Can I add second battery from different brand?

[Eresan]

I want to add a second battery. The one already on my trailer is a interstate brand group 24 battery. It cost $105 in store. I heard costco sell their costco branded battery for $75. Can I get a the costco battery to work with interstate battery? Or it's better to have both battery the same brand?
Thanks!

[lewster]

It's not only better to use batteries of the same manufacturer, they should also be of the exact same group size and preferably the same manufacture date and lot number.

Also, you should not place a new battery, even when exactly the same, into the battery bank if the original is generally in use over 30 days.

Batteries develop a charge profile and adding new to existing will almost guarantee that one or the other will not get properly charged.

[J. Morgan]

I have heard it said and I think it is largely true that when batteries are in a bank, when one fails it hurts or even destroys the others.

I have mostly followed protocol here replacing all batteries in a bank at once, and then moving those that might still be good to single status in a different application.

I have at time judiciously replaced some batteries in a bank knowing I was taking a chance and gotten away with it.

[Ahab]

Originally Posted by Eresan

I want to add a second battery. The one already on my trailer is a interstate brand group 24 battery. It cost $105 in store. I heard costco sell their costco branded battery for $75. Can I get a the costco battery to work with interstate battery? Or it's better to have both battery the same brand?
Thanks!

Why don't you just get a GR29. I don't understand why you need two batteries.

[Bob4x4]

The internal resistance of the batteries may not match,this is where your charging issues can come from.With that being said,I can tell you that ram will only replace a failed battery not both under warranty.This tells me they are reasonably sure that the same size and brand are close enough to work together even if one is a bit older than the other

[Eresan]

So, the conclusion is I have to get a more expensive interstate or 2 cheaper costco batteries...

[J. Morgan]

I have have broken the rules and gotten away with it every time.

[Eresan]

Went costco stopper at their battery place, their battery guy says it doesn't matter what brand. It works it they are both group 24 batteries. Then I called dealer, their service guy told me the same thing. So I got a costco battery

[drboyd]

I have heard that Costco batteries are made by Interstate. But it's only hearsay.