DO I need REALLY GOOD house batteries if i NEVER boondock ?

[hertfordnc]

I am advising a friend who lives in his Mid 90's HR.

He's on a very tight budget and needs to replace the batteries.

He is always connected to shore power and occasionally runs the generator.

He thinks he needs to buy $500 worth of AGM golf cart batteries.

I'm thinking one cheap, marine deep cycle would be perfectly adequate. THe only issue would be longevity but in a typical year the battery may never go through a discharge cycle.

Is my logic sound?

[rlw999]

One factor to think about is whether or not he ever wants to run the furnace without shorepower or running the generator.

While I don't boondock much, I've been in a few situations where I wanted some heat but didn't want to run the generator, I've got around 5 or 6 hours of safe furnace fan runtime in the batteries (continuous runtime), which should last at least for a typical night of intermittent generator use.

Though unless he has a high powered furnace fan, that wouldn't need $500 worth of batteries.

If he never needs to run the furnace, then a very small battery would be enough to run the lights when temporarily parked would be fine.

[Lwiddis]

"Is my logic sound?"

Yes.

[CA_Traveler]

BTW A Marine deep cycle battery is a compromised starting battery and not a deep cycle battery inspite of the label.

[CA_Traveler]

The battery only needs to be good enough to start the gen. He could use a flooded battery with it's maintenance and shorter life normally but I'd recommend a AGM either 12V or 2x 6V which is more expensive but no maintenance.

[bgum]

U R correct.

[dalenoel]

If you don't boondock, we never do, is to have the charge in the house batteries to start the generator. Without the batteries being good enough the Onan will not start and stay running. Happened to me two years ago.

[Blackdiamond]

You are correct, just 1 12v deep cycle should last years