Converting 12 volt coach batteries to 6 volt

Generally speaking the advantages of six volt pairs (Each pair is one BIG 12 volt battery) are as follows:

LOW COST.. The six volt Golf Car size battery is very popular and thus Golf courses buy them by the pallet load... This means the cost of production is lower per unit due to not so much retooling being done on the lines.. You save times mark ups which are getting larger all the time.

DEEP CYCLE: MOST 12 volt "Deep Cycle" are really Marine/Deep cycle (Though you can get true deep cycle) and frankly.. I would avoid the dual purpose ones as they do not like a 50 percent state of charge.. My True DEEP CYCLE batteries have gone to fifty many times, and much lower several times in their 8.5 year life.. They are now in need of replacement, but they have lasted a long time.

Finally: IN an rv once installedk there are no six volt batteries, only 12.. Here is why

What you have (Single battery only shown(
-{Battery}+
What you will have with six volt pairs
-{Bat}t{ery}+ The "T" in the middle is a jumper wire.

In both cases.

-{12v}+


One more thing: You said you have 4 12 volt batteries now.. G-24, 27, 28, 31, 4D, 8D, Many other sizes, you did not say

4 GC-2's hold more power than the group 24,27 or 28 Slightly less than the31's and each pair is somewhere between a 4D and an 8D.

What I'm saying is "12 volt battery" is not enough information

12 volt Size Group ____ (with blank filled in) is needed.

tiredkid wrote:

OnaQuest wrote:

tiredkid wrote:

OnaQuest wrote:

BSDP Don wrote:
"philandmargo...."wildtoad" and "tiredkid" have the best answer. Even though four 6 volt batteries are typically what are now used by most, the 12 volts are fine if they served you well. Since you have to buy batteries anyhow, the cost of batteries will be a wash, but with the price of copper cable, you could spend quite a bit of money on new cables.

I understand that we are all just voicing our opinion, but that opinion should have some basis of fact.

Seems to me that one could re-use the interconnecting cables from the four parallel 12V batteries to interconnect the four series/parallel 6V batteries AND HAVE TWO CABLES LEFT OVER... Where's the big investment in new copper cables?

Because he needs 8 six volt batterys to make the same power as 4 12 volts(approx.)

Sorry, Not true.

ok explain your opinion. mine is I see 4 12V batterys at 215amp X4 = 860 and 8 6 volts at 225 per pair = 900 so pretty close?
I do know for sure your theory of Four 6 volts will = four 12 volts is wrong

You are comparing apples to oranges. Not too many folks have 215 amp hour (at the 20 hour rate) 12 volt batteries installed.

You have to define which 12V battery you are comparing to which 6V pair. Obviously two $350+ Crown or Trojan 12V batteries would outperform two regular GC-2 6V batteries, but The standard 12V deep cycle hybrid marine battery that you are going to find in most RVs will be about 105-115 AH. Compare them with the popular and affordable T-105 @220 AH 6V and repeat your math exercise.

OnaQuest wrote:

tiredkid wrote:

OnaQuest wrote:

BSDP Don wrote:
"philandmargo...."wildtoad" and "tiredkid" have the best answer. Even though four 6 volt batteries are typically what are now used by most, the 12 volts are fine if they served you well. Since you have to buy batteries anyhow, the cost of batteries will be a wash, but with the price of copper cable, you could spend quite a bit of money on new cables.

I understand that we are all just voicing our opinion, but that opinion should have some basis of fact.

Seems to me that one could re-use the interconnecting cables from the four parallel 12V batteries to interconnect the four series/parallel 6V batteries AND HAVE TWO CABLES LEFT OVER... Where's the big investment in new copper cables?

Because he needs 8 six volt batterys to make the same power as 4 12 volts(approx.)

Sorry, Not true.

ok explain your opinion. mine is I see 4 12V batterys at 215amp X4 = 860 and 8 6 volts at 225 per pair = 900 so pretty close?
I do know for sure your theory of Four 6 volts will = four 12 volts is wrong

tiredkid wrote:

OnaQuest wrote:

BSDP Don wrote:
"philandmargo...."wildtoad" and "tiredkid" have the best answer. Even though four 6 volt batteries are typically what are now used by most, the 12 volts are fine if they served you well. Since you have to buy batteries anyhow, the cost of batteries will be a wash, but with the price of copper cable, you could spend quite a bit of money on new cables.

I understand that we are all just voicing our opinion, but that opinion should have some basis of fact.

Seems to me that one could re-use the interconnecting cables from the four parallel 12V batteries to interconnect the four series/parallel 6V batteries AND HAVE TWO CABLES LEFT OVER... Where's the big investment in new copper cables?

Because he needs 8 six volt batterys to make the same power as 4 12 volts(approx.)

Sorry, Not true.

OnaQuest wrote:

BSDP Don wrote:
"philandmargo...."wildtoad" and "tiredkid" have the best answer. Even though four 6 volt batteries are typically what are now used by most, the 12 volts are fine if they served you well. Since you have to buy batteries anyhow, the cost of batteries will be a wash, but with the price of copper cable, you could spend quite a bit of money on new cables.

I understand that we are all just voicing our opinion, but that opinion should have some basis of fact.

Seems to me that one could re-use the interconnecting cables from the four parallel 12V batteries to interconnect the four series/parallel 6V batteries AND HAVE TWO CABLES LEFT OVER... Where's the big investment in new copper cables?

Because he needs 8 six volt batterys to make the same power as 4 12 volts(approx.)

Onaquest is correct. If you had to buy new cables, you'd only need two for the series interconnects (if using four 6V). That said, if the 4 12V worked, I'd just keep using those.

"philandmargo...."wildtoad" and "tiredkid" have the best answer. Even though four 6 volt batteries are typically what are now used by most, the 12 volts are fine if they served you well. Since you have to buy batteries anyhow, the cost of batteries will be a wash, but with the price of copper cable, you could spend quite a bit of money on new cables.

tiredkid wrote:

philandmargo wrote:
I have a 2000 Tiffin Zephyr. It has 4 deep cycle 12 volt batteries that power the coach. The batteries need to be replaced. I have heard that using 6 volt batteries is a more efficient and economic system. Can my system be converted?

Don't bother, reuse 4 new 12V deep cycle batterys.The cost and room and work involved does not outweigh any advantage to using Eight 6 volt batterys especially if your using 4DM size 12 volt

I doubt very seriously that the OP has (4) 4DM batteries installed. However, it would NOT take (8) eight GC-2 6Volt batteries to replace (4) four 12Volt batteries. It would only require four.

One would need to know what brand, size and type 12volt battery was being replaced/considered to make a definitive statement about which was best. My personal preference is the 6volt GC-2 setup.

wildtoad wrote:
Have you ever run out of battery power? Have the batteries you have provided you with good service and lasted a good while? If the answers are (No, Yes) then leave well enough alone and replace them with like batteries.

yes agreed just as I posted earlier there is not one reason to change his existing set up. none

Understanding connecting Batteries in Parallel and Series