Lifeline GPL-27T AGM Battery Upgrade

Thanks for all the feedback. My replacement Northern-Lite is scheduled to arrive on April 25th, so my plan is to wait until I take delivery of it before doing anything more. Since real estate on top of the 8'11" is scarce, I am not really sure if there's room to add more than one additional solar panel. I don't have any plans to be off the grid anytime soon, so my new Lifelines will stay hooked up to shore power for now. With respect to the comment about converters, my NL has a PD4045KA (30A) in it. Is that sufficient?

These lifelines, if cycled to 50% regularly, need a high amp recharge regularly too. Lifeline recommends 20 amp per 100Ah of capacity minimum when deeply cycled and no upper limits on charging amps. They flat out say more is better.

90 watts feeding 200AH of lifeline AGM, or Any AGM, is woefully inadequate if these batteries are ever discharged below 90%.

Expensive batteries to kill prematurely.

People tend to paint AGMs with a Super battery brush due to their price, but really they are finicky princesses waiting for an excuse to pack up all their shoes, belittle you, then leave, when their particular demands are not met.

if you cycle them deeply, feed them properly, be able to feed them at least 40 amps from their most depleted state until they reach 14.4v and hold 14.4v until amps required to hold them at 14.4 @77f tapers to just 1 amp.

If you can't do this, you will have very effective paperweights, very prematurely, for top dollar.


I have Northstar AGM group 27 at 90Ah capacity.

I removed 18Ah to take it to 80% State of charge.

How long do you think it took to recharge fully with a 40 amp capable charger?

3.5 hours at 14.5 volts before amps tapered to 0.45.

If this battery was not recently high amp recharged, it could take twice as long for amps to taper to 0.45 @ 14.5.

Lifeline is top quality, but it is not going to make up for improper recharging, and 90 watts for 200Ah is woefully inadequate.

The PD9245 would be a good converter for lifeline setpoints, but the PD9270 would be better.

Do not discount the need for an AGM to get a high amp recharge occasionally, at a minimum. 100% recharges achieved often are paramount, but so is the high amp recharge.

Do note lesser$$ AGMS have a 30 amp per 100Ah capacity maximum current, but even these AGMs will benefit from charge rates approaching 30% when cycled deeply, often.

If you can't properly charge a battery according to its needs, then get the cheapest flooded marine battery you can find, as it will hurt less when it fails prematurely.

Lifeline's huge $$ does not make it immune to improper charging. It actually is more demanding of proper and particular recharging parameters to achieve any where near its potential cycle lifespan.

smkettner wrote:
No. Use the flooded setting. The sealed is for a GEL battery and maxes at 14.1 volts. This is below spec on the Lifeline and will chronically undercharge the battery. Go flooded at 14.5 volts.

EWC-30 Manual

Lifeline manual - charging p19

An adjustable controller with temperature compensation is best.
Possibly use the sealed setting if the temps are 95+.

Very Good Advise.

Yes, it would be better to update your solar very soon.

While most talk about Solar often, what is important to remember is to compliment your AmpH capacity in the AGM batteries. Meaning you need to reach Float stage on a regular basis, in all seasons and weather conditions. That is where the Temp Compensation is important to have for your Charge Controller. 95w is not enough for maintaining these batteries consistently.

Also, you haven't shared your cables/set up for your connections other than the pictured stacked terminal. We see many that invest in some great equipment with their Charge Controllers, Batteries, Solar Panels and Monitors, but then skimp on the gauge of cables, matched cable lengths and quality of the cable and connectors. Much like having a very capable Cannon or Nikon Camera and attach a very cheap lens to it, then expect this to perform in a manner that is not possible.

Have fun and you will like those batteries.

b

Wardster wrote:

HMS Beagle wrote:
The solar will do a good job of that if you have a controller with AGM setting.

The standard 95W solar package included with my Northern-Lite came with a EWC-30 Solar Regulator that has an option for a sealed battery. I switched it over to that setting after I finished the install last night.

No. Use the flooded setting. The sealed is for a GEL battery and maxes at 14.1 volts. This is below spec on the Lifeline and will chronically undercharge the battery. Go flooded at 14.5 volts.

EWC-30 Manual

Lifeline manual - charging p19

An adjustable controller with temperature compensation is best.
Possibly use the sealed setting if the temps are 95+.

The problem with AGM batteries is storing them for any time in a Partial State of Charge. They self discharge at a very slow rate compared to flooded, so if fully charged they will stay 95 or 90 percent for months. What you do not want to do is put them in storage at 80 percent. Or use it daily, running it down to 50 and then only charging to 80. Charge them completely before you store them, and if using them cyclicly, charge them fully every week or so. This well documented in marine use.

It is sometimes under appreciated how long a full charge takes. The battery will accept less and less current as it approaches full charge, and there is no short cutting the time it takes. The last 5 or 10 percent charge takes several hours. This is the part that, if neglected routinely, will kill AGMs. Solar is great for this because it can produce the low current - long time charge needed.

I have Lifeline batteries in my boat going on 10 years now. The first one I put in my camper lasted 11 years. But people do manage to kill them in a couple of years by mistreating them.

That is the first time I have ever heard someone recommend charging an AGM battery once a month. One of the biggest advantages of an AGM battery is they can hold a charge for a very long time. If you want to be able to store a battery over winter without maintenance AGM is the way to go.

I have two Lifeline GPL-27T purchased in 2007. I have always stored them over the winter starting with a full charge and they are still working great. The first thing I do in the spring is run the jacks to load the camper and drive it home to charge up the batteries.

I believe those are the same model of Lifelines I have in my Outfitter (four of them though) and they are still doing good since being installed in 2007.

HMS Beagle wrote:
The solar will do a good job of that if you have a controller with AGM setting.

The standard 95W solar package included with my Northern-Lite came with a EWC-30 Solar Regulator that has an option for a sealed battery. I switched it over to that setting after I finished the install last night.

With Lifelines (or any AGM really) the main thing is to make sure they get FULLY recharged periodically. The solar will do a good job of that if you have a controller with AGM setting. If no sun, the plugged in for something like 8 hours maybe once a month. The batteries are great and will last a long time, but if not returned to a full charge (which cannot be done quickly) every so often will die early - earlier even than a cheap flooded battery.

Enjoy them!