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Old 12-22-2016, 01:39 PM   #1
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12 volt deep cycle battery question

Getting ready to replace my 12 volt size 31 105 amp marine hybrid battery and thought about converting to dual 6 volt golf cart batteries for the extra amp hours, but after doing some research on what I would need to do (changing location of the batteries on our Scamp because they won't fit between the tongue frame, adding a much larger battery box, extra weight, etc) I decided that the 150 amps available from the 12 volt deep cycle golf cart batteries should suit me fine.
I have 180 watts of solar power available for recharging, and typical use with CPAP and heater fan runs about 25 amps per night max.

Does anyone on the forum have any feedback on either of these two deep cycle batteries?

Trojan T1275 150 amps.
Crown CR-GC150 150 amps.

The Trojan is available at our local golf cart dealer for $160, and the Crown for $150 so the prices are pretty close.
I've heard the Trojan was a battery with a good reputation, and hadn't even considered Crown, but while reading the handy bob solar blog, he raves about the Crown batteries.

Anyone have any experiences they wish to share?

Thanks in advance! Getting ready for Quartzite!
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Old 12-22-2016, 01:57 PM   #2
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They will be heavy. Increased tongue weight and cost of a hernia repair are two concerns.

Not a fan of handy Bob. There is a reason it's a blog,
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Old 12-22-2016, 05:46 PM   #3
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I don't know about those two brands. I went with two cheap generic 6V golf cart bats for my Scamp. Yes, I had to build a new battery tray but they fit nicely sitting on top toward the back of the tongue. Also a suggestion, see if you can do without the heater on the CPAP. I quit mine soon after starting with the CPAP and never missed it. I do live in a humid climate however. My CPAP pulls very little amps just pushing air.
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Old 12-22-2016, 06:22 PM   #4
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Suggest a visit to Trojan Battery web site. You will find much information on battery maintenance and will determine that Trojan is a premium battery.
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Old 12-22-2016, 06:53 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Timber Wolf View Post
I don't know about those two brands. I went with two cheap generic 6V golf cart bats for my Scamp. Yes, I had to build a new battery tray but they fit nicely sitting on top toward the back of the tongue. Also a suggestion, see if you can do without the heater on the CPAP. I quit mine soon after starting with the CPAP and never missed it. I do live in a humid climate however. My CPAP pulls very little amps just pushing air.
Hey Tim,
You don't happen to have any photos of your setup do you?
Two 6 volts would be easier to maneuver at 62 lbs each, but it seems the total weight would be pretty hefty (124 lbs vs 85 lbs). I don't use the water heater on my CPAP, it's a direct 12 volt setup and only uses about 9 amp hours per night, but still it is my biggest amp eater :-(
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Old 12-22-2016, 07:00 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo View Post
Suggest a visit to Trojan Battery web site. You will find much information on battery maintenance and will determine that Trojan is a premium battery.
I like the Trojan website, 1,200 cycles at 50% DOD for the T-1275 sounds pretty good. I couldn't find the life cycle details for the Crown 12 volt battery anywhere, although their 6 volt also shows 1,200 at 50% DOD.
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Old 12-23-2016, 10:32 AM   #7
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Do not know anything about the Crown but I do know the Trojen is the battery of choice for most Rv's that are tired of replacing batteries.
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Old 12-23-2016, 03:18 PM   #8
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AGM

Check out AGM Batteries they charge 4 times faster, no maintenance, and you probably would'nt need 2 as your solar panels will keep it charged. I bought a group 32 a couple of years ago, it never goes below good even after being out for a week. I only use a 40 watt panel in my 17 ft Escape.
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Old 12-23-2016, 06:22 PM   #9
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I have found Trojan batteries to last a long time. Never used the Crown. I use two 140 amp deep cycle batteries but I use them one at a time. That way if one of them fails it doesn't drag the other one down. Also, if something gets left on in the trailer and kills the battery, I have a fully charged one to go to. Two 6 volt batteries are actually a 12 volt battery in two pieces, with three calls in each case. If you do the math you may find you get more amp-hours out of two 12 volt batteries then two 6 volt units.
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Old 12-24-2016, 09:31 AM   #10
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golf cart batteries

We have been camping in the winter in the desert for fifteen years in 13ft Boler.
Having poor luck with so called"deep cycle" batteries I built a battery box that sits on the tounge and installed golf cart batteries. They have given about 5 years service and work well. They have the same foot print as a group 27 and are slightly taller. Costco in El Centro, CA sells them for $82 (Interstate Brand) and they are guaranteed for 6 months. The heater in cpap sucks up lots of juice so I have turned it off with no problem but keeping the water reservoir full. Good Luck, Don
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Old 12-26-2016, 06:59 AM   #11
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If you decide on glass mat type batteries, you'll need to change settings on your charge controller. They require a charging algorithm different from flooded batteries.

BTW, I am a huge fan of Handy Bob and I'm willing to tell you why. While I admit that his blog is full of vitriol, he is a straight shooter who knows the off-grid lifestyle because he has lived it for many years. He installed my solar 7 years ago. It has worked flawlessly ever since. He educated me in the boondocking lifestyle. He never tried to sell me anything, other than the Trimetric system meter. He receives no compensation, like free products, for endorsing products. If he recommends a product it is because he likes it.

I apologize to the OP for off-topic and I do not want to start a flame war. I just felt the need to offer a different opinion. I am happy to participate in a Handy Bob thread.
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Old 12-26-2016, 12:51 PM   #12
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Tim, I got a Motomaster "Intelligent" 2-8-12 amp battery charger with the "desulfating" option for Christmas. I've read good and bad reviews on this unit. I've been back country camping for about 40 years. I use two 140 amp/hr 12 volt deep cycle batteries. I change them out when they get down to 50 - 60% charge and then I take them home and recharge them with a smart charger. I've been getting about 5 years, 100 cycles from my batteries. Now I'm down to 2 years, 40 cycles before the batteries loose capacity. I suspect sulfating but don't know why this is happening now and not in the past. It could be a battery quality issue?
I'm also installing a 120 watt solar unit with a charging controller on my trailer. Any insights?
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Old 12-26-2016, 06:21 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by Radar1 View Post
Hey Tim, You don't happen to have any photos of your setup do you? :-(
Here is a link to the thread showing some of the build: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...amp-67478.html I realize it lacks detail of the actual battery mounting but they sit in a rack made from two pieces of 2"X2" angle iron that is sitting on top of the frame rails toward the back of the space. Some good nylon webbing, 1 1/2" I think, straps the batteries in. Still allows room for a propane bottle up front. It worked out really well with everything fitting fine. There is actually room for taller batteries should that ever be a desirable option. I am very happy with how it turned out, if I did build it myself.
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Old 12-27-2016, 07:20 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Timber Wolf View Post
Here is a link to the thread showing some of the build: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...amp-67478.html I realize it lacks detail of the actual battery mounting but they sit in a rack made from two pieces of 2"X2" angle iron that is sitting on top of the frame rails toward the back of the space. Some good nylon webbing, 1 1/2" I think, straps the batteries in. Still allows room for a propane bottle up front. It worked out really well with everything fitting fine. There is actually room for taller batteries should that ever be a desirable option. I am very happy with how it turned out, if I did build it myself.
Thanks for that link Tim. Nice looking project. I keep see-sawing about going the dual 6v battery route, but I think the extra 45 amp hours (150) that I can get from the single 12 volt battery compared to the 105 I currently have with the marine/deep cycle battery should meet my needs, since my 105 amp hour battery has been doing fine so far. I just want to have a bit more buffer in case I hit extended cloudy days.
The dual 6V is more of a project than I want to tackle right now, and the extra weight is something I want to avoid as much as possible due to concerns on the strength of the frame (mine has the reinforcement added to later year Scamps but that could still be a weak point).
Sounds like more people are using the Trojans, so it looks like I'll be picking up a T-1275 Trojan this week.

Thanks for everyone's input! Hope to see Y'all on the road sometime. Tim, you going to Green Eggs and Ham rally this year?
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Old 12-30-2016, 04:55 PM   #15
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Well, I got my 12 volt deep cycle golf cart battery today. I was going to get the Trojan T-1275, but the Crown GC155 was just a teeny bit narrower, and almost an inch shorter, which allowed me to simply put it inside my existing battery box (I had up-sized my battery box when I bought my Scamp, this box fits size 24-30). This battery has the same warranty, but has 155 amps available (20 hour rate) vs 150 for the Trojan.
It's an inch higher than my old type 31 (29) battery so the lid doesn't latch like it does with the shorter battery but it covers it well and is held down by a strap anyway.
Time will tell if I made a good choice, but hopefully this will give me good service and about 50% more amps than my old 105 amp battery.
The swap was easy; pulled the old battery out of the box and put the new one in.
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Old 12-30-2016, 08:25 PM   #16
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That is a good looking battery, with impressive capacity as well. What does something like that cost? What does it weigh?
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Old 12-30-2016, 09:00 PM   #17
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What are the attributes of a "good looking battery"?
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Old 12-30-2016, 09:22 PM   #18
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What are the attributes of a "good looking battery"?
Size/capacity ratio at the reasonable price and weight. 150AH battery which fits to size 31 battery box (which are usually around 105AH capacity) sounds impressive.
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Old 12-30-2016, 09:58 PM   #19
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That is a good looking battery, with impressive capacity as well. What does something like that cost? What does it weigh?
Price for this was $150 plus tax, the Trojan was just $160 plus tax. Nice living next to a town (Peachtree City, GA) that is known for having golf cart paths throughout the city, with several golf cart shops just minutes from us.
Weight is 84 lbs (our Duracell 29HM was 60 lbs)
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Old 12-30-2016, 11:19 PM   #20
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Originally Posted by Radar1 View Post
Price for this was $150 plus tax, the Trojan was just $160 plus tax. Nice living next to a town (Peachtree City, GA) that is known for having golf cart paths throughout the city, with several golf cart shops just minutes from us. Weight is 84 lbs (our Duracell 29HM was 60 lbs)
Thanks, that is interesting. My generic no-name 6V batts were $80ish a piece plus tax and as I recall right at 60 pounds each. So for similar money but half again the weight for the pair I get, wait for it, half again the amp hours. Humm, funny how that math stuff works sometimes.

Lot to be said for a good 12V rig. If your single 12V battery goes down you are out of juice. If one of my 6V batteries goes down, well I am out of juice too as I have no 6V appliances.

As an aside I just today received the $25 free-shipping 12V cord set I ordered for my new (12V) CPAP. My old machine was 120V but after 10 years the Doc and Insurance Co gave me a new one that I was pleased to see was 12V. No more inverter for the CPAP when camping.
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