Maintenance free starting battery recommendations?

I look at this slightly different. I bought the maintenance free starting battery from Walmart when I switched to Sam Club CG batteries for the house. I used the Walmart batteries in the tow car also. I replaced two in the tow car so far under warranty free of charge. There are Walmarts everywhere I travel. I replaced one in a Walmart parking lot when my tow car would not start. The Everstart batteries went from 3 years to 5 years warranty with some up to 7 years. The one in the MH is 9 years old and still going strong I think because I put a maintenance charger on it when ever I top of the house batteries. My car batteries only last about 4 years because I just drive them and the alternator does the charging. I paid about $74 for these batteries in 2007 they are still under $100.

Thank you everyone for your thoughts. Sears is running a sale at this time on the AGM if anyone's interested. 140ish which is 40-50 less than the prevailing prices around here.

I replaced my original battery in my 04 F150 after four years. I replaced with and Optima Yellow top,Sold the truck five years later and the battery was still going strong. didn't do anything to it in all that time!
Have had Optima's in five vehicles so far and all of them were sold with that battery in them! Truly Maintenance free!!

The 65 AGM is not plagued with the same acid starvation issues as a flooded 65/ Go with the longest warranty best price unless it plans to get cycled.

I used the red and green felt anti-corrosion pads with a hole in the middle on each battery terminal for years on my liquid acid starting batteries. They last forever, work like a champ, and cost practically nothing at auto parts stores. They stay neat and clean, too ... no mess to mess with.

I just put 2 Autozone Duralast AGM batteries in- one in my pickup, one in my auto. So far, so good. Way faster cranking for both (first time I've used an AGM in starting) At $200, they were not that much more than the way lower rated wet cells.

Mex,

Unfortunately the Ford E series vans use.....a group 65 battery. I managed to squeeze in a group 29 last time around by cutting the top post off and using the side post instead. However, this time around, I want to go AGM. They are a measly 650 CCA.

Odyssey $329
Duracell Ultimate $219
Xpower $299
Duracell Gold $149

Is the battery old ?
Old batteries will often off gas much more than normal, and cause the corrosion problem you are having. Even a new non maintenance free battery will seldom need water, and will normally not have corrosion problems for years.

Calcium calcium flooded batteries hate to be cycled at - all - period.

And the group 65 flooded is a problem child to begin with. Acid to active plate area ratio is poorer than even on a high CCA group 31. Same manufacturer a 700 CCA 31 will outlast a 1000 CCA by a condiderable margin.

Only hot tar can resolve post to lid sealing compromise. Throwing a fit I slopped Henry's roofing compound around the posts on some of the Trojans. They were one of the last to maintain higher percentage antimony in both cranking and cycling batteries.

I simply do not trust point of origin for AGM batteries. China. Mexico. I am going with Deka for engine starting AGM and I know if I forget to shut something off the absorbed glass mat construction toletates over-discharge much better. In really cold country the significantly higher CCA is a bonus. An AGM post lid seal is done differently and leakage only occurs if the battery is damaged.

I am not a fan of flooded calcium calcium. And not being Evil Kneivel I could cate less about coiled cell G force tolerance.

There are many maintenance free batteries that are wet cell and cheaper than AGMs. I'm saying this even though I have two AGMs. The two maintenance free Interstates in my Redwood have never needed water in three years.

Mark