Ok I know I have asked a lot of questions recently but as I attempt to try and get my 5th wheel ready for a trip leaving this coming Wednesday I keep getting hit with all sorts of maintenance issues.Put slide out yesterday and battery did not have enough power to bring slide back in. At least I'm praying it is just a battery problem. The battery is a AGM sealed type that is over 9 years old. Here is a list of battery uses that we routinely do:When camping always at a electrical hookup campground no dry camping.We do stop over night at a rest area and I have a small invertor that I use on those occasions to brew some coffee in the morning maybe a toaster.I have my refrigerator on while traveling on gas mode.That's about it for battery needs unless I have missed something. So based on the above needs what brand of battery should I go with that is readily available?I am having the battery tested this morning but just preparing in case it does need replaced.Thanks!Dave

Get a cheap GP24 dual start/rv battery and be done with it.

dpgllg wrote:.. I have a small invertor that I use on those occasions to brew some coffee in the morning maybe a toaster.How do you do that with one battery and a small inverter?Replace your battery. It's time.

2oldman wrote:dpgllg wrote:.. I have a small invertor that I use on those occasions to brew some coffee in the morning maybe a toaster.How do you do that with one battery and a small inverter?Replace your battery. It's time.The invertor is in the front compartment of 5th wheel and I have an extension cord that I can pull up through the laundry opening and plug in the coffee maker OR toaster. Never both at once. Has worked fine

dpgllg wrote:.. I have an extension cord that I can pull up through the laundry opening and plug in the coffee maker OR toaster. Never both at once. Has worked fineNo, I don't mean where are the cords, I mean coffee and toasters take a LOT of power.

Costco, Sams, or, Wal-Mart cheapest RV battery. Biggest one(s) that will fit the tray. Costco does not argue over battery warranty. Wal-Mart has a burger-flipper-reject appear with a worse than useless cheese-grater load tester when batteries are warranted.

1st Trip 4/26 & now battery issues What Brand if replacing?

12 Replies

MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Apr 22, 2017
Whew bucks up daddy. A Rolls extended chassis to go grocery shopping. Wanna hear something to make whiskers stand out on end.

For primarily leapfrogging from hookup to hookup a high antimony golf car battery is the worse choice. Needless antimony to achieve zero benefit. An AGM would offer zero maintenance, but 24/7/365 floating means much more careful attention to float temperature compensation.

IMHO it just ain't worth it. Most hybrid six cell car jar batteries are 1.75% antimony. They can withstand a dozen or two or three hammerings in a Wal-Mart parking lot. The 105 to 85 amp hour increase ratio between a group 29 to a group 24 is far more important.

Then there is the solid 18 karat gold TIMEX watch philosophy to counter all this...
theoldwizard1
Explorer II
Apr 22, 2017
MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Costco, Sams, or, Wal-Mart cheapest RV battery. Biggest one(s) that will fit the tray.

Finding a "true" deep discharge, 12V battery at a "big box store" is almost impossible. The best you are going to do is a marine "dual purpose". Also, they are NOT likely to have AGM batteries in stock.

Sam's does sell a marine AGM battery in either Group 31 or Group 34. They would probably have to order one in for you.
dpgllg
Explorer
Apr 22, 2017
2oldman wrote:
corvettekent wrote:
Maybe his small inverter is 1,000 watts.
Maybe his one battery is 460ah.

Optima Blue Top

This is the battery I have. Not sure about inverter

GREAT NEWS!
Advance Auto Parts tested my battery and said it only needed a charge. They charged it into last evening on a slow charge and retested it and the battery appears to be in good shape. I will be putting it back into the RV later today!
time2roll
Nomad
Apr 21, 2017
9 years old and dead? Probably best to just get a new battery. No need to overthink this... go down to Costco or Walmart and get a group 27 deep cycle. If you go to WM get deep cycle trolling not deep cycle starting.

However you also need to verify your converter is putting out 13.6 volts before you roll.
j-d
Explorer II
Apr 21, 2017
They aren't "the best" but I like Walmart batteries. If I need to buy or replace or warranty a battery, there's just about always a Walmart close by, and chances are it's open 24/7.
2oldman
Explorer II
Apr 21, 2017
corvettekent wrote:
Maybe his small inverter is 1,000 watts.
Maybe his one battery is 460ah.
corvettekent
Explorer
Apr 21, 2017
2oldman wrote:
dpgllg wrote:
.. I have an extension cord that I can pull up through the laundry opening and plug in the coffee maker OR toaster. Never both at once. Has worked fine
No, I don't mean where are the cords, I mean coffee and toasters take a LOT of power.

Maybe his small inverter is 1,000 watts.
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Apr 21, 2017
Costco, Sams, or, Wal-Mart cheapest RV battery. Biggest one(s) that will fit the tray. Costco does not argue over battery warranty. Wal-Mart has a burger-flipper-reject appear with a worse than useless cheese-grater load tester when batteries are warranted.
2oldman
Explorer II
Apr 21, 2017
dpgllg wrote:
.. I have an extension cord that I can pull up through the laundry opening and plug in the coffee maker OR toaster. Never both at once. Has worked fine
No, I don't mean where are the cords, I mean coffee and toasters take a LOT of power.
dpgllg
Explorer
Apr 21, 2017
2oldman wrote:
dpgllg wrote:
.. I have a small invertor that I use on those occasions to brew some coffee in the morning maybe a toaster.
How do you do that with one battery and a small inverter?

Replace your battery. It's time.

The invertor is in the front compartment of 5th wheel and I have an extension cord that I can pull up through the laundry opening and plug in the coffee maker OR toaster. Never both at once. Has worked fine