TC Battery Replacement - Upgrade Options
Boy when it rains ... it pours. My 4 year old, non-maintenance free Interstate Group 24, deep cycle 12v battery seems to have given up the ghost. It appears to have boiled on the one side and after topping up with distilled water and charging, it doesn't hold a charge and it gets very hot. I'm assuming it's pooched. I'm guessing it needed to be topped up with distilled water before our last trip and it's my fault the level went too low and overheated.
So I'm looking at my options. We are not 12v power users as we usually have 120v plug-in electrical power when we camp. We do not boon dock nor do I see this as a regular thing in our future unless we happen to be travelling through and spending the night off-the-grid.
However, to use the TC's lights, water pump, and to ignite the fridge when rolling or parked, we still need reliable 12v power. My easy to access TC's vented battery compartment is comfortably 14" wide, 12" deep and approximately 12" tall.
I could simply replace the pooched Group 24 deep cycle battery, or upgrade one step to a Group 27 deep cycle battery. I'm also thinking about going to a single Group 31 deep cycle battery as I have the room. My other thoughts are to install two 6v deep cycle batteries hooked up in series that would give me even more power although as you can read from above, I don't really need the extra juice ... or do I?
I also could not find a separate disconnect for the TC's battery (my old Class C had one) so I'm thinking that would be a good thing to install while I'm at it?
What to do ... what to do? Your experience and opinions are welcome and appreciated.
So I'm looking at my options. We are not 12v power users as we usually have 120v plug-in electrical power when we camp. We do not boon dock nor do I see this as a regular thing in our future unless we happen to be travelling through and spending the night off-the-grid.
However, to use the TC's lights, water pump, and to ignite the fridge when rolling or parked, we still need reliable 12v power. My easy to access TC's vented battery compartment is comfortably 14" wide, 12" deep and approximately 12" tall.
I could simply replace the pooched Group 24 deep cycle battery, or upgrade one step to a Group 27 deep cycle battery. I'm also thinking about going to a single Group 31 deep cycle battery as I have the room. My other thoughts are to install two 6v deep cycle batteries hooked up in series that would give me even more power although as you can read from above, I don't really need the extra juice ... or do I?
I also could not find a separate disconnect for the TC's battery (my old Class C had one) so I'm thinking that would be a good thing to install while I'm at it?
What to do ... what to do? Your experience and opinions are welcome and appreciated.
