Good battery for Boondocking Palomino Puma 19RL

[Sandy5]

2011 Palomino Puma 19 RL
I'm a newbie and just learning.

Travel Trailer Did not come with a battery, and no information in the manual. It will be used for boondocking. All I do know for now is the Camper has 55 amp power supply converter.
I also bought a generator.
Can someone please explain specs I need to look for other than 12Volt and deep cycle. I could really use advice.

[BarneyS]

Just for you and others who might be interested, here is how to wire two batteries together to get 12 volts. 🙂
It was taken from an article called "The 12volt Side of Life" on Marxrv's webpage.



Our trailer had two Trojan T-105 batteries that lasted for over 10 years before needing replacement. I used the same battery box as was linked to earlier in this thread. We have a Progressive Dynamics 9160 converter with the Charge Wizard plugged into it and that combination gave us very reliable and long lasting power for all those years.
Barney

Trojan T-105 6 volt battery

[valhalla360]

ajriding wrote:
The problem with Marine battery is that it is neither made for starting or for RVs. It is made for a boat. To start the boat motor, go somewhere, turn off motor, then use electric trolling motor for some fishing, then start the motor again and return home. It neither is a good starting battery or a good RV battery, but a compromise, and really only good for a boat.

True deep cycle batts like a GC batt is much more robust and will last longer than a compromised starting/marine battery.

Actually, most "dual purpose" batteries are simply starting batteries with wing nut terminals to attach wires/cables to the battery. The internals aren't really any different.

This shows up in them being rated by MCA (Marine Cranking Amps) rather than CCA (Cold Cranking Amps). MCA is measured at 32F because it's rare for pleasure boats to be operated below freezing and at the higher temperature, the amps a battery can generate are higher. CCA is measured at 0F with corresponding lower amp ratings.

True 12v deep cycle batteries are rare specialty items. For most practical purposes, you are far better looking into a lithium system before searching these out.

6v golf cart batteries are a good option...but only once you've done an energy audit, so you have an idea of what your usage will be.

[ktmrfs]

wanderingaimlessly wrote:

Sandy5 wrote:
There is currently one battery box 11.5x8x8
And may I ask why marine or RV batteries are not as good?
A few replies stated:
"compromises like the RV/Marine batteries"
and "marine deep cycle are compromised batteries"
Are they not truly deep cycle?

True deep cycle batteries are designed for lower amp, slower drains. They handle being drawn down to lower points without damage, and generally last longer than the dual purpose batteries. An automotive battery because of the demand for high amp output (read that as engine starting) and do not do as well for low draw.
Since your tray will only hold a single, your basically limited to the RV/Marine units unless you spend considerably more. Take your measurements to verify, but I believe a group 27 is what will fit.

A single battery is NOT limted to a RV/marine battery. There are TRUE 12V deep discharge not combo deep discharge/starting batteries. Trojan makes some amongst others. They are more expensive than a RV/marine combo battery but will discharge deeper and have a better cycle life than the combo batteries.

Now, if you only plan on a few times/year boondocking, a combo RV/marine may be the best bang for the buck. If you plan on lots of boondocking and only have room for one battery then a true 12V deep discharge may be a better choice.

And if you can find room for two batteries AND your current draw is low (<20A or so peak) and you camp a reasonable number of days/year then a pair if GC2 batteries may be the best choice. Newer trailers with LED lights cut current draw and unless you plan on running a microwave off an inverter or watching lots of TV or running a coffee pot off an inverter GC2 (6v) batteries are an excellent choice. Every battery system is a tradeoff, A major tradeoff with GC2 batteries is they have a few large plates/cell for long life at deep discharge. But that is NOT a good recipe for high current draw, to much internal resistance.

And if you go with 6V next choice is which ones. Unless you plan on boondocking many weeks/year, IMHO the best bang for the buck are Costco/sams club or similar GC2 batteries. if you plan on month(s) of boondocking then the cost of trojan etc. may pay off. for us until Covid, we boondocked many weeks/year and Trojan GC2 have typically lasted us 10+ years. I have 2 trailers a 2004 and 2011, 2004 is on it's second set of Trojans, 2011 still has the orginals.

Next, for boondocking my advice is that if the charger in the trailer is a WFCO, toss it, Unless you are one of the 0.1% that are lucky it will NEVER give you more than about 15a of charging current and will never fully charge the batteries. replace it with a Progressive dynamics or similar drop in replacement that will actually do a proper charge with 50A and fully charge the batteries.

Almost every boondock outing we run across someone who asks how we only run the generator for an hour or two and make it through the day and night while they need to run it almost all day. Answer they have a WFCO charger. I pull out my clamp ameter and show them that NO they don't get 50A, only 10-15A barely enough to run what normally draws, let alone enough to charge the battery.

[Vintage465]

pianotuna wrote:
Sandy5,

If you plan on being a "rolling stone" then look into adding a dc to DC charger to the RV.

Solar is, in my opinion the nearest thing to a free lunch you are likely to find. It need not be terribly expensive, and the battery bank will love it.

To the author: This quote is my idea of a good boon docking time. Solar, no required generator use. The DC to DC is a real cool thing that I've not set up with yet, but it'd be nice to have for cloudy/rainy days. I really think that there are many levels of "good" with a discussion like this. Ultimate would lots of power tiliting panels and a big bank of lithiums. Less ultimate would be power tilting panels with a big bank of 6v flooded in series. Mine is non tilting panels with four 6v GC batteries in series. Works nearly perfect for me. The trick is, what ever level you go, make sure it is installed without short cuts. I have three 150w panels, gathered up in a combiner box then #4 welding cable all the way to the batteries where the controller is. So I don't have a lot of panel wattage, but I lose very little as it travels thru the #4 cable to the controller. Then even larger #2 conductor to the batteries. So I get the most out of what I have. If you try and ulitlize factory solar setup or factory solar wiring I can almost guarantee you won't get the most out of what you have. And I do currently keep a genny for emergencies, but after 6 years with this set up I've never needed it.....I have loaned it to other campers with "less than" solar set ups!

[pianotuna]

So long as there is no cold weather this would be an excellent battery for boondocking--provided there is sufficient room to install it:

https://shop.signaturesolar.us/products/12v-400ah-lifepo4-battery-by-eg4

[Vintage465]

Just my 2cents. Agreeing with the idea that the best bang for the buck is two 6v golf cart batteries. True 12v deep cycles are really hard to find. Anything that mentions "starting amps" isn't real deep cycle. Knowing you mentioned no solar, but if you plan on doing any type of long term or regular boondocking, solar is really the ticket. Many posters have different opinions on the value of solar, but I believe many people don't really have their solar sorted out correctly(though they think they do). Apart from all that, getting a small 2200/1700 suitcase size genny would charge you batteries up. I run 450w and four 6v Golfer's and never want for power. I think these are great batteries: https://www.batteriesplus.com/productdetails/sli6v210s

[pianotuna]

Sandy5 I've resent it. I was in a weak signal area--so it may not have been delivered.

[Sandy5]

pianotuna wrote:
Sandy5 I sent you a private message some time ago.

I'm sorry but I just checked my messages and I did not have any in the inbox. Not sure what happened.

[ajriding]

Two 6-volt golf cart batteries!
Easiest and cheapest.

You said no solar. That is the wrong answer. Reconsider. Unless you will drive from outlet to outlet and always be either plugged in or driving (alternator power) then solar will make life so much easier. Solar itself is really simple.

The problem with Marine battery is that it is neither made for starting or for RVs. It is made for a boat. To start the boat motor, go somewhere, turn off motor, then use electric trolling motor for some fishing, then start the motor again and return home. It neither is a good starting battery or a good RV battery, but a compromise, and really only good for a boat.

True deep cycle batts like a GC batt is much more robust and will last longer than a compromised starting/marine battery.

[pianotuna]

Sandy5 I sent you a private message some time ago.

[Sandy5]

Inside area was measured, it can fit bigger and have it narrowed down to a couple of batteries now

[BShivers]

2112 wrote:
Replace your box with something like THIS and use two 6V GC2 batteries.

Get a short cable like THIS to connect the two batteries together in series

I was going to tell the OP to measure the area where the current battery box is and maybe a larger one can be installed/mounted instead.

[Lwiddis]

I purchased the battery box 2112 offered. Works great and true to the size given.

[2112]

Replace your box with something like THIS and use two 6V GC2 batteries.

Get a short cable like THIS to connect the two batteries together in series