6 volt conversion charging

[Phantom]

Well... I made the big plunge and bought two 6 volt golf cart batteries for my 2007 19' Bambi. One of the original Interstate (series 24) RV/Marine 'Mega-Tron' batteries died after 2 years exactly. I now have to make an appointment with a welder to extend the top of the battery box by 2". and cut out the notch in the propane cover... and extend the center threaded rod for the hold-down.
They are installed and working. Next question is: Can I safely charge them with the on-board converter/charger? It's still the original Parallax 7300 series.
Will it charge them the same as the 12v batteries? The Parallax converter is putting out 13.3 volts). Since they are in series, will it see them as a 12v battery? ... or/and... Can I charge these 2 batteries in series as I would with my stand-alone 'smart charger'? It says it's a '12v charger' (25amp/10amp/2amp). I have read that the original converter may 'overcharge' the batteries if left hooked up too long.
This may have contributed to my original batteries demise. I left the trailer plugged into house power for months. Live and learn. All help welcome.

[mello mike]

Yes, you can use your regular 12v charger with two 6v batteries wired in series. When they are wired this way, they act as one VERY LARGE 12v battery. Charge them at the same time.

[Minno]

We very much like ours, and have used them for many years. We had a set on a previous SOB trailer and let them go with the trailer last year because they were between 12 and 13 years old, but still going strong. Lots of power!

Kay

[3 Dog Nite]

Wow Minno. 12 - 13 yrears! Is this a normal golf cart battery life span or did you get a really good set of batteries?

Ricky

[Minno]

I doubt that's a normal life span. I would have been happy with 5 or 6 years, but they just kept on going. We have a new set on our current SOB trailer (well, they're 1 1/2 years old now), so we'll see how long they last. Golf Cart batteries typically have a shorter warranty period than deep cycle batteries, but I think that's because of their intended use.

Chris

[Phantom]

Wow Minno.... How have you used / maintained those batteries to get such a lifespan?

[LI Pets]

Mine are 3 years old now, hold a charge fine.

[Minno]

Originally Posted by Phantom

Wow Minno.... How have you used / maintained those batteries to get such a lifespan?

By doing all the "wrong" things... I leave them on the trailer all year round, and keep the trailer plugged in almost all the time - even over the winter. The trailers we had them on were Jayco brands, and they had the upgraded smart charging system so they never over-charged the batteries. I checked the fluid levels in them a couple of times each year, and topped them off as needed with distilled water. They were the mid-range Trojan brand of golf cart batteries, which is also what I have currently. Pricey, but they are worth it to us.

Chris

[NevadaGeo]

Originally Posted by Minno

By doing all the "wrong" things... I leave them on the trailer all year round, and keep the trailer plugged in almost all the time - even over the winter. The trailers we had them on were Jayco brands, and they had the upgraded smart charging system so they never over-charged the batteries. I checked the fluid levels in them a couple of times each year, and topped them off as needed with distilled water. They were the mid-range Trojan brand of golf cart batteries, which is also what I have currently. Pricey, but they are worth it to us.

Chris

That, I believe, is a heck of a plug for that battery and that charging set up, if it can do it for that many years in Minn e so ta.

[Minno]

But now I've probably cursed myself - and my current ones will only last 3 years...