Recommended 12V Battery Brands

[itat]

As I said in my original post, I don't dry camp. DW always wants an electric site. So a pair of 6 volt batteries would be overkill for us. I'm just looking for feedback on good brands of 12 volt deep cycles and size recommendations to get us by for 1 night if the CG power goes out. My preference is a Group 27 size but the dealer only carries Group 24 Interstate brand RV/Marine batteries that they buy in bulk. I can't find any info on the Ah capacity so that indicates the dealer's battery is a dual purpose rather than a true deep cycle.

[GreenImp]

It is pretty much a waste of time to talk battery brand names. The vast majority of names you will hear are not even manufactured by said company (Interstate being the most common offender). More info than you could ever care to read here... Car and Deep Cycle Battery FAQ, Battery Manufacturers and Brand Names List, and . If you check that site you will see that batteries with the Interstate brand name on them come from no fewer than 10 different battery manufacturers.

IMHO, it is much more important to purchase a fresh battery (preferably no more than a couple of months since it was born), and to properly maintain it. Shortly after I realized I should be checking battery dates before buying, I once saw a 2 year old battery buried at the back of a shelf at a local hardware store. They clearly weren't rotating their stock, and some poor unsuspecting buyer is going to wind up with a completely junk battery and then blame the brand name when it fails.

In short, my recommendation is to buy your battery from a store that you feel confident will "have your back" when/if needed (I prefer Costco for this). Then, check the manufacture dates before walking out the door.

[camaraderie]

Originally Posted by bjlyons

I find it strange no one mentioned six volt batteries. Two six volt deep cycle batteries are much better than one 12v and will last for years.

2 6V batteries will leave you up the creek if one fails. 2 12V batteries can be independently operated. On the other hand...4 6V batteries are better than 4 12V deep cycle in terms of cost effectiveness.

[hammick]

Cut the humidifier wire on your fridge assuming it is dometic. There should be a good thread on this about it killing you battery while boondocking. The older fridges had an on off switch and the new ones are always on. Once you cut this wire you should have no problem making it through the night with a group 24 on the rare occasion the CG power goes out.

[mustardbucket107]

I've started using only CAT maintenence free batteries for about the past five years. Absolutely great batteries and better costumer service. Had one go bad in our yukon after 3.5yrs abs they replaced it free of charge. Not much more expensive than typical battery and less than an Interstate in my area. When i need to replace our s in our camper it'll be a Cat

Sent from my SM-N910V

[camaraderie]

Guess you like DEKA/East Penn then...they make CAT Batts.