Forum Discussion

mh3860sh's avatar
mh3860sh
Explorer
Apr 04, 2016

house batteries

just bought a 2008 monaco monarch 33sfs. fulltiming starting in june. the house batteries are bulging below the battery posts. would we be better off with agm batteries or golf cart batteries? pros and cons of both types would be appreciated. thanks

15 Replies

  • The AGMs give you more *useful* Amp hours in a given volume as you can discharge them deeper without the same level of damage as with a wet cell - typically they seem to be *rated* slightly less capacity for a given volume (careful in specsmanship on discharge rates when looking at amp hour capacity). You can also charge AGMs faster as the lower internal impedance causes less heat and more of the charge is retained. Less generator time is an issue to many, and even more so if you use solar a lot.
    There are many threads about 12 volts vs 6 volt. The golf cart batteries are great for their ability to stand the test of time in constant use, but the trade-off is they do need more tender loving care from time to time. I went the 12 volt route but I am only dry camp like 6 weeks this year so I don't need a huge capacity and having two 12 volt batteries I can use a variety of charging methouds and switch them in and out as required and I do, most people I would guess do not.
    There is a significant cost premium for the AGMs (2 to 3 times).
    Oh and I don't know how you plan to charge, but the quality there is about as important as the battery itself IMHO. These guys seem to carry decent product and they will reply to questions with intelligent comments, with the PD line popular with many people on this forum.
  • wa8yxm's avatar
    wa8yxm
    Explorer III
    mh3860sh wrote:
    just bought a 2008 monaco monarch 33sfs. fulltiming starting in june. the house batteries are bulging below the battery posts. would we be better off with agm batteries or golf cart batteries? pros and cons of both types would be appreciated. thanks


    AGM or Flooded Wet (Most golf cart batteries are Flooded wet though if you want to get AGM's for your go-cart,,, They make 'em)

    Flooded wet GC-2 (golf Car) batteries, two in series, devliver around 220 amp hours of power. Cost (At Sam's or Costco) less than 100 each and last up to 10 years

    AGM's in the same format deliver the identical amount of power, Do not last as long (usually) weigh the same and cost as much as 3 times (OR MORE) as much

    But you do not need to "Water" the AGMs.

    So you decide.
  • thanks. we'll be splitting time between campgrounds and boondocking.
  • mh3860sh wrote:
    would we be better off with agm batteries or golf cart batteries? pros and cons of both types would be appreciated. thanks


    There really aren't any "cons" for AGM......except the price.

    When it's time for me to change mine out I will be looking for AGMs labeled for deep cycle use (don't know if that really makes any difference or not).

    The previous answer is good too.
  • A lot depends upon how you will be using your rig. If you will be spending time without hookups you will want the most amp hours you can get out of the space available for the batteries. If you will normally have hookups just about any battery will work.

About RV Tips & Tricks

Looking for advice before your next adventure? Look no further.25,186 PostsLatest Activity: Mar 12, 2026