Batteries

[russ2528]

I have to replace my coach batteries for the first time. Any recommendations?

Thank
Russ

2008 Monaco Knight SKQ 

Edited May 1, 2020 by russ2528@sbcglobal.net
Added info

[Urban Hermit]

Motocraft of Delco.  Stay away from Interstate.  Run in a panic from anything from Battery World or Battery Life or Battery Bamboozler because it's all fatally flawed Chinese junk.  Learned that the hard way by buying D8 ad D4 marine batteries it takes Charles At Last to lift and J. Paul Getty's estate to pay for.  If you have room to switch from 2 x 12v for house to 4x6V, do it -- lots more endurance.   Get all the CCA , cold cranking amps, you can for your coach battery.

[thomasgibbens]

If these are start batteries and you have a Freightliner chassis, I recommend that you look at their Alliance batteries. Good price and they come with a 18 month warranty. 

[Urban Hermit]

Didn't know Freightliner has a battery line.  I've just bought a Monaco which probably has a Freightliner chassis -- I'll have to look into Alliance when the time comes.

[Guest Cruzbill]

Batteries are designed to do one thing well, they will fail when you need them the most. Ignore CCA or other measure of capacity; RV deep cycle battery capacity is measured at the "20 hour" rate. Most house batteries (GC2 size, 6 volt) have a 200-225 AH 20 hr rate. Cost for flooded (cheapest, must be kept charged all the time, check and add water every month) about $100 ea. No muss, no fuss AGM batteries (don't have to fill w/water, do have to keep charged) about $300. Best bang for the buck (but more upfront cost) are Lithium, at about $1,000 for a 100 AH 12v battery.  Flooded batteries 'should' only be discharged to 50% of capacity so as to maximize their life. So a 225  AH flooded battery and a 100 AH lithium battery are about equal, as lithium batteries do not have the 50% discharge limit like flooded batteries do.  Me? I bought my last set of (4) GC2 batteries a couple of years ago at Costco for $83 ea. I let the previous set discharge (no electric hook up at the storage yard). Lithium is the best choice if you have the cash. There are lots of opinions on batteries on the forums, about as much as there are opinions on tires and how to clean your black tank! 

[Hotrod - R.I.P.]

I’m running duracell gc2 agms from sams club where they are $179.  They are going on six years and still work great. Never going to flooded again. Might be ready to try lithium next time depending on price . 

[Guest Cruzbill]

Curiously, Sam's Club does not sell the Duracell AGMs out here; They are listed on the website, but no price is returned when entering a local zip code.  

[Hotrod - R.I.P.]

I don’t know where “here” is but generally they (gc2agm) are at about 1/4 of the Sams clubs East of the MS river (the last time I looked).

Use the sams club app to examine inventory are various clubs. I’ve seen them at Lady Lake, Fl,  hattisburg , Ms, Meridian, ms, Latham, ny. 
 

 

 

There was also a Trojan dealer at the SEA rally in Fl in February that was selling their agm gc2 for the same price as the Duracell. I don’t know their name but maybe someone does. Anyway you don’t have to pay 300 for them . 

[Urban Hermit]

I disagree with "ignore CCA" when considering chassis batteries.   A chassis battery needs to be able to discharge briefly but rapidly at a high rate since its main use is turning an engine over -- very high amperage, or "cranking amps."  However CCA is irrelevant for coach batteries, which are not subject to extremely heavy amperage demands.  For coach deep cycle, designed to discharge slowly over a very long time, are appropriate.  

[Mel S - '96 Safari]

2 hours ago, Cruzbill said:

 Ignore CCA

Cruzbil

Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) are important when choosing CHASSIS, (aka: starting), batteries.

 

CCA is a rating used in the battery industry to define a battery's ability to start an engine in cold temperatures. The rating refers to the number of amps a 12-volt battery can deliver at 0°F for 30 seconds while maintaining a voltage of at least 7.2 volts.

[Urban Hermit]

8 minutes ago, Mel S - '96 Safari said:

Cruzbil

Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) are important when choosing CHASSIS, (aka: starting), batteries.

 

CCA is a rating used in the battery industry to define a battery's ability to start an engine in cold temperatures. The rating refers to the number of amps a 12-volt battery can deliver at 0°F for 30 seconds while maintaining a voltage of at least 7.2 volts.

Zackly. 

[Hotrod - R.I.P.]

Gc2 agms have a 680a cca, something flooded battery’s don’t have at all because of high internal resistance. I have 4 banks. When I hit the boost switch , I have 4270 cca on tap. 
 

Also if the chassis batteries are dead for whatever reason, the house batteries supply 2620cca wirh the boost, twice what is needed . 

[Guest Cruzbill]

Ignore CCA when shopping for coach (house) batteries, which, according to the OP, is what he is shopping for. "Out here" is Northern California.  

[Mel S - '96 Safari]

20 hours ago, russ2528@sbcglobal.net said:

I have to replace my coach batteries for the first time. Any recommendations?

Thank
Russ

2008 Monaco Knight SKQ 

Russ

There are 2 different sets of  batteries in your coach ...(HOUSE batteries & CHASSIS batteries)...which of those "coach batteries" do you have to replace?

[russ2528]

It’s the inside batteries not the engine. 

[Urban Hermit]

Marine deep cycle 12v or (much better) twice as many 6v golf cart or equivalent.

[Hotrod - R.I.P.]

2 hours ago, Cruzbill said:

Ignore CCA when shopping for coach (house) batteries, which, according to the OP, is what he is shopping for. "Out here" is Northern California.  

That’s smart to not ignore information . The cca on gc2 agms tell your that they have low internal resistance and can operate loads such as your inverter much more efficiently than flooded batteries .  I know how poorly flooded batteries deal with big loads as I have had them . 

[Guest Cruzbill]

I'll try to be smarter, Hotrod; I'll parse my statement about CCA to 'exclude' AGM batteries. To compare flooded batteries CCA is to engage in marketing hyperbole.  There are many excellent references on the web with respect to batteries, I only have my experience, mostly frustration, with batteries and I claim no knowledge beyond that. 

Enjoy the read!

https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/absorbent_glass_mat_agm

 

 

[saflyer]

23 hours ago, Cruzbill said:

Curiously, Sam's Club does not sell the Duracell AGMs out here; They are listed on the website, but no price is returned when entering a local zip code.  

Sam’s only sells them East of the Mississippi.  Why?  Who knows?  I’ve asked and can’t get an answer.

Ed ‘05 HR Ambassador 

[Hotrod - R.I.P.]

The reason I believe that Duracell is sold east of the ms is that they are made by East Penn and freight is a big factor.  
 

East of the MS is not true any more.  I found them in stock in Fresno , CA !

Lady Lake, Fl as your club on the sams app and look them up. 
 

latham , ny has them. 

Edited May 3, 2020 by Hotrod

[Hotrod - R.I.P.]

8 hours ago, saflyer said:

Sam’s only sells them East of the Mississippi.  Why?  Who knows?  I’ve asked and can’t get an answer.

Ed ‘05 HR Ambassador 

Ed, Actually, apparently Now they do sell them all the way out to California now .  You just need to look in the right store. 

[saflyer]

43 minutes ago, Hotrod said:

Ed, Actually, apparently Now they do sell them all the way out to California now .  You just need to look in the right store. 

That’s great news. However, I think my next batteries will be lithium.

Edited May 4, 2020 by saflyer

[Guest Cruzbill]

Good to know! Fresno is a bit far from here, but maybe they will wind up in our local (30 mi+) Sams. 

[Tom Cherry]

On 5/2/2020 at 4:11 PM, russ2528@sbcglobal.net said:

It’s the inside batteries not the engine. 

There are many of old "Buggy Whipper Snappers" that are not AGM "wired".  We like the WET CELLS.  As far a Deep Cycle Wet Cell....there is but ONE GOLD STANDARD.  TROJAN.  The T105's are, based on many techs and also years of experience and also reading this forum since 2009, the only choice.  If you really want to get max life out of them, then go to Amazon and purchase the Medium Water Miser caps.  They act like a distillate column and the water flows back down.  Many of us can up up to 6 or maybe 9 months without adding any DI water.

The secret of House Battery life if USE THEM.  If you rarely dry camp and don't drain or run down the batteries, then you need to exercise them about once every 4 - 6 months.  I use a 500 Watt Halogen work light.  You refill the batteries to around 7/16 - 1/2" from the bottom of the well.  I use a hardwood dowel with a grove cut in it as a dip stick.   If you measure the bottom of the well to the top of the plates...that is about 1" or maybe 7/8" (memory),  I split the difference.  

Next up....charge them fully.  THEN pull the AC line and turn on the work light.  That will start to put a constant drain on them.  Use a VOM and measure the voltage at the BATTERY.  You can safely go down to 11.8 VDC.  YES....that is below the 50% GOSPEL voltage for 1/2 SOC.  BUT....if you then kill the drain and let the batteries sit (without recharging), they will pop back of stabilize around 12.0 VDC.  You need to do this TWO or THREE times.  

You also need to purchase a GOOD hydrometer....with a REAL scale and not "colors".  Amazon sells them for around $15.  Each time you drain the batteries....before adding any electrolyte or recharging....do a Battery Voltage Test as well as a Specific Gravity test of each cell.  Compare the cell to cell variation as well as the battery to battery variation.

IF you practice the above PM....then your batteries should last a LONG time.  BTW....the Trojan T105 are selling (on the east coast) for around $105 - $110.  There are many techs at large service shops that say when a customer brings in a dry Interstate....you can put in electrolyte (DI water) and recharge....and he will be back again for new batteries.  BUT, with the Trojans, typically 75% will work fine and the owner will get many more years of service.

[Guest jerrygrosman]

If you are going to be a full timer and for a long time then spend the money  and get Lithium is the best.   I have had mine 3 years and love them.   No solar cells because I use the generator to keep it is shape.  I move the batteries between coaches.