Community Forums

Muddypaws · 11-03-2012, 11:05 AM

If you tend to leave the lights on you're going to need more batteries, or LED Lights. I've found that eBay is the best source for cheap LED bulbs.

If you have an 'old style' TV with a CRT you're going to need even more batteries. LED backlit would be the best, followed by florescent backlighting. Plasma would be very bad. Maybe even worse than a CRT.

Not much you can do about the fan & heater.

If you look for true deep cycle batteries you'll undoubtedly find that the best places to get them are Costco, Sams Club, or WalMart. Best bang for the buck. I've been using nothing but Costco batteries since Costco opened. Made by Johnson Controls, as are most of Sears batteries.

If you can fit 4 6V batteries in you'd be better off than with 12V ones. It would still be cheaper than the three marine batteries you chose.

wa8yxm · 11-03-2012, 01:46 PM

Yes the best "Bang for buck" is GC-2 Golf Car batteries (These are six volt so you need pairs of them (Even numbers) with each pair wired in series to make one BIG!! 12 volt battery, roughly equal to an 8-D)

However they are also flooded wet cell type, and the O/P Was looking at AGM.. AGM is a Maintence free design, There are (in many cases) Very good reasons for wanting Maintence Free designs.

WoodGlue · 11-03-2012, 02:06 PM

Wow, a lot of advice to be absorbed.

Is there some sort of online guide for the types (model numbers) of bulbs to switch them out to be LED because this is something I'd like to do.

The TV is a little Jensen 24" LED!

I am not technically inclined other than computers, so all the talk of wattage, amps, etc is like Greek to me - I somehow managed to get my ham radio license a year ago, despite all my mental blundering LOL

I did find out this evening that CCA and MCA are basically the same thing (Cold Cranking vs Marine Cranking) with different terminology.

I probably should have looked before I lept in regards to the 12v - when the time comes to replace - that's the route I'll be going!

So much to learn !!! Thanks everyone!

WoodGlue · 11-03-2012, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed-Sommers

That Battery is listed at only 68 Amp Hours, very low for boondocking purposes. Three would get you to only around 200 Amp Hours, lower than only two REAL deep cycle golf cart style batteries like Trojans!

Ed

Hummm

AFChap · 11-03-2012, 03:03 PM

My group 29 Everstart batteries (from Walmart, made by Johnson Controls) are rated at 125ah ea. I have 3 as house batteries (the factory setup) and they are "marine, deep cycle", cost is apx $85 each. They work well, and typically last apx 5 years for us.

jauguston · 11-03-2012, 03:15 PM

The "Don't buy any battery that has a CCA rating " is BS. EVERY Trojan battery has a CCA rating.

Jim

clyon51 · 11-03-2012, 04:20 PM

Woodglue

It's not the end of the world if you use a marine battery. It just means you can't discharge them near as much or as many times as a true deep cycle. As long as you never let them get lower than 12v and don't leave them there very long, they are fine. Many people have them and they work well going from campground to campground. It's when you boondock and don't want to run your generator that often is when deep cycles shine.

You have a 100+ watt solar setup so that will really help. Hopefully you have heavy gauge wire and a good charge controller. I see you have an LED TV, also a big plus.

As far as LED lights, they take 90% less power on the average. To give you a bit to go on, I have two 6v CG batteries @ 235 AH rating. I converted all lights to LED. I have two 12v LED TVs, I have no inverter and don't need one. The wife uses a 12v CPAP every night for 8 hrs. We run the TVs around 5 hrs @ day. Run a 12v fan 6-8 hrs @ day as well as 2 laptops. We go at least 48 hrs before needing to charge the batteries.

As an example, your TV uses about 25 watts. If you use it 4 hours @ day, thats 100 watt hours which is 10 AH. If you only have a 100 AH battery, that means you could watch TV for 20 hrs. That of course means you were using nothing else. If you are thinking you could go 40 hrs you have to remember you can't discharge the battery below 50%. Again however, with the solar you'll do better.

clyon51 · 11-03-2012, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jauguston

The "Don't buy any battery that has a CCA rating " is BS. EVERY Trojan battery has a CCA rating.

Jim

Really? Just go here to Trojan's site and select any of their deep cycles batteries and find a CCA rating on any of them. That's not to to say some other mfgs may include one, but that's useless for a coach battery. AH is the only rating one should look at for a coach battery.

http://www.trojanbattery.com/Products/GolfCart.aspx

Muddypaws · 11-03-2012, 05:11 PM

The little buggers can be tricky. There are so many types of LEDs and mounting mechanisms.

Probably the most common type of 12V bulb is The 1156 type. It's a bayonet mount with a single contact on the bottom. These can be found on eBay for less than $2 each. The same is true of almost any other type of mount but you do need to know what you have before you order LED replacements.

They are usually either bright white (daylight) or cool white (tungsten). The light coloration is not quite perfect but you'll get used to it. Seems like all the new motorhomes have LED lighting and I have to say that the quality of the light has vastly improved in the last few years. I'm replacing them 6 bulbs at a time just to see how my co-pilot like them. She absolutely hated the ones I tried 5 years ago.

I used to manage 5 to 7 IT projects at a time before I retired, now I just barely manage to get up and make coffee before I get confused.

Tony Lee · 11-03-2012, 05:28 PM

Quote:

As an example, your TV uses about 25 watts. If you use it 4 hours @ day, thats 100 watt hours which is 10 AH. If you only have a 100 AH battery, that means you could watch TV for 20 hrs. That of course means you were using nothing else. If you are thinking you could go 40 hrs you have to remember you can't discharge the battery below 50%. Again however, with the solar you'll do better.

???

clyon51 · 11-03-2012, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony Lee

???

And your question is?

WoodGlue · 11-03-2012, 05:57 PM

Is 6 gauge wire fairly standard or are we talking about a larger gauge?

Muddy, thanks for taking the time to explain the differences in the bulbs to me! I'll definitely go with the warmer hues or tones! Maybe someday I'll retire from IT LOL

clyon51 · 11-03-2012, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WoodGlue

Is 6 gauge wire fairly standard or are we talking about a larger

The gauge of 12v wire (any wire really) depends on the amps that will run through it and the length it has to run. The link I gave you earlier explains all that.

Bowser · 11-03-2012, 06:16 PM

Hi. Not a bad idea, but you might consider also installing timers on your major appliances and remote controls, so as to be able to turn them off easily when not using them.