Battery replacement

jalichty wrote:
Don't want to hijack this thread, but when putting the two 6-volt batteries in a FW, does a person have to worry about changing out the converter to accommodate the 6-volt batteries?

No difference at all as you're going to wire two 6 volt batteries in series so together they're effectively one 12 volt battery - your converter won't know the difference.

jalichty wrote:
when putting the two 6-volt batteries in a FW, does a person have to worry about changing out the converter to accommodate the 6-volt batteries?

No. 2 6v batteries in series look like a 12v battery to a converter.

jalichty wrote:
Don't want to hijack this thread, but when putting the two 6-volt batteries in a FW, does a person have to worry about changing out the converter to accommodate the 6-volt batteries? Just wondering because my 12-volts are, I think, nearing the end of their lives and am wondering what to replace them with.

Same converter does either 12s or 6s. If you need a converter upgrade it would be for other reasons.

3-cell GC-220 battery sales is utterly cutthroat making them more of a bargain lifespan-wise than car jar RV batteries. But for many RVers who do not boondock regardless of value 5% antimony batteries make about as much sense as buying a Polar Parka for use in downtown Miami. This is a statement not aimed at the OP.

Don't want to hijack this thread, but when putting the two 6-volt batteries in a FW, does a person have to worry about changing out the converter to accommodate the 6-volt batteries? Just wondering because my 12-volts are, I think, nearing the end of their lives and am wondering what to replace them with.

I want to thank everyone who responded to my inquiry. The information and insight was very helpful in making my decision. We dry camp several times a year which is not a lot, but do not like to use the generator unless necessary, it's very disturbing. I will probably be getting 2 high amp hour,deep cycle 6 volt batteries. Thanks again.

I believe it comes down to amp hour (AH) capacity. With 6 volt batteries you can usually get higher amp hours in an overall smaller foot print. Yes, you can get similar ah with 12 volt batteries but it will be more weight/foot print size. If you plan to do a lot of boondocking away from hookup's then 6 volt in series would be a good option. If not planning a lot of boondocking then 12 volt batteries would work and may be less costly overall.

The cost difference is small and the 6v batteries are legitimate deep cycle batteries. (most 12v are not true deep cycle batteries regardless of what the label says).

It's simple to set up and as long as the 6v batteries fit in the existing battery boxes, would highly recommend the switch.

Ed_Gee wrote:
As others have already pointed out, two GC2 type six volts batteries are superior to two 12V batteries in almost all aspects -- except price.

Not true. :W With dual 12 volts one can choose to run them in parallel together or sequentially, drawing one down to ~ 50% capacity then switching to the second whereas dual 6 volts both have to be in service all the time to be useful. Secondly, 12 volt jugs generally have less internal resistance than six volts and as a result tend to suffer less voltage drop under heavy load from an inverter than do 6 volts. If there's any notable advantage to 6 volt batteries it's in size because they typically have a footprint similar to a G24 12 volt but are taller, often making them easier to install in a tight location where a pair of G31 12 volts just won't fit. It isn't just price alone that dictates the difference, many do prefer to run dual G31 12 volt batts which are similar in capacity to a pair of 6 volt GC2s. :R

Stan 1945 wrote:
I need to replace the batteries in our travel trailer. I would like to know if I can replace 2 12 volt batteries connected in parallel with 2 6 volt golf cart batteries connected in series. I need to know : 1) is this a bad idea, 2) if not a bad idea, are there going to be any connection issues that would prevent me from doing this myself. Thanks for your response.

Will work great. NO issues.