One year old battery, but I am concerned...

[Keen Family]

Originally Posted by scottandanna

What benefit does 2 6-volt batteries have over a single 12-volt? Just more lead, more acid, and longer access to power without having to have a HUGE single 12-volt battery?

I EASILY have room for 2 batteries. If that is the better way to go.

Two six volt golf cart batteries will have a lot more reserve amp hours than a single 12 volt deep cycle. ie. you can run more for longer....

[scottandanna]

Originally Posted by pasdad1

Was the voltage measurement taken while the charger was still charging? Or several hours after being disconnected?

Either way, that battery is NOT charged! While connected to the charger you should read at LEAST 13.4 volts

If it was left to "rest" for several hours after the charger was disconnected it should read 12.6 volts if it was fully charged.

Attachment 125528

I disconnected the charger. it was on "maintain" mode. That is when it read 12.3

I now have it out of the trailer and in the garage, and I will test it in the morning and see if it still has anywhere near 12v on it.

Regardless, getting a new deep cycle for the trailer. This one is not going back in.

[nothermark]

FWIW battery capacity is a function of volume. The more volume the more capacity for the same type of battery. Certain sizes of 6 V never go out of production because they have a large customer base in golf carts, fork lifts and similar uses. IF they fit and are not too heavy they can be a better cost deal. That set up the idea that two 6 V are better than two 12 V. It really comes down to what is available and what kind of deal you can get when picking new batteries.

As far as the occasional boon docker goes a lot of us are happy if we can make it through a cold night and start the generator in the morning. That gives us more capacity in warm weather and the ability to overnight. If you have a generator it is the cheapest way to deal with more power needs than that. Keep that in the equation when planning on more batteries. ;-)

[FaithBowls]

Truly you can fight with your batteries the rest of your life. A generator is the solution. Or go solar but you'll be replacing parts and batteries before you finish paying for the system. In any case your battery is a starting battery made for lots of power for a moment but not sustained use. Deep cell will give you more life but you still have to charge them every day or two. So how much battery do you need and how often will you charge them? It's worth figuring out so you know your true power needs. I think of batteries as a mid point, not as a power source. I have 3 batteries for 225 amp hours and a 2,000 watt inverter. It's not enough to run everything - they're just for the thermostat, led lights, water pump, fridge computer... Generator or shore power deliver the high amps for TV, water heater, slides, etc. The batteries are not my main power source. If I wanted to use them to power everything, I'd need more batteries, another inverter and a charging source like solar. Solution? Honda generator! It charges the batteries and also provides power to run the microwave and everything else.

[scottandanna]

I can get a 115 Ah 12v battery locally for $110. Would i be ok with one or even two of these? Price is right and i can get them and install them this afternoon

[pasdad1]

Originally Posted by scottandanna

I can get a 115 Ah 12v battery locally for $110. Would i be ok with one or even two of these? Price is right and i can get them and install them this afternoon

Sure why not? Seems your only choice unless you want to spend more money, or drive a distance to another distributor.

[scottandanna]

Well, here is what I ended up with. Maybe not the best, but it HAS to be better than what I had...

Two deep cycle batteries, not dual purpose. Two new battery boxes, because these are much larger than the one I am getting rid of. Two cables to tie them together, and they are on the battery tender charger right now just to top them off before I install them onto the trailer.

These are $109 each, 115Ah, so I am hoping that I am essentially setting up a 230Ah system by tying these together.

I just want to be able to run the fridge for at least three days without being hooked to shore power, with maybe running the water pump every now and then for showering, flushing, and cooking.

[Scottybdivin]

Sounds like a good match between cost and function. i hope it works out well for you. Please let us know the results.

[nothermark]

It sounds good. What I would do is driveway camp and measure the battery voltage every hour at the same minute for 8 hours or so. If you graph the result over time it will let you extend the curve and estimate how long the battery bank should last. You really want to stay above the 30 - 50% range of residual charge. My guess is that it will take a generator to do 3 day reliably. Maybe not.

Exercises like this give folks a new perspective about how much power they use at home. ;-)

[YosemiteBobR]

If you are truly planning to do a lot of boon docking (dry camping), three days on 230AH with no charging in between? You won't make it. Don't forget you have other drains on the battery not just the inverter for the fridge, unless your fridge is gas? I don't remember reading what you have. But as I was saying you have the propane and smoke alarm, digital clocks in various items, lights that you will end up using during the night (think about LEDs) pumps, water and pumps, your dash board, your refrigerator will run harder the hotter it is. If you are going full time (I went back and ready your first post) you should get yourself a good battery monitor, you need one that reads directly off the battery through a shunt. I assume you have a generator, if not do you plan on solar? I think I'm a bit lost here, if you are going full time, it doesn't sound like your going to do a lot of boon docking. Went back and read some more, you do have a chance with gas fridge, you are really going to have to be frugal though.

[scottandanna]

I have a generator, but will not be traveling with it. We will be trying to have power at every stop, but in the next three months, I see that there is a chance that we might have to boondock, but we are not going to do it except in the case of an emergency (ie. we cannot find a vacant RV spot).

Currently, we have the first week spots reserved. And a 2-week stretch in July.

Otherwise, we aren't sure where we will, and how long we will stay in each area, until we get there and scope it all out a bit. Most places we will stay either 1 night, 3 nights, or maybe as much as a week, depending on how much there is to see within driving distance of each stop.

So, for this trip, if we have to go a full night on the batteries, I am sure we would be on the move the next day, and the batteries would recharge while we find our next stop. But, there is always the chance that the next stop might also be boondocked...unintentionally.

We should not ever have to go 24 hours without either shore power or power from the tow vehicle while we are underway. I hope...

[YosemiteBobR]

As you describe it, you should be OK. But remember the charge line from the vehicle to the trailer, is not going to carry enough to fully charge your trailer battery unless your running a long day. Given what you are doing, I really would be thinking on a good battery monitor which would tell you how much battery you have left for any given time. Sounds like your going to have an awesome time. So in retrospect why worry, if you run out of juice, you can still hook up and take off, or just enjoy the place like we all did when we were younger and had no batteries

[FaithBowls]

You run the risk of killing your batteries again. You need to be at high rpm to charge from truck and also takes a long time. Solar could supplement but a generator is better and cheaper. Think of your batteries as a backup rather than a power source. You need a lot of battery if you want them to be a true power source.

[scottandanna]

Did some research on here, and found, and purchased, this Bogart TM-2030-RV.