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Plug Ugly · 04-23-2025, 05:07 PM

Ive got an 05 sixpac. My 12volt group 31 battery died. Ive got a single renogy solar panel (100 watt), but I neglected to check water level in batt.

Anyhoo, I can run a single 12v with 105AH or dual 6 volts for 230AH and an additional 150 bucks or so.

Dont want lithium or fancy stuff as I really dont use this that much, and usually no longer than a few days. Loads are pretty small, no inverter, LED lights, no stereo. An old fridge that will suck power if I dont run gas.

Anyone have expereince with the two options? The 12v has worked fine, but a little more AH would be nice. Just not sure the down sides.

MtCamper · 04-23-2025, 05:22 PM

IMHO in today's world there is no reason not to go with LiFePO4. Much lighter, never needs water added, just about twice the usable AH. I've become a fan of Redodo but there are several other brands in the $200 range.

craigd853 · 04-23-2025, 05:34 PM

Go with the two 6 volts and increase your usable amps. Also because of the way you use your rv you might want to look into AGM batteries this way you don't have to worry about adding water to your battery. Yes, they aren't as strong as your current battery because you can't drain them down as low but they are maintenance free and according to what you described might be best for you. Good luck

bigb56 · 04-23-2025, 05:42 PM

True 6 volt deep cycles will weigh 72 lbs each, cost more and take up more space, those are the downsides. If you have room and can take the added weight and cost you'll get lots more ah for sure. My 6 volts only lasted 4 years before one of them developed a shorted cell but for that 4 years I was never lacking for ah, and I don't have solar. So I went with a single 100ah Lifepo4 and shaved off over 100 lbs of dead weight but if you're not ready to switch, the two 6V will certainly get you some ah if you need them. On the other hand if it's just lights, water pump and gas fridge maybe you only need 100ah.

You said you don't use it much, investing in a lot of ah just to let them age out may not be the way to go.

SafariBen · 04-23-2025, 06:19 PM

Stick with 12V. If you need more, go with Li. 6v or AGM are nearly the same money as Li for no advantage, except maybe cold weather charging, and the slim risk of case cracking on the Li in sub zero temps.

Plug Ugly · 04-23-2025, 10:22 PM

I think I would have to change my solar charger to go to Lipo??? Adding to the cost.

Good point about letting two battteries sit and die versus one..

d23haynes57 · 04-23-2025, 11:19 PM

If your solar can peak near 14.4 volts or higher you are good with lithium. If you want cheap here you go,

https://www.amazon.com/CHITOLI-12V-1...5&sr=8-14&th=1

Stircrazy1 · 04-24-2025, 07:57 AM

so solar wise you have a trickle charger but like you stated if you don't check on the battery a few times you can wreck it. so it is realy up to you which you go with but here are the big differences.

single 12V, generally they are not true deep cycle batteries but better than a car battery. to make it last you have to do regular maintanence, Ie. check the water leves a few times a year, and not drain them to much. say about 50% of capacity so a 100Ah battery would give you about 50AH to use if you want it to last.

two 6V batteries. the 6V GC2 is a much more robust construction and a true deep cycle meaning they can handle a greater depth of discharge, but to get the best life out of them you still want to stay around that 50% use mark. the biggest difference is capacity and recovery. due to the more robust construction they recover faster after a heavy load, and seeing that they are around that 200 to 220Ah range that gives you double the AH to use than you would get from the 12V battery. you still need to do regular water checks.

now I know you said you didn't need lithium but as a option you could buy a cheep one (under 200 bucks US) and have 100Ah to play with. they don't care if you run them to 0% as long as you don't leave them there for extended periods of time, 100% usage is built into their life rating. they are a sealed battery so you don't have to check the water, you just have to make sure your solar has a setting for Li. the big kickers for LiFePO4, size and weight. thoes 6V batteries will take up about 3 times the space and will weight 4 times more. so in the winter it is nothing to bring that LiFePO4 battery inside and stick it in a closet at about a 50% charge and forget about it untill next camping season.

if you do decide to go LiFePO4 I would check your solar controler to make sure it is compatable, and maybe buy a cheep stand alone charger you could use at home to top it off before a trip.

RKCRLR · 04-24-2025, 09:10 AM

I did the same thing as you once and let my converter boil off the water in my lead acid batteries. I've since replaced my lead acid batteries with LiFePO4 batteries.

LiFePO4 batteries don't need any maintenance and last longer, some have 10 year warranties. While it is true they need a higher charging voltage for full capacity they will do OK on standard chargers. They aren't like lead acid batteries that want to be kept fully charged for best life, in fact LiFePO4 batteries have the longest life at 50% charge. And they can be fully discharged without significantly shortening their life (assuming they have a built-in BMS which nearly all do). And they have a very low self discharge rate so they can go all winter without being on a charger as long as they don't have a drain. I've seen 12v 100AH LiFePO4 batteries for less than $150. However since they have a relatively flat voltage curve it is hard to tell their state of charge by voltage so it may be worth a little extra to get one with Bluetooth monitoring if you don't want to invest in fancy battery monitoring.

Plug Ugly · 04-24-2025, 10:03 AM

thank you all for the info.

I assumed the low budget Lipo batteries were crap and didnt want to spend the 1 grand or more for this little camper. You all have certainly given me some good info to consider, so thank you again.

my renogy adventurer 30 amp does do lipo, so if the redodo is good stuff, that is certainly within the budget
https://www.redodopower.com/products...ithium-battery

d23haynes57 · 04-24-2025, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plug Ugly

thank you all for the info.

I assumed the low budget Lipo batteries were crap and didnt want to spend the 1 grand or more for this little camper. You all have certainly given me some good info to consider, so thank you again.

For the 100 A/H, $159 special does it really matter if it does not last 5 years? Dinner and drinks for two! Enjoy the trip.

Plug Ugly · 04-24-2025, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by d23haynes57

For the 100 A/H, $159 special does it really matter if it does not last 5 years? Dinner and drinks for two! Enjoy the trip.

which 159 dollar special are you talking about?

d23haynes57 · 04-24-2025, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plug Ugly

which 159 dollar special are you talking about?

https://www.amazon.com/CHITOLI-12V-1...0DSW7W96L&th=1

bigb56 · 04-24-2025, 01:23 PM

I've been using a Time USB for about a year and a half with good success. A guy on the Sprinter forum recommended them, he uses several while overlanding in the Baja. I see they have gone up a little but still in the $160-$200 range. Nothing fancy like bluetooth, just a basic battery

edit: This is the one I have, it hasn't gone up, still $155 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BBZL5BPR..._title_13&th=1