DP Chassis Battery(s) - How long do they last?

[John Jones]

I have 2 interstate 8D's that have been going strong for 6 years.

[cbeierl]

Originally Posted by cbeierl

2 group 31 Sealed Lead/Acid
OEM Freightliner Alliance
Still going strong starting 11th year...

Having posted the above I've now just had to replace the original chassis batteries at 11.5 years. Since they stood up so well I replaced them with 2 new Freightliner Alliance batteries:

EPM-AE1231MF 1125CCA-STUD GRP31 (List $167.88) Price $114.65ea

from my local Freightliner dealer.

[Smitty77]

Originally Posted by cbeierl

Having posted the above I've now just had to replace the original chassis batteries at 11.5 years. Since they stood up so well I replaced them with 2 new Freightliner Alliance batteries:

EPM-AE1231MF 1125CCA-STUD GRP31 (List $167.88) Price $114.65ea

from my local Freightliner dealer.

11.5 years sure sounds good to me, so understand your logic in going with what worked so well!

By the way, the gent that asked me about this has read the link I sent him. (Will send him and update.) And via emails with him, he is now beginning to read this board, and two others. Made me chuckle, as he said everyone seems to love their rigs, and some very strong opinions on which tires are great, and which not so great - and for sure what is great to one, is cr_p to another...

I responded that he should have been around during the Dino vs Synthetic years of 100 threads per month!

Best to you, and all,
Smitty

[Dr4Film]

Originally Posted by cbeierl

Having posted the above I've now just had to replace the original chassis batteries at 11.5 years. Since they stood up so well I replaced them with 2 new Freightliner Alliance batteries:

EPM-AE1231MF 1125CCA-STUD GRP31 (List $167.88) Price $114.65ea

from my local Freightliner dealer.

I took that same philosophy with my set of House batteries but the second set wasn't built as well as the first. Personally it's a crap-shoot as to how well a battery will perform. Plus there are less than a handful of battery manufacturers in the US who make ALL of the batteries sold across the country.

Car and Deep Cycle Battery FAQ 2016

Then click on the "Lead-Acid Battery Manufacturers and Brand Names List 2016" Link.

Some of this is a repeat of a previous posting.

I had one set of Interstates (original) that lasted until Jan 2008, almost 7 years. Two of the four started to bulge, require lots of water and off-gassing in August 2012. I replaced all four again with Sam's Club Golf Cart GC-2 Batteries that are still going strong with no adverse effects. We'll see how long this set of House batteries will last. I purchased them in the Fairbanks store where I was visiting with family for the summer.

My Interstate 8D Chassis Battery was 11 years old back in the same summer of 2012 and still going strong when I decided it was prudent to replace it before leaving Alaska as I did not want to get caught someplace in the wilderness on a lonely road with a failed battery. Sam's Club in Fairbanks had them for a very reasonable price and no sales tax. So I had them install a perfectly good working Chassis battery in September before heading back to the lower 48.

The Sam's Club batteries that I had purchased are Energizer's made by Delphi.

I've been very happy with all of these batteries and would not hesitate to purchase them again.

Dr4Film ----- Richard