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Old 10-02-2020, 11:44 AM   #1
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Class A Coach Batteries

Group,
I have a 1997 Vectra Grand Tour winnebago. I need to replace the 3 coach batteries. It currently has a 27 MDP, 575 CCA / 160 RC and two 31M type batteries, 1150 CCA / 205 RC.

It doesn’t seem right that one battery Is different then the other two. Does this seem correct?

How can I find what the right type batteries should be in my coach?

Patriotman
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Old 10-02-2020, 11:54 AM   #2
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Your batteries should be of the same age, size and capacity. Mixing battery types and sizes isn't a good idea. 3 batteries means they have to be 12VDC, as you can't get 12v from 3 6v batteries. I'm not sure what type your rig took originally, maybe someone will chime in.
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Old 10-02-2020, 03:40 PM   #3
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MH have 2 different batty banks / systems that are separate and different (may be connected momentarily for emergency starting or under certain conditions for charging from different sources - charger and alternator)
Needs, specs and batty types are different for these 2 systems. Not sure which system(s) you are having difficulty with or need to replace. Automotive start batty used for starting and I am guessing you GP 27 provides that (usually referred to as chassis batty). The other 2 likely provide "house" needs - 12V lighting, furnace fan, entertainment, etc. The best battys for these are frequently 2 6V golf cart battys wired in series to provide 12V.

Starting battys are speced with CCA and deep cycle house battys speced with AmpHrs (usually the 20Hr rate)

If you are not familiar / adept w electrical you wight want to enlist help to sort out your needs before investing in new battys and ypto make sure they get connected properly.
Read through this for some worthwhile info.
https://marinehowto.com/wp-content/u...le-Battery.jpg
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Old 10-03-2020, 06:08 AM   #4
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It is possible the group 27 battery is for the chassis and the group 31's are for the house. If the batteries are all connected in parallel then they should be the same type.
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Old 10-03-2020, 07:32 AM   #5
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The chassis batteries are separate and to the rear of the motor home. Those 2 batteries are 27 series type and are new. Now I'm thinking that the 3 house batteries should all be the 31 series batteries. This makes sense... thank you for the input.
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Old 10-03-2020, 07:43 AM   #6
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….as stated, for house bats, 6-volt bats in series/parallel are more "appropriate" as they are a true deep-cycle design, at least for lead/acid bats, but your battery compartment may not allow for the conversion......so yes, all three 12vs house bats, in parallel, should be of the same design and size......
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Old 10-03-2020, 07:48 AM   #7
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For best results, your house batteries should be true deep cycle batteries. Any battery with Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) in its specs isn't a true deep cycle battery despite how it's advertised. At best, any battery with CCA specs is a dual purpose starting/deep cycle battery, often marketed as a "Marine" battery. True deep cycle batteries, including golf cart batteries are more robust and can handle deeper discharges than dual purpose batteries.
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Old 10-03-2020, 08:35 AM   #8
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Use what you got until they don't work for your purpose. There is no harm.

Every one in a while, remove the cables, let them set overnight and check the voltage of each. If they stay pretty equal, keep them.

When the time comes, if you have room for 4, 6 volt type, go that route. You will have longer lasting batteries with more capacity.

If not enough room for 4 batteries, replace the ones you have with 3, GP31 deep cycle batteries.
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Old 10-04-2020, 03:39 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Patriotman View Post
Group,
I have a 1997 Vectra Grand Tour winnebago. I need to replace the 3 coach batteries. It currently has a 27 MDP, 575 CCA / 160 RC and two 31M type batteries, 1150 CCA / 205 RC.

It doesn’t seem right that one battery Is different then the other two. Does this seem correct?

How can I find what the right type batteries should be in my coach?

Patriotman
My previous coach had this same style set up. The batteries were replaced by the dealer prior to picking it up. Seems they did strange things in the 90s.
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Old 10-04-2020, 07:13 AM   #10
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My previous coach had this same style set up. The batteries were replaced by the dealer prior to picking it up. Seems they did strange things in the 90s.
Your dealer may have done that back in the 90's but nobody who knew what they were doing did that. Even so, I am pretty certain that his batteries are not original, as that would make them 23 years old.
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Old 10-04-2020, 07:57 AM   #11
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Quote:
How can I find what the right type batteries should be in my coach?
There is no "right" except that deep cycle type batteries are preferred for the house batteries and you should buy enough amp-hour (AH) capacity to meet your needs. For example, if you always use shore power or generator, you don't need much AH and can maybe even get by with a single Group 27 battery. However, if you like to camp off-grid you may want 3 of the largest AH (e.g. Group 31) you can find.

By the way, 3 batteries is an unusual configuration. Not wrong as long as they are 12v batteries, but unusual as a factory configuration., 1, 2 or 4 is the common layout.


I agree with the "use what you got" advice. Mixed battery types is not optimal for combined battery life, but you already have them and it's not doing any harm. When they no longer provide the stored energy you want, replace all three with new batteries of the same size & type. The case size chosen (27, 31, etc) would depend on how many AH of stored power you want. A Group 31 is about 20% large in AH than a Group 27.
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Old 10-04-2020, 08:10 AM   #12
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Quote:
Any battery with Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) in its specs isn't a true deep cycle battery despite how it's advertised. At best, any battery with CCA specs is a dual purpose starting/deep cycle battery, often marketed as a "Marine" battery. True deep cycle batteries, including golf cart batteries are more robust and can handle deeper discharges than dual purpose batteries.

The folks at Trojan Battery apparently don't know that - they put CCA and AH and RC ratings on all their deep cycle batteries. Here's an example:
https://www.trojanbattery.com/pdf/da...ata_Sheets.pdf


It's true that a deep cycle will have a lower CCA rating than a starting battery of the same physical size, but the presence of a CCA rating in addition to AH does not make it a cranking battery only.
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Old 10-04-2020, 08:34 AM   #13
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Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer View Post
The folks at Trojan Battery apparently don't know that - they put CCA and AH and RC ratings on all their deep cycle batteries. Here's an example:
https://www.trojanbattery.com/pdf/da...ata_Sheets.pdf


It's true that a deep cycle will have a lower CCA rating than a starting battery of the same physical size, but the presence of a CCA rating in addition to AH does not make it a cranking battery only.
Careful with blanket batty statements. Many guidelines / statements made for FLA batty do not necessarily carry over to AGM. The Trojan spec sheet linked is for AGM -- and will not represent FLA performance

I havent checked with Trojan but East Penn has confirmed that there isn't the typical variation on FLA plate design differences between starting and deep cycle for their AGM battys.
They confirmed that an AGM GP31 and a AGM GC2 both have similar starting and deep cycle characteristics and is why the specs include CCA as well as AH values. If you compare 2 AGM 6V GC2 vs 2 AGM GP31 you will find they are fairly close in AH and CCA.
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Old 10-06-2020, 08:15 PM   #14
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Winnebago has been using 3 12 volt batteries as house batteries for many years. In most cases it is possible to replace those 3 batteries with 4 6 volt batteries. I've converted a few. Make sure and measure first, as it will be a snug fit.

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