AGM Filliment Question for Outback Model

Verna

Photomom said:

Perhaps someone snuck up in the night and made use of your outside outlet?

Sharon_is_SAM

PXLated, you may have already decided about your next battery.  Have you considered the 150 amphr Trojan T 1275?  Tabnero uses one and is happy.  82# and 13 x 7 x 11 inches, but he said it only required a knotch out of the battery support to allow it to fit.  

Nomad

They be AC and they'd be out of luck.

Ratkity

Outside outlets only work on 110V. I think someone fused his tongue pigtail so his running lights were on all night! He would have noticed the blinking fuse, so it had to be a regular fuse. Dang those squirrels!!! Sneaky little rodents. 

rfuss928

Optima blue top batteries (spiral AGM construction) are know for higher power density, extreme vibration resistance, significantly longer life and zero maintenance compared to flooded lead acid batteries.  They are a premium battery with a premium price but in the long run are less expensive to own because of their long life.  These were the batteries of choice in industrial/commercial power back up systems I worked on.

I am on my fifth camping season with two D31M batteries and they continue to perform as new.  I have not even seen them since I screwed the cases shut in 2011.

Nomad

Well, day two and everything's normal as it was last night. Will see what morning brings.

Nomad

Well, would get a couple normal days and then in the dumper - down to 10.2 and 9.8 by morning. No change in routine or what I had running. Start at the same 12.7/8, to 12.2/4 at bedtime and then overnight, zap.
Wasn't cose to any battery specific places so stopped at an RV dealer and got another 24 - different numbers (higher) than my old one and a little more expensive than the old also (not much).
Next summer when I'm back at maintenance central I'll mod for the 27. But, the 24 has served me well so it's not pressing. Can't imagine what I'd do with the power of dual golf carts.

Verna

PXLated, I think the dual 6V golf cart batteries mostly keep the charge up longer, a slower decrease in voltage. While I'm still very conservative in my usage, I've never really seen the voltage near the danger zone.  

As I've said before, I went with the 200 Watt Zamp because I only wanted to buy once and the same with the dual 6V batteries. I'll be disappointed if I don't get 4 or more years out of the batteries. 

I'm glad you did get the new battery. It should serve you for a couple more years, unless you upgrade before.  

Nomad

Until recently, I'd never been close to the danger zone. Just plum wore the little sucker out :-)

Nomad

New battery working well - never got below 12.6 even with the Alde running all night - not a real cold night though (40s).

FuzzyYanni

I'm basically ripping out the standard plastic box from a 2010 DM T@B TS and replacing it with a 63" long / 21" tall aluminum welded diamond back truck storage box. I think for the most part in Canada, the only sites available that don't look like a parking lot are dry-camping and I will need dual GC 6V batteries + a generator and gasoline. For our purposes, I don't see the point of trying to do this without mods or cramming everything into the plastic container then having to find storage for the generator and gasoline inside the vehicle or T@B (Gross fumes). Lots of questions still to answer but this is my plan at the moment.

ChanW

To get back to the O.P., the campground we stayed at in Canada (central Ontario) was beautiful. Nice showers, great cross country ski trails, excellent ice skating loop (one if the camping loops was converted to a skating loop, with zamboni and all.

Not many campers either (well ok, it was mid winter), but the sites weren't too too cramped. Nothing like some of the private ones I've seen on our side of the border.

But, I have to say, I'd rather be boondocking in the mountains, anytime. B-)

glesieutre

SAM said:

PXLated, you may have already decided about your next battery.  Have you considered the 150 amphr Trojan T 1275?  Tabnero uses one and is happy.  82# and 13 x 7 x 11 inches, but he said it only required a notch out of the battery support to allow it to fit.  

Any chance you could point me towards a description of how Tabnero did this Trojan T-1275 mod? I would love to see a photo and know what battery box is used.  I am leaning towards trying to get a group 27 battery in there, but I'm interested in this, too -- although it's a bit heavy! 

Sharon_is_SAM

Glesieutre,  Tabnero did not show any pics of how this was done.  Other people add a piece of wood that essentially acts as a new battery floor.  I will try to point you to a couple of examples.

glesieutre

SAM said:

Glesieutre,  Tabnero did not show any pics of how this was done.  Other people add a piece of wood that essentially acts as a new battery floor.  I will try to point you to a couple of examples.

Thanks, SAM.  I found something from ScottG that had great pictures for a group 27 battery installation.  http://tab-rv.vanillaforums.com/discussion/2387/fitting-a-group-27-battery I think I can do it. I'm also considering the Trojan 31XHS battery (130 AH @ 20 hours).  It's basically the same footprint as a group 27 and, at 67 lbs, is ~20 lbs lighter than the T-1275.  (But I would need a lifting strap.)  

glesieutre

glesieutre said:

I found something from ScottG that had great pictures for a group 27 battery installation.  http://tab-rv.vanillaforums.com/discussion/2387/fitting-a-group-27-battery 

I ended up doing a mod very much like this one.  Decided to go with the T-1275 plus for the extra capacity (150 Ah @ 20 hours) and the lower terminals -- it fits in a Group 27 box. Maiden voyage this weekend.