Thanks, all, for the input!
A couple of you mentioned the Trojan
27TMX. I'm curious if you understand the difference between that and the
27TMH (since I probably don't)? The TMH appears to have 10 additional AH at the 20-hr rate in the same size case - is there a drawback to this model?
@MEX - Thanks for the questions! I don't have a super specific goal, but would prioritize maximizing capacity without modifying my battery box. I would like to get good value, if I can, but I'm willing to pay for quality. I ended up purchasing 4x 158W solar panels, so if I understand most people's rule-of-thumb, I have a lot of panel per AH given my battery space limitations. Ultimately, it was a reasonable price ($0.85/W + shipping) and seemed like a sound plan to just buy more watts than originally planned so I could simply mount them flat on the roof and not monkey around with tilting, etc. We are usually on the go a lot and travel more in the fall, so this will hopefully make sense.
We only have a 400W inverter at the moment and have been fine with that. We plan to do more extended boondocking (i.e. one place for a while instead of always on the move), so we can evaluate if it needs to be upgraded in future. I'm not trying to run anything big (microwave, AC), just want to be offgrid without driving (which is mostly how we have been staying charged - covering 5,000 miles over a 2.5-3 week trip).
I'm hoping that by the next time I need to buy batteries the newer lithium technologies will be viable (e.g.
www.balqon.com - I could fit 4-5 of those things in my battery box for 1000AH+!!). I've read some accounts of people going to lithium, but I don't need to be a beta tester. :P
