Deep Cycle Battery

[K Man]

Any thoughts out there as to which is the best 6V deep cycle battery to buy?
Price [within reason] not really the object - looking more for quality.

[K Man]

Any thoughts out there as to which is the best 6V deep cycle battery to buy?
Price [within reason] not really the object - looking more for quality.

[Lug_Nut]

Though I've never had any, but from reading many posts on this and other similar sites, I would say Trojan. That is if you are talking about wet cells.
The Interstate 2200 (220 amps) have treated me well for a wet cell, and have stood up well. In my last coach they were like new performance when I replaced them after 3 years. My reason for changing them was purely a 3 year life that I put on them. The brand new delivered identical power cycles.

Peter

[Digital Boy]

Last winter I replaced my 4 coach batteries (9 year old Thermoil batteries) with 4 T105 Trojans. No problemo. I seem to remember paying around $110 each (in California).

This winter I'm working at a local RV dealership here in Florida. They stock Interstate batteries.

[RVDude]

Best is relative. There are "commercial" batteries and "retail" batteries. Commercial batteries like Trojan (wet) and LifeLine (AGM) (and other brands available at battery specific stores) will typically last 5++ years and maintain power cycles. Retail batteries (like you get at Sears, WalMart, Advance Auto, etc.) will typically last 3- years.

Here's where "best" is difficult. Over the course of say 6 years, you'll likely buy just the one set of commercial batteries. Over that same 6 years you'll likely buy 2 sets of retail. Now the kicker. The TOTAL cost for the 6 years may be very similar because the retail batteries are far cheaper and may even have a little warranty left on them when you trade them in.

So, if "best" is total cost of ownership then it might be a wash. If "best" means not having to replace as often then go commercial. If "best" means having the newest batteries in the coach then go retail.

[Spikester]

RVDude you hit the nail on the head.

After dealing Submarine wet cell (Lead-Acid) batteries, which is no more than high capacity 250 volt car battery, for 40+ years I have learned that all wet cell batteries are basically the same. Use a chemical process to produce electricity and to recharge. All wet cell batteries are constructed the same, use the same basic materials, yes some manufactures advertise gimmicks to supposedly make their battery better, but remember a wet cell battery produces electricity through exactly the same chemical reaction between the electrolyte and the solid materials in the plates. The electrolyte is a constant, water and sulfuric acid, the plate materials that are involved in the chemical reaction are the same the only difference is the "additives" used by the manufacture. This additives are akin to the "additives" added to gas and oil by the manufactures. The difference between "retail" and "commercial" batteries is the quality and amount of solid materials in the plates. The purity of the materials in the plates and its concentrations make a battery subject to more "cycles" (charges and discharges), of course we as consumers pay the price for higher quality materials and longer service. Best way to buy a battery is to compare ratings (discharge rates), number of cycles it is rated for (longevity), then costs within a particuliar class of battery. Of course the best buy is the longest discharge rate at a given current that you intend to operate your battery at, which is rated at the most "cycles" for the least amount of $$.

As RVDude correctly stated "best is relative", I would add: depending on your particular intended use.

Spike

[Jeff_in_The_Dalles]

When you take live cycles into account, it is hard to beat the T-105 in $$$ per amp hour stored.

I went with T-125's because they are higer amp hour (240 vs 225) and would fit in my battery box. Up from there the T145 is 260 amp hours.

Though the store brand 12v's that were in my trailer worked (until a cell failed) once I installed the T-125's I could run the furnace like twice as long before needing to recharge. I think that although they were working, they weren't delivering anywhere close to their rated capacity...

[Two Bit]

We have two trojan T-105's in the fiver. Been in there since 2003. Use a Battery-Minder charger / maintainer and only distilled water.

[K Man]

Thanks for all your comments, folks.
I was kind of leaning toward Trojans. I think I will try them when I get to Arizona in January.