Trojan 31XHS 12 volt batteries

[Ampman]

Any one replace their standard batteries with the Trojan deep cycle 12 volt flooded batteries? This size will fit my boxes and give identical capacity as the 6 volt conversion. They are more expensive though. Wouldn't have to modify anything on the boxes.

[AWCHIEF]

I looked at those but did it the hard way replacing with 6 volts and rebuilt the top of the box. My metal skills are minimal and temps in the higher 90's. Glad the project is over with.

[Ampman]

It seems battery technology is moving in the right direction. I think I'll try the trojan 12 volt units for now without any box mods. Maybe by the time these wear out they will have more compact and affordable lithium or some other type of battery that's more powerful and will fit in the same spot.

[RLS]

I have size 29 batteries and had to notch out the front framing due to the length. Those sound good, but with only 1 yr. warranty for that price?? I'm using Walmart's that have a 2 yr. free replacement and Walmart is all over the USA. Just food for thought.

[SCOTTinNJ]

Those Trojans have an amp rating of 130.

If these are the 6v you are referring to (Trojan T105), the amp rating is 225.

[BoldAdventure]

The trojans fit fine

Originally Posted by SCOTTinNJ

Those Trojans have an amp rating of 130.

If these are the 6v you are referring to (Trojan T105), the amp rating is 225.

True, but two 6V batteries combined only equal 12v and 225 amps. Two of the 31xhs combined equal 12v and 260 amps.

[SCOTTinNJ]

Originally Posted by BoldAdventure

True, but two 6V batteries combined only equal 12v and 225 amps. Two of the 31xhs combined equal 12v and 260 amps.

Really? Is that how the math works out? I assumed the 6V would give you 225 EACH!

[BoldAdventure]

Originally Posted by SCOTTinNJ

Really? Is that how the math works out? I assumed the 6V would give you 225 EACH!

No. You need two to get to 12v. And that's 225 amps together. You don't get more amps with 6v. Just a deeper discharge rate.

[SCOTTinNJ]

Originally Posted by BoldAdventure

No. You need two to get to 12v. And that's 225 amps together. You don't get more amps with 6v. Just a deeper discharge rate.

I see that now. Thanks for the clarification. I stand corrected. To summarize what I read now:

12V x 2 in parallel you combine the amps and voltage stays the same
6V x 2 you combine the voltage and amps stay the same

[BoldAdventure]

Originally Posted by SCOTTinNJ

I see that now. Thanks for the clarification. I stand corrected. To summarize what I read now:

12V x 2 in parallel you combine the amps and voltage stays the same
6V x 2 you combine the voltage and amps stay the same

Most 12V batteries are wired in parallel. When you switch to 6V batteries you have to wire in series to get to 12V to run everything.

In a Series Configuration the batteries are wired per the diagram below and the result would be a doubling of the voltage while the capacity remains the same. In our illustration we show two 6V batteries with 225AH wired together. The result would be a battery bank that produces 12V and 225AH.

In a Parallel Configuration the batteries are wired per the diagram below and the result would be a doubling of the capacity while the voltage remains the same. In our illustration we show two 6V batteries with 225AH wired together. The result would be a battery bank that produces 6V and 450AH.

It would take 4 6V batteries to get that voltage.

[Ampman]

My Classic has the battery compartments in the front body and not on the frame box. The Trojan 12 volt is the same size as the group 29 battery I squeezed in there three years ago. The one year warranty does blow but these are true deep cycle according to the Trojan folks and actually sold as commercial use batteries. Most commercial use things only get a one year warranty vs. a retail product getting a two or three year warranty. I sure like the vibe of folks getting very long life from Trojan batteries in general when taken care of properly. Hopefully these last just as long. Converter is a PD-intellipower unit with the staged charging algorithm. All of the other 12 volt batteries I've looked at were start/deep cycle combos rated with less amp hrs. If the Trojans last several years then I won't feel the pinch on the wallet so much. If not then I'll consider it a Vegas crap out and find something else. No worries. Just trying to squeeze in the most amp hrs. into the existing footprint. Thanks for the awesome info.

[switz]

FYI. The AM Solar 300 amp hour lithium iron battery can be configured into a 14.5" x 11.25" space at a weight of 84 pounds versus the 92 pounds of the two stock Interstate batteries. Since the top of the battery post is 9.25" from the bottom, it is suggested to have 2" additional clearance to prevent shorts or crowd the control circuits. As the technology improves, the current temperature constraints for location of the battery will pass.

They are still pricey.

[Ampman]

Awesome info, thanks. I think I'm at my cost ceiling on batteries with these Trojans. Don't want to compromise the adult beverage budget for camping. Maybe the lithium ion units will get cheaper as competition increases and become more tolerable price wise.

[BoldAdventure]

I have two group 27's the photo I posted above is from a friend's setup. I plan on getting these too real soon as I'm having issues with the Costco batteries just not being up to par.

The other thing about those 31XHS's is that they are cheaper with more power than an AGM (also weight less). So what if you need to watch the water level.

The ion's, I was leaning towards, strongly, but I can really use that money towards a few other things we need. This might be the bang for the buck for us. Although, I have been thinking about 3 AGM's.

[Ampman]

That's kind of where I'm at. Best dollar value and quality/reputation of the battery without having to do major modification or break the budget. Plus if one or both go bad while on the road I can always cram some regular batteries back in the same hole without worry. And if my truck battery craps out on the road I can yank one out and run the truck and still have one left in the stream to run the 12 volt stuff till we reach civilization. Peace of mind while camping knowing you can get home? Thanks