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hogone View Drop Down
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Posts: 1042 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Battery charging?
    Posted: 23 Jun 2015 at 9:47am
what is best recommended brand/style etc for 6v batteries; seems to be alot out there.  hogone
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techntrek View Drop Down
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Posts: 9059 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jun 2015 at 10:08pm
Old style rubber cases would leak a little fluid and so ground themselves if they were right on the floor.  No need with the plastic cases.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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JohnBG View Drop Down
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Posts: 190 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jun 2015 at 9:12pm
Dang... I've been putting batteries on plywood all this time for nothing?  Or am I showing my age again?
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Posts: 9059 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jun 2015 at 5:57pm
Don't worry about the plywood, that is an old myth.  True back in the day but not with modern battery cases.

You can get 12 volt batteries that are around 100 amp hour, too.  The two biggest advantages are the series wiring (as mentioned) and usually you can get much better - and true - deep cycle batteries that are 6 volts.  
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Posts: 451 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jun 2015 at 4:25pm
I have two Interstate Sportsman batteries 12V (85ah if I remember correctly), in Parallel. no problems with 4 nights camping, as long as it doesn't involve a lot of furnace activity. Otherwise, no problems.

Always check water levels a couple times a year, and electrolyte levels, and don't discharge below 50% if possible, or it will shorten the life cycle.
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JohnBG View Drop Down
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Posts: 190 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jun 2015 at 1:02pm
I don't plan on doing any "boondock" camping, and will probably stay at places with electric and water hookups, so I will probably stick with one battery at least for the meanwhile.  My wallet is starting to get a little empty. Cry

Two golf cart batteries will put a lot of load on the tongue I don't want.  I rebuilt an old electric golf cart two years ago and put 6 new batteries in it, those suckers are heavy!

I'm leaving the camper plugged in for a day or two and see if the battery will hold at least a partial charge.  If not then I guess I need to make a trip to Wally World for another one.
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CharlieM View Drop Down
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Posts: 1797 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jun 2015 at 12:20pm
Simple math, and then some. The typical Group 24 12 volt "marine" battery supplied by dealers is rated at 70+ AH so two would provide ~150 AH. Some of the better batteries go to 86 AH for one. The common GC2 golf cart battery is rated at 220+ AH at 6 V. Two in series gives 12 V at 220+ AH, or 46% more than the dual twelves. They fit the same footprint, but weigh slightly more. The energy storage capacity of a flooded lead acid battery is roughly proportional to its weight so more lead is better. A secondary reason for two sixes vs two twelves is that parallel battery paths are technically inferior to a single series path. It has to do with current sharing (engineer speak). 
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JohnBG View Drop Down
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Posts: 190 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jun 2015 at 11:01am
Why not 2 12V batteries wired in parallel?  That would give double the amp-hours.
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Posts: 309 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jun 2015 at 1:23am
Originally posted by JohnBG

/ .. snipped to here:

Could be muerto... Any suggestions on a replacement?

Dual 6-volts wired in series.  Gives you 12 volts with lots of capacity.
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JohnBG View Drop Down
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Posts: 190 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jun 2015 at 10:08pm
I checked the water level in the battery (it was fine) and leaving the trailer plugged into a house circuit overnight and will check it tomorrow.  From then on I will disconnect the positive lead when in storage until I can install a shut off switch.  Or maybe just pull the battery out and put it in the garage on a piece of plywood

The existing battery is an interstate but they didn't punch the date codes on it so I have no idea how old it is.  Florida heat is murder on batteries. I am lucky to get 3 years on my truck, motorcycle and lawn mower and they aren't sitting in a black box baking in the sun.

Could be muerto... Any suggestions on a replacement?
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