6 volt vs 12 volt batteries for boondocking
Hi all, While waiting for our new 28' Stealth toy hauler we're trying to figure out the best batteries to get for when we're back in the hills camped off the grid. We ordered the optional 200 watt ...
Forum Discussion
Answer:
depends on what you intend to do.
Yes, good GC batteries will take over 500 discharge cycles down to 25 percent state of charge (75 percent discharged).
And they will last a decade if taken care of and charged properly.
BUT, they also have at least one big disadvantage. They do not take kindly to high discharge rates. to get the long life and deep discharge they have thick plates, which means higher internal resistance than 12V batteries.
Try to run a 1000W inverter on a pair of GC and at around 80 percent SOC, the inverter will say.... opps low battery. 12V no problem. partly due to the much lower internal resistance and partly because you likely have a pair of 12V in parallel so each is only providing half the load.
We boondock a lot, I have 4GC in a 7 year old trailer, discharge them to between 25 and 40 percent SOC before recharge and the SG and everything says they have many years to go. but I also need 4 to run my 1000W inverter to power the microwave.
So..... pick your poison. If you seldom have a big draw, keep it down around 30A or less, and dry camp a lot, GC wins. But get a good charger and keep them fully charged after a return trip and keep them watered.
Hint, likely your trailer will come with a WFCO converter. IMHO it is NOT repeat NOT a good converter for dry camping. First it is almost impossible to get more than about 10-15A charge current out of them no matter what they say about it being a 50A charger, Second, it almost never goes above about 13.6V so it NEVER will get a battery fully charged.
replace it with a Progressive dynamics or Iota drop in replacement or a big PD, Iota or boondocker 80 or 100A deck mount converter which will give you lots of current for charging and will get the batteries close enough to fully charged.
If you don't dry camp a lot, like to run big inverter loads etc. a bank of 12V may do you better.
Footnote; On my small trailer I have a pair of GC batteries, similar situation on many many deep discharges, approaching 400 or so, and now after 14 years they finally got to the point this spring needing to be replaced.
In both cases the batteries are Trojan T125's.
depends on what you intend to do.
Yes, good GC batteries will take over 500 discharge cycles down to 25 percent state of charge (75 percent discharged).
And they will last a decade if taken care of and charged properly.
BUT, they also have at least one big disadvantage. They do not take kindly to high discharge rates. to get the long life and deep discharge they have thick plates, which means higher internal resistance than 12V batteries.
Try to run a 1000W inverter on a pair of GC and at around 80 percent SOC, the inverter will say.... opps low battery. 12V no problem. partly due to the much lower internal resistance and partly because you likely have a pair of 12V in parallel so each is only providing half the load.
We boondock a lot, I have 4GC in a 7 year old trailer, discharge them to between 25 and 40 percent SOC before recharge and the SG and everything says they have many years to go. but I also need 4 to run my 1000W inverter to power the microwave.
So..... pick your poison. If you seldom have a big draw, keep it down around 30A or less, and dry camp a lot, GC wins. But get a good charger and keep them fully charged after a return trip and keep them watered.
Hint, likely your trailer will come with a WFCO converter. IMHO it is NOT repeat NOT a good converter for dry camping. First it is almost impossible to get more than about 10-15A charge current out of them no matter what they say about it being a 50A charger, Second, it almost never goes above about 13.6V so it NEVER will get a battery fully charged.
replace it with a Progressive dynamics or Iota drop in replacement or a big PD, Iota or boondocker 80 or 100A deck mount converter which will give you lots of current for charging and will get the batteries close enough to fully charged.
If you don't dry camp a lot, like to run big inverter loads etc. a bank of 12V may do you better.
Footnote; On my small trailer I have a pair of GC batteries, similar situation on many many deep discharges, approaching 400 or so, and now after 14 years they finally got to the point this spring needing to be replaced.
In both cases the batteries are Trojan T125's.
