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Old 07-20-2014, 07:33 AM   #1
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Location: Virginia
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Dead Battery

Hello-
I have a GPL-4DL RV / Recreational Vehicle Battery in my 2006 SportsMobile. The battery won't hold a charge anymore.
1 - Is the average life of the GPL-4DL 8 years?
2 - I live in the Washington DC area. Does anyone know a lifeline dealer in this area? If not...
3 - If I decide to ship a battery from lifeline, does anyone know, or can recommend an RV service that I can have install it? I have been to one RV Services, and they have never seen a battery that is as big as a GPL-4DL RV and they had never heard of a SM.
That makes me wonder if they, or anyone here in Virginia could install one.
Thanks for the help!

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Old 07-20-2014, 08:52 AM   #2
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Re: Dead Battery

8 years is pretty darn good. Most high end batteries last 6 years or longer. Proper charging maintenance and discharging is key to battery longevity. AGM batteries usually slowly fade away meaning they won't hold as much of a charge as they age. You can always have it tested if you're not sure its dead.
You can purchase what you want but IMO the better batteries use higher quality lead and for the cost you'll end up with a battery that generally has a longer life. So for the most part you get what you pay for. With that said improper discharging and poor maintenance can kill an expensive high quality battery just as fast as a cheap one. The worst part about batteries is there is a huge mark up on the price so you might want to shop around. If you can find someone who can work or purchase from a dealer you might get a break in the price.
Before you purchase you want to make sure the batteries dimensions will fit the mount correctly especially the height and type of the lugs. Several batteries have the same (or similar) dimensions but the lugs might be too tall. If your van was built in Fresno chances are the battery is a Lifeline brand made by Concorde. Concorde also makes a battery called Sun Xtender which is the same as the Lifeline battery without the extended warranty. Those might be worth looking into but always check the size for correct clearance.
Rolls Surrette, Deka, Odyssey, Trojan and others make good batteries as well.

If you know somebody who owns a auto shop you might be able to find a better deal. Always check if there is an added fee for haz-mat shipping. Some Solar places might be able to put you on to a good deal if you ask. You also might check out Northern Arizona Wind & Sun to get an overall look at things. A golf course shop or a place that works on golf carts might also be able to give you a discounted price...just shop around. There is always Amazon

Most any shop should be able to change out the battery depending where it's mounted. Mine are on the frame in the back and require unbolting some channel iron and lowering with a floor jack...it's just labor.

Good Luck
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Old 07-20-2014, 09:31 AM   #3
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Re: Dead Battery

Thanks. I thought 8 years was pretty good, but then, last week, my computer died/burned. Cost me a bit of $, and was suprising. But that was what it turned to be, not the coil. So I thought maybe when the computer died, maybe it also ruined the battery.
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Old 07-20-2014, 09:47 AM   #4
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Re: Dead Battery

If the battery went dead all of a sudden, I'd check to make sure it's getting a charge, there isn't a short (or abnormal draw), the separator is working correctly and the battery connections are good. Then I would also put a good 2-3 day 10+ amp charge to the battery via a standalone charger connected to the battery lugs keeping the inverter charger turned off. Most battery shops will test the battery for free if you can pull it out. Yeah, its a heavy item to get out.
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