optima batteries...difference between yellow top and blue top

[Mr_D]

We have plain old 6 V wet cells (Interstate U-2200's, 232 AH each), they are the OEM batteries that were in the rig when we took delivery on June 26th, 2002. That makes them over 9 years old. They are still doing fine for our use. As long as I can get service like this I don't need anything more expensive.
I hope the next set of U-2200's I buy do as well!!

[Wolfpack Fan]

Just my 2 cents worth. Optima is a good battery no doubt. If cost was a concern and they were fitting my budget, I suppose I'd use them. My preference though would be a battery designed for true deep cycle use, such as a golf cart battery. The have less plates that are thicker and as a result are more suited to the enviroment of constant discharge and re-charge.

I had to replace our house batteries several months ago. Our little 33' gasser only has 2 so it wasn't to costly, compared to buying 4 of them for the bigger rigs. I did a lot of google research and talked to many members here and on another RV forum. That's how I decided to go with golf cart batteries. I ended up going to Batteries Plus for a couple of Rayovac brand golf cart batteries. I think it was around $300 for both of them. I reconditioned the old batteries with epsom salt and water and they're my back ups now.

[Dunner]

For my 5er, I used Sam's Club Golf Cart batteries. About $70 each. I wasn't impressed with the Trojans I had before. Plus the price of Trojans went up a lot. I think I have Interstate in my MH. They were only a couple months old when I got it.

[pacevette]

I have never heard of reconditioning batteries with the salt. How effective is it? I may just so that and keep them as back ups as well.

[Dunner]

I've got an 8 year Autolite, that is only 4 years old, with a shorted cell. Will Epson salt fix that?

[BigV]

I run optimas in my track car. They don't leak, can be mounted anywhere and don't need venting. Handles rough abuse really well.

What they DON'T handle is a deep discharge. I learned the hard way. Once you let them go dead they are toast.

I would certainly consider using one for the chassis battery but I would use the red top. It is designed for high CCA's. I would never use them for house batteries.

[wa8yxm]

Originally Posted by pacevette

I have never heard of reconditioning batteries with the salt. How effective is it? I may just so that and keep them as back ups as well.

The salt used is not table salt, It's a magnesium salt. (Magnesium Sulfate) it seems to help but the trial is still on going.

[IC2]

I have a 5 going on 6 year old Optima Red Top in my street rod. It has performed flawlessly but I also keep a Battery Tender Jr on it when I'm not driving the car (and this year with the wet weather, that's not much time behind the wheel) The 5er has two Interstates which will need to be replaced soon and probably with the big 6v golf cart batteries.

I like the Optima for the rod, but IMO, probably not a really good choice for a camping vehicle

[D&J]

We installed 2 Optima Blue Tops in our rig in 03 when it was new and they are still going strong after 8.5 years. They have been run completely dead a few times without any problems.

Denny

[Wolfpack Fan]

Yeah the deal with magnesium sulfate (epson salt) is that it dissolves the suflfate deposits that build up on the lead plates. When I changed my house batteries I gave it a try on one of the old ones and it seemed to work well. The battery has been sitting for a few months now without being charged and it still shows a full charge with a hygrometer. Voltage is close to 13. I'm not sure how it would do under a load and I don't want to purchase a load tester.

[Dunner]

Could it help a battery with a shorted cell and how much Epson Salt do I use?

[w6pea]

Originally Posted by cb5300

In my experience if it's got the word Optima on the battery then I've got the WRONG battery... I've had 3 of those "paper weights" and none lasted over 6 months. They were in one of my vettes and I learned that Optima battries (if ever it loses its charge) will NOT take a charge very well.

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

I will second that save that it is "per my research"

In another thread a poster actually contacted "the Optima battery folks" and was told that a Group 31 Optima had 75 amp hours.

If you get most any other battery, 75 amp hours is a Group 24.

Think of how much more that Optima costs than a traditional rectangular maintenance free and how little you are getting for that money (Roughly 60 percent the capacity) and you find that CB has it right,,,, If it says OPTIMA.. leave it where it belongs... On the shelf in the store.

They are good for "rough service" like 4-runners and wave runners and other vehicles that slam over ruts and waves and rocks and stuff... But if you drive your RV like that the battery will not be a problem.. It will be lying on the ground next to the other pieces of your house.

Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer

Johnson Controls is a major battery manufacturer now - they supply a lot of brand name batteries, so maybe your friend can get other brands as well. I'm pretty sure the Interstate 6v golf cart batteries come from Johnson Controls, for example.

But if you want an AGM, the Optima is an ok choice. I would choose Lifeline or Trojan ahead of them, but if the Optima price is really good...

I have to agree with cb5300......
I also have to agree with wa8yxm.....
Also agree with RVRoamer.....

In my coach I have Interstate 6v Golf Cart Battery's, I bought them because I needed to replace the two Trojan battery's under the step, both battery's had been boiled dry. And one had a bulge in it the other one was cracked. I would have replaced them with like battery's but I need the battery's now not 3 or 4 days later. (The repair facility had the Interstate in stock and would have had to order the Trojan's, the Friday before Memorial Day weekend.)
I have had these battery's since 2006. Beaudry RV struck again

As for Lifeline AGM Battery's I would buy the Trojan Brand before anything from Lifeline.

If I gave you my opinion of the Lifeline company I would probably get my post removed.

If We Can't Haul It....You Don't Need It! Motor-T

[daveshan]

One other thing that should be mentioned, in this day and age of reducing quality/changing manufacturing locations to keep from having to do price increases, prior quality is NO guarantee of current quality.

Optima USED to be top notch, all of the failures I've seen/heard about are newer batteries, say in the last 2 years or so. The folks who have been posting about the quality of their 6-9 year old Optimas are dead on, sadly their experience says nothing about what's being made today.

[w6pea]

Originally Posted by Mr_D

We have plain old 6 V wet cells (Interstate U-2200's, 232 AH each), they are the OEM batteries that were in the rig when we took delivery on June 26th, 2002. That makes them over 9 years old. They are still doing fine for our use. As long as I can get service like this I don't need anything more expensive.
I hope the next set of U-2200's I buy do as well!!

I forgot to mention that these are the battery's I have in my RV. I have 6 of them and 3 100w Solar panels and a 2.0 Prosine inverter.

If We Can't Haul It....You Don't Need It ! Motor-T