Chassis?Starter Grp 31 AGM. CROWN1 AGM?
I've been spending a few weeks trying to save my current CAT 8D Maintenance Free Starter Battery, due to an unfortunate few days of drain from Fog Lights being left on. (Pretty sure I have them back, ...
Forum Discussion
BFL13 - Cool (Pun intended:)!), that you bring up cold weather's impact to batteries.
I have for us, at only 800AH's, and oversize system of House batteries. We live on the top 22-28% of the battery bank. I had two times in last years travels, boon docking, where the Magnum's LBCO cut in and turned off our Inverter. This had never happened in the previous 3-4 years of using this bank of batteries. When I researched why, I came o the concussion that: 1) My X's 4 L16 Lifeline's were OK; 2) That my LBCO Magnum setting required adjustment; 3) That the below 30 temperatures, with a battery compartment that was opened to the bottom with egg crate flooring grill - did appropriately impact my house battery/Magnum system.
(I've since adjusted a few settings via the Magnum MS2812, but feel it did what it was supposed to do, via the setting parameters of the Tech that helped me install it, and myself... ).
And of course, this is 'House' - not 'Chassis' - which is what I was focusing on with this thread:)!
LY's comments here, and on other threads too - talk about how his Northstar battery is supporting him. He does use them for House duties too... Which is making me also go back (While I'm not in a mode of needing to immediately replace out Chassis unit.), and look at costs vs performance of Marine/Dual Purpose batteries for Chassis duty.
I will share from 5-6 years ago as we were setting our coach up for the long run ahead, that I researched and came very close to not buying a stand alone Chassis CAT 8D Maintenance Free battery. In it's footprint, I easily could have added two more Lifeline L16's for 1,200 AH's of Bank combined Chassis/House battery. Had actually priced what two/three Lithium Based Emergency Start battery into the total mix.
https://www.amazon.com/CAT-CJ3000-Professional-Starter-Built/dp/B00IJB51WY/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1515820870&sr=8-6&keywords=emergency+battery+jump+starter
IMO. I would have been fine with X's6 Lifeline L16', set up for dual House and Chassis duty. I would have modified my Alternator feed to not freak out if the bank went too low. And, I would have carried the above, or similar emergency battery bank. (Full disclosure. I bought such a unit for my Daughter, to have in case of emergency. Her's is plugged into her garage outlet, and maintained to be available in case of emergency at all times...).
1200 AH's of combined House/Chassis batteries, with our 1200 Watts of Solar, would have probably served us well:)!. I went with the CAT 8D MF for Chassis, and the smaller X's4 L16 Lifeline's for House duty, because it was more 'traditional'. It also added the Boost House connection, as redundant safety edge...
Really no right or wrong approach to this. I have friend with RV's and boats, that feel the least expensive Costco/SAM's GC2 Wet batteries are the way to go for battles. I have other friends with rather robust Lithium based House battery banks... They pay 2-4 time higher for these banks of batteries. All but one, have separate approaches to Chassis duty...
Options is what it is all about:)!
Best to all,
Smitty
(And note: I received an email from a Crown1 AGM battery user... He has both a House bank, and separate Starter bank in his boat. (Major electronic remodel on his boat, including adding Solar and Wind charging at the sometime. He was upfront that he'd not had enough time with is Crown AGM's to get a feel for them yet... ) So I look forward to his feedback ahead. I tease my Boating community friends (Many I sailed against in Prindle Catamaran races, that have since moved into Power Boat/Trawlers/Cruisers... (They consider me to be the 'outsider', having abandoned sailing to go RV'ing:)!) about how expensive their hobby is:)! )).
And LY, I do have one of these friends that says he has some Northstar Grp 31 experiences - he's going to drop by before we head out in mid February. Said he'll share his mostly positive experiences with Northstar batteries then...
Best to all,
Smitty
I have for us, at only 800AH's, and oversize system of House batteries. We live on the top 22-28% of the battery bank. I had two times in last years travels, boon docking, where the Magnum's LBCO cut in and turned off our Inverter. This had never happened in the previous 3-4 years of using this bank of batteries. When I researched why, I came o the concussion that: 1) My X's 4 L16 Lifeline's were OK; 2) That my LBCO Magnum setting required adjustment; 3) That the below 30 temperatures, with a battery compartment that was opened to the bottom with egg crate flooring grill - did appropriately impact my house battery/Magnum system.
(I've since adjusted a few settings via the Magnum MS2812, but feel it did what it was supposed to do, via the setting parameters of the Tech that helped me install it, and myself... ).
And of course, this is 'House' - not 'Chassis' - which is what I was focusing on with this thread:)!
LY's comments here, and on other threads too - talk about how his Northstar battery is supporting him. He does use them for House duties too... Which is making me also go back (While I'm not in a mode of needing to immediately replace out Chassis unit.), and look at costs vs performance of Marine/Dual Purpose batteries for Chassis duty.
I will share from 5-6 years ago as we were setting our coach up for the long run ahead, that I researched and came very close to not buying a stand alone Chassis CAT 8D Maintenance Free battery. In it's footprint, I easily could have added two more Lifeline L16's for 1,200 AH's of Bank combined Chassis/House battery. Had actually priced what two/three Lithium Based Emergency Start battery into the total mix.
https://www.amazon.com/CAT-CJ3000-Professional-Starter-Built/dp/B00IJB51WY/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1515820870&sr=8-6&keywords=emergency+battery+jump+starter
IMO. I would have been fine with X's6 Lifeline L16', set up for dual House and Chassis duty. I would have modified my Alternator feed to not freak out if the bank went too low. And, I would have carried the above, or similar emergency battery bank. (Full disclosure. I bought such a unit for my Daughter, to have in case of emergency. Her's is plugged into her garage outlet, and maintained to be available in case of emergency at all times...).
1200 AH's of combined House/Chassis batteries, with our 1200 Watts of Solar, would have probably served us well:)!. I went with the CAT 8D MF for Chassis, and the smaller X's4 L16 Lifeline's for House duty, because it was more 'traditional'. It also added the Boost House connection, as redundant safety edge...
Really no right or wrong approach to this. I have friend with RV's and boats, that feel the least expensive Costco/SAM's GC2 Wet batteries are the way to go for battles. I have other friends with rather robust Lithium based House battery banks... They pay 2-4 time higher for these banks of batteries. All but one, have separate approaches to Chassis duty...
Options is what it is all about:)!
Best to all,
Smitty
(And note: I received an email from a Crown1 AGM battery user... He has both a House bank, and separate Starter bank in his boat. (Major electronic remodel on his boat, including adding Solar and Wind charging at the sometime. He was upfront that he'd not had enough time with is Crown AGM's to get a feel for them yet... ) So I look forward to his feedback ahead. I tease my Boating community friends (Many I sailed against in Prindle Catamaran races, that have since moved into Power Boat/Trawlers/Cruisers... (They consider me to be the 'outsider', having abandoned sailing to go RV'ing:)!) about how expensive their hobby is:)! )).
And LY, I do have one of these friends that says he has some Northstar Grp 31 experiences - he's going to drop by before we head out in mid February. Said he'll share his mostly positive experiences with Northstar batteries then...
Best to all,
Smitty
