Interstate Batteries at Costco?

[spurticus]

We're kicking off the camping season this weekend and my Interstate deep cycle SRM-24 battery is toast. The exact replacement at the Interstate store is $110.

Looking at Costco, I noticed they had Interstate batteries, but they looked different. Also, the marine/rv batteries did not say deep cycle on them. The Costco guy in the tire center said it was in fact a deep cycle battery. I went ahead and got the group 24 marine/rv battery they had in stock. It was only $72.

Anyone know anything about these Interstate batteries at Costco?

[HONDAMAN174]

More of a dual purpose battery. May fit your needs depending on useage. Just replaced my pair as we are heavy power users and quite often take them to 50% before charging. They lasted 16 months. Nice thing is if you change your mind after this weekend you can return and get something else.

[SeaDog]

Originally Posted by spurticus

We're kicking off the camping season this weekend and my Interstate deep cycle SRM-24 battery is toast. The exact replacement at the Interstate store is $110.

Looking at Costco, I noticed they had Interstate batteries, but they looked different. Also, the marine/rv batteries did not say deep cycle on them. The Costco guy in the tire center said it was in fact a deep cycle battery. I went ahead and got the group 24 marine/rv battery they had in stock. It was only $72.

Anyone know anything about these Interstate batteries at Costco?

Attachment 133491Attachment 133492

I have the interstate deep cycle type on my rig it says deep cycle on the battery, what you have are a dual purpose starting battery that can be taken to more of a discharge and still recover (I have two of these in my boat) just keep in mind they are not deep cycle so keep the charge up if you can.

[Iwannacamp]

According to interstates website this should be a deep cycle battery assuming Costco spec'd the battery as normal. The other lead acid is cranking configuration.
I tried to post a picture, but I can't.

[SeaDog]

check this link for the battery as I read it, it is dual purpose. http://www.interstatedealers.com/ibc...ne_rv_spec.pdf

[spurticus]

Thanks all. Looks like I got myself a dual purpose battery. I think I will be fine though. We most always camp at parks with full hook ups. As long as I maintain it and make sure I have a good charge before raising or lowering the roof, I'm good. We don't plan on any boondocking.

[Telstar]

I haven't bought any other brand in years. I use 2 of the 6v golf cart batteries in our Cardinal and 2 12v batteries in the truck. Keep track of the Warranty date and you will never have to pay for a new battery again.

[clintbonnie73]

IMO....Interstate batteries have gone down in quality.. They came with my new 2017 Rockwood and they are now toast..Kept in the garage all winter. (fluid level also going down fast). Won't hold a charge..still working with the dealer to resolve the problem.. checking them with a Hydrometer is the best way to check each cell.. All of mind are at 25% after charging.. Had two 6V golf cart batteries in my last RV.. never had a problem..
My daughter's RV Interstate battery is also failing..(only afew months old)
Ran into a fellow camping with a new Rockwood Mini Lite from back east. His Interstate also failed on his trip out West..

[SidecarFlip]

The most important aspect of buying a battery, be it for your truck, car, lawnmower, motorcycle or RV and no matter what kind it is is.....

Always buy any battery from a retailer with high turnover on batteries.

Reason being is because all wet charged batteries, no matter what type they are, have started their lives when they electrolyte was added so any battery sitting on a shelf unsold, is still headed toward it's ultimate death.

Never buy a battery with dust on it..been sitting on a shelf for a long time sulfating away, waiting for someone to 'adopt ''it. Not good.

Never buy a battery from a local repair shop or mom and pop auto store, they have been sitting and wasting away...

It don't mean squat what the punch out dots say.. What is important is when the electrolyte was added and how long the battery sat waiting for you...

The exception would be Lithium-Ion or Lithium-Iron batteries but I don't think many on here will be buying them anytime soon in as much as a Group 24 equivalent L-Iron or L-Ion battery will set you back close to a grand in today's market.

Little FYI for everyone...

[Comanchecreek]

I've had my best luck with Interstate batteries. Just put 4 Interstate golf carts from Costco in my new Crusader. Heavy plates for charge and discharge seem to hold up much better. I run Interstate over any others. Really most batteries will do good if you maintain them properly. Keep them charged, keep the water level up. Run battery maintainers in the winter. Don't cook them with your converter, and don't let them discharge and freeze and you should get a long life. I've found in my travels that people that have problems with batteries all the time generally neglect them or think they just don't need any maintenance.

[camaraderie]

Setting golf carts aside...Interstate does not make a true deep cycle battery in the group 24 size. Despite the label differences you may find...they are all dual purpose...including the marine ones. No problem if you plug in almost all the time but not a good choice for boondocking. Look at Deka (DC series)/East Penn/Trojan if you need real deep cycle 12V.

[bareftn]

I only spend $ 40. 00 for any interstate 5 yr battery at the local distributor , no matter if its for a car, semi truck or motorcycle and boat and that's for a deep cycle also

[Blazer]

When buying a battery you should look for a small sticker on the top or side it will have month or a month number you should buy the current month or the one closest to the current month .that is the month the battery was made

[pgandw]

When I bought my A-frame, the dealer installed a second Group 24 as we agreed. They were Interstate dual purpose batteries. I'm not sure whether the converter battery fuse blew first, or one of the batteries went bad first, but the end result was 2 deeply discharged batteries, one of which I was unable to recharge. This happened at the end of our second year of use of the camper.

In trying to recharge the batteries, I got one mostly charged and not the other. Not thinking, I put the 2 batteries back in parallel. The result was melted insulation on the battery cables inside the battery box and flames from the battery vents. It was the effect of the good battery rapidly discharging into the bad battery.

Looking for replacements, I read great reviews of Kirkland (Costco house brand) batteries. Sears Diehard, which had always my go-to replacement - not so good. So I went down to Costco and found 2 GC-2 batteries that would fit my box. They were branded Interstate. I was told Costco had stopped rebranding batteries, and sold the Interstates under their own name with the same specs as Kirkland.

I bought the 2 6V GC-2s for $150, including tax - which was cheaper than any pair of dual purpose or deep cycle Group 24s. I also went from 160AH to 232AH for the golf cart batteries, giving me more reserve.

On our A-frame, the golf cart batteries give us 4 nights of dry camping with 50% run time on the heater at night with no recharging. Unless it's a place where we want air conditioning we just don't worry about whether or not we have hook-ups. The batteries, water, and food all run low at the same time (4-5 days) with our current setup. Time to break camp and move on. I'm very happy with the golf cart batteries.

Fred W
2014 Rockwood A122 A-frame
2008 Hyundai Entourage minivan

[ncebeemer]

I saw a poster at Costco that said their 6v battery runs 208 amphours. Can anyone verify that? Seems that would be very good for boondocking.

[mnoland30]

If you don't boondock, it hardly matters, but you still want long life from a battery. I put one of those dashboard chargers in my old truck, and the Ford brand battery lasted 10 years. I use batteries to light up my wall tent, and I was taking my batteries back to Costco every two years under warranty. I thought it was the batteries, but I was discharging them below 50% every time I used them. I got a 20 watt solar panel and a charge controller, and my battery life is much better. It has been 3 years, and still kicking. If you put a 10 watt solar panel on a battery without a charge controller, it won't overcharge it, but will keep it topped off. That increases you battery life. Morningstar makes a great little charge controller that also tells you when the battery is charged. Every RV should come with at least a small solar panel, just to keep it charged up in the winter time. I use two Marine batteries in my ROO, with a 100 watt solar panel, and we never run out of power, unless it rains for a few days. I quit carrying my generator, because we never used it.

[clintbonnie73]

Originally Posted by ncebeemer

I saw a poster at Costco that said their 6v battery runs 208 amphours. Can anyone verify that? Seems that would be very good for boondocking.

Here is a Chart directly from Interstate Batteries covering their 6 volts. (depends on the P/N)

Interstate Batteries | Golf Car Batteries | Deep Cycle Batteries

[NMWildcat]

Honestly, unless you have a super-duper solar setup, I don't think it matters whether you use 6v vs 12v, or deep cell vs dual purpose.

We boondock 80% of the time, for several weeks at a time. We use 2 Marine Deep Cell (dual purpose) Interstate 12v series 27 batteries recharged daily by generator. Never have any power issues even when running the heater all night and using the inverter for TV.

Our batteries last on avg 5 years. You just have to maintain any battery to prolong its life.

Buy what you are comfortable with and that you know you can get serviced or replaced anywhere. Easy.

[Lookng4us]

Got my batteries (2)at Walmart 2013 and still going strong. Two year warranty

[Newnite]

Try to make an effort. Buy the real one.

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