Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 10-01-2013, 03:30 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 386
Best Starting Batteries

Notice slightly less cranking speed which feels like weak starting battery or batteries. Best method to test? Also a best replacement for both of these original equipment starting batteries? Lastly is there a need to also replace house battery at same time?

thanks!

__________________
carl

2010 SMB
www.xtrememobileadventures.com
Carl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-01-2013, 04:27 PM   #2
Site Team
 
daveb's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Turlock Ca
Posts: 10,407
Garage
Re: Best Starting Batteries

Provided the house battery does not automatically assist starting there should be no need to check it because it's isolated from the starting circuit. If it isn't, youll need to check it as well.

There are several ways to test but the sure method is to pull each battery and have someone do a load test on each battery. Who knows, you might just have a poor connection. Cleaning and checking the connections should be part of a yearly maintinance schedule (no I don't even do it but should). Most shops have a load tester and battery distributors usually do also.

I suggest AGM starting batteries over standard wet cell auto type batteries because the chassis and house systems are tied together much of the time. Diehard makes a good rebadged Odyssey battery that is hard to beat for the price last time I looked. I bought 2 military grade Odyssey's for my van and have been happy so far but they were expensive. If Diehard still contracts Odyssey to make that battery I would probably go that route.
__________________
2006 Ford 6.0PSD EB-50/E-PH SMB 4X4 Rock Crawler Trailer

Sportsmobile 4X4 Adventures..........On and off road adventures
daveb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-01-2013, 04:39 PM   #3
Site Team
 
daveb's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Turlock Ca
Posts: 10,407
Garage
Re: Best Starting Batteries

Oh BTW, if you have a bad starting battery on a diesel, it's a good idea to replace both even though one still might be good. No sense letting a battery that can only hold 70% charge pull down the new battery you've installed while the vehicle sits. Make sure the batteries you buy are fresh(new), have been maintained well while on the shelf, and are the same age. By asking they'll understand you're on top of your purchase.
__________________
2006 Ford 6.0PSD EB-50/E-PH SMB 4X4 Rock Crawler Trailer

Sportsmobile 4X4 Adventures..........On and off road adventures
daveb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-02-2013, 05:33 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 386
Re: Best Starting Batteries

I have a plug in tester that give volts to cig lighter, and have two in front (one a lighter, the other a front aux plug, I also have a rear outlet. My understanding was front connected to starting batteries, rear house?
All read on the tester approx 12.5. Any thought on this?

Also, any trick to dropping battery trays for both starting batteries?

On side note, I have not plugged in and van does sit from time to time.
Only solar charging. Thoughts on plugging in for some time?

thanks
__________________
carl

2010 SMB
www.xtrememobileadventures.com
Carl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-02-2013, 09:56 AM   #5
Site Team
 
daveb's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Turlock Ca
Posts: 10,407
Garage
Re: Best Starting Batteries

Quote:
Originally Posted by Carl
I have a plug in tester that give volts to cig lighter, and have two in front (one a lighter, the other a front aux plug, I also have a rear outlet. My understanding was front connected to starting batteries, rear house?
All read on the tester approx 12.5. Any thought on this?

Also, any trick to dropping battery trays for both starting batteries?

On side note, I have not plugged in and van does sit from time to time.
Only solar charging. Thoughts on plugging in for some time?

thanks
Usually correct-dash=starting, coversion=house.

The voltage sounds fairly normal but did you take it when the sun was down? The solar may fool you. You also should check to make sure the separator is working and not sticking open or closed. At night check voltages and see if the dash drops off when you turn on the headlights. The house battery should not change, but if it does and mirrors the front you probably have a stuck (close) separator.
I my case when I had a bad starting battery, the separator would click on and off every several minutes. The solar would start its charge and close the separator but the voltage could not meet the threshold and the separator would click back open. Once the battery was so shorted that it pulled its twin down below 12.8, it stayed open.

If you don't have a dash switch to assist start chances are its automatic. This can fool you by masking the bad battery by helping the engine start after you turn the key. If you pull the ground on the separator it will force the engine to only use the starting batteries.

Dropping the batteries is kind of a hassle. Just be careful. Seems like I used a transmission jack last time but it's been a while. There is a thread on it here somewhere.

If you have an inverter that shows the charging amps it will help to check to indicate a bad battery. The charge will never taper off. If that happens you can usually feel the battery box to test. A shorted battery will usually feel warmer that the good one. Same after a long drive. I'd avoid an unattended charging session. It might start off gassing.
__________________
2006 Ford 6.0PSD EB-50/E-PH SMB 4X4 Rock Crawler Trailer

Sportsmobile 4X4 Adventures..........On and off road adventures
daveb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-02-2013, 11:02 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 386
Re: Best Starting Batteries

some feedback on the best batteries, specifically for both starting and house. Cost not the main concern, but long term quality the goal.s
In my research I had seen Odyssey 65-pc1750 for starting as one best suggestions. My local mechanic suggested that Interstate has one made by Odyssey?

For house, I see one by Full River, and my guy said that Interstate also had a solution.

Best in your opinions?

thanks,
__________________
carl

2010 SMB
www.xtrememobileadventures.com
Carl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-02-2013, 01:47 PM   #7
Site Team
 
daveb's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Turlock Ca
Posts: 10,407
Garage
Re: Best Starting Batteries

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10052
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9221

Lifeline, Odyssey, Surrette are high end and high priced, plus Deka, & Trojan are well made.

You also have to make sure the size is able to fit. Some of the batteries require the lugs to be trimmed which voids the warranty. Depends who did the install.
__________________
2006 Ford 6.0PSD EB-50/E-PH SMB 4X4 Rock Crawler Trailer

Sportsmobile 4X4 Adventures..........On and off road adventures
daveb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-26-2014, 06:58 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
coyotearms's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 188
Re: Best Starting Batteries

I am not sure whether this is the most recent post on this topic, but after reading it I decided to replace the two Group 65 AGM stock engine batteries that were six years old with the top of the line DieHard Platinum AGM's at Sears. They were on sale on-line for $183.99 each plus tax, although the walk-in price was still full retail at $229.99 at the very same time. So with a little bargaining I walked up to a customer computer outside the service department and ordered them on-online to be picked up at the Sears I was in. Through the magic of the deal, that sent a notice to the auto department that the last two on the shelf were mine.

I clenched my teeth and even though I have a transmission jack to lower the below-chassis tray they sit on, I decided to have Sears do the install that apparently included load testing after installation and "corrosion protection, clean cable ends and clean try if required." I don't think that highly of Sears service, but thought it was well worth the $29.99 plus tax for both batteries (choosing that as part of the the on-line order would have been $19.99 per battery). I say apparently, because after they're installed back in their tray and lifted back under the chassis, it's a little hard to check their work!

Also related to what has been stated on this thread, there was one five star review on the Sears site for that particular model. The reviewer wrote, "They are re-badged Odyssey brand, but at about 1/2 the price! Make sure you get part #51065. There may still be some #50065 on the shelves, but the #51065 has higher CCA and higher RC!" Yes, the ones I bought were the 51065. But how does anyone know such a claim is real? Come to think about it, a number of claims similar to this have been made on this thread! They swayed me, but how does one really find out such things? All I can say at this point is that the first time I started the beast with the new batteries it sounded like the the engine was turning over at 1000 rpm on the starter motor compared to the old batteries. . .

The only specs on sears.com, typical for "Starting" batteries were Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) @ 0 F = 995 and Reserve Capacity (RC) = 135 (no units). That is a great CCA, but then the 6.0L diesel doesn't have two batteries right from the factory for nothing! There was nothing about AmpHr's at @20 Hr rate that is so important for choosing house "Deep Cycle" batteries. For house AGM's the quotes used also remind me that deep really means "no more than 50% deep!"

Now that both my Start and House battery banks are of reasonably good shape, I am a little sad that I have a uni-directional battery separator so that the solar cannot (if appropriate) nicely charge both banks when the van sits for a week or two between drives. A call to Blue Sea recently has almost convinced me that using their 7622 separator in bi-directional mode with the additional ability to manually connect/disconnect the banks from each other is starting to make sense. Of course I could also do that with a manual switch between the terminals of my uni-directional Sure Power 1514-200 I currently have.

One last thought. A great little piece to remind one of some basic battery facts that helped me with this purchase was http://www.batterystuff.com/kb/artic...-basics.html#2.
__________________
2008 E-350 6.0L diesel: Bought new in 2010, 4x2, 4.10 LSD, HD spring-lift all 'round,
Cruiser II Top, 6'7" inside, full-time upper bed w/ kind'a EB50 layout, cozy 4-season rig
Solar: 540 W of Kyrocera w/ Blue Sky 3024iL, 3x100 AmpHr AGM's
Electrical: 4 cf fridge, nuker, water heater, compressor
Propane: stove top, furnace Travel: https://www.lugnutlife.wordpress.com
coyotearms is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-26-2014, 08:35 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: San Diego
Posts: 527
Re: Best Starting Batteries

I've had one OEM battery go bad in 18 months, a Kirkland went bad in about 2 years and most recently a I had a new Interstate go bad after only last 10 months. It was replaced under warranty. Going against conventional wisdom I did not replace the other one. But I did buy the solar BatteryMinder and it trickles away all day. That was a year ago and it cranks like crazy with no sign of weakening. Several months ago the batteries were stressed when the alternator started failing over the course of a couple of weeks. I do believe the BatteryMinder saved them as my previous experience was several deep discharges really hastened their demise. I dropped them both before I diagnosed the alternator to test them and they were both good. I also believe the higher output alternator I had installed is just better overall for these sensitive beasts.

Here in San Diego I see lots of bums living in old 30+ year old beat-up vans. I realized when I saw one in the Home Depot parking lot tonight that that will never happen to a 6.0 diesel owner. Not when you need to spend money on it every 6 weeks after they reach a certain age.
__________________
2004 SMB 4x4 RB 6.0 PSD; ARP Head Studs, Gen 3 Cylinder Heads, BPD Oil Cooler connected to AMSOil Bypass, a whistling Wicked Wheel Turbo, Coolant Filter, Upgraded alternator, ScanGauge, SCT custom and SMB Fox shocks.
BFG 285/75 R16 KM3 Mud Terrains on ProComp 7069's
PatO is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-26-2014, 11:36 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
ANZAC's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 1,005
Re: Best Starting Batteries

I've been running the Interstate Megatron Plus for years in two vans and my Subaru with no issues.
__________________
Sportsmobile-less.

"A job worth doing is worth doing at least twice."
ANZAC is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sportsmobile SIP or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:49 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.