Basic battery questions

If you have a way to recharge it while dry camping and dry camping is the exception not the rule then a single 12 is plenty. If you cannot recharge it while dry camping I would go to Costco and get a pair of their 6V batteries.

Been down the 2x6V or 12v route. Several years ago I bought 6V golf cart batteries - big mistake..... They were expensive and they only
lasted a couple of years. Now I buy 12V Marine batteries from from Walmart (~$90) each.

I use 2 12V batteries and have been using a Quiet generator to top them up. This year I bought a 150W Solar panel (with controller) and I tested it a couple of weekends ago.

I'm sold..... even during overcast days, the batteries were being topped up. I'm going for a 6 day "dry-camping" spell and will only take the Solar panel.

Gerry

az350x wrote:
Thoughts?

Can't imagine why you'd want to bother with dual 6 volt batteries when you mostly camp on electric sites. I also can't imagine why you'd waste valuable battery reserve on something like making coffee with an electric coffee maker when there are so many other options available that don't require any electrical power at all AND so many other things you do want to keep running that are FAR more important, such as your gas fridge. If single battery reserve over the length of time you expect to camp without power is a concern then why not simply up the size of replacement battery you buy, as an example a Group 31 instead of whatever you had previously. As for a "quiet" genset none of them are really quiet, merely "quieter", and a quieter inverter model won't be inexpensive ... so start saving! ;)

OK, then a single 12v is fine, provided no big loads. Coffee is out. If you're getting sticker shock over batteries, wait until you price a QUIET generator.

We get by with 4 12v batteries and a 2000w Honda Generator (actually 2 2000w if we will be using Air Conditioning).

The batteries usually last about 5 years. I replace all 4 if one or more goes bad. I use Sears Die Hard and usually get a discount on the new batteries because of the warranty.

With our TT we had two batteries and a 1000w generator. We could boondock for as long as we had water, food and fuel (plus a place to dump)

GC2 6V batteries at Sam's club or Costco are 2/$200 (or less, I paid $190 w/core charges and tax). You won't find a decent hybrid Marine 12V for less than $130. With 2X 6V's you'll have around 220AH of capacity. The 12V will have around 100-120AH of capacity.

What I'd suggest is to buy the Sam's club 6V's and put $200 into solar charging. At $400, you'll be at < half the price of a Honda generator, won't have to lug it around, or buy gas and oil.

If you're only going to use a battery occasionally and have a tight budget, buy one 12V Trojan or other deep cycle battery and revisit your battery/charging situation later.

2oldman wrote:
I guess your real question is about generators. You may want to wander over the Tech forum and search 'generator'. You'll be there all day.

The generator idea is down the road a bit, and really only a maybe at this point. The battery situation is more of a "right now" sorta thing.

I guess your real question is about generators. You may want to wander over the Tech forum and search 'generator'. You'll be there all day.