What kind of Battery to buy. . . Marine Deep Cycle okay?

[peterh]

how come you didn't go with the blue-top optima?

The blue-top battery can deliver more cranking amps (more power over a shorter period of time) than the yellow top. I may be quite wrong about his, but my understanding is that the more amps a battery can deliver under duress, the less efficient it is in absorbing and storing new power.

Just a note on AGM (page way down). AGM (absorbed glass mat) and gel-cell are not the same battery chemistry.

Optima's starting batteries are gel-cel; they call them SPIRALCELL because of the way they are constructed.

I believe they are AGM batteries assembled in a spiral pattern. See their diagram.

--Peter

[Gina D.]

Other folks have different experience, but.. I will give you mine as well.

I have a group 24 Wally World RV Deep cycle battery. It has performed just as well as any of my Interstate batteries, and I have "OOPSED" and discharged it pretty deeply a couple of times.

I run around 60 watts of solar and find it charges the battery for "my" needs nicely every day, even overcast ones. With my furnace, 45 watts was not enough to get me through an evening with anything more than "get the chill off" heat" and lights. Now I can run the furnace more and watch a DVD or something too. (I have 30 more watts to add and I should be really stylin then)

Anyway, I trust when Peter says that AGMs can withstand a bigger discharge than a regular battery, but I find that I rarely, if ever, run my battery into the ground enough to worry about battery life being shortened.

I have quit paying the 120 bones for an Interstate, and even if I replace the Wally Battery every 3-4 years, I still come out ahead a few bucks. The Wally World one cost 49 bones.. but I am sure the price has gone up since last summer when I bought it.

[Pete Dumbleton]

Pete, you were right. I did purchase an AGM battery. Obviously not an informed purchase, but it's done now and it sounds like this battery will work fine.

If you got an AGM, then you will be alright; treat it well and it will last a long time. Many informed people have chosen to go with AGM because they feel the benefits are justified, esp the one about no maintenance.

In this case, we are sort of picking hairs. Just don't let it get stolen...

The Optima batteries are quite popular with the 4x4 rock-climbing crowd because they can take a beating, even be turned upside down, and not be harmed.

I forgot to mention, I would expect that the lack of acid on the outside top would lead to less corrosion at the battery terminals, thereby making the system more reliable.

[Maggie S.]

Thanks for all your expert advice.

I ended up getting the Costco group 24 Marine Deep Cycle battery for about $58. It has a 36 month warranty.

Maggie

[Dan Meyer]

Here is another good reference about the 12 volt electrical system in your trailer; it contains a lot of information about batteries as well.

http://www.phrannie.org/battery.html

-- Dan Meyer

[kevin61]

Maggie,

I added two 6-volt deep-cycle golf cart batteries to my setup.

I plan to do a lot of camping without shore power and this is the way to go.

Presently, with my trailer parked in my yard, I just use the old battery that came with the trailer and connect a regular battery charger to it to power my lights, stereo etc.

This battery on its own will only last about an hour because it is worn out. However since I am plugged all the time this is not a concern to me. My good batteries are presently in warm storage hooked up to a smart charger and will be transferred to the trailer once I start camping.

Check out my post in modifications. Kevin61 1976 Boler restoration

Most of the photos are on Facebook and you may have to join to view them. I am in the process of transferring the photos to a site that is easier to access.

Hope this helps

[Radar1]

Anyone thinking of buying an Optima Blue top battery should note that there are 2 different blue tops, so make sure you get the right one! This is from Optima's website;

"BlueTop: The BlueTop starting battery (dark gray case) is to be used when a dedicated starting battery is required and it should never be used for cycling duty. The dual purpose BlueTop (light gray case) can be used for both starting and deep cycling; it is a true deep cycle battery with extremely high cranking power.

Trolling motors, marine applications with heavy electrical accessories and RVs should use a dual purpose BlueTop (which is both a starting and deep cycle battery)
Use a BlueTop starting battery for marine applications and RVs when the battery’s only function is engine starting
Note: The difference between BlueTop and YellowTop deep cycle batteries is that BlueTop batteries have both automotive (SAE) posts and threaded posts, while YellowTops (other than D31T) only have SAE posts.

If you ever get confused on the color tops just remember: if it has a dark gray case then it is a starting battery; if it has a light gray case then it is a deep cycle (dual purpose) battery."

They also confirm the battery needs to be vented if placed inside a passenger compartment, and that their batteries have ports for connecting a vent hose.

John

[TravelRN]

Originally Posted by Booker B.

I have also found this 2 part article quite informative:

The 12 Volt Side of Life

I just read your post. WOW! You are good!!! Excellant information on 12 volt and things to do that make boondocking easier.

[Marg]

Well, after almost six years, I had to replace the battery on my Scamp 13. Through the years, I have taken the Scamp for a short "trip" just to keep the battery charged. I feel that it keeps everything in running order. The battery keeps charged, the hitch ball gets a little grease on it and the wheel bearings get to turn to keep them from freezing during the winter. All in all, my plan for taking the trailer for a short, about 100 mile ride every 6-8 weeks was sufficient to keep the original bettery in good shape until this fall, when the battery would not keep a charge. As long as the trailer was attached to the tow rig everything was fine of course, but disconnect the trailer and everything was dead and I did not want to run the risk of running the tow vehicle battery down, sooooo, an investment in a new deep cycle marine battery was in order. Right at $100, but I feel a good investment. Marg