A simple AGM battery question

I like the AGM's When we were in Yosemite this past winter the Lows were in the 5-6 degree range and the high was 35 one day. Generator use was limited to a couple hours a day and nothing at night, there are no hook ups. The AGMs ( two group 31s) had plenty of power to go more than a day without a generator run even with the furnace running, non LED lights, stereo. To fit both in the compartment one is off angle and it doesn't matter. I am into my 4th year with this set.

Redsky wrote:
Flooded lead acid handle partial recharging and repeat discharges, as with RV use, better than the AGM batteries. With AGM you pay extra to get a battery that does not have to be vented and can be used on its side. If you do not need those two attributes then an AGM battery will buy you nothing.

There are many other benefits to AGM batteries. They are truly maintenance free ,you can tip them on there side to install them in campers like the Bigfoot that don't have the height in there battery bay
or that the cold does not affect them like FLA batteries,or that they hold there charge better when left sitting and they also last along time. Yes for the price you can buy 2 FLA batteries for the price of 1 AGM but you will need 2 as you will be replacing them every 3-6 years and maintaining them constantly. http://www.odysseybatteries.com/

pianotuna wrote:
Hi Mark,

May I ask you to elaborate on why AGM chemistry may not be the best choice?

msiminoff wrote:
Despite the fact that I'm a user and strong proponent of AGM batteries, I do not think that they are the best choice for most RV owners.

Cheers,
-Mark

My view is that unless we know what sort of RVing lifestyle is intended, it is pretty hard to make an intelligent recommendation regarding battery choice.

For instance, someone who is fulltiming away from regular hookups and who wants to enjoy as many of life's luxuries as possible without using a generator should probably buy several decent AGM or deep-cycle trojans or similar and keep them in good condition by installing the right amount of solar and a decent regulator and maybe backing up the system with a small generator and good three stage mains charger.
At the other extreme, someone in a small camper who regards it as essentially a better class of tent and who rarely boondocks for more than a weekend and who doesn't have a lot of electronic toys would probably be best off by buying a couple of the cheapest starter batteries available, charge them up at home and head off with no solar or generator at all and maybe a crude split charging system to help a bit when driving. When the die after two or three years, just take them back to the store and get a couple more cheapies.

Flooded lead acid handle partial recharging and repeat discharges, as with RV use, better than the AGM batteries. With AGM you pay extra to get a battery that does not have to be vented and can be used on its side. If you do not need those two attributes then an AGM battery will buy you nothing.

bigfootford wrote:
a royal pain in the AXX.

Thix esplainx why I'm having xo much trouble in xchool . People keep xaying to me, "what are you trying to xay" ? :S

Thank you , for clearing it up , I'm getting xtraight A'x now.

We have had the same experience as most everyone here. Three type 29 Deka AGM's with stock Lance charging system, 150 watts of solar, and a built in generator for the past 5 years. It has been flawless with no special efforts. We clean the terminals annually. Never had a dead battery condition nor loss of power. We highly recommend AGM technology, it has been trouble free so far.

Hi Mark,

May I ask you to elaborate on why AGM chemistry may not be the best choice?

msiminoff wrote:
Despite the fact that I'm a user and strong proponent of AGM batteries, I do not think that they are the best choice for most RV owners.

Cheers,
-Mark

I charge my 4 AGMs with solar and 12 gauge wire from alternator when driving/camping, and 3 stage charger when stored with no change at all to any charge settings. In fact, no changes are possible in my setup.
However, my battery specs indicate that flooded cell voltages are fine.

Edit: btw, I've had my batteries since I bought the camper new in 2007.
Still good.

My lifeline 100ah battery still has the same AH capacity if not a bit better than it did when it was new, almost 5 years ago...
I test my battery's capacity about every 2 mo. I also monitor via my trimetric meter the amp hours drawn from the battery v/s the battery's voltage 2 times a day when camping.
My trimetric also records the total "cumulative" AH.... I zero'ed it when my Lifeline was new. So far that Lifeline has produced over 5,000 AH...

It is maintained by my Progressive Dynamics 9260... Also by my 200watt solar system when the camper is in the sun. There is no sun in my Bigfoot Cave so I have to rely on the PD to maintain. When we are out with our camper I never plug into shore power unless I want to use electric heat, then I run the fridge on 120vac.

There are many folks using PD's, Iota's and Boondockers to maintain AGM's and have had "0" problems....

I will never go back to Flooded Wet Cells.... They require maintenance that is really difficult on the Bigfoot campers.... Pulling the batteries out of the battery compartment is a royal pain in the AXX. Then the mess of watering and measuring Specific Gravity.... UGGGG.

I have not pulled my AGM out of the battery compartment since I put it there..... I do look at it to check the connections periodically...

As for FWC's I ran 2 group 24's for quite a few years... They would last about 1.5-2.0 years...

Have had this camper 14 years.

I only have 1 battery now.... After I installed led lights, led tv (had a tube type before), Wave-3 heater I found I did not need 150-200 AH capacity from my batteries. 100AH is fine.
We use and average of 10-20/day..

Jim

Hi JShiv,
As you have already heard, you can charge AGM batteries with the converter-charger in your truck camper. If you share the make/model of the charger you currently have you may get some additional feedback regarding settings/jumper changes (if any).

Despite the fact that I'm a user and strong proponent of AGM batteries, I do not think that they are the best choice for most RV owners.

So, before you make the transition to AGM's, I suggest that you put some thought into why you want to use them….
AGM batteries offer some nice advantages over FLA's, such as; reduced ventilation requirements, the ability to be mounted on their side, very high charge and discharge rates, & long service life.
On the other hand; AGM's are much more expensive than comparably sized FLA's,they typically have lower capacity (per unit of volume), and are susceptible to damage due to venting as a result of over-charging.

If you reach the conclusion that AGM's are the best battery type for your needs, then I suggest that you also invest in a programable high-current 3-stage charger with temperature compensation so that you can reduce charge times and maximize both capacity and service life.

Cheers,
-Mark