On line source for Lifeline batteries?

S Davis wrote:
I am trying to decide on either two 8Ds or two 4Ds, if I do the 4D I would have room to add two more at a later date.

EDIT--you can't run a 125 amp charger from a 2200w generator. More like a 75 amp charger (which maxes out my 2200w gen at its rated 1700VA) You could run a 125 amp charger with a Honda 3000w gen (2800VA) I was able to run 130a of non-PF corrected chargers or 160 amps of 100 PF and 60 non PF combo with that.

I have one 250AH 8D AGM plus two 100AH AGM 27s. I bank them as a 450Ah bank, but have to recharge them as a 250 plus a 200 to meet the 20% charging rate required in Bulk. ( I have a 75 amp charger. 20% of 450 is 90 amps )

The 250 needs 50 amps but a 200Ah 4D would need 40 amps. So it depends on the available charger, if you can do that or not. The physical aspects with big batteries like 4D or 8D "depends" on you and your rig.

Mex is confusing above there, but at the 20% charging rate, the AGM will reach absorption voltage at about 75% SOC, then amps will taper.

So if you only draw down to 75% you can't do the 20% rate--the battery won't accept that many amps. You have to draw down below that to get any Bulk stage.

Solar shallow cycling is therefore murder on AGMs unless you deliberately do a deep cycle every so often, and a full 20% Bulk and stay at Vabs all the way till amps taper to 0.5/100AH. Need to be on shore power for a couple days to do that. Impossible on solar while camping.