Mods/Upgrades to our 2003 Dynasty

[TRH299]

Originally Posted by BigLar368

Pretty sure you don't add water to AGM batteries but I have been wrong before.

No water ever gets added to agm batteries.

[geordi]

You absolutely CANNOT add water to AGM batteries - but they are JUST AS FRAGILE as flooded batteries. Over-discharging or overcharging can hurt them, about the only benefit is that they can take a higher charge rate.

[zmotorsports]

Originally Posted by BigLar368

All is good Mike. Hope it's the same for you and the family. I been working a bunch of extra jobs. Trying to save up to get some property out in the country and try living with a little more "space"....lol.

It seems like those lead acid batteries did not last long at all. They swole up pretty quick. Was just trying to keep one more of the "to do things" at bay. I noticed they were a bit less amp hours but we do not do much dry stuff. Just the occasional overnight when going from one place to another when the weather is cool enough. I also have a Blue Sea relay that ties all the batteries together then drops the chassis batteries out when they reach 65% so with the 31P start batteries we have plenty. I may just cheap out though and buy the cheaper lead acid batteries....lol.

I keep hearing about how short the life is on these wet cell lead acid batteries from fellow RV'ers but this is only my second set in the 15 years of ownership. The first set of Trojan's lasted 7 years that I installed when we first bought the coach in 2007 and this last set of Deka/East Penn 6 volt GC batteries lasted 8 years and I am almost certain I could have run them another season as they still tested good. I don't necessarily know if AGM's will go much longer and I don't have an issue adding a little water a couple times a year. Normally my batteries don't corrode but I let these get away from me that past several months. Last fall after I did a full LOF service on the coach and was putting her to bed I determined I would replace the house and chassis batteries and I kind of let them go which is when a little corrosion started on a couple of the terminals. I should have cleaned them and watered them one more time before parking last fall and I'm almost certain I wouldn't have had to replace cables.

Are there better battery choices out there? Maybe, it's debatable but "better" may be subjective. Do the wet cell lead acid batteries fulfill my needs at the best possible cost? Absolutely.

[TRH299]

Mike, I went back and forth before choosing the agm's. I have way too many hobbies and projects to spend my limited funds on. I just had enough of the nasty old worn out batteries that came with my project coach. I decided to splurge this one time. . No doubt wet cells are proven and they work fine. I just did not want to have to think about batteries with this coach which I knew would sit long periods of time with no use.

[pduggs]

Originally Posted by zmotorsports

I keep hearing about how short the life is on these wet cell lead acid batteries from fellow RV'ers but this is only my second set in the 15 years of ownership. The first set of Trojan's lasted 7 years that I installed when we first bought the coach in 2007 and this last set of Deka/East Penn 6 volt GC batteries lasted 8 years and I am almost certain I could have run them another season as they still tested good. I don't necessarily know if AGM's will go much longer and I don't have an issue adding a little water a couple times a year. Normally my batteries don't corrode but I let these get away from me that past several months. Last fall after I did a full LOF service on the coach and was putting her to bed I determined I would replace the house and chassis batteries and I kind of let them go which is when a little corrosion started on a couple of the terminals. I should have cleaned them and watered them one more time before parking last fall and I'm almost certain I wouldn't have had to replace cables.

Are there better battery choices out there? Maybe, it's debatable but "better" may be subjective. Do the wet cell lead acid batteries fulfill my needs at the best possible cost? Absolutely.

I agree Mike. When we first got our coach I thought we’d do a lot of boondocking, as we did back in the 80s with our TT. I considered buying better batteries, but glad I didn’t. I found out the DW has changed. She likes her full hookups.

The LA batts are cheap and function well. I add water a couple times a year and keep the terminals clean. I’ve yet to have any problems with acid build up or bulging. If they go bad, they’re cheap to replace.

[zmotorsports]

Originally Posted by TRH299

Mike, I went back and forth before choosing the agm's. I have way too many hobbies and projects to spend my limited funds on. I just had enough of the nasty old worn out batteries that came with my project coach. I decided to splurge this one time. . No doubt wet cells are proven and they work fine. I just did not want to have to think about batteries with this coach which I knew would sit long periods of time with no use.

I completely understand that Tim. That's why we have multiple choices, there's no once definitive answer for all. I do a lot of routine maintenance on our coach between trips, and in between working on side jobs, so checking the water is not a big deal and the wet cell lead acids have proven themselves so I figured no sense in reinventing the wheel on something so trivial. I completely understand your reasoning.

[153stars]

I'm not an idiot I know you don't add water to AMG batts for first that suggested that what I was saying .. not you THR299.
Poster decided to go with LA batts so I supported him. Adding some water is not huge deal. If my battery box was not wide open I might have went AMGs. I wanted to, but local sources weren't great either , golf cart suppliers wanted $35 core charge only accepted GC2s and wanted close to $200 for Trojans 105s $250 or more for AMGs. PO put pair of 8D "still good" starting batts in house tray as Monaco used 12v 8D deep cycles at the time " those are stupid expensive now". I would have been $140 short on cores ,so like $1000 for Trojans with tax even more for the AMGs. Sam's took some car batts and the pair of old starting batts as cores $400 with tax . I moved the 8Ds to chassis box, cranks like Honda 4cylinder.
Now I would DIY my own Lifepo4 with US warehouse eve cells... four 300Ah or build two with 200Ah cells. Next I want Vitron Multiplus 2 inverter just not clear which to get as controller hoping Bluetooth dongle will be upgraded to control more.

Originally Posted by TRH299

No water ever gets added to agm batteries.

[TRH299]

Originally Posted by 153stars

I'm not an idiot I know you don't add water to AMG batts for all those that jumped in. Poster decided to go with LA batts so I supported him.

I was just confirming to BigLar368 about the water... I was not calling you or anyone else an idiot.

[RamiDav]

Rest assured, no one thinks you are an idiot.

Sometimes we write something that sounds perfectly clear in our mind,
but is not so clear to others.

This statement left us wondering what you were saying.

Quote:

Besides forgetting to add some the water it's just easy to damage or shorten life of the AMG batteries.

Ray & Marilyn
03 Windsor

[96 Wideglide]

LOL!

Mike, I'll bet you never pictured your Mod / Upgrade thread turning into a massive AGM battery debate !

[zmotorsports]

Originally Posted by 96 Wideglide

LOL!

Mike, I'll bet you never pictured your Mod / Upgrade thread turning into a massive AGM battery debate !

Nope. I sure didn't.

[TRH299]

Sorry Mike.... this thread is one of my favorites. I have been inactive, but when I see your thread at the top of the page I always click on it. Did not mean to hijack it.

[RamiDav]

Originally Posted by TRH299

Sorry Mike.... this thread is one of my favorites. I have been inactive, but when I see your thread at the top of the page I always click on it. Did not mean to hijack it.

X2, I always look for zmotorsports, and so do many others.
A few posts back when it sort of went off the rails I noticed
down the page that 21 people were on this thread at that time.
That's a lot of people on at one time or so it seems to me.

Sometimes these threads take on a life of their own, and that's not always a good thing, but it is interesting at times.

Keep it coming Mike we enjoy it.
Tim, I really enjoyed your great project too.

Ray & Marilyn
03 Windsor

[BigLar368]

Originally Posted by zmotorsports

Nope. I sure didn't.

My apologies Mike. Never meant to offend anyone. I won't ever mention batteries again... Lol. Love the thread... Even the smallest things you post are interesting.