House Batteries

13,

Trojan built those T1275's for the golf cart market that wanted a cheaper way to power the typical 36v golf cart. They are built similar to the T105 but smaller cells. They ended up to be a disaster for the golf cart market. The majority of the golf cart sales are to golf courses and the 3-T1275's would not make a full day of cart rental if they were busy and their course was hilly. They are good batteries just not enough capacity for that application. Golf course management was not happy having to tow carts in with unhappy golfers(-:

I'm using 6-6v Full River AGM's for house batteries and so far I like them.

Jim

BFL13 wrote:
where you can get 6s for under $100, then 6s win on cost by a bunch.

Yes, but it's so hard to compare battery life between Sam's Club etc. 6 volts, vs. Trojan sixes. You won't go wrong with Trojans. It's harder to be sure with other brands. I've noticed that people who buy Trojans, usually know what they are doing, which means they treat the batteries right. That's the critical requirement for long battery life.

I eventually went with SC, which were roughly half the price of Trojans, figuring that if I screwed up, the cost of that failure was less, and if I didn't, they only had to last a bit over half the life to make the cost the same.

I have been trying out a pair of 12v deep cycle batts , treating them like a pair of 6s in application. I like them (T-1275) very much, but they do weigh 82 lbs each instead of 67 lbs for a 6.

Cost per AH of the T-1275s is about the same as 6s where the 6s cost $150 each, but where you can get 6s for under $100, then 6s win on cost by a bunch.

Noticeable advantages of 6 volt golfcart batteries come in to play mostly when camping off the grid as they tend to take being drained down farther without reducing their overall longevity as much as their 12 volt counterparts. Not much advantage when camping with hook-ups, amphours are amphours and gaining the highest amount for the space available is more critical overall. It isn't just the brand or type of battery one chooses to use, of more importance is how well they will be maintained and recharged. The best battery can be killed just as quickly as a cheap battery when wiring, watering, and charging are not performed properly. We currently have a set of 4 year old Interstate 6 volt GC2 batteries from Samsclub that are holding up very well, along with monthly maintenance our onboard Iota IQ4 converter keeps them happily charged.

The debate has been long and often.
Are there specific concerns you have with the change?

One thing to note. My Sightseer had two 12 volt batteries. They lasted about 8 years and were in the process of dieing when a friend gave me two 6 volt Trojans that still had some life in them.
The problem was that they were taller than the 12 volt ones and I had to modify (extend)the hold down rods. That was a pain in the ***.

sgt77 wrote:
I am looking at the advantages or disadvantages of replacing my two 12v house batteries with 6v.

Usually it's because it's harder to find good 12v that are true deep cycle. If you find one, it's either ultraheavy (my 6V weighs 66 pounds and a comparable 12V would weigh 132 pounds) or it's so small that you need to parallel it anyway and it's safer to put two 6 volts in series than two 12's in parallel. Finally, it's usually cheaper to buy 6 volt golf cart batteries, which are made and sold in larger quantities.

Some people even go with 2 volt deep cycles, when really large battery banks are being constructed.
My RV was designed for a single size 8D 12 volt - but I just couldn't handle that weight. To fit golf cart batteries, I needed more vertical room, and while adding that height, I was able to widen the compartment - allowing me to fit 4 sixers. It's worked really well for me.

Here are some good (and not so good) explanations:

2- 12v or 6v June 2013
12v vs 6v batteries 2013
12v vs 6v batteries 2006
More 12v vs 6 2006
12v vs 6v 2010
Why 2 6? 2006

Their life span in a RV house battery application is generally quite a bit longer.

Jim