Which "true" deep cycle battery do you use for dry camping?

[charlsara]

We enjoy the power of our twin 6 volt deep cycle batteries.

[stude]

Originally Posted by charlsara

We enjoy the power of our twin 6 volt deep cycle batteries.

:should of said 12V, yours work good because they are 6V.

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by stude

:But what ever you do don't buy Interstate they seem to be having some problems with them.
Stude

I agree about don't buy Interstate. We've had problems with one for an engine.

[Mike_L]

An RV/Marine battery is a compromise between the two. It is suitable for either application but not the best choice for either.
A 6 volt and a 12 volt RV battery contain about the same amount of lead/number of plates. They just differ in the number of plates per cell. Two 6 volt batteries are approximately equal in price, amount of lead/number of plates, purchase price and amp/hours as two 12 volt batteries and will last about the same time before they need to be recharged.
The 6 volt batteries will be wired in series. The 12 volt batteries will be wired parallel.
I use 2 12 volt batteries, one at a time. If something gets left on and drains the battery, I have a full one left.
I use 120 watts of solar power. This keeps my batteries full for months. No other charging necessary.
AGM batteries don't require water, don't spill if tipped and are more vibration resistant but you pay a premium for these features

[WDavidG]

Originally Posted by RV Doctor

AGM batteries are quickly becoming the choice in the RV industry.......
For the extra cost of AGM technology it is really a no brainer to go that way.

This has been a useful and informative thread - thanks to all who have contributed. It is time to replace the original (group 27) battery on our scamp 13' and based this thread and my supplemental research I'm inclined to do so with an AGM - probably the Lifeline (thanks Raz). I do have one question that I've not been able to find an answer for.

AGM batteries are apparently more susceptible than their flooded cousins to damage from over-charging. When the trailer is plugged into shore power the battery minder on the converter will protect from over-charging. However when towing it seems that the battery will be receiving a continuous charging current from the TV. Is there potential for over-charging - particularly when leaving a site where shore power was available and kept the battery topped up. Or is the TV charging current sufficiently low, coupled with generally modest hours of towing to make this a non-issue?

I will appreciate hearing your experience and wisdom.

[MK Evenson]

David, good question! I have been assuming that the TV charging energy also went thru the converter before reaching the battery. If so the battery minder circuitry should stop overcharging. If not, who knows?

Mark

[Mike_L]

The input from the TV is usually quite modest. I've used an AGM in my corvette for years without problems.

[WDavidG]

Originally Posted by MK Evenson

David, good question! I have been assuming that the TV charging energy also went thru the converter before reaching the battery. If so the battery minder circuitry should stop overcharging. If not, who knows?

Mark

That was my hope, but looking at the scamp wiring diagram, the TV charge line goes directly to the battery wiring.

[Jon Vermilye]

Unless you have done substantial rewiring of both your tow vehicle & trailer, it is unlikely that you will overcharge AGM batteries from the tow vehicle. Most have problems getting much of anything out of the tow vehicle, and some are already using AGM batteries.

In the case of my Tacoma, even with the batteries down to 80%, the best I've seen from the tow vehicle was 8 amps. In most cases, the tow vehicle's charging system is down to 13.5 V or so most of the time, not quite float voltage for AGMs, but low enough that I wouldn't be concerned.

[Rnupnorthbrrr]

Oh boy, so much information and different opinions, I’ve never felt so dumb ��
When you know nothing about batteries and you don’t “get it” by reading all this info, how do I decide what to get ?
This is an old thread so maybe I shouldn’t even be posting here ?