6 volt deep cell golf cart batteries

[wellsy]

I am hoping that someone out there has some experience with these types of batteries. I am looking at getting 4 for a new trailer I am purchasing.
Thoughts??

[WanderMore]

I see from other posts you’ve been looking at Apex Nanos, nice units but ... each 6 volt deep cycle golf cart battery will be about 65 pounds; perhaps more. That will add 260 pounds to the tongue weight of the trailer. Not exactly but close. You will have to factor that in to your hitch plans. Lots of people run GC batteries and love them. Others are making the move to LiFePO4 to save weight and being able to do more than a 50% DOD. But they have some cold weather challenges. Both have pros and cons.

Also, AGM requires less care and maintenance than flooded but cost more.

If you have a low budget go flooded lead acid.
If you can spend a little more go AGM.
If you are independently wealthy go with the new Battle Born with the built in heater.

If you are a crazy engineer you would not be asking, you would be building your own LiFePO4.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by WanderMore

I see from other posts you’ve been looking at Apex Nanos, nice units but ... each 6 volt deep cycle golf cart battery will be about 65 pounds; perhaps more. That will add 260 pounds to the tongue weight of the trailer. Not exactly but close. You will have to factor that in to your hitch plans. Lots of people run GC batteries and love them. Others are making the move to LiFePO4 to save weight and being able to do more than a 50% DOD. But they have some cold weather challenges. Both have pros and cons.

Also, AGM requires less care and maintenance than flooded but cost more.

If you have a low budget go flooded lead acid.
If you can spend a little more go AGM.
If you are independently wealthy go with the new Battle Born with the built in heater.

If you are a crazy engineer you would not be asking, you would be building your own LiFePO4.

So do most campers, preferring temps to be well above freezing.

LiFePo4 batteries only have issues when charging at freezing temps. Storage is not an issue.

[wellsy]

Thanks, probably looking at 3 at 180 lbs, plus a 100 for the hitch and 80 for the propane. I'd be right there... probably couldn't get a new mattress as the bed is in the front. I could probably go 400 on the tongue but no more. I had heard you can discharge up to 80% and be okay. I wouldn't do that but....thoughts?

[wellsy]

I looked at the 25 bds and loved it but just a bit heavy. I have a Tacoma..5,600 is it's max.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by wellsy

Thanks, probably looking at 3 at 180 lbs, plus a 100 for the hitch and 80 for the propane. I'd be right there... probably couldn't get a new mattress as the bed is in the front. I could probably go 400 on the tongue but no more. I had heard you can discharge up to 80% and be okay. I wouldn't do that but....thoughts?

You can't use three 6v golf cart batteries. They have to be in pairs, like 2-4-6-8 and so on.
Propane should already be factored into the dry tongue weight number.
What is your tow vehicle's payload capacity?
If this is the TT you're looking at, you're already over the Taco's max hitch weight with only two 6v batteries:

https://coachmenrv.com/travel-traile...no/213RDS/3551

[wellsy]

The dry weight of the trailer is 3826, (i'm new at this) so I've been told 10 to 15% is a good tongue weight.

[wellsy]

Just looked, hitch weight is 467 and cargo capacity is 2174.

[WanderMore]

Go with 2 6 volt GC batteries and pick up a small inverter generator like Honda, Cat, etc. They meet federal park noise restrictions and are handy to have around. Also, add in a factory installed solar package.

[ppine]

Most 12 v batteries might say deep cycle but they really aren't. The 6v GC batteries have more lead and somewhat more reserve power. I have worn them out just about as fast as 12 v batteries.

For a small light trailer, 4 of them on the tongue might be too much weight. It would be better to think in terms of more solar power instead of more storage.

[wellsy]

You've been a huge help. The unit I am ordering with have 100w solar installed and then headed to Arizona to get more solar installed to compliment the existing. I won't be boondocking hardly at all but want to be prepared. A side note, I have family in Virginia beach, when we're out there I'll look ya up.

[Chance811]

Originally Posted by wellsy

I am hoping that someone out there has some experience with these types of batteries. I am looking at getting 4 for a new trailer I am purchasing.
Thoughts??

I was originally thinking four 6 volts but decided against it because of weight and location of two of them (I can only really fit two on my front tongue). I ended up with 2 6 volts but upped the amp hours from 215 to 255. We do a little bit of boondocking but are gonna re evaluate come summer time. I may just add 200-300 watts of solar with a new controller If it looks like we’re going to do more.

[ppine]

I am going to AGM batteries because they a charge faster, and can be discharged more than lead/acid and rebound okay. I use 200 watts on a Rockwood 24 footer with an MTTP controller. It works fine, but we use little in the way of electronics. Three hundred watts might be the right amount you want an inverter and tv and movies and the like.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by wellsy

Just looked, hitch weight is 467 and cargo capacity is 2174.

So with two 6v batteries, that dry tongue weight number jumps to 587lbs, which is over the Taco's max of 560lbs. And that's before you add water, factory options, dealer add-ons and trailer cargo.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by bikendan

So with two 6v batteries, that dry tongue weight number jumps to 587lbs, which is over the Taco's max of 560lbs. And that's before you add water, factory options, dealer add-ons and trailer cargo.

For a trailer with that limited a capacity on the tongue a great solution would be ONE LiFePo4 100 amp battery.

Almost the same usable capacity as two 6 v golf cart batteries if following the 50% depth of discharge "rule" and half the weight of only ONE 6 volt battery.

Lion Energy has a 105 amp hour LiFePo4 battery that only weighs 23 lbs.

[Theo]

Calculating the tongue weight using the dry weight of the TT will not give you a realistic number. Most folks calculate about 12% of the TT's GVWR.

You stated the TT's dry weight is 3826lbs and it's CCC is 2174lbs. That's a GVWR of 6,000lbs. 6,000lbs x 0.12 = 720lbs of tongue weight and that is well over the 400lbs you mentioned you didn't want to exceed.

You may want to look at a different TT.

[wellsy]

Ok so, my trailer is; Hitch weight of 467, GVWR of 6000, UVR of 3826 and cargo capacity of 2174. So if I am loaded and ready to travel and have a devise/scale that will tell me the exact hitch height it could be as much as 720 lbs?
Can't tell I'm new at this can you?

[tomkatb]

What is the goal?

Do you have an electric fridge?

Is the tv hitch weight an issue?

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by wellsy

Ok so, my trailer is; Hitch weight of 467, GVWR of 6000, UVR of 3826 and cargo capacity of 2174. So if I am loaded and ready to travel and have a devise/scale that will tell me the exact hitch height it could be as much as 720 lbs?
Can't tell I'm new at this can you?

Short answer is Yes. When I bought my trailer the "tongue weight" was shown as just under 600#. Loaded and ready to hit the road the actual measured tongue weight was 850 (measured with a Sherline Scale).

Not an issue for me as my TV has a rated tongue weight of 950#.

Since then I changed to Lithium batteries and now have a tongue weight of under 800# and that's with full propane and a full water tank.

You really won't know what your real world tongue weight will be until you've fully loaded your trailer as you'll be towing it and then weight the tongue with either a Sherline Scale or following the instructions for using a bathroom scale and some pieces of lumber (scale is offset on cross piece of lumber supported on blocks so the weight on the scale is reduced by a factor of 8 - 10, depending on setup.)

[Theo]

I'd also like to remind you that bikendan asked about your tow vehicle's payload rating. This rating can be found on your driver's door jamb. The top of the sticker will be yellow and below it will say "The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed XXXkg or YYYYlbs". The YYYYlbs (payload rating) is often the truly limiting factor in matching TV to TT.

For and example, let's say your tow vehicle's payload rating is 1,500lbs; from that you need to subtract the following occupant/cargo/rig weights:

• Your weight;
• the total weight of your occupants/pets;
• the cargo you may be carrying in the TV;
• the weight of your (WDH) hitch;
• the tongue weight of your TT.

If you weigh 180 and your "occupant" weighs 120, that's 300lbs subtracted from your payload capacity; now it's 1,200lbs. Then, let's subtract 300 for your cargo and 100 for your WDH; now available payload capacity is 800lbs. Finally, subtract the tongue weight of your trailer (say, 720lbs) and you only have an 80lb safety margin! And, if your payload rating is less than 1,500lbs, things may get very dicey!

Even if you are just under your payload rating, you need to look at your Rear GAWR (listed on a separate white/gray sticker near the yellow one) and make sure that the added rear weight of your rig does not exceed this axle rating.

So, I would suggest the following before you go any further:

1. Check your payload sticker and record that number;
2. Substitute the occupant/cargo estimates I have invented with the actual numbers;
3. Add another 10% to the occupants & cargo numbers in case you're off a bit with your estimated cargo weight;
4. Load up your TV with all the occupants and cargo you expect to transport (except the hitch and TT, of course!) and find the nearest CAT Scale;
5. Pass 1: Weigh your TV fully loaded;
6. Pass 2: Remove all occupants and cargo and re-weigh it;
7. Go home and determine the actual weight of your payload by subtracting the Pass 2 (empty) "Total Axle" weight from the Pass 1 (loaded) "Total Axle" weight;
8. Subtract that from your payload rating to see what the actual available payload is to carry the weight of a 100lb hitch and the estimated tongue weight (720lbs);
9. Finally, subtract the Pass 1 "Drive Axle" weight from the white sticker's Rear GAWR rating: this will hopefully be more than 820lbs.

As you can tell, I am a firm believer is staying within a tow vehicle's rated weight loading. After living for 7 decades, I put a premium on being risk-averse. Other folks will assure you that you can easily fudge the ratings and be fine. Maybe you will be...

For me, I want to fully enjoy RVing; for that to happen, I feel best staying within a comfortable safety margin.

Note: YMMV