Need new batteries. Any advice?

[Rycher]

New here, howdy ya'll.. got a new to me travel trailer, 26ft, and am need of new batteries. there are 2 in the front, looked to be wired together. It currently has 2 old interstate deep cycle batteries (see below). looks like they have fill caps on top for water. i know some stuff about batteries but only enough to be dangerous. what would i buy that would be equivalent to the existing? are these lead batteries.. are they considered agm? any advice is greatly appreciated.

[theoldwizard1]

Gdetrailer wrote:

Case in point.. Fitbit just announced yesterday a RECALL on their Fitbit ION device.. For guess what?

Yeah, LITHIUM BATTERY MALFUNCTION which has caused severe burns to end users..

"
Recall Date:
March 02, 2022

Hazard:

The lithium-ion battery in the Ionic smartwatch can overheat, posing a burn hazard.


Incidents/Injuries:

Fitbit has received at least 115 reports in the United States (and 59 reports internationally) of the battery in the watch overheating with 78 reports of burn injuries in the United States including two reports of third-degree burns and four reports of second-degree burns (and 40 reports of burn injuries internationally).
"

Your mixing apples with oranges !

There are multiple types of lithium batteries. The ones used in RVs are typically LiFePO4. These will NOT explode or catch fire even when short circuited or over charged. They will get hot.

[BFL13]

dodge guy wrote:
Since you need to buy batteries, I would go with 2 6V AGM golf cart batteries. They will last far longer than FLA and need virtually no maintenance!

I did not have much luck with AGMs, but I ran them hard. I even did all the good things like 20% amps/AH recharge and got them down to 0.05A/100AH as a religion, and still they died earlier than my wet 6s do being treated the same way.

I went back to wet 6s. Perhaps there is a line for which is better along the hard use vs easy use divide.

"They" are now promoting Lead Carbon batts for twice the money of AGMs which are AGMs doped with lead carbon to make them last longer. AGMs already being way more cost than Wets. So "They" are really after "Our" money any way they can. 😞

[dodge_guy]

Veebyes wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
Since you need to buy batteries, I would go with 2 6V AGM golf cart batteries. They will last far longer than FLA and need virtually no maintenance!

IMO the way to go if you are the camper who wants no stress over dry camping from time to time. The AGMs withstand a deeper discharge than the wet cells & have a useable life span far longer than the wet cell.

Doesn't really matter how you get those AHs. Rather than 2 6V AGMs requiring the potential weak link of the cable between them, we have use a single 4D case sized AGM providing about the same AHs as 2 6Vs.

It is one heavy brute but has served well. Our first one provided nine years of service. We are four years into our second.

Yep, my first one was in my Excursion, 9 years old when I sold the Ex and was still good. I too may just go with 3 true deep-cycle 12V AGM’s when the current wet cells are done. We don’t boondock, but I do sometimes stop for a few hours and would like not to worry about anything. And when we head out west I want to boondock in and around southern AZ, at that time I’ll also have 400W of solar.

[Veebyes]

dodge guy wrote:
Since you need to buy batteries, I would go with 2 6V AGM golf cart batteries. They will last far longer than FLA and need virtually no maintenance!

IMO the way to go if you are the camper who wants no stress over dry camping from time to time. The AGMs withstand a deeper discharge than the wet cells & have a useable life span far longer than the wet cell.

Doesn't really matter how you get those AHs. Rather than 2 6V AGMs requiring the potential weak link of the cable between them, we have use a single 4D case sized AGM providing about the same AHs as 2 6Vs.

It is one heavy brute but has served well. Our first one provided nine years of service. We are four years into our second.

[dodge_guy]

Since you need to buy batteries, I would go with 2 6V AGM golf cart batteries. They will last far longer than FLA and need virtually no maintenance!

[Gjac]

OP you got some good advice to your question, you just need to put it in perspective for what your situation is. If you are an average camper that likes to dry camp and don’t have a lot of electrical requirements 2 6 V GC batteries wired in series is your best option. I don’t watchTV or play on my computer when I camp so just lights, water pump, a small amount of 12 volts for refer and water heater is all I need. I dry camp for 7 days and batteries are down to 50% SOC without genset recharge. I don’t need solar, AGM, or Li batteries to camp. If you full time or like to stay inside and watch TV or have greater electrical requirements that is another story. If you learn how to maintain them they will easily last 10 years. I bought my Sams Club batteries in 2007 and they still last a week of dry camping. They are 15 years old and each year I expect to replace them but are still performing well. Now having said that Sams Club and Costco change who they buy batteries from so you have to check who they are buying from. I would also check Batteries Plus they sell Duracell’s and Crown in some localities. Until Li prices come way down they make no sense for my requirements, even if they lasted twice as long as my Sams Club batteries by then we will be all be talking about a newer and better battery technology.

[pianotuna]

Hi Burbman,

Give them a weeks charging. Then run them down, recharge, and then top charge.

[BurbMan]

FYI, my last 2 sets have been the Interstate GC2 from Costco and have always gotten 5-6 years from each set. Despite the negative reviews on the Costco site, I just picked up 4 more this weekend. They were $99 each here at the local warehouse, I couldn't justify the $149 pricetag on the Duracells at BatteriesPlus.

[pianotuna]

valhalla360 wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
Rycher,

One way to do an energy audit is to use a Kill-a-Watt meter. You do have to limit demand to 15 amps (1800 watts).

I did get a watt meter that can handle 100 amps @ 120 volts.

That's a good way to measure the AC loads but it generally won't cover the DC loads.

If you are trying to do this on shore power, the OP will have to operate as if he doesn't have shore power. If the OP cranks up the air/con, leaves all the lights on and runs the slow cooker for 5hours, it's going to take a massive battery bank.

It covers all loads if the meter is between the shore power cord and the pedestal. The limitation is 15 amps or 1800 watts.

[valhalla360]

pianotuna wrote:
Rycher,

One way to do an energy audit is to use a Kill-a-Watt meter. You do have to limit demand to 15 amps (1800 watts).

I did get a watt meter that can handle 100 amps @ 120 volts.

That's a good way to measure the AC loads but it generally won't cover the DC loads.

If you are trying to do this on shore power, the OP will have to operate as if he doesn't have shore power. If the OP cranks up the air/con, leaves all the lights on and runs the slow cooker for 5hours, it's going to take a massive battery bank.

[pianotuna]

Rycher,

One way to do an energy audit is to use a Kill-a-Watt meter. You do have to limit demand to 15 amps (1800 watts).

I did get a watt meter that can handle 100 amps @ 120 volts.

[Rycher]

Alot of great info on this thread. i do appreciate it.. next step is to do a power audit. i will read about that and go through the process.. im pretty set on getting this g2 batter by interstate. not sure what the extreme means compared to the other deep cycle golf cart battery.

https://www.interstatebatteries.com/products/gc2-ecl-utl

[StirCrazy]

BurbMan wrote:
Late Fall camping is tough...I had a pair of the Costco/Interstate GC2's on the TT and between audio/video and furnace all night the batteries would be hovering at 50% when I got the genset going the following evening, then 14.4v boost mode for the charge to get back to 90+% in the allotted 3 hrs of gen run time under park rules. The batteries were 5 years old when I sold the trailer, they would have needed replacing if I kept it.

I'm looking forward to the new set up with 4 of these batteries.

I am a little more lucky in that time of the year as I am usaly by myself as its to cold for the wife, so I take the truck camper instead of the 5th wheel and the only real draw I have is the furnace, lights, waterpump and a trace amount for the fridge. so on two GC batteries I can go 3 days with out the solar or be fully charged by noon each day if the sun is out.

Steve

[BurbMan]

Late Fall camping is tough...I had a pair of the Costco/Interstate GC2's on the TT and between audio/video and furnace all night the batteries would be hovering at 50% when I got the genset going the following evening, then 14.4v boost mode for the charge to get back to 90+% in the allotted 3 hrs of gen run time under park rules. The batteries were 5 years old when I sold the trailer, they would have needed replacing if I kept it.

I'm looking forward to the new set up with 4 of these batteries.