I'm trying to bring back to life an old 40ft class A with a Cummings diesel motor that's been sitting for 5+ years. Need batteries all around. What are the best batteries for for engine start, and for deep cycle, and where do folks usually get them if they're looking to save a few bucks?Hope I posted in the right place. Thanks!

For house batteries it depends a good bit on how you intend to use the motorhome. If you need something more than a token battery, often the most cost effective in terms of capacity and longevity for the money are pairs of 6V golf cart batteries. It pays to shop around for them a bit. Sam's Club and Costco in many places have them for around $90 apiece, but sometimes local golf cart shops may have better quality or higher capacity batteries for about the same price...and sometimes the golf cart shops are much more expensive.If your time camping will be generally spent hooked up to shore power or running the generator or on the road, you don't need much of a house battery. A single marine/RV battery is probably the least expensive. All it needs to do is keep things running while you run into a restaurant or hook up at the campground.

Walmart is always open and has decent batteries. There are everywhere if your traveling. Kind of hard to get a golf cart shop to open up on Sunday or at 5 am when your loaded and ready to head out. Please remember I am only right half the time.

Deka or Trojan would be two of my top choices, particularly for deep cycle batteries. Batteries are really only made by a handful of companies, probably around 5 in the country. They just re-brand them for everyone else.I agree with using 6v golf cart batteries for your house bank. 2 is a good start, 4 is better if you camp without hook ups much. As for starting, find out how many CCA Cummins recommends for that engine. Then get at least that many if not more in whatever battery will fit the space.Cummins does not have a "G" in it.

Bang for buck, a couple 6v golf cart from Costco.Starting,......what ever the diesel requires, and probably from the same place....or WM

for starting MY Cuminsi use AutoZone gold tops, (2) of them, gold tops have a 3yr free exhange, and 4yrs more of prorate, and plenty of cranking powerfor house, i have run various batteries over the years, and settled on 12 AGM telco/server batteries giving me the best life, Golf cart 6v pairs, work very well for most users

What are the best batteries and where to buy them?

allen8106
Explorer
Dec 30, 2016
For house batteries I recommend Crown.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Dec 30, 2016
Some situations make 12 volt preferably to 6 volt. Cell failure is NOT one of them--and in fact favors six volt jars.

2oldman wrote:
Somebody always has to bring up the 'battery going bad' argument with 6v. The chances of an otherwise healthy and not old battery going bad are remote. Basing a battery decision on that extremely unlikely event is not a good decision.
RJsfishin
Explorer
Dec 30, 2016
Quote:
(Indeed, a pair of 6V batteries is just a single 12V battery that happens to be in two sections that are less inconvenient to manipulate than a single equivalent battery would be.)
--------------------------------------
Would you please explain that statement ?
A 6v weighs about 65 lbs
An equivalent 12v weighs 130 lbs.
Please explain how that 130 lb battery is more convenient to manipulate.
dave17352
Explorer
Dec 30, 2016
Chris Bryant wrote:
Golf car dealerships will often have the best prices on the standard Trojan T105.

I found this to be true in Lincoln, Ne. Very good prices on the
Trojans.
Chris_Bryant
Explorer II
Dec 30, 2016
Golf car dealerships will often have the best prices on the standard Trojan T105.
2oldman
Explorer II
Dec 30, 2016
Somebody always has to bring up the 'battery going bad' argument with 6v. The chances of an otherwise healthy and not old battery going bad are remote. Basing a battery decision on that extremely unlikely event is not a good decision.
DrewE
Explorer II
Dec 30, 2016
Dusty R wrote:
I like Deka also.
I understand that they make batteries for NAPA.
Two six volt in series might be better, but if you are in the middle of nowhere and one six goes bad, you are up the creek. But if you have two 12 volts in parallel and one goes bad, just disconnect it. You will only have 1/2 battery power, but you are not dead in the water.

Dusty

If one battery in parallel goes out, it's not unheard of for it to damage the other one too. Golf cart batteries are quite robust and rarely die suddenly; they have thicker plates than dual-purpose 12V batteries that are commonly used for RVs.

But yes, if one dies, you are in trouble, just as you would be if you had a single 12V battery that went bad. (Indeed, a pair of 6V batteries is just a single 12V battery that happens to be in two sections that are less inconvenient to manipulate than a single equivalent battery would be.)

I prefer the golf cart batteries myself. Naturally, others are welcome to have different opinions and preferences.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Dec 30, 2016
Hi,

If price is no object then move to Carbon Foam batteries for the house. They can be discharged to 80% and do not require charging to 100% every cycle.
Dusty_R
Explorer
Dec 30, 2016
I like Deka also.
I understand that they make batteries for NAPA.
Two six volt in series might be better, but if you are in the middle of nowhere and one six goes bad, you are up the creek. But if you have two 12 volts in parallel and one goes bad, just disconnect it. You will only have 1/2 battery power, but you are not dead in the water.

Dusty
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Dec 29, 2016
Sam's is often cheaper than Costco and often has Golf Car batteries in stock.

I have DEKA in my RV.. By the time I paid for a Sam's membership,, They were about the same price... So far I'm pleased.

OH, Deka are made in the USA.