Replacement Batteries

SteveRuff wrote:
Perhaps I have misspoken about how they are hooked up. I do know they are 3 places to add water on each battery. I was under the impression that 6 volt batteries were more costly than 12's, do I have this wrong also?

Things vary.. I recently priced same brand sixes and a 12 (DEKA) I bought the 12 since it is the chassis battery on this MH, about 80 bucks, The sixes at Deka were like 110-130 depending on the size.

HOWEVER the chassis battery is a group 78 According to DEKA web page the Group 34/78 batteries are only 55 amp hours (Thoght it was more than that) so to get the same capacity of a six volt pair I would need FOUR of them (That still does not seem right.. and I lifted that battery onto the tray too)

Six volt GOLF CAR (not starting) batteries are the single most produced lead acid battery in the country. This means that while a 12 volt line is shut down, being re-tooled to produce a different size, the six volt line is craniking out batteries, and then the 12 volt line is re-tooled again for yet another size and the six volt line is cranking out batteries.....

And some golf course orders a pallet load or two

V/s a half dozen 12's at the auto parts store.

So the six is the single best Bang for your Buck.

I can see the tops of the batteries but the compartment doesn't allow me to see the sides without pulling one out. I will check out the Maxx group 31 at our Walmart. Thanks for the help.

? Don't batteries have a data plate/sticker on them?
I bought new deep cycles couple months ago at Batteries+, cheapest & best warranty; Walmart & Sams also had their own brands but cost a more with crappy in comparison warranty. These new batteries have big "12V" and other info molded & painted in the side.

Last year I replaced the two Walmart Everstart Marine Group 24 12-volt coach batteries in my rig with Walmart's MAXX Marine Group 31 batteries for about $87 each. The Everstart batteries had been in casual boondocking use (about 3 intermittent weeks/year), plus normal on the road use, since 2005 and were starting to noticeably not hold a charge as well as they used to. I also replaced the engine battery at the same time, and was surprised to find that the battery the previous owner had installed in 2006 was also an Everstart MARINE battery, a Group 27 that was no longer holding a good charge either. I replaced that one with a MAXX Group 29 starting battery for about the same price. Apparently Johnson Controls is supplying Walmart with some pretty good battery products, so no complaints here!

Perhaps I have misspoken about how they are hooked up. I do know they are 3 places to add water on each battery. I was under the impression that 6 volt batteries were more costly than 12's, do I have this wrong also?

Well.. Unless you want a SERIOUS downgrade in battery capacity.. the best reason to stick with a pair of sixes is COST.. About 90 each at Sam's or Costco.

I have paid well over 100 for reasonable size 12s

Steve,

Something is mixed up. If you have 2 batteries with 3 caps each, you have a pair of 6V. If you have two batteries with the connections positive to positive, then you have a pair of 12V. Real 12V deep cycles are very difficult to get (no auto parts or warehouse will have them). If you buy a marine combined service battery, you will be disappointed and it will not last.

If you do very little "boondocking" that is OK, but if you ever overnight without shorepower, you need batteries. If you will overnight unsupported to sleep and sleep only. (No TV few lights, no heat and maybe very little water.) Then you could get by on one 12V as a house bank. If that is not your plan, then spring for a new pair of golf cart batteries.

Please, if you feel you have to go with 2ea 12V (6 cap) batteries. Make Absolutely Certain that the two you finally buy have identcal date codes and the same amount of dust on them. If they are not IDENTICAL, the results will vary with the best case being disappointing.

I did electrical systems on other people's expensive boats for years (before the depression), and I used to have to clean up after several explosions of paralleled 12V batteries a season. It was always a mess, but I liked the money.

Matt

If they are in fact hooked up pos to pos an neg to neg and you having working power you have two 12v batteries already.
two 6 volt batteries would need to be run in a series to get your 12v output.