6 Volt RV batteries

wopachop wrote:
Does anyone here really add water ...

I had to toward the end of their life. Due to their age? Due to going with solar charging? All I know is they started needing a lot of water.

Rarely added water when the WFCO kept them under charged. If you're never adding water, you're probably under charged.

I got my batteries about 3 years ago.

Does anyone here really add water every single month? Just kinda curious after reading what the gentlemen said who is dogging on club store batteries.

Ive had my club store specials for 7 months now. Finally checked water for the first time yesterday. They were not as low as i expected. Each cell took a tiny little pour. Maybe 1-2 tablespoons each. (i did check specific gravity when brand new just to make sure each cell was happy and healthy)

Regarding being constantly maintained at home. I finally took my darn batteries out of the trailer with daily solar charging and will store in the cool garage. Wish i didnt wait until the end of summer. So many months just getting beat in the sun for nothing.

Mine are right on the tongue so its pretty quick to yank them out.

enblethen wrote:
I get 6 volters from Costco. About $80 per battery.

$80?
https://www.costco.com/Interstate-6-Volt-Golf-Cart-Battery.product.100476406.html

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Sir Beemberphile. A gentle and polite question if I may :)

How many days per year average are you vacationing disconnected? Are your batteries constantly maintained at home?

Last question first, batteries are constantly maintained when home.

First question is harder to answer other than to say it varies. Spent five months in the southwest last winter, some dry camping and some resort camping. Have 400 watts of solar for dry camping so with four batteries they are never run particularly low. In other words, I use but don't abuse the batteries.

bpounds wrote:

noteven wrote:

4 x 6v only giving 12 v must mean they are half worn out in only 7 years. So one 12 v would be good for umm 3.5 years?

Yabut, it is never a linear scale of life with batteries.

I just pulled out 2 UT2200 Interstate that were 10 years old. Still doing the job, but I would rather change them out before I'm stuck somewhere doing it at gunpoint. I don't trust Interstate anymore, so they were not an option for me. I got tired of the monthly maintenance too, so I went with AGM this time. At $500 for a pair, I'm not certain it will be worth it, but time will tell, and it is only money. You guys can limp along on club store batteries if that's what floats your boat.

If you didn't like the "monthly maintenance" (assuming you did that properly) you will LOVE AGMs, which require more care and feeding to do it right.

Wade through the " 20% rule" and the "0.5a/100AH rule" and supply yourself with the necessary tools to meet all that.

I use my Trimetric and an adjustable voltage PowerMax LK of sufficient amps to meet the 20% rule, but there are other ways of course.

I thought it was a lot easier with my previous set of Wet batteries -some 6v and a pair of T-1275 12v. Only reason to have the AGMs now is I need to keep them inside where the fumes of a Wet would not be acceptable.

Having had to get the AGMs at extra expense (because of them being inside), I do try to do it right--but it is not a "hands off, automatic" process. It means being extra careful to follow the "rules".

noteven wrote:

4 x 6v only giving 12 v must mean they are half worn out in only 7 years. So one 12 v would be good for umm 3.5 years?

Yabut, it is never a linear scale of life with batteries.

I just pulled out 2 UT2200 Interstate that were 10 years old. Still doing the job, but I would rather change them out before I'm stuck somewhere doing it at gunpoint. I don't trust Interstate anymore, so they were not an option for me. I got tired of the monthly maintenance too, so I went with AGM this time. At $500 for a pair, I'm not certain it will be worth it, but time will tell, and it is only money. You guys can limp along on club store batteries if that's what floats your boat.

A WFCO would screw up a bowling ball with a feather.

Trojan used to use white with red jars for their lesser golf car batteries. It was a second-line business from start to finish.

Different...................

Jars
Grids
Separators
Plate paste
The environment in the greening room
8% less electricity used.

Like going to Tony Roma's and opting for a Swanson's TV dinner.

If spending a bunch of money on CG2 batteries, I'd make sure that I had a decent converter. About 6 years ago, I installed 2 Trojan T-105s in a new trailer. The WFCO converter wrecked them in 4 years. Battery acid all over the place--ate holes through the front compartment on the fifth wheel. So, on the new trailer this year I put in 4 Trojan T-105 AGMs since we have self leveling (electric motor kind) and a residential fridge. Pricey, but Trojan quality. To help them last I replaced WFCO with a Samlex charger which I like very much. It has dip switches that set the start up charging configuration, and temperature monitoring.

wopachop wrote:
Hmm I have both my 210ah Costco interstates out of the trailer right now. Will weigh them for fun. Safe to assume a "made for costco" version that dies premature would be lighter than a sister battery?

I am told by the Interstate guy that their GC2-HCL-UTL at 210AH and 58 lbs is a Trojan T-605 with the same specs and at 58lbs

The ECL version at 225AH is a T-105.

So it would follow that if you can get the Interstate ones at Sams or Costco at their lower prices, that is a very good deal on a Trojan.