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techntrek View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Battery
    Posted: 09 Nov 2011 at 7:28pm
Ah, ok, nevermind!  Sounds like you have it under control.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Nov 2011 at 5:10pm
Originally posted by techntrek

David, make sure your camper's converter can be set to charge AGMs correctly.  With standard flooded lead-acid charge and float set points you might damage the AGMs.

 
I see you've forgotten my posts of long ago of my devilish schemes to go with AGMs and a different power supply and charge regulator.  If only that money tree in the back yard would start bearing some fruit! LOL
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Nov 2011 at 9:04pm

The easy way to figure out how much power any given setup will give you is to look at the watts.  Volts times amps = watts.  Another way to restate what David said is, when you parallel batteries the voltage stays the same but the amps are added.  When you series batteries the voltage is added but the amps stay the same.

Two batteries of the same size, one 6 volts, one 12 volts, will have roughly the same wattage available.  The 12 volt battery might be rated at 110 amps for your average battery (20 hour rating, a standard measure for deep cycle batteries... another discussion for another time), the 6 volt battery at 220 amps.  The 12 volt battery has 6 cells @ 2 volts each, the 6 volt battery has 3 cells @ 2 volts each but they are twice as big, which is why the 6 volt battery has twice the amperage.  Either way, you get 1320 watts.  Really half that since you shouldn't discharge a battery more than 50% most of the time.

Wattage is a portable number over different voltages (as you can see above), so its a useful number when calculating loads, too.  Especially when you are using an inverter.  So a 100 watt load at 120 volts is still a 100 watt load at 12 volts (plus the overhead of the inverter itself).  The difference is the amps.  At 120 volts you are using .83 amps, but at 12 volts it is 8.3 amps (plus overhead).

Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Nov 2011 at 8:36pm

David, make sure your camper's converter can be set to charge AGMs correctly.  With standard flooded lead-acid charge and float set points you might damage the AGMs.

Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Nov 2011 at 8:04pm
OOh p.s. 2- 6 volt batteries are ok until one of the 3 plates in a 6 volt batterie  seperates from vibration then you have zero volts until you find which one opened, then remove it from the circuit, now you have 6 volts at rated amps, if this happens with a dual 12 volt battery set up, isolate the defective battery and you have 12 volts at the rated amps. shorter life but can still operate your devices. I also wonder about solar panels on the roof to help charge batteries while dry camping. cost versus weight. how about a wind generator on top of the pod that will increase the drag to the point you will need a semi tractor trailer to pull it. I am getting crazy, must be the full moon. HOWL
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Nov 2011 at 7:23pm
I agree with David, 2, 6 volt batteries at 125 amps in series each equals 12 volts at 125 amps. 2 12 volt batteries in parallel at 125 amps is 12 volts at 250 amps. I know golf cart batteries are better, but compare cost, weight and modern batteries are much better than 10 years ago.  you can check out output and watch the curve on deep cycle batteries, they perform at near full output and then fall fast, thats ok, there are gel cells and what not that perform better, but I think any good name brand, Interstate, AC Delco, Excide will perform well under most conditons. Throw another log on the fire. Happy Campin
Dane and Donna Smith
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Nov 2011 at 4:39pm
I have 2 group 24 12v batteries.  One was included in the purchase price of the camper so, the cheap easy way to go was simply add a second.  The longest I have dry camped (without recharging) is 4 and 1/2 days and the batteries were in fine shape. 
 
I have not looked at group 27 batteries so, I really can't comment other than make these very broad statements:
 
1.  2 - 6 volt batteries in series = same amp/hours as stated on the single one, but double the voltage (12)
 
2.  2 - 12 volt batteries in parallel = twice the amp/hour rating as stated on the single one, but voltage remains the same (12).
 
When I have money to burn (any day now) I am going with AGM gel cell batteries.
 
Good luck in your search.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Nov 2011 at 4:10pm
I use 2- 6 volt batteries, together say weigh about 125 pounds. we dont use campsites with hookups.we run the generator twice a day for coocking, while doing that it  charges the batteries. Never ran out of power, All LED lighting.
If you want something done right, do it yourself.
2011 RP172, 2016 Tundra 5.7 Litre, Ltd.


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Nov 2011 at 3:45pm
Normally you will get more amps out of 6 volt batteries.  I think you will find they are heavier also.  Go to a battery web site and see what you can find out.

Terry
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Saint Augustine, FL: The first permanent European settlement in the USA: 1565
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Nov 2011 at 2:34pm
I agree, you have less of a chance of having problems with two 6 volt batteries in series vs. two 12 volt batteries in parallel.  They are about the same size and weight either way.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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