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Old 07-21-2018, 10:00 AM   #41
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Originally Posted by 67L48 View Post
A single 6v battery will have more capacity than a single 12v battery.

But you need two 6v batteries. As mentioned, the capacity doesn’t double. Two 6v batteries each with 220 A-Hr capacity will combine to form a 12v circuit with a total capacity of ... 220 A-Hr.

12v batteries are additive. Two 12v batteries each with 110 A-Hr capacity will combine to form a 12v circuit with a total capacity of ... 220 A-Hr.

It’s not at all difficult to find 12v batteries with at least 110 A-Hr at 20 hr discharge rate. So, I don’t believe that an advantage of two 6v batteries is capacity.


A 15 second Google search turned up:
Crown CR-GC150
Trojan T-1275
Both are 12V batteries rated at 150 A-Hr at 20 hr discharge rate. Big and expensive, but there they are. Probably more out there.
Thanks...But when I refer to a golf cart battery I mean a battery that fit in the GC2 space.
The Trojan above is 20% bigger than a golf cart battery.
And the posters claimed Golf Cart 12V is an 800 buck floor cleaning product part (they don't make batteries) and the size is roughly that of an 8D...not a golf cart batt.

My point is that within the same technology (wet cell or AGM) there are no magic formulas for amp hour capacity. It is governed by case size and lead weight.



I would not believe ANY significant differences in amp hour capacity for the same size and price range batteries since much of the test data is extrapolation by computer in lab conditions.

Ya don't get something for nothing.
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Old 07-21-2018, 11:17 AM   #42
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How long do you expect your batteries to last and what kind of technology do you use to keep them at their best?

I just run them till they're useless, then replace them.

http://72land-n-sea.blogspot.com/201...eries.html?m=1
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Old 07-21-2018, 11:47 AM   #43
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I think one would want to replace them when they won’t meet the level of performance for the trips you are planning to take.

I never said they were golf cart batteries, they are tall not low profile like an 8d which is a truck battery, I have those too, but not deep cycle. I just posted those so people could see a big 12v deep cycle that isn’t automotive sized. They are for my Tenant floor scrubber but have uses for other equipment also. L16 is the real solar battery used in many solar systems, I have 24 in my homemade boat , setup in 3 groups 48v feeding a 5548 inverter charged by 48 / 89 watt panels.
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Old 07-21-2018, 12:14 PM   #44
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I never said they were golf cart batteries,.
I was referring to post #25 by bpadamson
when I asked for brand/model on his 12V "golfcart" battery that provides 150AH.
Sorry for any confusion. And yes I understood your post...I had FOUR 8D's in my sailboat providing 250 A/h each ...just making the point that these were non standard sized batteries and it was difficult to tell actual size from the photos but they were clearly not in competition for the golf cart space!
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Old 07-21-2018, 02:25 PM   #45
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I think it was post 35 but he never came up with info to back it up. Someone also tried to make an argument about charging 2 batteries in series could be a problem, but charging a 12v is doing exactly that with one less piece of plastic in between cells 3/4.
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Old 07-21-2018, 02:41 PM   #46
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I think it was post 35 but he never came up with info to back it up. Someone also tried to make an argument about charging 2 batteries in series could be a problem, but charging a 12v is doing exactly that with one less piece of plastic in between cells 3/4.
Yep...fat fingered it...sorry! And I agree that a 6V is really just a 12V in two pieces! I think the reason it gets good reviews from folks is that EVERY GC2 is a decent performing true deep cycle battery...whereas MOST 12V labled "deep cycles" found in the chain stores are really dual purpose and inferior despite the marketing on their lables.
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Old 07-21-2018, 04:32 PM   #47
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Hey newbees. This has turned into a mental gymnastics thread. Bottom line = if you've installed golf cart batteries you qualify for bragging rights - just like the diesel guys get over the gassers...other wise, you just get to go camping without those bragging rights.
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Old 07-21-2018, 06:41 PM   #48
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Camping with a pair of 12’s + Solar here boss.
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Old 07-21-2018, 11:48 PM   #49
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So are true 12V Deep Discharge batteries

Lithium batteries, like BattleBorn, can be taken below freezing during discharge but their internal BMS prevents them from charging below 30°. They won't get damaged as you say because they won't be taking a charge.
That's true but, based on my usage of the rv, I could go over a week in temperatures below 30F. In this case the BMS will prevent charging but I'll end up with the batteries at the point where the BMS has disconnected them due to low voltage.

One alternative is to put lithium batteries inside the rig. This might be possible because I have 2/0 power lines run from the interior of the rig to the current battery compartment. If lithium batteries are the "correct" shape, I might be able to put them behind the kitchen cabinets in the dead space that's back there. Another alternative is to build a compartment around the current battery box, insulate it, and provide some additional heat, probably from a gutter heating strip.

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Old 07-22-2018, 10:04 AM   #50
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That's true but, based on my usage of the rv, I could go over a week in temperatures below 30F. In this case the BMS will prevent charging but I'll end up with the batteries at the point where the BMS has disconnected them due to low voltage.

One alternative is to put lithium batteries inside the rig. This might be possible because I have 2/0 power lines run from the interior of the rig to the current battery compartment. If lithium batteries are the "correct" shape, I might be able to put them behind the kitchen cabinets in the dead space that's back there. Another alternative is to build a compartment around the current battery box, insulate it, and provide some additional heat, probably from a gutter heating strip.

Phil
That's what I did. My Battleborns are inside my trailer. I have 4/0 cables going from them for a short distance to my bus bars.
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Old 07-22-2018, 11:41 PM   #51
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make/model please. Thanks.
We bought U. S. Batteries, not cheap but great success by others we knew locally. Item # US12VXC, 12 volt, 155 amp hour. Unless I dump my onboard Onan, I only have room for two batteries and getting more amp hours seemed to be worth it. It is part of our solar project I hope to take pics of and post up; but just started a new job (I thought I might retire, but it didn't last long).
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Old 07-22-2018, 11:46 PM   #52
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Sorry aircommuter, I did come back it just took me awhile. New job put a kink in my reading the blogs !
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Old 07-23-2018, 06:10 AM   #53
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We bought U. S. Batteries, not cheap but great success by others we knew locally. Item # US12VXC, 12 volt, 155 amp hour. Unless I dump my onboard Onan, I only have room for two batteries and getting more amp hours seemed to be worth it. It is part of our solar project I hope to take pics of and post up; but just started a new job (I thought I might retire, but it didn't last long).
I have a pair of us batteries spec'd out too. About to buy 'em when my company closed. Guess it'll wait... A pair of L16s at 420ah. Trojan seems to be doing something with their dealer network, so the switch to us batteries.
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Old 07-23-2018, 01:09 PM   #54
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my two 12 volt golf cart batteries each have 150 amp, which give me more than most two 6's.
Thanks for the response to my question. I was questioning because of your statement above saying your two "golf cart" batteries have 150amps @12V
In fact, you don't have golf cart batteries...you have 12V deep cycle batteries that are 27% larger than a Group 31 ... and pair of which take up more than 28% more space than a pair of golf carts. Tough fit in most RV's!
Nothing wrong with this of course...but these are definitely not golf cart batts!
Good luck with them.
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Old 07-26-2018, 06:10 PM   #55
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When I bought my trailer the dealer put 2 6 volt batteries with solar panel and inverter on it. I still had a 12 volt deep cycle battery from my previous trailer that I added on to the 2 6 volts. The 6 volts are hooked up in series and the 12 volt in parallel to the outputs of the 6 volt batteries. I think this should make my batteries last longer camping without hookups.
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Old 07-26-2018, 06:27 PM   #56
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The only concern may may be that it is older an could take some power from your new ones to balance itself out.
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Old 07-26-2018, 06:32 PM   #57
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Brian of Forest River gave one of his electrical seminars at the Mayberry Rally. He strongly recommended AGAINST using 6 volt batteries on units less than 15 years old that have FR OEM converters in them.

Brian's argument:
The converter will charge the batteries in bulk mode for 4 hours if the battery voltage drops to below around 10.75 - 11.0 volts. On two 12 volt batteries, you probably won't do that. However, with 6 volt batteries, that means you are at about 5.5 volts on each battery. Way inside what many boondockers consider a reasonable discharge level.

Running 14.4 volts into a pair of 6 volt batteries for 4 hours will have a high possibility of boiling the battery. If you don't watch out, you may destroy the batteries in pretty short order.

Hopefully, I got my notes on this correct. Anyone else at the seminar - correct me if I got something wrong.
Yes. Brian said the same thing at eureka springs rally last summer. Brilliant guy. Everyone would beneyfrom sitting in on his seminar.
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Old 07-26-2018, 07:05 PM   #58
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Yes. Brian said the same thing at eureka springs rally last summer. Brilliant guy. Everyone would beneyfrom sitting in on his seminar.
If Brian said that he is wrong...and I doubt he said that. Both the WFCO and Progressive converters used over the last 5 years or so are perfectly fine with 6 volt pairs and no one in their right mind would drop battery voltafe to 11V or less and it also makes no sense that 5.5 volts on HALF a 12V battery is any different than 11V on a whole one...EACH CELL has exactly the same voltage....11V divided by 6 cells is 1.833V per cell... 5.5 volts divided by 3 cells is 1.833.
FR may have used some cheapo oem charger in the distant past that did a timed 4 hour 14.4V bulk charge on a deeply discharged 12V battery ...and I doubt that was a problem...BUT...even if it was...it would HAVE to be the same problem for both types of batteries.
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Old 07-26-2018, 07:25 PM   #59
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When I bought my trailer the dealer put 2 6 volt batteries with solar panel and inverter on it. I still had a 12 volt deep cycle battery from my previous trailer that I added on to the 2 6 volts. The 6 volts are hooked up in series and the 12 volt in parallel to the outputs of the 6 volt batteries. I think this should make my batteries last longer camping without hookups.
BAD idea. Having a different capacity and condistion battery paired with your other 12V (6+6) golf cart will let you camp longer....but it will kill your new golf carts life cycles well short of what they otherwise would achieve.
May I suggest that you buy a two bank battery switch and do not use or charge the 2 sets together. Use one till 50% done...then switch to the other. Charge one at a time.

This will let you get maximum life out of the golf carts and make use of longer camping time without a recharge while boondocking via the older batt.
The other benefit of this switch is that the off position kills all parasitic loads when in storage mode.





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Old 07-26-2018, 08:00 PM   #60
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...Amp Hours.
I went from one 12 volt with 70 amp hours to two 6 volts with 250 amp hours...obvious choice.
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