Battery replacement?

[Kistler]

Should I buy same? My tt came with Interstate SRM -27 s Should I go for Optima? AGM? Should I replace with the same?

I am going to get solar chargers for the new ones; I am a little tired of this battery operation in my garage.

[Condoluminum]

The Battery industry offers lots of choices, and you should get lots of advice and shared feelings...

I believe brand is a guide, and some are better than others, and Intersate is good.. Some of the other factors to consider in defining good value for price to be paid:

1. Should be Marine/Deep Cycle type, rather than automotive.. Mode number or group type defines physical size and config, so Group 27 is large unit with top terminals, and that should be replicated..

2. Several makers now offer gel cell instead of wet cell (wet = acid) that claim to offer longer life and lower risk of acid spills.. Price is higher, but if you search this site looking for battery or batteries you'll read others' opinions...

3. Within Group and physical size, you get variations in ratings (Amp Hours and CCR (Cold Cranking Rating).. The higher the numbers the more electrical reserve capacity built in the battery..

4. Finally, makeers offer different warranty terms (kinda like mattresses) which are almost coded versiosn of quality ratings.. They may run from 60 months to 84 or 96 months, and some ofer periods of free replacement followed by periods of "pro-rated replacement" where you can get discounted price from same mfr for new model of theirs...

5. Be willing to deal with local and reputable source, but could range from big discount center to local mechanic/dealer. Reason is that more than trivial percentage of batteries do have mfg defects, dead cells, etc that require return or exchange or service call...

I've concluded that good deal for me (and we have pair of new Group 27's) is lowest price for at least 84 month version with high-end Amp Hour rating... Price for Exides or Die Hards or Interstate wet cell should be around $90, but could vary widely, depending on sales, etc... I did set-up and installs, but you may wish to find someone who can do it for you, as they are VERY heavy, and compartment is tight with potential for spectacular sparking contact with shell and fuse issues or acid leaks if mis-handled...

John McG

[overlander64]

Greetings Kistler!

Originally Posted by Kistler

Should I buy same? My tt came with Interstate SRM -27 s Should I go for Optima? AGM? Should I replace with the same?

I am going to get solar chargers for the new ones; I am a little tired of this battery operation in my garage.

Have you considered purchasing the batteries as part of your solar package install? I had AJL Solar include AGM batteries with my solar package (on '64 Overlander), and the installation has been a success for my purposes. The solar panels have kept the batteries uniformly charged, and the batteries show no signs of wearing out after more than four seasons.

For my Minuet where I don't have the solar to depend upon, I usually watch the sales and purchase a new DieHard RV Marine Deep Cycle battery - - since the Magnatek converter in that coach has a tendency to boil the electrolyte, I count my self lucky if I get more than a season from a battery.

Good luck with your research!

Kevin

[neil.ervin]

Consider switching from 12V batteries to 6V batteries (if you already have two batteries). This way you can almost double your amp capacity at less cost and get deep cycle batteries.

I will do this when my 12V batteries die.

And I just installed solar and next month will be installing a Wave 6 catalytic heater.

[ALANSD]

fyi- I am a bit disappointed in my Optima yellow top. The first one I got died quickly ( had a short in it)and the replacement I have had for 6 or 7 months, does not hold its voltage as well as my Autozone special ,that I use for the engine.
I have to keep checking it. The ground is blade switch disconnected, so it surprises me that it drops in voltage.

[rluhr]

That's interesting, Alan. My Caravel is undergoing major renovation now, and my refurbisher recommended the Optima batteries.

A big advantage touted of the Optima is that they can be placed in any location, in any orientation, since they are sealed and don't outgas hydrogen. This is handy in the tight spaces of the Caravel, since I might want to install two batteries and I don't have traditional space for it.

We are ditching the Univolt and replacing with an Intellicharger with charge wizard, so boiling the batteries is not such a concern as it was before.

Anyone else have experience with Optima besides ALANSD and overlander64? They are expensive per amp-hour compared to regular batteries and I'd like to be more confident about buying a pair of them -- or find a better choice.

[norbert]

i was in sams club the other day. the interstate grp 27 was priced at $71..
the optima(yes i didnt check specs, just price), was $141...when its time to replace, i bet you can guess which one they will be replaced with....
norby

[john hd]

i was at my local battery supplier the other day getting new batts for my diesel plow truck and asked the guy about optimas.

all he said was "look over there" pointing at the scrap pile, about half of them were optimas. red, blue, yellow... 'nuff said in my book.

at least they honor the warranty.

i prefer marine starting bateries. they work well with the univolt and charge at the same rate as the two in my truck. they are inexpensive as well.

john

[Stefrobrts]

I am also upgrading the Caravel to an intellipower and would like to switch to a sealed battery so I can stow it in a bit of otherwise unusable space under the gaucho. If I don't do this then I will have to get a battery box and vent the battery, which hasn't been vented for a long time, although it should have been, since it's under the bed!

Why are two 6v batteries better than one 12v? How would you hook them up, in series?

Rich, how are you going to squeeze two batteries in there? There's not much room.

[greg176]

For good info on batteries go to www.phrannie.org and read the battery poop sheets.I will be using two 6 volt trojans in a vented box under the front dinette.

[wb13798]

done the battery thing and i now have sams club batterys. "junk" sams doesnt have interstate here. my next set will be interstate size gp 27 rv batteries. had interstate before and i still wander why i switched to brand x. i have already replaced the brand x batteries with sams brand x . the first set didnt last a year. i have the charge wizard so i didnt boil them. the present set is working a lot better than the other set.
the optima had a drastic drop in amp hour rating . compared to other gp 27 batteries. i just couldnt juimp on them for the money. guess i will ride the sams club batterys untill the warranty runs out. i looked for 6v. they will not fit in my drawer they are too tall . arcie sparkie and maybe blow up in the drawer. not good..
go "interstate" is my recommendation.

[rluhr]

Stef, we measured and found we could fit one Optima in the traditional battery space and another in the bathroom closet just a couple of feet back. I didn't want to give up any more of the battery compartment because that's the only utility space in the Caravel for hoses, levelling blocks, etc.

The Optima gave me flexibility to put the battery anywhere without worries about venting. But with all the negatives about the Optima here, I am re-considering it. It's twice the price per amp-hour apparently.

[overlander64]

Greetings rluhr!

Originally Posted by rluhr

Stef, we measured and found we could fit one Optima in the traditional battery space and another in the bathroom closet just a couple of feet back. I didn't want to give up any more of the battery compartment because that's the only utility space in the Caravel for hoses, levelling blocks, etc.

The Optima gave me flexibility to put the battery anywhere without worries about venting. But with all the negatives about the Optima here, I am re-considering it. It's twice the price per amp-hour apparently.

I couldn't remember which of the AGM batteries that AJL Solar installed in my coach so I took a photo of one of the three when I was checking on the coach this afternoon. The photo is below. More information and specifications on these batteries can be found at:

Sun X Tender Deep Cycle AGM Battery (Scroll to Middle of Page)

Concorde Battery Sun X Tender Deep Cycle Battery Specifications

These batteries have truly met every one of my expectations - - trouble-free, maintenance-free, and plety of reserve power. I believe that the batteries installed in my coach are quite similar to the current model: PVX 1040T.

Good luck with your investigation!

Kevin

[TomW]

Being somewhat new to actually enjoying the Airstream I spent eight months refurbishing, I opted to purchase whatever battery my white box RV dealership had on the floor (no A/S dealership here).

I reasoned that we would not be doing any real camping without hookups until we were comfortable with being in the Overlander for a reasonable amount of time. I only needed a battery to power the brakes in case of worst case scenario & to find the bathroom at night while we were on the road.

I did good because the run-of-the-mill battery I bought has already inadvertently been run down to nothing twice though operator error. Although it charged back up, everything I have read leads me to believe it is now not capable of what it was designed to do.

My point is: keep in mind what you plan to do with your Airstream when deciding how much money to spend on a battery. If your plans are full hookups, choose wisely.

Tom

[TomW]

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

...Why are two 6v batteries better than one 12v? How would you hook them up, in series?...

Six volt batteries have larger plates which means more surface area to produce a charge.

Take two six volt batteries & line them up, end to end, beside a 12 volt battery. You will immediately notice how much bigger the total package is.

If you have both the room & the wallet, two six volt, deep cycle batteries are the best way to go for boondocking. The only disadvantage is that when one battery bites the dust, it will probably drag down the other one too.

Tom

[nwclassic]

Good post, Tom (make the equipment fit the mission). If drycamping is the mission, the simplest almost everywhere solution is a generator. Lots of other strategies, though: Add extra batteries (but don't mix types or ages), install solar panels (but don't expect long winter nights drain to be offset by a sunny day), install a high output alternator in your towing vehicle (but remember that high output requires heavy delivery cable to service rv batteries and carries risk if rearended when not towing), use a wind generator which can deliver amps at night also (but will probably cause the wind to stop blowing!), be 'amp frugal' and use what you have sparingly. What to do ... its a crapshoot ... golfcart (6v) batteries are very available and affordable, but they will only fit with extensive revamp of the boxes and doors (trust me, I did it). Finally keep in mind that while two 6v batteries will deliver 225a (total, not each) if wired for 12v (series), Grp27 batteries will deliver 210a, they already fit and will not suffer a total loss if one battery dies (what good is one 6v?) Clear as mud, huh?
Brian

[Ronman]

I'm a little late to the party but I do have a question. I see many people touting Interstate. Does anyone have experience with Trojan? I know the name is highly recognized for golf carts. Thoughts? Experience?
Thank you,
Ron

[J-Dog]

As a current Optima owner (in my old Jeep), my experience has not been favorable. The first one lasted about 2 years, lucky for me it croaked 2 weeks before the warrantee expired, Sam's did honor the replacement, but the second battery was only warrantied for the remaining two weeks of the first battery's warrantee.
I am not planning on purchasing another Optima product. I feel these things are way over rated.

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

Why are two 6v batteries better than one 12v?

Poking around the internet it looks like amp hours are amp hours. I just like the idea of two 12v because that's what our Airstream is; if one craps out the other still provides usable power. We just put two Lifeline GPL-31XT in, 250 amp hours total, they fit east-west within our original FC 25 battery box. Cut the forward battery box lip away (under the hinge) to get them in.

[Caffeinated]

I replaced my factory Interstates with Trojan wet cells. Their warranty is three times longer, and they are performing well. My interstates died at 13 months, exactly one month out of warranty. The Trojans cost more, but you get what you pay for.

Mike