12v vs 6v

[TBammer]

Recently bought our first travel trailer, and it has been quite the education, including understanding the dual electrical system. One thing I am thinking about doing is adding a 2d battery. I have a 12V of uncertain age (appears to be no more than 3-4 years old) and want to add a second battery for added off line power. Should I just add a second 12V or go for 2 new 6V gold cart batteries?

2013 Sierra 1500
2009 Jay Feather 242M

[Admin]

Double posted
See other thread running

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[jimh406]

I'm sure there are probably 6v vs 12v threads throughout rv.net, but my reasoning is that one 12V will always work. Not so much with only one 6V. Of course, there are those that say that 6V are more durable. You have to compare the amp hour ratings to see if the benefits are worth the potential issues.

One more thing, your thread seems to have made it in the truck camper forum, so you might consider more batteries or bigger batteries as well if you have room.

[markchengr]

It is usually a bad idea to use 2 batteries of different ages together. They will not accept charges equally. 2 six volt golf cart batteries in series will generally give you more ampere hours than 2 average sized twelve volt batteries. Also, golf cart batteries are true deep cycle while very few twelve volt batteries are. Check battery dimensions and the amount of space you have. Six Volt batteries are a bit taller but, in general, have a smaller footprint. Hope this helps. -Mark.