12v vs 6v batteries

[FF_PM]

My 5r came with a single 12v battery. Does fine for now but I want to change out for as many amp hours as I can get. Which provides the longest power? 2 12v or 2 6v? Logic tells me that 2 12v batteries will have more plates, therefore more amp hours.... am I wrong?

[laknox]

I'd =still= like to know where I can find VENTED GC2 battery boxes...

Lyle

[gkainz]

ChuckSteed wrote:
You will never get much more than 3 to 4 years out of two 12 volt RV batteries ... not the AGM stuff, etc just regular RV 12 volt batteries.

Two six volt golf cart batteries are less expensive and with the much thicker plates will last much longer. No comparison.

Costco GC2 golf cart batteries around $88 a piece... only way to go

I know I should NOT say this, because it's just ASKING for imminent failure ... but here goes. My 2010 5th wheel is still going strong on the 4 12VDC Deep Cycle Interstate batteries I installed when we purchased it new in 2010.

Guaranteed I'll now be replacing batteries just because I bragged a little 🙂

[pianotuna]

If you don't boondock then there is no need to add more capacity.

[ChuckSteed]

You will never get much more than 3 to 4 years out of two 12 volt RV batteries ... not the AGM stuff, etc just regular RV 12 volt batteries.

Two six volt golf cart batteries are less expensive and with the much thicker plates will last much longer. No comparison.

Costco GC2 golf cart batteries around $88 a piece... only way to go

[Crabbypatty]

You should search the forums here as this is always discussed. 6 volt deep cycle were designed for heavy usage and deep discharges. This is why they are used on golf carts, fork lifts, large diesel trucks and boat motors etc. The plates and cells are bigger which is why they take longer to discharge vs 12 volts.

Real World: I bought two trojans T125's in 2004. Sold my TT in 2015 still going strong. bought two new t125's and they are on the new to us TT. We dry camp as much as wet camp. 2016 put 428 watts solar on and we dont even bring the generator with us anymore. The heavy duty batts plus solar = works for us. So its more $$ but divided by 10-12years = a good cost benefit not to mention peace of mind while out in the boonies.

happy trails

[garyemunson]

Also, adding a second 12 volt can be problematic. When 2 12 volts are not the same age, the new battery will always be discharging into the older one. As batteries get older they slowly produce less voltage which is why you really want 2 batteries the same age when using in parallel pairs.

[garyemunson]

Having just done this, the biggest problem I ran into was coming up with suitable hold downs for the 2 6 volt golf cart batteries (you will NEVER regret doing that upgrade!!). My previous 12 volt "deep cycle" (ha!) was a maintenance free with a flat top that was held down with a steel plate across the top. The 6 volts don't have a clear shot across with the caps and the terminals in the way. My battery tray had a lip at the front and the piece below runs across the rear edge of the batteries and you need to run threaded rod on each side at a 45 angle down to the tray. Don't buy the "j-rods' they sell, they are too short (they expect a bracket the golf carts have). In my case the lip keeps the batteries from moving forward, the hold down prevents rear motion, and the threaded rods prevent sideways motion. Actually a much better solution than the original 12 volt hold down. If the batteries are in a difficult place to see the tops, get a battery watering kit. So much easier!
http://www.buggiesunlimited.com/product.asp?sku=823&gclid=CjwKCAjwopTYBRAzEiwAnU4kb66YXeq5EHPG_UVyNXbtMnshLacK92tP-nbU32P8jipBeID6JVzVmhoChUAQAvD_BwE

[wantabe351]

What we did to help balance out having a good time camping not worrying about would we have enough power to run the lights or frig the next day or bring the slides in was..I installed 2-6v costco batteries as our primary batteries and kept the 12v that came with our camper as a back up battery..so in our battery compartment I use a battery selector switch so I can choose which battery bank to use 1 (6v-2)- 2 (12v-1) ...works great plus added a solar panel on the roof to keep my batteries always charged and ready for our trips....enjoy

[Ski_Pro_3]

6 volt batteries have plates that are much thicker than 12 volt batteries. The thicker plates are more rugged and hold up better to all sorts of abuse.

[Artum_Snowbird]

The cost benefit balance is a fine line. Usually a single battery will last two days in the summer, one in the winter. If you don't camp without power, you do not need a second battery at all. Most of us like to have two batteries, that will usually give you three to five days if you are not feeding power hungry children or other needs. It's really worth a lot to have a simple voltmeter on your batteries, and learn about how they discharge over the time you are using them. Helps a lot to know when to recharge, and when you don't need it at all.

[time2roll]

Cost effective is to just add a 12v in parallel with what you have.
When both are shot in 3 to 9 years then decide what to replace with.

[FF_PM]

No, I don't dry camp that much. I'm trying to find the cost/benefit balance. I can fit 2 batteries with only the mods needed to add the second. I'm looking for the most cost effective addition

[donn0128]

Golf cart batteries at the end of the day will give you more useable amps.
Unless your willing to spend big dollars you will not get a true 12 volt deep cycle battery. What you get for a hundred dollars at WalMart etc is a dual use battery. With golf cart batteries you get heavier plates for more deep discharges with less damage, which equals longer life. But to get the use your thinking about you will need 4 or maybe 6 golf cart batteries. Do you have that much room to spare?
Also, unless you do a LOT of dry camping, and have a means to recharge them do you really need that much power?
It might be more economical to to change to LEDs, and pracrice better power managment. Just saying.

[Lwiddis]

More plates does not equal more amps. The Trojan T1275 is a 12 volt battery with 150 amps. The Trojan T125 is a 6 volt battery with 240 amps and smaller. But two T1275s would store 300 amps in parallel while two T125s in series would have...240.