Best RV Battery?

[Ronman]

Idroba,
I echo your sentiment. I am trying to figure a way to incorporate two Group 27's into my box! The 6v are not going to fit as you said due to height. We're not big dry campers so I think we can get by with a solid pair of 24's. I al always looking for a BIGGER / BETTER solution!

Thanks for your help!

Ron

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, since I'm not a boon docker and may only get stuck without shore power for about two days at most, I just buy Costco deep cycle batteries for my trailer.

[Safari-Rick]

.

Same as what Bob Said !

Safari-Rick

[ehodg66]

Can anyone tell me the dimension of this type tongue battery box to accommodate (2) batteries? I want to add it to my 72 tradewind. Also, how many watts of solar does it take to jump up to (3) or (4) battery bank?

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by ehodg66

Can anyone tell me the dimension of this type tongue battery box to accommodate (2) batteries? I want to add it to my 72 tradewind. Also, how many watts of solar does it take to jump up to (3) or (4) battery bank?

Hi, I just measured mine and here is what I got. The box is 10"s deep, 14"s long, [front to rear] and 15 1/4"s wide. [from left to right] These are the outside measurements and the metal seems to be about 1/8" thick. Then there is the flange, hinge, and lid which you can make however you want to. Hope this helps.

[ehodg66]

Robertsunrus: thank you. That's just what I was looking for!

One more question, I see some comments on these boxes being too shallow for the golf cart batteries. Is a golf cArt battery taller than 10 inches?

[SafariSS]

I have tried several routes on the batteries for my Airstream. I have 2 150w solar panels and do camp off the grid frequently. New my Safari 30 came with Interstates , dont recall the aH. These only lasted a little over a year. Then having good engine starting battery luck with Optimas I went with two blue tops. These lasted exactly 5 years but the last year they discharged kinda quick. They are fairly low Ah, but were kinda just "ok".

So, this spring I set out to review my whole electrical layout and needs. On my Safari 30 the factory battery location could not be much further from the solar panels so I knew I wanted to relocate em closer. Also I wanted more amp hours, I installed two Lifeline 6v agms, 300ah each mid ship with only 5' of cable to inverter. Performance is awesome, I got the weight off tongue (but added weight overall). Really happy with these big guys, with batteries you tend to get what you pay for.

[lewster]

Originally Posted by ehodg66

Can anyone tell me the dimension of this type tongue battery box to accommodate (2) batteries? I want to add it to my 72 tradewind. Also, how many watts of solar does it take to jump up to (3) or (4) battery bank?

Your OEM Interstate batteries are group 24.....80 amp/hours each. You can easily upgrade to group 27 (100 amp/hours each) and increase your effective battery capacity by 25%.

Just remove the plastic spacer tray at the bottom and the group 27's fit right in. I would a;so be very wary of the Parallax OEM converter. This is a known BATTERY BURNER and will soon destroy any new batteries that you select....especially AGM batteries!

[FlashSilver]

Originally Posted by Skater

And with that kind of capacity, we probably will do more boondocking - we never tried it with the B190, because the water tanks were too small, and we haven't had the chance to try it with this trailer. We have reservations in May at a national park campground with no hookups.

Sounds like you have an almost perfect boon docking setup, complete with solar. Once you return to the light, you will never go back.

[Skater]

Originally Posted by FlashSilver

Sounds like you have an almost perfect boon docking setup, complete with solar. Once you return to the light, you will never go back.

Wow, that post was a long time ago. We did have a good weekend without hookups at Shenandoah National Park's Big Meadows campground. We needed the furnace both nights. We went on a hike Saturday, and I left both fans running, windows open, and my wife's iPad charging. When we came back, the batteries were fully charged, the iPad was fully charged, and the camper was warm, but not hot.

A weekend should've been fine even without solar, probably, even with the furnace usage (it wasn't a lot). But it was nice to see the batteries fully charged after doing...nothing. I didn't have to set up the generator and babysit it; instead, we went hiking.

But it's easy to see if we'd had rain or shade, solar wouldn't have helped much. We just got lucky and had a beautiful weekend. We had a generator with us that weekend, but didn't need to use it. I like having the solar with a generator backup.

[rodsterinfl]

I post this relaying info from my ole father, Mr. generator, battery and charger man. It is his life!! He told me to let y'all know that Johnson Control batteries are one of the best but to stay away from the lower end of any brand. After shopping Labor day weekend for new batts I walked away with two new 24DC Everstart Maxx Marine batteries with 2 year free replacement for $99 each. They have a good warranty, good amp rating and unbeatable price.

[rodsterinfl]

As a follow-up to my post four years ago I will say that the Everstart Maxx batteries are still going strong after four years; however, they are no longer available. Also, what idroba said is absolutely correct. It is not about brand as much as battery spec. Apparently the companies change batteries. There has been a reorganization of companies/batteries. Offerings by several companies are no longer available. I learned this recently as I have been shopping to expand my battery system for solar. Several company sites listing models are no longer in production, etc.

It comes down to spec. For us with deep cycle needs, the bigger the core the better the battery. Six volt will be more powerful in that regard; however, 12V options can be identified by their weight. Warranty, while important, can be deceiving as most deep cycle have 1 year to 18 month replacement then proration warranty. If you find one a year longer but it costs 3x more then what benefit is that? I will be replacing my Everstart Maxx also as I need all new without mixing age. Oh, I also learned that AGM should never be charged above 14.4V at any cycle of a charger. Duracell has a newer line of AGM that is deep cycle only (in addition to their dual purpose deep cycle) that is promising but in limited sizes. The 31 weighs 69lbs compared to Lifeline's 31 weighing 74lbs- similar. It is made by Deka and costs $179 at Sams.

[Dan and Liz]

I don't know what's best, but FWIW the Trojan 27AGM's fit in our 87 Sovereign better than the Group 24's I replaced.