What would this battery get me over my current one.

Nomad

As most know, I'm running pretty much stock with a Group-24 battery and am not going to do any great mods to accomodate a bigger battery or especially duals - The simple mod for a Group-27 via a simple battery frame insert is a possibility but I was intrigued by the fact that this Bluetop could just drop into the standard battery box - mentioned in another thread.

So, here's what I have...



And here's the Bluetop specs...



What would it buy me powerwise, if anything, to drop this in?

wizard1880

I wouldn't do it.  You're going to drop from 84 AH down to 55 AH.  You can get group 24s for less than $100 almost anywhere.

Nomad

So, I'd have less for more money. From the other thread (to my non tech general impression) it'd be a good replacement, and easy also.

AldebaranJill

Agree with@wizard1880 - the most capacity that I could find in a group 24 was the one I bought, Trojan SCS150, which has Capacity at 20 hrs (C20) of 100 AH.

Nomad

It's not like the Group-24 hasn't served me well - A little more AmpHr reserve might be nice at times is all.

AldebaranJill

I'll also note that Trojan publishes this regarding discharge. Direct quote:

Discharging batteries is entirely a function of your particular application. 

However, below is list of helpful items:

1. Shallow discharges will result in a longer battery life.
2. 50% (or less) discharges are recommended.
3. 80% discharge is the maximum safe discharge.
4. Do not fully discharge flooded batteries (80% or more). This will damage (or kill) the battery.

I don't know if other battery manufactures will say that you can discharge to 80%, but if I am in a bind and am unable to charge, I would go down to 80% and at least know I'm not going to damage/kill the battery. If you're shopping for a new Group 24, maybe see what their lowest "safe" discharge is, because that could also matter in purchase decision.

Nomad

Not really shopping, just put a new 24 in later this summer and didn't really have a coice where I was - Took the only one in stock. The discussion just got me to thinkin :-)

Nomad

With fridge on propane, Alde on propane, rear lights on till midnight, I rarely get down below 12.2 (60%). Seems to settle in there and stay all night.

ScottG

I have the same general question as PXL. I paid $90 locally for a garden variety group 27 flooded cell RV/marine battery rated at 105AH. I'm not claiming it;s the highest quality unit out there, but it does the job and fits (with minor modification) in the standard tub. With judicious use, I can even camp three plus days without dropping below 12.2V.

What I gather from various posts is that the advantage of considerably more expensive batteries does not necessarily equate to more power, but rather offers some combination of the following:

- longer serviceable life
- better able to hold a resting charge
- maintenance free
- less susceptible to permanent damage from deep discharging (?)

Am I interpreting this correctly? It would be helpful to have a concise list of the pros and cons of various battery types with respect to our particular use. Thanks for any additional insights.

ColoradoJon

Personally I am not a fan of expensive name brand batteries (Crown,Trojan).  Well, Crown batteries are the best made, but the expense is too much for me to justify.  Yes, the name brand batteries supposedly have longer life, better quality control.  They are NOT maintenance free or less susceptible to discharge damage.  In fact if you do not maintain them properly they are no better than anything else out there.

Name brand stuff may or may not actually have longer service life or quality control.  There is a lot of anecdotal evidence out there for it, though.  Trojan seems to have a good following on the internet.

The battery you buy will depend entirely on your needs.  If you find you are short on power then you will need more capacity OR a charging solution (solar/generator), or both.  If you currently do not run out of power then do not change a thing!

Verna

My battery of choice is the Interstate brand. There is a store close by and Jon will take all the time it takes to help and explain. Customer service means a lot to me. I first walked into his store late on a Saturday afternoon a few years ago after my SUV battery had died and I needed to jump it to get to his store. Even though it was close to his quitting time, he showed me my options and he installed the new battery. I love that guy and his attitude!

In my T@B, I have two 6-volt golf cart batteries that pair nicely with my 200 watt Zamp solar panel suitcase. During last winter in AZ, I do not recall going below 12.4V.

I knew a 80 watt Zamp suitcase was just enough for my "toys" with an Interstate 100ah AGM battery the winter before in my teardrop, so I decided to buy once for the next 10 years or more for my T@B and bought the 200 watt Zamp (I discussed my payback plans in another discussion last week). 

While I'm not saying you must buy my brand of choice, do as your budget allows and maintain your equipment. Know what you need today and calculate your expected growth in usage. 

Nomad

One thing with Interstate, they are everywhere. When my battery was acting wonky out in the sticks, Interstate was my only option. Same when I blew a T@B tire, no choice. It was either what the local guy carried or run on the rim :-)

ColoradoJon

@Verna - wow!  Dual 6v batteries and 200 watt solar!  You could install a decent inverter and run a regular refrigerator and never, ever run out of power

AldebaranJill

Do no assume Trojan is more expensive - the SCS150 I bought was under $200, which is less than the original one posted in this thread. Again, it's a different group size, but for Group 24, at 100 AH, it was a reasonable price, especially with ability to deep discharge and excellent customer service. There are many places near me that sell them.

AldebaranJill

But to echo ColoradoJon, you can kill any battery (and I have killed both Trojans and Interstates) by not charging them fully after use, and not keeping them charged during storage.

ColoradoJon

AldebaranJill said:

Do no assume Trojan is more expensive - the SCS150 I bought was under $200, which is less than the original one posted in this thread. Again, it's a different group size, but for Group 24, at 100 AH, it was a reasonable price, especially with ability to deep discharge and excellent customer service. There are many places near me that sell them.

The quoted battery is a Optima battery which is in the higher price range.  They are not your standard Auto-Zone/Batteries Plus/Big Box Store battery.  But yes, you can find some good deals on Trojans if you search around.  I bought two Batteries-Plus 6v 230AH batteries for $109 each.  Closest Trojan was $165 each.  Will they last as long as the Trojans?  I don't know, but I am sure I will get at least 5 years out of them

Verna

@ColoradoJon, just so long as I can watch the IU men's basketball games!  I did find out the TV is not an energy hog, nor is the satellite receiver--thank goodness!  The satellite receiver is the only thing I need the inverter for.

The Dish is one thing I splurged on and that was part of the reason I recommend assessing your own needs. 

I prefer the 3-way fridge as it is a miser on propane,  or my ARB fridge freezer that is just as miserly with 12V. No need for electric in the desert!

wizard1880

To answer Pxl's question about price and extended usability, group 24 batteries are in general "marine" batteries, meaning they have thicker lead plates than your car's starting battery, but also not a 'true' deep cycle either.  You'll get decent service and a few years out of them, especially if you give them a periodic top-off with a good smart charger (14.4-14.7v).  The built-in WFCO converter is not capable of this.  But the zamp solar panels are.

With golf cart batteries, and some good group 27s, you get a true deep cycle, with far thicker plates that can withstand more cycles.  But they can cost more too, and you need to modify your camper to accommodate them.

It all boils down to your own usage habits and expectations.  Pxl is perfectly fine with the stock group 24, and since he's conservative with his power use, has opportunity for solar, it is a good fit.

I'm my case, since I have a clamshell with the power hungry 12v only fridge and our cloudy weather up here (plus my love of deep forest camping), I found that 2 golf cart batteries work best.  I can get 2 nights of camping, running the fridge, televisions and water pump, lights, etc, with no energy conserving habits at all, and still have 60 percent charge remaining.  That fits my expectations and I was willing to put the expense and labor needed to make it work.

irvingj

PXL, I should also point out that the main reason I got my Optima was because of the "sit time" our T@B experienced; we were not full-time campers. It was important to me to be able to have the battery not discharge itself while just sitting, and the Optima was really excellent in that regard. When we wanted to hit the road, an hour or so was plenty to top it off --if it even needed it-- before leaving.

As far as camping and boon docking a lot and using those 12 volts, yes, I'd agree that a higher AH capacity would likely be a better way to go.

I don't think we ever used our T@B enough to make much of a dent in that Optima, because we were generally somewhere where we could plug in or else our trips were only a day or two, so we never put that much of a strain on it. (And keep in mind that we had an older DM T@B: not much to drain the battery, just the occasional fridge fan, lights, and the CO detector.)