2006 AI House Battery

[mrcolin2u]

I've been reading some of the previous threads on this subject, so I do need to replace the house battery which is not even a deep cycle ??
Seems like the Lifeline Deep Cycle is a popular choice.
The GPL-31XT is a 125AH battery whereas the Lifeline GPL‑24T is an 80AH.
They have identical dimensions, both 12V. Apart from the higher cost is there any reason I shouldn't go with the higher rating battery ?
I have the original charger whatever that is, I may decide to do some upgrades next year including solar .
Cheers
Colin

[LB_3]

I would go with the larger capacity battery but consider upgrading the charger to a 3 stage charger.

[mrcolin2u]

Originally Posted by LB_3

I would go with the larger capacity battery but consider upgrading the charger to a 3 stage charger.

Do you have any suggestions for a charger replacement too?
Thanks for your input
Colin

[lewster]

Originally Posted by mrcolin2u

I've been reading some of the previous threads on this subject, so I do need to replace the house battery which is not even a deep cycle ??
Seems like the Lifeline Deep Cycle is a popular choice.
The GPL-31XT is a 125AH battery whereas the Lifeline GPL‑24T is an 80AH.
They have identical dimensions, both 12V. Apart from the higher cost is there any reason I shouldn't go with the higher rating battery ?
I have the original charger whatever that is, I may decide to do some upgrades next year including solar .
Cheers
Colin

Actually, the GPL-31XT is a bit larger than the GPL-24T. The 24 is 11.13 X 6.6 X 9.25 and the 31XT is 12.9 X 6.75 X 9.27. Not that much difference in height and width, but the length is almost 2" longer.

If you spend the $$$ for a Lifeline AGM, it is almost imperative that you also upgrade the converter, assuming that you are not also going solar. The perfect drop-in replacement for your Parallax single voltage converter is the Progressive Dynamics PD-4655, which will fit directly into the space below the 120VAC breaker box that you old converter now occupies.

The Parallax will kill the Lifeline in short order by under/over charging it. The PD-4655, while still not perfect, will do much better in giving you piece of mind when on grid that your expensive new battery investment will not be burnt to a crisp in short order!!!

[LB_3]

Lew knows what he speaks.

[mrcolin2u]

Originally Posted by lewster

Actually, the GPL-31XT is a bit larger than the GPL-24T. The 24 is 11.13 X 6.6 X 9.25 and the 31XT is 12.9 X 6.75 X 9.27. Not that much difference in height and width, but the length is almost 2" longer.

If you spend the $$$ for a Lifeline AGM, it is almost imperative that you also upgrade the converter, assuming that you are not also going solar. The perfect drop-in replacement for your Parallax single voltage converter is the Progressive Dynamics PD-4655, which will fit directly into the space below the 120VAC breaker box that you old converter now occupies.

The Parallax will kill the Lifeline in short order by under/over charging it. The PD-4655, while still not perfect, will do much better in giving you piece of mind when on grid that your expensive new battery investment will not be burnt to a crisp in short order!!!

Ordered the PD-4655v from Amazon, I'll get this in before I install a new battery.
Thanks for the great info

[bugsbunny]

Hi Colin,

Where is your house battery located? I have a mid bath rear dinette and two house batteries in a compartment on the drivers side by the cargo door. If you have this same configuration, have you extracted them yet? I am looking for suggestions on how to *more easily* get these puppies out. They have to be taken out from the bottom under the floor.

Thanks,
Kate

[mrcolin2u]

Sort for late reply Kate my house battery is under passenger seat and not bad to remove

[Lotus54]

I also have a 2006 Mid-bath and the battery under passenger seat.
I fit a larger AGM on its side (a bit of mods to fit) and updated the charger (since the original cooked the battery that was in it).

I'll post a link.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f240...-158429-5.html

Exide XMC-31

[amirm]

I am a little worried about putting a battery under a seat without some kind of battery box protecting it. I have had two lead-acid batteries literally explode on me. They were both non-maintenance-free batteries and not AGM. Maybe AGMs are immune to that. It might be worthwhile checking.

[mrcolin2u]

Originally Posted by amirm

I am a little worried about putting a battery under a seat without some kind of battery box protecting it. I have had two lead-acid batteries literally explode on me. They were both non-maintenance-free batteries and not AGM. Maybe AGMs are immune to that. It might be worthwhile checking.

Last year I had to get off the freeway and disconnect the house battery. It was extremely hot and I was concerned it may catch fire. It was a very hot day and I think the battery was ready for replacement.
I was in a rush to get a new one so I ended up with another lead acid deep cycle from Costco.
Next year I plan to replace this with two AGM batteries and a solar panel for camping off grid when we move to beautiful washington state.

[FlyFishinRVr]

Originally Posted by mrcolin2u

Next year I plan to replace this with two AGM batteries and a solar panel for camping off grid when we move to beautiful washington state.

You might want to look into the "suitcase" style solar panel that can be set up away from your rig. While Washington state is indeed beautiful, it is filled with "very tall grass" (aka 100ft trees) and often it's impossible to park your rig in the sun when camping. Being able to move your panel(s) to a sunny spot can make the difference between having a useful solar array vs. a useless bunch of weight on the roof.....

[mrcolin2u]

Originally Posted by FlyFishinRVr

You might want to look into the "suitcase" style solar panel that can be set up away from your rig. While Washington state is indeed beautiful, it is filled with "very tall grass" (aka 100ft trees) and often it's impossible to park your rig in the sun when camping. Being able to move your panel(s) to a sunny spot can make the difference between having a useful solar array vs. a useless bunch of weight on the roof.....

Great idea! I had thought of the advantages of a "suitcase" style and thanks for your input too !!