Deep cell battery?

Might try Batteries Plus. They sell Duracell DC (made by East Penn-Dekka). Oder online and pick up at store saves you 10 percent. Same battery as Sams Club just different label. If you are not a true boondocker and usually have hookups there is no need for a "true deep cycle" 6v battery system.

There are no 12 volt true deep cycle batteries sold at stores like Wal-Mart. That's why many of us are using golf cart batteries in series to get 12 volt battery banks. I'm running 4 of them in my 5th wheel. After my experience with a 12 volt Optima in my truck camper, I no longer wish to waste my time with so-called "RV" batteries. They don't last.

Although my trucks don't have room for these golf cart batteries as starting batteries, given that I have four of them, I bet they would start the truck just fine. They are perhaps not ideal for the load of starting, but with all that plate area, they have plenty of juice for starting if I had to use them for that.

swimmer_spe wrote:
At Walmart they have several deep cell batteries labeled as "Marine Starting", and some that are just labeled as "Marine". Anyone know if the once that don't say Starting are actual deep cell batteries?

Definition time
Normal Starting: Designed for high current for brief periods. Should be kept 80-90% full for best life. Rated in both Cranking and COLD CRANKING amps (Zero degrees F)

MARINE: Like above but only raded in Cranking amps (NOT CCA) 32 degrees and above

MARINE/deep cycle and MARINE/rv.. Like Marine but you can take 'em down a but more state of charge.. Say 75%, before they start to age swiftly.

DEEP CYCLE (Like GC or Golf car, batteries) Designed to deliver fewer peak amps (Relative to total capacity) but for much longer times. Can go down to half full before rapid aging sets in.

SO.. the starting battery on my Class a is 78 Amp hours and can deliver 100-200 amps or more for a BRIEF (30 seconds) period. That's about 2 1/2 times their "Amp hours" in amps.

The HOUSE batterie are DEEP CYCLE and can also deliver 200 amps for a period of time.. but this is a fraction of their 230 amp hour capacity. See what I mean by "Relative".

midnightsadie wrote:
you can use wal mart deep cycle batteries in your rv, for general rv,ing they work just fine. I,ve had good service from them last about four years get the marine deep cycle and on the top of the battery is the date it was made buy ones with a date not more than three months old.

agree
our previous TT had a residential fridge. i had 2 wally world 12v marine deep cycle and never had a problem with them. i never dropped them below 50 percent charge. kept them on a battery tender at home and checked fluid levels often. current TT has propane fridge and 1 interstate group 24. we don't boondock or dry camp so it fits our needs fine.

Excide charging profle

Note the dual purpose (w/ calcium) need 14.8v (temp comp) charging and their true deep cycle (w/antimony) require less.

Solar can do this, esp one that is adjustable.

you can use wal mart deep cycle batteries in your rv, for general rv,ing they work just fine. I,ve had good service from them last about four years get the marine deep cycle and on the top of the battery is the date it was made buy ones with a date not more than three months old.

MDKMDK wrote:
I think you mean "deep cycle" batteries.

This. I've seen others use the term "deep cell" when in fact the correct term is "deep cycle". Nothing Wally World sells here in Canada is a true deep cycle battery, nor do even many RV dealers, most often they're dual purpose BUT good enough for most users deep cycle applications.

MDKMDK wrote:
...go get 2 X 6V Trojans, or other golf cart batteries, and connect them in series, they'll last forever, just check the water levels regularly, etc, etc, etc........

Worst thing anyone can do is buy Trojans if they don't also have a charger with suitable charging characteristics, which for Trojan "deep cycle" batteries (either 12 volt OR 2 6 volt in series) require a bulk charging rate of 14.8 volts which most chargers are not capable of. In ANY situation the battery only half the story, the other half is the charger you intend to use to maintain that battery.

MDKMDK wrote:
I think you mean "deep cycle" batteries. Batteries which can be run down to a lower SoC and still recover to (almost) full capacity many times over their life cycle.

Deep cycle lead-acid batteries should not be taken to a lower State of Charge or similar damage will be done as taking a starting battery to a low state of charge.

Deep cycle batteries typically have a greater amp-hr rating compared to starting batteries.

interstate doesn't make anything
they DO sell lots of batteries, which are made to their standard and label branded for them

You can get true 12V deep cycle batteries. Interstate for one makes them. Aslo Walmart has them with a DC at the end of the group number eg 24 DC.