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Old 03-23-2015, 07:45 AM   #1
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2 12 volts batteries ?

We went to lake this weekend and had battery go TU. I am leaning to two 12 volt batteries. A friend has two 6 volt, golf cart batteries. Is there advantage either way ?
Marine or regular truck battery ?
Any advantage of closed cell batteries? Is it worth the $$$
Once agin any input is welcomed. THANKS
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Old 03-23-2015, 07:55 AM   #2
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My rig came with 2 grp-24 deep cycle marine batteries. They are the least expensive of your listed options. They serve my needs just fine. When they died, I just replaced them with 2 more from O'reilly's.
You can purchase 6v golf cart batteries at Costco and farm supply places, etc They also work well if you camp off the grid a lot.

The closed cells are also a more expensive alternative.

Main thing is make sure you have a place to put more batteries and that they are purchased at the same time. An old battery in parallel with a newer battery will affect the good one negatively.

I am not familiar with your term TU but it does not sound good!

You will get many different opinions so don't get to confused. If you have a way to assure the one battery stays properly charged, you may be fine with just one.
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Old 03-23-2015, 08:19 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bkcasa161 View Post
We went to lake this weekend and had battery go TU. I am leaning to two 12 volt batteries. A friend has two 6 volt, golf cart batteries. Is there advantage either way ?
Marine or regular truck battery ?
Any advantage of closed cell batteries? Is it worth the $$$
Once agin any input is welcomed. THANKS
First let me welcome you to the JAYCO forum!!! There is a lot of good information here, and a lot of knowledgeable people.

You ask a question that in most cases will give you as many answers as people you ask and the answer is usually of personal preference. The final decision will be yours, so read and investigate before deciding.

Can you supply us with a little more information?
- What your year/model TT you have?
- Do you have LED lighting?
- Generator?
- Inverter?....
- How many times a year you dry-camp?
- How long you dry camp? (2 days, 3 days, week..)
- How do you charge the batteries while dry camping?

All important questions when making your selection.

If you are serious about dry-camping, then you need a TRUE Deep Cycle battery system. True deep cycle batteries are designed for long term loads. The RV/Marine batteries are not TRUE Deep cycle batteries, they are a hybrid battery and can be used for starting vehicles or some long term load discharges. They have a little thicker plate than a Car/Truck battery, but not as thick as a TRUE deep cycle battery. IF it has a CCA rating (Cold Cranking Amps), it is not a true deep cycle battery. If you only dry camp on occasion and not regularly, you could probably get away with them.

If you will be mounting your batteries outside the TT, you can use regular flooded batteries, and they are less expensive. If you have to mount the batteries inside the TT, I would recommend the sealed (AGM) type batteries ($$$). As for performance their output is close to that of a flooded battery.

12 volt battery vs (2) 6 volt battery system. The 6 volt deep cycle batteries are built for higher Ah ratings. Again most people have their personal preference when selecting batteries.

Battery size will play a big part as to how successful your dry-camping adventure goes. You need to know how much of a load you place on your batteries over time (dry-camping). Lights, Co detector, fridge low voltage circuits, inverter, radio idle state drain...). You need to sit down and do your calculating as for how much battery you really need.

If you purchase a 200Ah battery, you need to understand that you only have 1/2 of the 200Ah or 100Ah that you can use without eventually damaging your battery. When that battery voltage hits 12Volts, you should be terminating your loads. A fully charged battery is 12.6 Volts.

When you use your battery power you need to replace it. How do you plan on charging your battery while dry-camping?

Just some things to think about.....

Don
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Old 03-23-2015, 09:04 AM   #4
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Most of our camping will be off grid. I have a Octane ZX 161. I pull it with a 1994 Dodge 2500 Cummins. We have a Yamaha 3K generator. We do not have LED lighting but will but soon. I believe the trailer has an inverter. We will go 2 times a month for 6 months and possible during hunting season. When we camp now we will be out for 2 or 3 nights.
Is there a guideline as to how long it should take battery to charge hooked up to generator ?
Wgen trailer is stored it is outside and I disconnect the battery. 2 or 3 days before heading out I plug in and check water level in battery and close frig and get it cool.
If you could not tell I have been a tent camper most my life and have just got into a toy hauler we haul 2 kayaks in. We love having bathroom, stove a/c or heat. I read owners manual and do not see how much wattage I will draw usinf A/C or heat.
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Old 03-23-2015, 09:21 AM   #5
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I chose to go dual Grp 24 RV/marine batteries from Costco.

Like you I have a Honda generator, that goes with us every time we don't have hookups. The dual 24s easily will go a two days and a night if we are running the heater without discharging beyond 50%. Longer if no heater is required. However I run the generator every morning for a couple hours and that tops the batteries back off using the shore line and onboard converter. If necessary we might run the generator another couple hours in the evening to make dinner. With this minimal generator usage the batteries maintain a good charge.

I chose the Grp 24 because the are cheaper, fit better and lighter to carry. We pull out the batteries and keep them in the garage on a battery tender when the trailer is in storage.

The only reason I would want GC2s if I was trying to get a weekend of use with no generator and that is t our use model.
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Old 03-23-2015, 09:55 AM   #6
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Been both ways, and hands down, Two Trojan 6V batteries in series will far out perform and outlive two 12V parallel batteries. T105's or T125's. A little more up front, but if you are boondocking, it's the only way to go IMO.
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Old 03-24-2015, 08:43 AM   #7
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I agree with Tim L. Two good 6 volt golf cart batteries will last longer. Adding LED lights will save a bunch of battery reserve.
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Old 03-24-2015, 09:28 AM   #8
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Excellent thread. I think I will install two 6 volt batteries when I have to replace my dealer-installed 12 volt batteries.

By the way, two of these would be nice but you'd have to get a 2nd mortgage.

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Old 03-24-2015, 11:16 AM   #9
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OUCH! Not sure what is heavier, the 155 pounds of battery or the $3,000.00 price tag!

Think of the tongue weight!
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Old 03-24-2015, 05:04 PM   #10
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RE: Post #1
TU = Toes Up, as in the last house you live in - your "toes up" house.
TU = T!TS UP, sort of the same thing.
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Old 03-25-2015, 03:02 PM   #11
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6 Volt batteries.. the plates are thicker so you get more power out of them and longer life (with reasonable care)
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Old 03-25-2015, 03:08 PM   #12
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Good info here : Factory RV 12V Installations and Boondocking Part 2 — Kiss My Grits
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Old 03-25-2015, 03:33 PM   #13
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Here's another Lithium-Ion battery.

https://store.starkpower.com/12V-125...tery_p_65.html

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Old 03-25-2015, 04:12 PM   #14
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My .02, dual 6 Volt batteries are superior but if for some reason you have another one of them go TU you now have no power to the trailer at all since you only be at 6v. I prefer to use dual 12v deep cycle batteries and know that if one of them fails I will still have power. My longest dry camping every year is elk hunting for 12 days. I bring my 2,000w generator and run it for about 1hr each night while I am eating dinner. I've never had a problem with my batteries running low doing this. BUT: I also have the following mods:

1) Progressive Dynamics PD4545 converter
2) 2ga wire ran from the converter directly to my batteries.
3) LED lighting throughout

I plan to do the same converter/battery setup with my new trailer that is on order.
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Old 03-25-2015, 04:16 PM   #15
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I cant believe the price of those lithium batteries. Jeez. I thought my honda eu3000 was pricey. But then again no gen. is as quiet as a battery. Whats the life span of those batteries?
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Old 03-25-2015, 05:48 PM   #16
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Depending on quality and care, they can be recharged 500 to 1000 times. Also, they are cold sensitive, so if temps are below 0F should be removed and brought inside, or they get ruined. AND they have to be partially discharged to a storage level if they are not going to be used for weeks or months, or they get ruined. AND did we mentioned that they need special charging equipment, or they get ruined (or worse)? AND they are much, much more prone to catching fire than the familiar types of batteries - to the point where there are a variety of bans on shipping them in airplanes being considered or are in effect!
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Old 03-25-2015, 09:29 PM   #17
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According to the comparison chart in the URL I posted, Lithium batteries are far superior to lead acid batteries including temperature range, self-discharge rate, & no explosive gases. It also states that they are a direct drop-in replacement for an OEM battery. I know there are special converter/chargers for them but it appears they can be charged with a standard charger or generator.

I'm not advocating for Lithium batteries, just trying to present the facts as stated by the manufacturer.
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Old 03-26-2015, 05:50 AM   #18
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Lithium differences

Lithium batteries are a whole different animal. The cells of a regular flooded battery are 2.1 volts each, the cells of a Lithium battery are about 3.525 volts each. You can use some chargers, but it needs to have its settings altered to adjust for the different characteristics of the Lithium battery.

On the interesting side, Lithium batteries operate best in a charge range of 90% SOC and down to 10% SOC. Operating in that range increases cycle life about 50% or 2000 up to 3000 cycles.

They require a special battery management system and using a regular battery charge controller you could fry your battery on the first couple charges. That would be a VERY EXPENSIVE choice.

It will be a while before I can afford those babies.

Just my thoughts,
Don
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Old 03-26-2015, 07:10 AM   #19
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Unless you are anticipating an extreme off grid setup for an extended time, the cost of Lit batteries would be hard to justify. The rest of all this is pretty much "established science". Want more Ah's than the OEM battery, get a true deep cycle 12v. Want more then go with dual batteries. 2 6v's will trump 2 12v's any day of the week.

Moving on to next thread!
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Old 03-26-2015, 10:32 AM   #20
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Unless you are anticipating an extreme off grid setup for an extended time, the cost of Lit batteries would be hard to justify. The rest of all this is pretty much "established science". Want more Ah's than the OEM battery, get a true deep cycle 12v. Want more then go with dual batteries. 2 6v's will trump 2 12v's any day of the week.

Moving on to next thread!
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