48]

Originally Posted by swj

Dry camping in the Nat'l parks with 1 battery and a generator. Will limited generator hours, 4 hours in morning and 4 hours in afternoon, allow a 38000 running watt gen to recharge battery enough for evening activities, run heater, fridge, water pump, etc... night after night after night. I have a FRiver 251RKS travel trailer. Recharge battery on 2amp- 6amp charge maintain setting or use 10 amp rapid charge on 1 battery set up and/or 2 battery setup.

Will 1 dual-purpose optima BLUETOP battery at $325(55lbs) replace the output of 2 Napa 12v marine/rv batteries fro may application?

Where to begin? One Optima blue top, when I bought mine was and it still is an amazing battery but my Group 24 Blue top is only rated at 65 AMPs. My others, wet cell Group 24s, were all 70 amps. So one blue top, as good as they are is not enough. 3800 watt generator overkill for just charging batteries and, unless it's a nice quiet inverter generator, you will make enemies or at least disgruntled neighbors. Even at 10 amps an external charger, if it can be kept at ten amps will likely take a full 3 to 4 hours to top off your one battery and NO. I do not think one battery will adequately meet you overnight needs in a reliable fashion.

Good luck.

[swj]

thxs for geting back. Reading tells me the Blue top dual AMG output equals 1.5 of lead a lead acid battery. You can run down the blue top battery below 50% and it will recharge much QUICKER than lead acid battery. Waiting on Optima to respond to an info request. Plan now is to buy a Blue top and swap out current battery. I will put the Napa Legend marine rv battery in the truck for backup.
Question: will I get one night on a Bluetop AMG batttery?

Plan B is to buy another Napa Legend and mount it to trailer. The Napa I have now is 6 months old. I can fully charge both batteries and then hook them up in parallel and hope for the best.??

My gen is a Lifan ESI inverter generator with 3800 running watts.

[Witness_Protection]

Anybody running Interstate 12V Grp 24s? My Rockwood 2109s came with these batteries a year ago and the little boondocking we've done, they have been adequate.

Based upon what I read here, I'm wondering if I should upgrade to two 6V Duracells.

Thoughts?

[extremebike]

Hi

I also dry camp for 2 weeks at a time and the provincial parks here frown on extended generator use. Therefore I spent the money and when with 6 volt AGM. Since my trailer charge unit is at the other end of the trailer the charge rate is very slow. I use an automatic charger with 25 amp max and set it to 25 amp charge so my charge (daily) is about 90 minutes. The max charge rate per the spec sheet is 55 amps which is not recommended, so 25 should be fine and has been working so far.

I switched to two 6 volt AGM batteries. I chose AGMs due to the the following:

1. don't want be check the fluid levels.
2. have a faster charge than flooded cell (due to higher charge current)
3. greater discharge
4. added 100 watt solar so I can leave the batteries in the trailer without
hookup and keep batteries charged

Hope this helps. Message me if you want more info

[rbq]

Use 2 batteries. You are not going to a national park to sit in the campground and listen to your generator run. Get 2 or 3 days of dual battery life and then use the generator to to recharge.

[DustyRoads]

We too own a 251rks. Currently we have 2 Interstate Dual Purpose batteries with 64amh each. With the OEM converter they lasted only 2 to 3 days dry camping with little running. I would run my 2000 watt generator 2 to 4 hours a day. I upgraded the converter last year to a PD4655MBA/L from Best Converters. It was a direct replacement and it is a 4 stage converter. Charging was a lot faster and more efficient until one of my batteries crapped out (2 dead cells). This spring I will be replacing both my batteries most likely with 2 golf cart batteries not sure if it will be 6 or 12 volt. Weight and size is a concern there is enough room for 2, might have to modify rack. Not sure from where, the Duracell's from BatteriesPlusBulbs is easy and convenient to me. We don't have a Costco in the Albany, NY area. Local RV Dealer, Albany RV, sold me 2 Interstate Dual Purpose as Deep Cycle when I didn't know better. Won't go there again.
I will also be looking to put in a shut off switch for the Soundbar/Radio to reduce parasitic draw. TV is only 110volt.
Good luck - please let me know what you do. I will need to make a decision by end of July. That is our next dry camping trip.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by DustyRoads

We too own a 251rks. Currently we have 2 Interstate Dual Purpose batteries with 64amh each. With the OEM converter they lasted only 2 to 3 days dry camping with little running. I would run my 2000 watt generator 2 to 4 hours a day. I upgraded the converter last year to a PD4655MBA/L from Best Converters. It was a direct replacement and it is a 4 stage converter. Charging was a lot faster and more efficient until one of my batteries crapped out (2 dead cells). This spring I will be replacing both my batteries most likely with 2 golf cart batteries not sure if it will be 6 or 12 volt. Weight and size is a concern there is enough room for 2, might have to modify rack. Not sure from where, the Duracell's from BatteriesPlusBulbs is easy and convenient to me. We don't have a Costco in the Albany, NY area. Local RV Dealer, Albany RV, sold me 2 Interstate Dual Purpose as Deep Cycle when I didn't know better. Won't go there again.
I will also be looking to put in a shut off switch for the Soundbar/Radio to reduce parasitic draw. TV is only 110volt.
Good luck - please let me know what you do. I will need to make a decision by end of July. That is our next dry camping trip.

I have a similar sized TT and I will be going to two 6v golf cart batteries, from a basic Group 27 dual purpose marine battery.
Already have a 150w inverter to run the tv and recharge electronic devices. Also have a battery disconnect switch.
As experienced dry campers, we know that you'll need to do more than just upgrading the batteries. You need to deal with fresh water supplies and dumping excess gray water. We have a 6 gallon FW plastic jug and a 15 gallon tote tank for gray water.

[swj]

Looks like I'm going to buy a 2nd 8000 marine/rv Battery 31($160) (105 amp hours each, total 210 amp hours) and mount it on the trailer. The cost (delivered) for ONE optima AGM D31 is $320. Plus, seems like I would need a AGM friendly, converter/charger for the trailer, installed. $1000ish all in?

If the trailer converter/charger doesn't charge the Napa batteries, I will plug my battery charger into the generator and charge the batteries, battery disconnect switched off, during gen hours. Cost for battery, battery box and parallel cables 200ish.