Anyone have experience with AGM or GEL deep cycle batteries?

The 27's would not fit so I went with twin 24's. MAxxs from Walmart. A total of 184 amp hours. Odd the website price is $99 but I was only charged $68 apiece.

We'll see how thing go. The wet cells are supposedly more fragile in high vibration settings but boats are mentioned. Considering the rigidity of the F350's suspension the trailer isn't going to bang them around any more that what the truck batteries experience. So far we have only pulled on paved roads.

I also went with 6 gauge wires for battery to battery jumpers. The 4 was too stiff and 8 seemed a little light. Looks like 6 is what the manufacture used. The draw will be light anyway as we have shore power at the site.

Thanks again for the feedback.

Gadget Guy wrote:


What brand have you decided on????

Sams Club in OKC has a 100AH AGM grp31 12V by Johnson Controls for $170.

I would prefer the Sams Club Duracell, which is actually a Deka-East-Penn, but they are only available in the Eastern states.

HTH;
John

I have a couple of 100 amp-hour wheel chair deep cycle AGM batteries in our Class C. They're coming up on their 7th year this fall. The stock Parallax fixed voltage converter and engine alternator is about all they see. However, on our last trip this year they got some charging from a very old 2/10/50 cheap "charger/starter" set to it's 50 amp starting setting.

I regularly take them down to around 50% state of charge. From this state of charge, the main engine alternator takes them to full charge in around 5-6 hours of driving ... according to the dash ammeter I installed with it's shunt in the their main negative terminal cable. I can tell when they're fully charged because their current acceptance reads right around zero on the ammeter. When they are being charged by the Ford engine's 130 amp alternator, the AGM batteries are connected directly in parallel (via a heavy duty solenoid with silver alloy contacts) with the main engine's wet cell starting battery.

These wheel chair AGM 12 volt deep cycle batteries have been trouble-free and maintenance-free the whole time.

mena661 wrote:
Afinepoint, IMO with your camping style, two bog box store grp 27's is plenty. They will see very light use. Save your money for other stuff.

Such as stuff for keeping the batteries less discharged.

Afinepoint, IMO with your camping style, two bog box store grp 27's is plenty. They will see very light use. Save your money for other stuff.

Let's see, I got my flooded cells the week before Ronald Reagan announced "Star Wars". Almot has it right. Do your research then make a decision. Some folks think a Harley is the only way to get from point A to point B.

A bigger crime would be if we did not have all these wonderful choices.

BTW, the spiral coil AGM battery has its place on the planet...
It will far and away outlive any other construction battery type if subjected to insane amounts of G-force like hammering across a washboard road for miles and miles and miles. The real shame is not knowing or appreciating these differences.

I can sense there is curiosity about my style of camping and thus battery needs so here goes.

The trailer currently has one battery. Our usage is light. The battery is only supplying power for the 24 hours prior to our adventure. The loads being CO, CO2 monitor, TPMS booster(re another post yes I did buy a TPMS) and whatever the refrigerator control circuitry needs.

Our outings are on average 1-2 days every few weeks. This will increase as we become more experienced but I don't see more than week at a time. Thus far everywhere we have gone there is shore power. I don't intend to purposely go without shore power until the generator capability can support full trailer loading.

During storage the battery is disconnected. So if 6-7% loss per month is correct for wet cell then a battery is still in the 90% range when reconnected. It's a thirty minute drive from storage to home. During the winter the battery will be removed.

With the exception of the higher self discharge rates wet cell seems the way to go. Off gassing, spillage and orientation of the battery is of no concern since it sits outside and is rigidly mounted. We have yet to dry camp. Although IF I can't get a spot at the track then dry camping will occur. I have a small generator that can recharge the battery.

I was thinking two size 27 wet cells. Two deep cycle Everstart Walmart 27DC-6 batteries plus boxes = $174. They are 109 amp/hr with 750 MCA @ 32°F per the salesperson and 115 amp/hr and 720 CA in the picture. What I like about their batteries is when I did return one after significant usage they said "go get another". No questions asked.

But I have to answer the question: "With our current camping requirements do we need two battery capacity?" Like the scouts I want to be prepared. Shore power is never guaranteed.

I installed four 6V GEL CELLS in 2006. Could not be happier with them. One of these days I will have to wipe dust of them.

afinepoint wrote:
I've done the research and know the pros and cons of each. Just curious regarding real life experiences.

Whose real life? :) What people here were trying to tell is that you need to know what YOU are looking for. On boating forums you will find real life accounts of long-lived flooded and short-lived AGM, including renowned Lifetime. Or vice versa. It depends on how yo use and maintain them. AGM are not completely care-free, no battery is. They don't need watering but still need proper charging, "might" need equalizing, and their life depends on the cycle parameters.

Somebody mentioned Optima - yes, expensive, yes, good feedback overall, but do they even exist in 100 AH size? When deciding on the brand, I checked this and couldn't Optima find bigger than 75 AH.

I made the switch to AGMs last year and as one who likes to Boondock it was one of the best mods I've ever made.