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Old 07-29-2013, 10:42 AM   #1
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House batteries

OK It is my turn to ask the question. What you guys liking for house batteries. Mine are not lasting even over night. I am going to take them to get load tested. They have been on a battery minder when not in use. I suspect they are going to need replacement. I understand the advantages of going 6V, but have decided to stick with two 12v batteries for now. I was thinking of going with interstate and a friend has suggested Powerstride battery here in San Jose. Your thoughts?

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Old 07-29-2013, 12:35 PM   #2
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Hi sCarycary,
You have asked a very "religious" question. Many views will be posted. The answer all depends on personal preference. Is the priority low price, low maintenance or long life or hours of operation, etc., etc..

I use Lifeline AGM technology batteries. I'll pay the premium price for no to low maintenance. No battery top crud and no adding water. They also last a long time.

The only advice I can provide is to purchase the largest battery that will fit into the battery location on the coach. When it comes to batteries, size matters.
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Old 07-29-2013, 04:11 PM   #3
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Excellent advice ^^^
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Old 07-29-2013, 06:15 PM   #4
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6 volt or 12 volt is irrelevant. It is about getting the most amp-hours in the space available. Just make sure the batteries are true deep cycle. Some 12 volt batteries labeled as "Marine deep cycle" are hybrids and not true deep cycle.
Of course cost may have somethign to do with what direction you take.
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Old 07-29-2013, 08:59 PM   #5
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I just bought four Lifeline AGM's from Powerstride battery.
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Old 07-30-2013, 06:11 AM   #6
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Good point by Selah on ensuring they are true deep cycle batteries. I had issues when we bought our new to us coach with the house batteries not lasting. When I looked at them the label said Marine Starting batteries
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Old 07-31-2013, 10:48 AM   #7
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Concur on installing as much AH Bank as will fit. Also agree the AGM vs Wet are personal and financial decisions that only you can make. Also don't forget about how high your cabinet space is. Trojan has the standard GC 6V T105's up to the T145's, all have the same foot print, but the T145's are higher and add more AH's to your capacity.

I had enough room to swap out two 8D AGM 12V Deka's, with 4 X Lifeline AGM L16's 6V. Provides 800AH bank. It was the tip given to me to 'think vertical as well as horizontal' on the battery compartment usage, that allowed this configuration.

If going wet cell, and access is a pita for checking/adding water, invest in the caps that allow you to add water via a hose and squeeze bulb. It really makes tough access wet cell life much easier. (We did this in our earlier Bounder, where we had just enough head room for Trojan T125's, but not enough for T145's. But were glad to get the AH bump the T125's provided over the T105's.)

Best of luck on your decision,
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Old 07-31-2013, 11:12 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sCarycary View Post
OK It is my turn to ask the question. What you guys liking for house batteries. Mine are not lasting even over night. I am going to take them to get load tested. They have been on a battery minder when not in use. I suspect they are going to need replacement. I understand the advantages of going 6V, but have decided to stick with two 12v batteries for now. I was thinking of going with interstate and a friend has suggested Powerstride battery here in San Jose. Your thoughts?

sCary
How old are your batteries?
I have read reports of as little as 4 years of battery life.

My coach as built by SMC had 2 Interstate 12V maintanance free chassis battteries and 4 12V interstate deep cycle batteries.
All 6 of those batteries lasted 11 years.... (the replacements are 6 years old).

My house batteries are nearly always being maintained by the 3 stage charger portion of my Freedom 20 inverter/charger because my coach is always plugged to shore power, (except when over nighting in a rest area/parking lot, and while traveling).

My chassis batteries are only charged by the alternator and a 5watt solar panel.

BTW, although I often check the electrolyte level in my house batteries, I only need to add distilled water twice a year.

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Old 07-31-2013, 11:29 AM   #9
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Costco

I've been using nothing but Costco (Kirkland) batteries for years. I've been quite happy with them. I believe they are still made by Johnson Controls Inc.

I bought 4 6v batteries at Costco for what 2 T-105's would have cost. Been using them for 2 1/2 years without problem. We typically go 4 to 5 days before needing to run the generator unless the heaters run all night.

The only difference I found was that the Kirkland 6v batteries have short posts and I had to find post extenders to get the cables up high enough that I could add water without removing cables. That will not be the case if you stick with 12volts.
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