Community Forums

Les · 12-28-2005, 03:02 PM

I know this has been dicussed but I can't find exactly what I'm needing in the search part of this forum. What do I need to do in order to replace my 2 12 volt batteries with 2 6 volt batteries. I understand this is the best set-up. Is this correct? Thanks!

Les · 12-28-2005, 03:02 PM

I know this has been dicussed but I can't find exactly what I'm needing in the search part of this forum. What do I need to do in order to replace my 2 12 volt batteries with 2 6 volt batteries. I understand this is the best set-up. Is this correct? Thanks!

FiverBob · 12-28-2005, 03:58 PM

Just make sure they are true deep cycle like the golf cart batteries. They are much better than the typical Marine/RV batteries they call deep cycle.

The 6v ones must be hooked up in series. Hook the negative of one to the positive of the other, then hook up the combination as if it were one 12v battery - - the positive (hot) wire goes to the unused positive of the one battery and the ground wire to the unused pole negative of the other battery.

Randy the sly old fox · 12-28-2005, 10:16 PM

While some people say that 2 6V in series are better than 2 12v in parallel. Batteries designed to either provide a constant current over a long time period (aka Deep Cycle or amp-hr rated) or lots of current over a short time (aka CCA rated).In reality what matters is how the plates are constructed. A CCA battery has lots of thin plates that go from top to bottom of the case - it needs to deliver lots of current quickly to start the car. A deep cycle battery has thicker plates that are shorter in the case. The thicker plates have more material on them allowing them to give current over a longer time period. So unless there is a huge difference in overall plate surface area or thickness it should not matter which way you go.

PhilG · 12-29-2005, 10:45 PM

I also switched last month from 12V to (2) 6V batteries. I got my golf cart batteries from Sams Club, which I found to be the best bang for your buck (about $48.00 each). Here's a couple of good links about batteries & how to hook 'em up:

phrannie.org/battery

or

Batteries

I found this to be very helpful in maintenance of your batteries: Pro - Fill

Cheers!

FiverBob · 01-01-2006, 11:05 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Randy the sly old fox:
unless there is a huge difference in overall plate surface area or thickness it should not matter which way you go. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Randy, please forgive me for questioning your statement, but it really DOES matter which way you go. Advantages of the true deep cycle (as compared to the Marine/RV battery) in the RV usage are huge. To list just a few: 1) it allows much deeper discharge without hurting the battery, 2) allows many more times of discharge/recharge cycles without damage to the battery, 3) higher amp hour rating for the similar sized battery. In the normal usage in an RV of long time periods of low current drain, the deep cycle is much more suited for the job. From personal usage and what I have read, the typical life span of the 12v marine battery will be 2 to 3 years versus 5 to 7 years for the true deep cycle.
Bob

Jeff Giannina · 01-01-2006, 01:18 PM

I have 2 Trojan T105's 6 Volt batteries and they work great! Your Amp per hour rating is much better with the 6 volts. The batteries are taller than the standard 12 volt deep cycles, so the lid on your current battery box will not fit exactly, but it's pretty close... If anyone knows where to find some inexpensive 6 volt boxes, please let me know.

Randy the sly old fox · 01-01-2006, 09:10 PM

I was comparing deep cycle to auto batteries. All deep cycle batteries are constructed in a similar manor so as to get fewer amps over a longer time. The plates are thicker and shorter, or as you mentioned the boxes are taller. This allows more material to fall off the plates and fall into the bottom without shorting out the cell. This is what makes them able to be deep cycled.

The point I was trying to make is that in theory, 2 12V in parallel should not be any different than 2 6V in series - given that the total plate surface areas are similar.

Ken Lenger · 01-02-2006, 04:09 AM

One of the advantages of dual 6v batteries vs dual 12v batteries is that parallel batteries can affect each other if not perfectly balanced. A single pair of 6v batteries prevents this problem. If a pair of 6v golf cart batteries are not sufficient for the task, then a pair of floor scrubber style batteries would make a good system. They are about twice the height of T-105's and have about twice the capacity, but are pretty big (and expensive) for an RV. While a pair of 6v batteries is preferred, dual 12v batteries will work fine.