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Old 06-13-2020, 07:46 PM   #1
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Name: zack
Trailer: scamp 13
California
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Best battery for Scamp 13.

I am planning to get a replacement battery for a Scamp 13 (2015) that was left unused and uncharged for a few years before I got it. What is the best deep-cycle battery I can get? My current battery is a group 24, but I would be open to going up a size or two if that is too difficult of a retrofit. My main interest would be to be able to run the Dometic fridge overnight or longer without drawing the battery down so much that it ages prematurely. I think that fridge draws about 80 watts (10 amps @ 12 volts) pretty much continuousl (or maybe 50% duty cycle?). I am particularly interested about advice on specific batteries with very "thick plates" that can handle prolonged slow discharge and maintain their longevity for a number of years. Thanks a lot! -Zack
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Old 06-14-2020, 07:23 AM   #2
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Battery choices

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Originally Posted by zack sc View Post
My current battery is a group 24, but I would be open to going up a size or two if that is too difficult of a retrofit. My main interest would be to be able to run the Dometic fridge overnight or longer without drawing the battery down so much that it ages prematurely. I think that fridge draws about 80 watts (10 amps @ 12 volts) pretty much continuousl (or maybe 50% duty cycle?). I am particularly interested about advice on specific batteries
I am surprised that you did not get an answer. Get the biggest battery that will fit the box, Scamp offers an optional group 27. I switched to a pair of 6-volt Duracell batteries and would still not try to run the stock refrigerator over night on battery power. Depending on the type of camping you do, a 100-watt solar panel may help you also. I always keep a voltage monitor on and try not to let the voltage go under 12 VDC, Manufactures recommend never going below 50 % charge. Trojan may be the best out there, but I would have had to pay shipping to get them.
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Old 06-14-2020, 07:34 AM   #3
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If off shore power, then if the fridge uses propane then use that. Trying to run an absorption fridge on a single group 24-31 battery is almost impossible. A Danfoss type fridge can work with plenty of battery and solar.

A pair of 6 volt gold batteries fit your request, but likely not the camper. You want a true deep cycle battery. There are different manufactures but I wont evaluate them. I went with a VmaxTanks.
See:
https://www.vmaxtanks.com/Marine-RV-_c_20.html

I also prefer AGM or sealed because I got tired of dealing with the corrosion caused by unsealed (wet) lead acid batteries.
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Old 06-14-2020, 08:21 AM   #4
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Yeah, the 12V setting is not meant for actual use. It's meant as a bandaid to keep the fridge cool as you drive, with the tow vehicle charging the battery. The 12V setting is both a power hog and an inefficient cooling method. Run it on propane.
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Old 06-14-2020, 08:23 AM   #5
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We use a group 27 battery from Walmart.
We went to a 27 primarily because the warranty is twice that of the 24.
We chose Walmart because our Scamp is a travel trailer and there is a Walmart nearby almost everywhere we travel.
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Old 06-14-2020, 12:47 PM   #6
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I’ll be getting a Trojan AGM battery when the current wet cell goes kaput. Lower maintenance without the cost of lithium.
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Old 06-14-2020, 01:42 PM   #7
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fridge

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Originally Posted by ZachO View Post
Yeah, the 12V setting is not meant for actual use. It's meant as a bandaid to keep the fridge cool as you drive, with the tow vehicle charging the battery. The 12V setting is both a power hog and an inefficient cooling method. Run it on propane.
I use propane to run the fridge 99% of the time. I understand that. What I would love to get is a recommendation for a battery that is a true deep-cycle with very thick plates.
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Old 06-14-2020, 03:00 PM   #8
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MR

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Originally Posted by gordon2 View Post
If off shore power, then if the fridge uses propane then use that. Trying to run an absorption fridge on a single group 24-31 battery is almost impossible. A Danfoss type fridge can work with plenty of battery and solar.

A pair of 6 volt gold batteries fit your request, but likely not the camper. You want a true deep cycle battery. There are different manufactures but I wont evaluate them. I went with a VmaxTanks.
See:
https://www.vmaxtanks.com/Marine-RV-_c_20.html

I also prefer AGM or sealed because I got tired of dealing with the corrosion caused by unsealed (wet) lead acid batteries.
Thanks. I wonder how difficult it would be to convert to a pair of 6 volts?
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Old 06-14-2020, 03:01 PM   #9
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Anybody know how to convert from group 24 to group 27?
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Old 06-14-2020, 03:14 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by zack sc View Post
Anybody know how to convert from group 24 to group 27?
Remove group 24 battery, install group 27 battery.
If battery box is too small... get larger battery box, available at WalMart for +- $7.
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Old 06-14-2020, 03:16 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zack sc View Post
Thanks. I wonder how difficult it would be to convert to a pair of 6 volts?
Just need one beefy jumper between the two. And the space and weight carrying capacity as well mounting and a box.

Quote:
Originally Posted by zack sc View Post
Anybody know how to convert from group 24 to group 27?
Mount a bigger battery box. No other changes needed.

I even managed to get a group 31 (even bigger box) on the Scamp 16 but its tight fit, even with one propane tank.
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Old 06-14-2020, 03:26 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by zack sc View Post
I use propane to run the fridge 99% of the time. I understand that. What I would love to get is a recommendation for a battery that is a true deep-cycle with very thick plates.

https://www.trojanbattery.com/product/27tmx/
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Old 06-14-2020, 03:33 PM   #13
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Best battery for Scamp 13.

Lifeline and Trojan both make high quality true deep cycle 12V batteries in several sizes. On the other hand you can buy 2-3 garden variety marine/RV batteries for the price of one of the fancy ones. If you keep up with charging and maintenance you should get 4-5 years or more from the cheaper ones. I just don’t see the point of spending the extra money unless you have some high priority power draws, like a 12V compressor fridge or a CPAP, and then I’d prefer a 2@6V set-up.

If it were me I’d buy a G27 Interstate marine/RV deep cycle battery from Costco and put the money I save toward a portable solar panel.
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Old 06-14-2020, 04:54 PM   #14
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I'm not sure i saw this stated above, so I'll stick it here...

the typical "Marine/RV" batteries, like Group 27M, are not true deep cycle, they are compromise batteries that are somewhere in between a automobile style 'starter' battery (optimized for short bursts of very high current) vs a true deep cycle (optimized for repeated 50% discharge/recharge cycles). a true deep cycle battery will have an "AH" (Amp*Hour) rating, while a starting battery will have a CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) rating.
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Old 06-14-2020, 07:24 PM   #15
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trojan

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Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo View Post
The TROJAN 27TMX SOLAR SSIG 12 120 12V 105 AH BATTERY
looks great to me. Gotta call tomorrow about shipping. The battery is about $160. Thanks a lot! I think that is just what I was hoping for.
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Old 06-14-2020, 07:24 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz View Post
I'm not sure i saw this stated above, so I'll stick it here...

the typical "Marine/RV" batteries, like Group 27M, are not true deep cycle, they are compromise batteries that are somewhere in between a automobile style 'starter' battery (optimized for short bursts of very high current) vs a true deep cycle (optimized for repeated 50% discharge/recharge cycles). a true deep cycle battery will have an "AH" (Amp*Hour) rating, while a starting battery will have a CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) rating.
agree.
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Old 06-14-2020, 07:30 PM   #17
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true

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon in AZ View Post
Lifeline and Trojan both make high quality true deep cycle 12V batteries in several sizes. On the other hand you can buy 2-3 garden variety marine/RV batteries for the price of one of the fancy ones. If you keep up with charging and maintenance you should get 4-5 years or more from the cheaper ones. I just don’t see the point of spending the extra money unless you have some high priority power draws, like a 12V compressor fridge or a CPAP, and then I’d prefer a 2@6V set-up.

If it were me I’d buy a G27 Interstate marine/RV deep cycle battery from Costco and put the money I save toward a portable solar panel.
Thanks a lot for the recommendations.
I take your point, but if I am going to carry a 55 lb battery around on my tongue for 5 years, I want it to be the one that gives me the most total energy. think I would rather pay the $200 or so for a true deep-cycle that gives me 12 hours at 70 watts instead of just 7 hours. (roughly)
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Old 06-14-2020, 07:40 PM   #18
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People say the 3-way Dometic is inefficient with 12 volt, but I don't really agree with that. The fridge requires about 80 watts to operate whether it is on 110 volt, 12 volt or propane. And that is, in a sense, very inefficient compared to a big home fridge that uses just about 20% more power to cool a much larger volume. The dometic 3-way is equally inefficient on all its power sources, the issue with 12 volt is that 12 volt batteries tend to contain very little total energy (compared to a propane tank). However, when you run out of propane, having a great battery that can save your food by keeping it cold for 8 hours is a pretty nice thing to have. The keys thing is probably to make sure you charge the 12 volt back up after that and don't count on just the tow vehicle alternator, cause I think they charge pretty slow. (Which reminds me, does anyone know roughly the charging amps on shore power for a Scamp 13???)
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Old 06-14-2020, 08:03 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zack sc View Post
People say the 3-way Dometic is inefficient with 12 volt, but I don't really agree with that. ..
Its not really the efficiency of the fridge that matters... its more the efficiency of the power source.. i.e. stored energy vs weight. Pound for pound propane stores a heck of a lot more energy than a battery.


Quote:
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...but if I am going to carry a 55 lb battery around on my tongue for 5 years, I want it to be the one that gives me the most total energy...
Then that would be a lithium-ion battery. That is the current state of the art in battery technology. But there is cost involved.. both in the battery and in the charging system.
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Old 06-14-2020, 08:19 PM   #20
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li-ion battery

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Its not really the efficiency of the fridge that matters... its more the efficiency of the power source.. i.e. stored energy vs weight. Pound for pound propane stores a heck of a lot more energy than a battery.



Then that would be a lithium-ion battery. That is the current state of the art in battery technology. But there is cost involved.. both in the battery and in the charging system.
true. I do love Li-ion batteries and use them a lot. And if I was doing really serious boon docking with solar, yes, that would be the way to go. I imagine the changes to the charging systems, both TV and shore power, would be significant. The charging protocols and issues are quite different. Staying mostly below 85% with the Li-ion, staying mostly above 85% with the lead acid... has anyone made the switch? What Li-ion batteries did they use?
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