So I've been looking at deep cycle batteries and needless to say there are a lot of options. I drive a '78 Chevy Itasca 21' and I imagine my usage load all be relatively light, as there aren't too many draws on the battery besides the lights, water pump and furnace blower. Can anyone tell me what they are using for a similar application? One battery? Two? Brands? Size? Any help would be very much appreciated!

I have a 75 American Clipper and, upon the advice of my engineer boss, I bought a 31 group AGM deep cycle battery for the house and a 24 group AGM starting battery for the engine (he recommended I buy both at the same time). They were more expensive, but I've been extremely happy. Similar to you, I only use lights and water pump (don't use the furnace at this time). I am pretty much always at no hookup campgrounds and with my usual 4 day trips, I don't make a dent in the battery.

I'd suggest to use 2 X GC2 6V's. The golf cart batteries are inexpensive, will offer pretty good capacity, and are forgiving about drawing them down to low SOC. I bought two 6V;s at Sam's Club for around $190-out the door (I pay that MN sales taxm also).

If you gots the room the two GC2 6VDC batteries is a great buy. This will give you over 200AHs of battery capacity and is great for those times when you may want to camp over night somewhere off the batteries. These GOLF CART batteries are built for outstanding performance having the large internal cores and gives you 25AMPS of 12VDC power for around 7 hours before discharging down to 0% charge state.Two typical GP24 12VDC 85AH Interstate batteries will only give you 25AMPS of 12VDC power for around 4.6 hours of use for around the same Battery cost.The rule of thumb for running the furnace blower is one nights use per battery. A typical Propane furnace blower will pull around 5-6AMPS DC Current. The automotive type lights in the trailer will each draw around 1AMP DC current. It all adds up pretty quick... You can't do much about the furnace blower but you can switch out all of the incandescent automotive type high current light bulbs for LED BOARDS. The savings in DC power for the same amount of light is around 80%. Thats alot...

just go to wal mart buy the biggest marine deep cycle that will fit. you don,t need a $200. dollar battery.

Actually there are very few choices in the world of DEEP CYCLE batterisGC-2,, You have the choice of 215/220/230 and 250 amp hours depending on manufacturer and sub size.. Not all (epically the 250 size, will fit your RV.Of these Trojan is the best but also the most expensive (Flooded wet)the GC-12 (12 volt) is now starting to come down in price.. I think that is around 150 Amp Hours.Now you can also get AGM, these do not require a lot of maintnance (They are a sub class of Maintenance Free) but they are very costly and there is disagreement as to how long they last... LIFELINE is best here but again, more expnsive.Maintenance Free (Wet cell not agm) are VERY VERY VERY hard to find a true Deep Cycle... MARINE/deep cycle yes,, DEEP CYCLE no (M/dc is not nearly as good for RV use).Finally we have OPTIMA,, A sub class of AGM with 60% of the capacity of other batteries of the same size class (for obvious reasons). My Recommndation GC-2's. Buy them in pairs (6V+6V=12V) put each pair in series (Bat-ery) and treat them just as you would a single 12 volt Size 4D.

Buying a deep cycle battery | Good Sam Community

lbrjet
Explorer
Apr 19, 2015
My Interstate battery has been flawless for 5 years. Still holds a full charge for months with none use. Will replace with the same when the time comes.
mobileray381
Explorer
Apr 19, 2015
Well...after a long list of shopping around and looking at the varios suggestions, I got a good deal at NAPA and got this NAPA 8270 DualPurpose battery.

I installed it, used it over the weekend, and had no issues.

This is the battery that I ended up with.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Apr 18, 2015
Veebyes wrote:

With wet cells I would be on my second, most likely about ready for third set by now.

I tried AGM. Lasted 5 years but they were MK not LIFELINE

My Interstate GC-2's (U-2200) lasted 9 years,,Were replaced just about a year ago with DEKA GC-2 (G-20) 230 amp hour jars.. Equal (Electrically) to your 4D.. I checked the fluid (Acid/Water mix) This Morning.. Still full enough. My Interstates would have needed watering by now).

Good luck.. I do know Lifelines normally last about 10 years.. Why my MKs died in 5 I do not know,,They were separate from the Interstates and treated to a proprly programmed 3-stage converter (Prosine 2.0).
mobileray381
Explorer
Apr 18, 2015
Do you have a large battery bank or something that the solar panel keeps charged? Do you run your air conditioner via an inverter or something from that power bank?
Fixed_Sight_Tra
Explorer
Apr 15, 2015
I skimped on the batteries and instead spent $350 on a solar system incl a unisolar 136 watt flexible panel that just peels and sticks to the roof and a Morningstar MPPT 15 controller. Now I don't have to be the power nazi when were dry camping, I don't disconnect the batts for winter or bad weather and we don't even bother taking the generator anymore.
We almost exclusively dry camp.
Veebyes
Explorer II
Apr 13, 2015
Reconnected my 2011 4D AGM Lifeline Wednesday after being untouched since early last November. It had plenty power to operate 5er front legs &after a short run to the CG it was back on float charge within a half hour of being plugged in at the CG.
Brandonitis
Explorer
Apr 13, 2015
I picked up a Cabelas AGM group 27 for $50 back in Cabelas points today and we"ll see how it goes. I went with the "get the biggest one you can fit" approach! Hopefully it does what it's supposed to do!
Thanks everyone!
GoPackGo
Explorer
Apr 01, 2015
I'm getting ready to change out batteries in my 5er. I will probably put in 2 ea Everstart Maxx Grp 29 DC wet cell batteries from Walmart - $100 each.

I figure if they last 75% as long as batteries that cost twice (or more) as much, then I'm ahead.

I'm not going with GC batteries because if one fails, then I have no electricity at all. If one of my 12-volt batteries fail, I still have one left.

Tim
mobileray381
Explorer
Mar 31, 2015
In my case, we hardly ever are off the grid...unless the full hook-up campground looses power.

For the luck (good) that I have had with the Walmart ones for my truck, I am going to try it for the RV and I will try and report if I have bad luck with it ever. This post will probably be long dead before I get enough time to post, but it would be useful to someone I am sure.
Veebyes
Explorer II
Mar 31, 2015
A read up here is in order for anyone who has any doubts about AGM performance & longterm economic sense.