best 12v storage battery or batteries for teardrop

[afreegreek]

I have a 12 V Interstate Deep Cycle AGM battery that has been powering my teardrop for more than 5 years. It's 60AH and I think it's smaller than a Group 27 size, but it has worked flawlessly for all these years.

I doubt the wisdom of using two 6-volt golf cart batteries in a teardrop because of size, weight, and maintenance issues. I don't think many people need that much capacity (Amp Hours) and I don't think many people can tolerate the added weight (~250 lbs).

Make an energy budget, figure out how many AH you really need and buy a deep cycle battery to suit those needs, not based on someone else's recommendations.

<Chas>

unless you buy an L-16 size Deep Cycle battery (125 lbs), two 6 volt Golf Cart battery will weigh 140- 160 lbs..

Trojan T-105 = 70 lbs,
Trojan T-145 = 80 lbs,
Rolls Surrette S-290 = 70 lbs,
Rolls Surrette S-330 = 80 lbs)..
Interstate CG2-XHD = 70 lbs,


there are no maintenance issues with 6 volt batteries.. voltage makes ZERO difference.. what does is whether they are FLA (flooded lead acid) AGM (absorbed glass matt) or Gell Cell... FLA's need watering over time and different charge parameters than Gell or AGM.. other than the fact FLA's need to be watered over time there IS NO DIFFERENCE between battery maintenance for FLA, AGM or Gell Cell...

BTW, Trojan makes Deep Cycle 12v, 8v, and 6v AGM, or 12v, and 6v Gell Cell.
Rolls Surrette makes 12v, 6v and 2v AGM that all have Warranty several years longer than your non Deep Cycle Interstate battery is old.. group of Interstate Marine/RV/Deep Cycle are not actually Deep Cycle batteries, their only true Deep Cycle batteries are the CG2 group...

[afreegreek]

You said that you should not use a 12volt battery and 99% are cranking batteries (yes measured in CCA)
Anything marketed as a deep cycle will have the A/H labled on it.
Most marine batteries are designed with moderate level deep cycle capabilities but also require CCA .
You can get marine deep cycle batteries that are 100%deep cycle.
Im no expert either but some your comments on this thread are somewhat misleading and unhelpful as its totaly false that only 6v batteries have true deep cycle capabilities

where is the "only 6v batteries are deep cycle" comment? perhaps you should learn how to read.. then you might be able to understand manufacturers description of the difference between true deep cycle and other types... here's a small blip from Rolls Surrette..

***Both car batteries and deep cycle batteries are lead-acid batteries that use exactly the same chemistry for their operation (see How Batteries Work for more information). The difference is the way that the batteries optimize their design:

A car's automotive battery is designed to provide a very large amount of current for a short period of time. This surge of current is needed to turn the engine over during starting. Once the engine starts, the alternator provides all the power that the car needs, so a car battery may go through its entire life without ever being drained more than 20% of its total capacity. Used in this way a car battery can last a number of years.

To achieve a large amount of current, a car battery uses thin plates in order to increase its surface area.

A deep cycle battery is instead designed to provide a steady amount of current over a long period of time.

A deep cycle battery can provide a surge when needed, but nothing like the surge a car battery can. A deep cycle battery is also designed to be deeply discharged over and over again (something that would ruin a car battery very quickly).

To accomplish this, a deep cycle battery uses thicker plates.***


what you don't seem to get is the difference between Starter and Deep Cycle battery is like the difference between a Chevy 350 designed to tow heavy trailers in a 1 ton pick up and one designed to do 1/4 mile drag race in a Corvette.. yes they are both 350 cubic inch V8 but that about it in similarity...

[dales133]

you should not use a 12 volt battery..


batteries for camping should be deep cycle "golf cart" types.. they are 6 volt so you need 2 wired in series..

There you go .... i see your just as rude,stuborn and opinionated on the other similar thread....

Perhaps before telling me i need to learn how to read you should remember what you typed previously and actualy look at what other people have typed before flying off on an ungrounded rant you opinionated little man

[MtnDon]

Happy New Year Dale

[dales133]

Happy new year to you too don

[lrrowe]

MtnDon, Dales133,
I have read your many posts on many topics with anticipation, knowing that I would get good information which I could chose to differ with and be quiet about it or get information that did differ from my opinions and knowledge and I take it in the spirit it was appeared to be given....to help we posters. Please keep this style up.

When comments are made as above I,cannot help but think of the many posts over at RV.net that get nasty. Who needs them? And then how they turn me off and send me back to TNTTT. I do not see where abruptness has a home here at TNTTT. We are too much of anfamily here.
It looks like I have a new candidate for blocking.

May you MonDon and Dales133 enjoy a new and better 2016

[dales133]

Thanks Irowe and you too.
I hear what your saying and like this forum for the same reasons

[afreegreek]

you should not use a 12 volt battery..


batteries for camping should be deep cycle "golf cart" types.. they are 6 volt so you need 2 wired in series..

There you go .... i see your just as rude,stuborn and opinionated on the other similar thread....

Perhaps before telling me i need to learn how to read you should remember what you typed previously and actualy look at what other people have typed before flying off on an ungrounded rant you opinionated little man

like I said, where is the statement that "only 6 volt are deep cycle" what I said is GOLF CART TYPE are 6 volt... learn English.. and yes I am opinionated because I know more about batteries than you do.. I've been living off grid for decades and have used and killed many types of batteries until I learn the true FACTS about picking, using and maintaining them.. now I have one 660 AH bank of Rolls Surrette S-290 and one 1280 AH bank of Rolls Surrette S-550, a 3000 watt Magnum Inverter/Charger, a Midnite Classic 200 MPPT Charge Controller, four 250 watt solar panels, and a Yamaha EF2000is generator.. I use them every day and maintain them perfectly because I spent over a year studying and learning FACTS about Solar Panels, Batteries and Chargers from the manufacturers I bought products from... I figured it was worth my time considering I live off grid every day and didn't want to damage my $10,000 solar system...

got a question for you smarty pants... you have a bank of 6 batteries set up to deliver 12 volt to your inverter.. which of the three sets is better and why

6 - 12 volt wired in paralel
6 - 6 volt wired in series/paralel
6 - 2 volt wired in series

[dales133]

.....seriously.
No wonder you live off grid.
Get chased out of town with pitchforks much?

[afreegreek]

.....seriously.
No wonder you live off grid.
Get chased out of town with pitchforks much?

your first reply to me was "with all due respect that statement is completely wrong" it is not Mr Ignoramus..

here are some FACTS you should read and understand.. I could post these things in such volume it would probably crash this site but these few should teach you kindergarden grade battery knowledge and prove it is you who is completely wrong..

http://www.batteries-marine.com/deepcyclestart.php

http://www.everything-about-rving.com/d ... eries.html

http://www.solar-electric.com/deep-cycl ... 0Batteries

http://www.trojanbattery.com/Tech-Suppo ... ction.aspx

http://www.thesolarguide.com/solar-powe ... eries.aspx

[dales133]

Two words.
Pretentious nob

[afreegreek]

OH I really like this one,, it basically says AFREEGREEK is COMPLETELY RIGHT... two 6 volt are better than one 12 volt.. read on my friends..

http://www.everything-about-rving.com/w ... ttery.html

[afreegreek]

Two words.
Pretentious nob

Three words CORRECT PRETENTIOUS KNOB

have a good read :-)

[afreegreek]

Two words.
Pretentious nob

considering the FACT you started this by saying I was COMPLETELY WRONG and all you do now is call me names but can't post any evidence that I am wrong.. this shows that you are a COMPLETELY IGNORANT FOOL... I have only posted about 1% of the information I have on my computer that proves that I am right and this is what is frustrating you... lol!! the internet doesn't hide information.. if you were correct in saying I was completely wrong then you should easily find information to prove your point but you got ZERO..

[afreegreek]

a little bit more.. oh, and note the plate spec of MY CHOICE of batteries.. Rolls Surrette...

***Plate thickness (of the Positive plate) matters because of a factor called "positive grid corrosion". This ranks among the top 3 reasons for battery failure. The positive (+) plate is what gets eaten away gradually over time, so eventually there is nothing left - it all falls to the bottom as sediment. Thicker plates are directly related to longer life, so other things being equal, the battery with the thickest plates will last the longest. The negative plate in batteries expands somewhat during discharge, which is why nearly all batteries have separators, such as glass mat or paper, that can be compressed.

Automotive batteries typically have plates about .040" (4/100") thick, while forklift batteries may have plates more than 1/4" (.265" for example in larger Rolls-Surrette) thick - almost 7 times as thick as auto batteries. The typical golf cart will have plates that are around .07 to .11" thick. The Concorde AGM's are .115", The Rolls-Surrette L-16 type (CH460) is .150", and the US Battery and Trojan L-16 types are .090". The Crown L-16HC size has .22" thick plates. While plate thickness is not the only factor in how many deep cycles a battery can take before it dies, it is the most important one.***