New (to me) rig with potential electrical "issues" - Page 5

**daveb** · 10-11-2013, 11:18 PM

There are deep cycle, then there are deep cycle

High end deep cycle batteries recover from a bad incident and handle repeated abuse better than junk deep cycle batteries. But maintenance is key as well as how you discharge them. Any battery can be killed. I was brutal on my bass boat's wet cell batteries and flat out destroyed (by accident) the Gel cells that I installed. If handled correctly I could have gained a few years on them, but all batteries have a limited life and limited cycles. Whether you can get all the cycles out of a particular battery by proper charging and correct discharges is a shot in the dark. It's cost (quality) vs. life and maintenance is the mogul. You'll never know if you've accidentally left that item on in the van and killed all your batteries. You'll just have to go with an average during a purchase. There are so many factors... How often do you use the battery, cycle the battery, charge the battery? Do you live in cold climates or do you charge in hot temperatures? How deep down do you take the batteries? Got solar? I'm sure there is more especially price which might be the biggest factor for many. I don't do enough preventative maintenance IMO and it may cost me in the end but IMHO a good high quality 12 volt single AGM battery is the all around most forgiving choice for a house battery. Is it the most cost effective? Maybe not. Myself, I just needed more amp hours than what one can put out and I'm not on too much of a budget

. I have two 210AH 12 v Concorde Lifeline's totaling 420+/-Ah and it seems to be right for me... YMMV. I'd sure hate to see somebody spend 800 bucks to find by the next season their batteries are toast. My buddy who bought the 6v Costco's said he don't care, and plans to take em back each year and get what he can for them. He uses the trailer a few times a year and has a backup generator. I had to rely on mine last week to run my heater when it was 20* outside. I don't have a generator backup and I use my van on a monthly basis. It's just a choice you're gonna have to make. Like Mike posted, he has what works for him.

I wish you all the battery luck you can find.

**daveb** · 10-12-2013, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikracer

So in addition to AGM, I should look to see that the battery is a deep cycle? Costco has batteries that are 6 volt labeled as golf cart batteries. I called my local Costco this morning and the guy who "helped" me didn't know if they were AGM. They are pretty cheap at $88 each so I doubt they are. I'm going to stop by there tomorrow and investigate further.

Thanks again everyone for your help on this subject I'm a firm believer of but once, cry once. Better to get it right the first time!

Just a thought. If you can find somebody who has true experience with golf cart batteries it would probably be a golf course that maintains carts for golfers. I would think you could get the low down from them plus maybe find the cheapest place to source the batteries. My guess is they prefer open wet cells though but who knows less maintenance might be good for them as well. Also if you're going through all the trouble of making a new battery box, you might want to search through the battery manufactures sites and note dimensions of various battery types. I don't know how much room you have but it would be a bummer if down the road you want to add a battery or go with a larger group.

mikracer · 10-12-2013, 04:58 PM

I went to Sears today to see what they had in stock. They have a this battery in stock.
http://www.sears.com/diehard-platinum-m ... ockType=G1

Its rated at 100 amp hours at 20 hour rate and it will fit in my existing battery boxes. They come with a 3 year free replacement warranty and it would be around $580 for the pair, out the door.

I looked at my current setup and there are two mis-matched 6 volt wet cell batteries. They are placed in the battery boxes, but they're too tall to for the top half to seal closed. The hoses for the vent were coming apart, so long story short, these batteries havent exactly been venting properly for a long time. The new batteries I get will be AGM so my plan is to just place them in the battery boxes like the current setup but not necessarily worry about the venting since they shouldn't off gas hardly at all.

I know 2 batteries would be better than having a single battery, but with the rating of this battery, what should I expect to be able to run and for how long? Would I be able to run the 2cf Norcold refrigerator and interior lights for a couple days? I don't need a weeks worth of power, mainly just 2 nights worth.

xcnick · 10-12-2013, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikracer

I know 2 batteries would be better than having a single battery, but with the rating of this battery, what should I expect to be able to run and for how long? Would I be able to run the 2cf Norcold refrigerator and interior lights for a couple days? I don't need a weeks worth of power, mainly just 2 nights worth.

I would think 48 hours is about right for one of these. Post back when you find out. The nice thing is the AGM will charge up faster and higher than lead acid so if you run the van for half an hour you should gain another day. With my 27 lead acid I go 24 hours of 4cf fridge and 3 hours of TV. Then I run the van half an hour and get another 24, but it never brings the battery to full charge.

xcnick · 10-12-2013, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikracer

it would be around $580 for the pair, out the door.

Looking at the link you provided I see 520 minus 50 for an order over 400 which is 470 plus tax.

mikracer · 10-12-2013, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xcnick

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikracer

it would be around $580 for the pair, out the door.

Looking at the link you provided I see 520 minus 50 for an order over 400 which is 470 plus tax.

I tried applying that discount, but it says its not applicable because a discount was already applied. Its one or the other.

mikracer · 10-12-2013, 11:23 PM

I looked up the sportsmobile manual and it looks like my fridge draws 3.5 amps/hr. Assuming that the fridge is on 24 hours a day, that would draw 84 amps in a 24 hour period. I plan on changing every bulb to LED, so even with those on for a few hours a night, that would be minimal draw. The water pump wont be on much at all except for very short periods of time to brush teeth or wash hands and some dishes. So with the lights and water pump, lets round up to say 95 amps total in a 24 hour period.

The single battery has 100 amp hours so my usage would deplete the battery in one full day. The fridge is my biggest power robber and thats assuming it works well enough to use. We will most likely still use an ice chest since the fridge is so small...beer takes up a lot of space. I know I want to add solar and have been researching the Zamp 120 watt portable system. Do you guys think with a single battery and the solar, I could run everything I need for several days if needed? I watched an info video on the Zamp 120 setup and the guy said it could fully charge 2 group 27 batteries at 50% in a full day of sunlight.

Scalf77 · 10-13-2013, 07:22 AM

You are on the correct path for figuring this out. but need to make some adjustments. First, the refrigerator will not be or should not be on 24 hours a day. There should be a on off cycle, of course that will change with environmental variables, and other things. You should be able to measure it's on and off cycles and adjust from there. With a 50/50 cycle you would cut your refer power consumption in half.
Next, you should only plan on using roughly 50% of your battery capacity, so if you have a 100 amp/hr battery then you should plan only using 50 amp/hrs before needing a charge.

I recommend reading http://www.marxrv.com/12volt/12volt.htm

I would also get some camping under your belt, with real usage data before deciding on any solar.

greg

**daveb** · 10-13-2013, 12:01 PM

Don't know the size of the box you're installing into but have you looked at just replacing what you have with AGM cart batteries like was suggested? I'm not sure if that Sears battery is a DeepCycle from the info they're posting.
Batteries are marked up quite high. If you can find a place that will give you a dealer rate plus a bit more you might get a great deal on a battery.

BTW, I see 190Ah @C/20 6v MK cart batteries on sale for $237 at Apex but you'll need two.

mikracer · 10-13-2013, 02:36 PM

I'm definitely not opposed to the 6 volt system, but the 6 volt batteries I've seen seem to be taller than the 12 volt batteries and I can't seem to find any reputable brands locally.

The battery from Sears does have a deep cycle designation so I'm assuming it is. Also, with it being at a local store, I wouldn't have to pay for shipping. The 3 year replacement warranty seems pretty good too, so I think I'll be heading in that direction. I am trying to decide on whether one battery will be enough for my needs or if I need to get two. I'm thinking two would allow me to not worry so much, but I haven't taken the rig out and tested the limits so I really don't know. I guess I could always add a battery if I end up needing it...