Golf cart batteries please help

If your going with four batteries I would recommend you got with 6 volt deep cycle batteries. You will get greater amp hours with four 6 volts vs 4 12 volts. About 440ah with 6 volt and 260ah with 12 volts. That said when I did this I went with 12 volt deep cycle batteries because my trailer was new and I only had to buy 3 additional 12 volt batteries and when I bought my deep cycle batteries at Costco the 12 volts had a 2 year warranty and the 6 volts only had a 1 year warranty. I don't know if that's still the case or not.

You got some reading to do. 6 volts are wired in series where 12 volts are wired parallel.

So, I would get your batteries at Costco

Some reading to do so you can make a informed decision.
http://www.batteriesnorthwest.com/batteryschool.cfm?TID=6

1L243 wrote:
If your going with four batteries I would recommend you got with 6 volt deep cycle batteries. You will get greater amp hours with four 6 volts vs 4 12 volts. About 440ah with 6 volt and 260ah with 12 volts. That said when I did this I went with 12 volt deep cycle batteries because my trailer was new and I only had to buy 3 additional 12 volt batteries and when I bought my deep cycle batteries at Costco the 12 volts had a 2 year warranty and the 6 volts only had a 1 year warranty. I don't know if that's still the case or not.

You got some reading to do. 6 volts are wired in series where 12 volts are wired parallel.

So, I would get your batteries at Costco

Some reading to do so you can make a informed decision.
http://www.batteriesnorthwest.com/batteryschool.cfm?TID=6

The only problem with all of this is that the batteries are for a golf cart. Four 12 volt batteries equals a 48 volt golf cart. You suggest four 6 volt batteries or 24 volts. The cart will not run very well with half the required volts!

Careful reading of the original post led me to the conclusion the batteries were for a golf cart!

No that's not right. When four 12 volts wired Parallel the voltage will remain 12 volts but the amp hours are increased. If wired in Series you would get the increase in volts... So you want to wire 12 volts in parallel to remain as 12 volts.

You nailed this one DownTheAvenue. Golf carts run on 36 or 48 volts.. You need 4 12 volt batteries to make 48 volts. Or eight six volt batteries, if they will fit.

They are described as golf cart batteries by their usage. Starting batteries have thin plates, lots of them, to generate strong starting current. Golf cart batteries have thick plates, they produce a long lasting current, but a lot smaller in size. Deep cycle batteries are like golf cart batteries, thick plates last a long time, and then they recharge. Thin plates are used to provide short discharges at high current, then they recharge.

Oh My I guess being that is is a RV site and a Toy Hauler Forum I just assumed we were talking RV battery systems.. My Bad.....

You need deep cell 12v. batteries. If you have a US Battery distributor near you these would work.
deep cell 12v

If you have 4 -12 volt battery's you have a 48 volt Cart,(battery's are wired in line) you can not use 6 volt battery's, it would take 8 of them and there is no place to put them, do not buy Cosco or Sam's Battery's, go to a reputable Cart dealer and buy the best they have, the cheap Battery's have a very short life, some a year or less, the
"expensive Battery's" up to 7 years, I have gone through this, trust me!

1L243 wrote:
No that's not right. When four 12 volts wired Parallel the voltage will remain 12 volts but the amp hours are increased. If wired in Series you would get the increase in volts... So you want to wire 12 volts in parallel to remain as 12 volts.

The bottom line is four 12V batteries could be wired to 12V, 24V or 48V ! Until we see the wiring diagram/picture or the OP measures the output of the battery bank, we don't know.

grayghostrider wrote:
If you have 4 -12 volt battery's you have a 48 volt Cart,(battery's are wired in line) you can not use 6 volt battery's, it would take 8 of them and there is no place to put them, do not buy Cosco or Sam's Battery's, go to a reputable Cart dealer and buy the best they have, the cheap Battery's have a very short life, some a year or less, the
"expensive Battery's" up to 7 years, I have gone through this, trust me!

While Costco sells Interstate batteries that are a somewhat less predictable service life wise than some batteries, Sams club sells a very predictable East penn product now. For instance, if you get the EGC2 Duracell battery from Sams club is identical to a Deka GC15 which gives predictable service life somewhere in between what you'll get with a Trojan T105 and T125. Of course the freshness of the batteries you have consider no matter where you buy. No matter what you buy, service life will be highly dependent on maintaining them properly which makes a huge difference.

grayghostrider wrote:
If you have 4 -12 volt battery's you have a 48 volt Cart,(battery's are wired in line) you can not use 6 volt battery's, it would take 8 of them and there is no place to put them, do not buy Cosco or Sam's Battery's, go to a reputable Cart dealer and buy the best they have, the cheap Battery's have a very short life, some a year or less, the
"expensive Battery's" up to 7 years, I have gone through this, trust me!

Not true. There are A LOT of golf carts setup direct from the factory to run 48V and use 6V batteries. IF it's a true 48V system, he can use 8 6V batteries.