Adding a second battery?
My new to me TT has a 12V Interstate deep cycle marine/rv battery, spm-24. Looked on line and it offers 140 min. at 25A and it looks like I'm could use as much as 10 amps an hour without the furnace ...
Forum Discussion
I would consider 6v batteries if I had space for four of them. With two 6v batteries if one cell fails the entire battery setup is compromised. Not a big deal with a golf cart or electric forklift where replacing a battery at the shop is no big deal but not something I want to worry about in the boonies.
Less than 12v batteries are done to minimize weight. Two 60 lb. batteries are easier to manage than a single 120 lb. 12v battery with the same AH capacity overall. Batteries are also available in 4v and 2v types.
If you have a flooded lead acid battery already and want to add a second battery it should also be this type and not an AGM or gel type of battery. Flooded lead acid type work best in normal RV situations where batteries may not be fully recharged after each use. Their primary shortcoming is less power in temperatures under 40 degrees where AGM batteries function much better.
Flooded type are going to be the cheapest to own over time so if you have the room and the space is properly vented and you don't mind periodically checking the fluid levels in the cells and adding distilled water from time to time then these are the ones to get.
A first step though should be to add an accurate charge metering device like the one from TriMetric. I would not rely on the RV manufacturer's meter to provide an accurate picture.
Less than 12v batteries are done to minimize weight. Two 60 lb. batteries are easier to manage than a single 120 lb. 12v battery with the same AH capacity overall. Batteries are also available in 4v and 2v types.
If you have a flooded lead acid battery already and want to add a second battery it should also be this type and not an AGM or gel type of battery. Flooded lead acid type work best in normal RV situations where batteries may not be fully recharged after each use. Their primary shortcoming is less power in temperatures under 40 degrees where AGM batteries function much better.
Flooded type are going to be the cheapest to own over time so if you have the room and the space is properly vented and you don't mind periodically checking the fluid levels in the cells and adding distilled water from time to time then these are the ones to get.
A first step though should be to add an accurate charge metering device like the one from TriMetric. I would not rely on the RV manufacturer's meter to provide an accurate picture.
