Basic battery questions

[az350x]

The battery in my TT is officially dead. I'm contemplating replacing the 12v with a pair of 6 volt golf cart batteries. I've had Trojans before in another RV, but am shocked at the price of them these days.

Our typical camping is-
3-5 days at a time
Usually prefer full hookups when possible
We have an inverter, but when dry camping only use it for coffee, etc. no TV off of battery.

I'm thinking I don't really need the 6's, and after seeing the price of them, would probably prefer to apply the money I'll save staying with one 12v battery toward a small, portable QUIET generator for topping off the battery when needed, etc.

Thoughts?

[reed_cundiff]

If you are doing a lot of winter camping, then your best bet with solar is probably the solar panels you mount on stands and not mounted on the roof. You want to be able to get the best solar angle and snow will slough off or brushed off a lot easier.

Our panels are all mounted flat on the roof but we have enough panels for winter camping at any time of year in the SW (temperatures can get down to 10F)

Climbing on top of a TT or 5th wheel when it is covered with really slick snow to clear the panels can be really dangerous. Tried to do this two years ago with 10" and I started to slide off just sitting down. Extended the telescoping ladder and brushed the stuff off from the side.

We have only tied into line power once in the last two years and have not used our Honda 1 kW. Have to say the Champion 4kW we had up to five years ago was great.
Reed and Elaine

[AH64ID]

Fisherguy wrote:
I've only used golf cart batteries for over 20 years and I'l never go back to regular 12 volt deep cycles, but we dry camp 99% of the time, very seldom do we have shore power.
Hope to add 300 watts of solar power this summer once I figure it all out.

I keep going back and forth. Winter camping is when we need it the most and I am not sure it's a worthy investment for the season the camper sees the least amount of sun.

In the summer if it is moderate out we can go 3-5+ days on a 300AH bank which is plenty, and if it is too hot we run the gen for the A/C.

But there is always 1-2 trips a year with sunny days in the 60-70° range and nights in the 15-25° range where solar would be awesome...,those are the trips that make me want to add 100-200w.

[Fisherguy]

I've only used golf cart batteries for over 20 years and I'l never go back to regular 12 volt deep cycles, but we dry camp 99% of the time, very seldom do we have shore power.
Hope to add 300 watts of solar power this summer once I figure it all out.

[hondaCT90]

I made the move to a pair of 6v cart batteries 5 or 6 seasons ago...still working great.
we also have a honda eu2000 as we do a lot of off-grid camping in our 25ft TT.
I seldom put much of a load on batteries anyway...typically lights , water pump, heater blower in season or small rotary fans (cig lighter models) in summer...and we are seldom off grid for more than 3 days...on occassion, I'll run an inverter tapped off the fuse panel..it powers our flat panel 28" TV nicely if we're parking lot at a truck stop, walmart kinda thing for a bit.
but when we're out in the middle of nowhere i just crank the honda..which of course is charging the batteries too.

[SoundGuy]

majorgator wrote:
Skip the 6V batteries, they're not worth it. There's nothing wrong with them, but for the typical RV use (especially when you have full H/U most of the time), it's a bit of a waste.

Not a "bit of a waste" but a HUGE waste. :E We too camp mostly on electric sites but do at times dry camp a few days at a time, a few times a year, and have always managed just fine with a single G27 battery. I do now have an EU2000i with which I can re-charge so that does make the process easier but when I invest in new battery soon I'll be sticking with another 12 volt battery, this time a G31, and continue to use my 7 yr old G27 as a spare until the day it completely dies. As for that genset pictured earlier - yikes!, not in a campground! :E

[majorgator]

Skip the 6V batteries, they're not worth it. There's nothing wrong with them, but for the typical RV use (especially when you have full H/U most of the time), it's a bit of a waste. Go straight down to Wal-Mart and buy 2 marine deep cycles. Maintain them properly and they'll last you for years. I have 2 of them in my TT and 4 of them in my boat. Two of the boat batteries are 2011 and they get constant abuse from vibration, bouncing, discharging, etc. They're about the most affordable battery out there, and if by chance they do fail, you're likely to find a Wal-Mart near anywhere you are.

[Fisherguy]

Dakota98 wrote:
If it were me I'd buy the largest 12 volt deep cycle battery as the budget permits & this generator.


AMAZON - $200

Ya, but that thing and anyone within a quarter mile of where you're camped will just LOVE you!

[rbpru]

I would ask;
• How often was my current battery not enough for my needs?
• Am I planning on increasing my battery consumption enough to justify cost of an improved system?
• Do I really want to fuss with a generator or do I have enough stuff to maintain.

In my case, I have the standard issue battery that came with my TT. We rarely used it except for a couple of overnight camps with no hook-ups and once during a camp ground power failure. If careful we could squeak two or three days from it. We simply do not camp away from electrical power, enough to justify hauling anything bigger. Our camping without shore power usually involves a canoe and tents.

If you are planning or do a lot of off grid camping that is certainly another story.

[2oldman]

Dakota98 wrote:
...this generator.

Great suggestion, if that's the OP's definition of QUIET. Trolling?

[Dakota98]

If it were me I'd buy the largest 12 volt deep cycle battery as the budget permits & this generator.


AMAZON - $200

[AH64ID]

If you have a way to recharge it while dry camping and dry camping is the exception not the rule then a single 12 is plenty. If you cannot recharge it while dry camping I would go to Costco and get a pair of their 6V batteries.

[fitznj]

Been down the 2x6V or 12v route. Several years ago I bought 6V golf cart batteries - big mistake..... They were expensive and they only
lasted a couple of years. Now I buy 12V Marine batteries from from Walmart (~$90) each.

I use 2 12V batteries and have been using a Quiet generator to top them up. This year I bought a 150W Solar panel (with controller) and I tested it a couple of weekends ago.

I'm sold..... even during overcast days, the batteries were being topped up. I'm going for a 6 day "dry-camping" spell and will only take the Solar panel.

Gerry

[SoundGuy]

az350x wrote:
Thoughts?

Can't imagine why you'd want to bother with dual 6 volt batteries when you mostly camp on electric sites. I also can't imagine why you'd waste valuable battery reserve on something like making coffee with an electric coffee maker when there are so many other options available that don't require any electrical power at all AND so many other things you do want to keep running that are FAR more important, such as your gas fridge. If single battery reserve over the length of time you expect to camp without power is a concern then why not simply up the size of replacement battery you buy, as an example a Group 31 instead of whatever you had previously. As for a "quiet" genset none of them are really quiet, merely "quieter", and a quieter inverter model won't be inexpensive ... so start saving! 😉

[2oldman]

OK, then a single 12v is fine, provided no big loads. Coffee is out. If you're getting sticker shock over batteries, wait until you price a QUIET generator.