Battery question 4-6V or 2-12 Optima Blue Top 12V

[07Patriot]

I’ve been eating batteries up in my 07 Beaver Patriot.
We’ve changed inverters, Big Boy Isolator switch, batteries you name it the dealer and local shops have changed it.
Everything get power and charges the current bank.
Question is I’d love to put something heavy duty or the best I can get in this thing.
Optima Blue top have great reviews but are only 12V so I would parallel them with only 2 batteries.
Is this a good idea?

[twinboat]

Best deep cycle setup would be 6 volt, Golf Car batteries. They run around in electric cars day after day. If there was a better battery, a golf course would use them it in their 100s of golf carts.

Capacity and cycle life is what's needed in house battery banks. Dig past the glossy pages of the Blue Top batteries and compare specs. You'll see that they are no better then most other 12 volt hybrid batteries. Exide, Interstate, Wal-Mart, ......

Most 12 volt deep cycle batteried are a hybrid mix of a starting battery and a deep cycle battery. They will do both jobs, but not as well as one specificly for the job.

The most common ways of killing batteries is running them down to under 10 volts over and over or storing them in a discharged state.

If you can't avoid that, then lithium batteries may be the fix for you. They can be safely stored at a partial charge and have built in management systems that will shut them off before they are completely dead.

Mistreat the most expensive battery and they will fail.

[theoldwizard]

Originally Posted by twinboat

Best deep cycle setup would be 6 volt, Golf Car batteries. They run around in electric cars day after day. If there was a better battery, a golf course would use them it in their 100s of golf carts.
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Most 12 volt deep cycle batteries are a hybrid mix of a starting battery and a deep cycle battery. They will do both jobs, but not as well as one specifically for the job.

The most common ways of killing batteries is running them down to under 10 volts over and over or storing them in a discharged state.

EXCELLENT advice !

They do make 12V golf cart batteries, but they are a scarce as hen's teeth and expensive and only available at a golf cart dealer. You can get AGM 6V golf cart batteries, but they are more expensive than the flooded/"wet" cell batteries and would also have to be purchased at a golf cart dealer.

For 6V golf cart batteries will store more power than two 12V batteries.


If you are having problems with battery life, I suggest that you install a battery voltmeter and ammeter. The ammeter will require a shunt to be installed.

[153stars]

Used to run one true 12v deep cycle on TT . 3yrs tops last one was poor.
2 Sams premium gray golf carts 7yrs abused. Still not completely gone
Had car that ate old Champion batts Sams sold asked guy about. Optima batts he said same amount of returns as the rest ...just people more pissed they paid so much. Rugged yes.
When I was younger work gave me kinda tired 3 8D fire pump batts. I would take them home in Station wagon to charge. Wrestle them on off TT in and out of car.
Was no electric at our camping /fishing/shooting/archery/drinking club

[Mark_K5LXP]

Batteries don't just die, usually they're murdered. A careful review of your system is in order if you're wrecking a lot of batteries. Chargers need to be matched to the battery type and size, and battery size needs to be matched to your load requirements. Stray too far out of the range of either and you'll be buying a lot of batteries and getting unreliable results. Sounds like the places you've gone to are "parts changers" which really isn't addressing your problem. Do you have a battery monitor? That would be step one towards both ascertaining the system as well as measuring health as you go along.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

[07Patriot]

Originally Posted by Mark_K5LXP

Batteries don't just die, usually they're murdered. A careful review of your system is in order if you're wrecking a lot of batteries. Chargers need to be matched to the battery type and size, and battery size needs to be matched to your load requirements. Stray too far out of the range of either and you'll be buying a lot of batteries and getting unreliable results. Sounds like the places you've gone to are "parts changers" which really isn't addressing your problem. Do you have a battery monitor? That would be step one towards both ascertaining the system as well as measuring health as you go along.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

Hello Mark,
I only have the onboard magnum panel which shows current voltage, amps being drawn etc.
What battery monitor should I look for?

[07Patriot]

Originally Posted by theoldwizard

EXCELLENT advice !



They do make 12V golf cart batteries, but they are a scarce as hen's teeth and expensive and only available at a golf cart dealer. You can get AGM 6V golf cart batteries, but they are more expensive than the flooded/"wet" cell batteries and would also have to be purchased at a golf cart dealer.



For 6V golf cart batteries will store more power than two 12V batteries.





If you are having problems with battery life, I suggest that you install a battery voltmeter and ammeter. The ammeter will require a shunt to be installed.

Excellent advice! Thank you

[chuckbear]

first and foremost you need to determine why these batteries are getting killed. Until you figure this out, all you are doing is throwing money away on the next set you will kill. Chuck

[Gary RVRoamer]

Agree - first fix whatever is murdering your batteries. It's either the way your are using them or a faulty charging system.


RE: 6v vs Optima Blues. This is almost apples and oranges. First, 4 x 6v GC2 has a lot more amp-hours than 2 x Optima Blue 31's, roughly 420 AH vs 150 AH. Paralleling 4x Blues still gets you only about 300AH. Second, the 6v is flooded cell and the Optima an AGM, so there are differences in maintaining them.


You can get 12v flooded cell deep cycles, e.g. Trojan 27MX, and parallel 4 of them for 420AH. Same as 4x GC2 6v in capacity and same flooded cell design (needs maintenance of the water/electrolyte level).


Or you can get 6v AGMs for reduced maintenance, but compare those to 12v AGMs for capacity and cost. Both 6v and 12v AGMs are readily available from major battery manufacturers. Pricey, though.

[Smitty77]

Yep, review the full hookup and charger/inverter situation to determine the root cause of the battery chewing...!

Another few ideas on the house battery side include:
-Trojan T-1275 Deep Cycle 12V's
-Trojan T-125/T-145 Deep Cycle 6V's - if you have the head room for them
-Lifeline L16's Deep Cycle 6V's, if you have the headroom
-LifeBlue 150A or 200A Lithium Drop In's, if you have the space and the budget

Lots of ways to get 'The Best' once you determine what you fell 'The Best' is, to you!

Good luck, and hope it is a simple issue on the battery chewing!
Smitty

[vito.a]

I've also had longevity issues with the large 8D 12v batteries when used as house batteries. They just do not hold up well when constantly discharged and charged. Even a set of very expensive Lifeline 8D 12v batteries died after a couple years.

I switched to Trojan T-105 6v golf cart batteries and have gotten almost 10 years out of a set. You will need to purchase or make the small jumper wires from battery - to battery + to make them a 12v pair.

Some of the guys are purchasing less expensive GC2 6v golf cart batteries at big box stores and reporting great results.

The only negative is these are flooded batteries and require periodic cleaning a topping off with distilled water. You can buy a watering cap kit that makes this easier.

[07Patriot]

Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer

Agree - first fix whatever is murdering your batteries. It's either the way your are using them or a faulty charging system.


RE: 6v vs Optima Blues. This is almost apples and oranges. First, 4 x 6v GC2 has a lot more amp-hours than 2 x Optima Blue 31's, roughly 420 AH vs 150 AH. Paralleling 4x Blues still gets you only about 300AH. Second, the 6v is flooded cell and the Optima an AGM, so there are differences in maintaining them.


You can get 12v flooded cell deep cycles, e.g. Trojan 27MX, and parallel 4 of them for 420AH. Same as 4x GC2 6v in capacity and same flooded cell design (needs maintenance of the water/electrolyte level).


Or you can get 6v AGMs for reduced maintenance, but compare those to 12v AGMs for capacity and cost. Both 6v and 12v AGMs are readily available from major battery manufacturers. Pricey, though.

At the risk of sounding silly, I can parallel f4 12V batteries instead of only 2?

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by 07Patriot

At the risk of sounding silly, I can parallel f4 12V batteries instead of only 2?

Sure you can. Your still not going to get the performance of 4, 6 volt golf car batteries in series/parallel.

[07Patriot]

Originally Posted by Smitty77

Yep, review the full hookup and charger/inverter situation to determine the root cause of the battery chewing...!

Another few ideas on the house battery side include:
-Trojan T-1275 Deep Cycle 12V's
-Trojan T-125/T-145 Deep Cycle 6V's - if you have the head room for them
-Lifeline L16's Deep Cycle 6V's, if you have the headroom
-LifeBlue 150A or 200A Lithium Drop In's, if you have the space and the budget

Lots of ways to get 'The Best' once you determine what you fell 'The Best' is, to you!

Good luck, and hope it is a simple issue on the battery chewing!
Smitty

I think the flooded 6V’s have been discharged a few times to the point of no redemption.
Multiple issues caused this which I believe is all fixed.
I guess I need a shop to test and advise on this.
It appears that the batters can’t handle the draw the coach has.