Community Forums

Roamin Mike · 05-09-2016, 08:03 PM

I'm about to purchase all new house batteries for my 2004 Tiffin Allegro Bus 38TGP. I'm planning on going with the Lifeline GPL-6CT. They are 6V batteries and I will be getting four of them and running them in pairs to get my 12V. Does anybody else have this set-up? If so, how many hours of average use do you get out of them before getting down to 50% and having to recharge? Yes, I know "average" is a relative term, but I'm just trying to get a ballbark idea of what I can expect.
Your time and input is appreciated!

ByeTheWay · 05-09-2016, 09:06 PM

I had 1 pair of GPL-6CT in a '99 34' Bounder with 600 watts of Solar (never tilted) and a 2000 watt pure sine inverter/converter. With a phantom load and 2-4 hours of TV, plus DVR, I seldom got below 70%. I used a Mangum monitor. During the summer months I ran the fridge on AC from about 10am - 3pm. I loved the batteries. Hope that helps.

Roamin Mike · 05-09-2016, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ByeTheWay

I had 1 pair of GPL-6CT in a '99 34' Bounder with 600 watts of Solar (never tilted) and a 2000 watt pure sine inverter/converter. With a phantom load and 2-4 hours of TV, plus DVR, I seldom got below 70%. I used a Mangum monitor. During the summer months I ran the fridge on AC from about 10am - 3pm. I loved the batteries. Hope that helps.

Thanks for the response. I'm new to the game... What's a phantom load??? And for clarification: you're saying 2-4 hours of TV and DVR ran your batteries down 30%? That's with nothing else running? Meaning no lights, no heat/AC, etc.?
If you don't mind me asking, what do you have in your rig now?

rdrv831 · 05-09-2016, 10:50 PM

What batteries do you have now? How long did they last for you?

l1v3fr33ord1 · 05-10-2016, 04:51 AM

Roamin Mike-

Here's a link to a post I made on another thread that asks some questions you may want to answer for yourself. The key concepts are "energy audit" and "battery monitor."

Here are some other links you may find helpful:

The 12volt Side of Life (Part 1)
The 12volt Side of Life (Part 2)
Batteries

The Lifelines are high-quality batteries. I had them on our former coach (GPL-4CTs), and a Trimetric 2025 battery monitor to keep them healthy.

ByeTheWay · 05-10-2016, 06:45 AM

A Phantom load is all the little things that use power in the background. Like gauges, propane sensors, glow plug to light fridge, lights on front of fridge etc. On my system I had to be careful not to run too much. Of course you have to charge somehow, I have solar panels, which keeps me full during the day. I was referring to night use w/o solar on my earlier post. I do not have room for the taller GPL-6CTs now so I have the standard height AGMs currently. I have added stuff like a basement deep freeze running 24/7 so I have 6-6volt AGMs. And the solar.

I think you will be very happy with 4 GPL-6CTs, hook series/parallel.

Roamin Mike · 05-10-2016, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdrv831

What batteries do you have now? How long did they last for you?

The batteries I have now came with the rig when I bought it five months ago and they were basically dead. Unfortunately I have no basis of comparison.

ByeTheWay · 05-11-2016, 01:00 PM

I'm sure you will like the Lifeline GPL-6CT's. I wish I had the height. My battery compartment was designed for 4-batteries for the coach plus 2 for starting. I installed 6 6v hooked series/parallel for everything (coach & starting). This gives me an amp hour rating of 672ah.

myarmar · 05-15-2016, 09:43 PM

I have 4 Lifeline GPL-6CT batteries. In my experience from a few Walmart nights if I started with 100% in the evening, with residential refrigerator, some lights (LED), few cups of coffee from 1.2kW espresso machine, and no furnace, no or very short TV watching, it will go down to about 85% in the morning. If I used furnace it would discharge to about 75%. I have 2kW Magnum inverter with BMK.
Mike
2015 33.2 Thor Palazzo

Roamin Mike · 05-16-2016, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myarmar

I have 4 Lifeline GPL-6CT batteries. In my experience from a few Walmart nights if I started with 100% in the evening, with residential refrigerator, some lights (LED), few cups of coffee from 1.2kW espresso machine, and no furnace, no or very short TV watching, it will go down to about 85% in the morning. If I used furnace it would discharge to about 75%. I have 2kW Magnum inverter with BMK.
Mike
2015 33.2 Thor Palazzo

Thanks Mike! That's exactly the kind of info I was looking for. Sounds like good things are ahead. I bought my GPL-6CTs this week.

pcurt23 · 05-16-2016, 10:40 AM

I have been sitting in the parking lot for the day waiting for the DW. I have run the tv and Sat Antennae, used the electric toilet, the norcold is on electric, using the internet and charging a few phones and computers. Ran the genny for 15 minutes for lunch and so far battery power is good. I have the typical 4 6v batteries with 480 amp hours.
So with 480 amp hours you can use about 200 before recharging and with the fridge running that is about 8 hours. (maybe)