6V batteries fit in Outback propane tub

Tabaz

Was pleasantly surprised to find my two new golf cart batteries fit perfectly in my 2016 Outback propane tub.  Duracell 6V deep cycle 230 AH.  $104 each after discount from Batteries Plus (order online, pick up in store).  First went to Costco.  They only sell a 210 AH battery for $85.  Same size as the Duracell.  For some reason, the Duracell's don't come with a handle (hence the white nylon rope).  64 pounds each.  There is a bolt that secures the aluminum tub to the trailer frame that sits directly under the battery on the right.  I cut a 1/2" piece of plywood with an opening for the bolt head so that the battery sat flat on the wood.  Will devise some way to secure the batteries to the tub.  No room for a plastic case.  Can't wait to enjoy 460 AH of juice while camping (230 AH x 2 batteries)!  Just messing with the electric nerds.  I know I'll "only" have 230 AH at 12V.

Michigan_Mike

That's a lot cheaper than the Interstate batteries, nice!!!  My batteries are sitting in there like yours and haven't moved but agree, it's a better idea to strap them down inside the tub.  

Timeout

BatteriesPlus sells a removable handle for about $5.00 that clips on to the "tabs" on the Duracell batteries.

Tabaz

Would have gladly paid the $5, but the guy at Batteries Plus never offered it.  He used an industrial grabber to move them around.

Timeout

Yeah, our guy at BatteriesPlus didn't offer the strap until I suggested he come to our house and put them in the tub.......

ColoradoJon

I have the exact same batteries sitting in the same location.  I did put a piece of plywood down underneath to protect the batteries from the bolt heads holding the tub to the frame, just like you did.  Good job!  Sadly, you won't get 460 AH.  Hooked in series you will only get 230 AH @ 12V. (Edit - oops, you already knew that!)

I've had them in there for over a year and have never strapped them down.  They stay put just fine.

I have the handle that @Timeout mentioned.  It's a lifesaver lifting those 65lb. batteries out of the tub!  Definitely go back and get one, it's worth it.

Tabaz

ColoradoJon - thanks for the info about not having to strap them down. However, the left side battery may slide forward. I'll just use a large "L" bracket to keep it in place. 64 pounds sure seems heavy when your leaning over the tub!! Need to get back to gym I guess.

ColoradoJon

@Tabaz - when I installed mine I was looking at this plastic box but never got around to ordering one. I'm still considering it - it looks like it would fit in the Outback tub.

Century Plastics Dual 6V HD Battery Box

$53.25 from All Battery sales and service.

GailandJohn

I know this is a silly question, but I'm still learning and really want to do this. Is there a reason to be lifting the batteries out of the tub other than to replace them? Do they need to be stored during freezing weather? Do they require maintenance? How much improvement are they over the battery that comes with the T@B if we are wanting to boondock?

Tabaz

GailandJohn:  I include lifting the batteries in and out of the tub as part of my daily workout routine.  See the results for yourself:

However, if you already have an adequate workout routine, there is no reason to ever take them out unless you store your T@B in a very cold location or they need replacing.  Many T@Bers in colder climates take the battery out, put it in a fairly temperate location and hook it up to a battery tender over the winter.  The only maintenance is checking the water levels (very easy to do).  The only improvement I can see going with the two 6v instead of one 12v, is the larger capacity.  My old Group 27 battery was rated at 100 Amp Hours (really only about 50 AH useable if I understand the tables correctly).  My dual set-up is rated at 230 AH meaning I can go a much longer time before needing to recharge them with a generator or solar panels.

GailandJohn

Haha @Tabaz , those are some awesome results but I think our workout regimen is fine for now, but I'll share this with John in case he wants to add something to his routine. Would we be able to run our mini Keurig coffee maker and electric crockpot with these? We're planning a boondock trip to the Texas gulf coast for 3 days and I'm wondering if we should get these or go ahead and get a generator. We already have a solar panel and won't need AC this time of year. The Alde and fridge can run off propane, though we've hardly used the Alde as it seems to stay warm inside pretty easily.

ChrisandAlexis

@GailandJohn, you would need to get a generator if you want to run a mini Keurig coffee maker and electric crockpot as they will need AC to operate.

GailandJohn

ChrisandAlexis said:

@GailandJohn, you would need to get a generator if you want to run a mini Keurig coffee maker and electric crockpot as they will need AC to operate.

Okay, that makes sense. So anything we need to plug in with a regular plug would require a generator? What about the television and dvd player?

ChrisandAlexis

@GailandJohn. Yes, anything that has a plug that goes into the regular house socket would need AC. As far as a television or dvd player, it would depend on what power source they need. We have a T@B CS and it comes with 2 televisions, both run on DC (battery).

GailandJohn

@ChrisandAlexis, got it! So I would need to find out somehow if the tv and dvd player run on dc. If your 2017 runs on dc then ours may as well. Perhaps that would be in the owners manual, or I can check with nuCamp. Thanks so much for this info! I think that I'm finally starting to wrap my head around all of this!

Sharon_is_SAM

GailandJohn, with the exception of the air cond. and the 110 outlets (AC), everything is wired to run off of battery (DC).  In general, anything that generates or removes heat and requires a higher current( air cond., hair dryer, crock pot, coffee machine, ice maker, microwave, etc) needs shorepower or generator.  Tab TV and DVD run off battery.  Have you seen the chart that documents the amps drawn with each appliance?  What size battery do you have?

pthomas745

You can run small appliances from your 12V battery with an inverter. Just because it has a household plug, it does not prevent it's use on a 12V system.  I have small inverters (200 watt or so) that use a cigarette plug that goes directly into the 12v plugs inside the Tab.  The inverters have household plugs, I use the smaller ones to charge batteries, run laptops, a small fan, etc.  I bet it would easily run a TV or a DVD player.  ( I would test it, first.)

Small inverter
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N3Q8YAI/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Larger inverter
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00APL78W2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
BUT:

Using appliances that "make heat" will require a larger inverter and will use a decent amount of your amps on your battery.  I have a small Insta-Pot (3qt model).  I used my Kill-a-Watt toy and tested the amount of amps it uses while pressure cooking.  While the Pot is heating up and moving up to pressure, it used 5.7 Amps.  When it has reached pressure, the amp hour use dropped almost to zero.  I've used it on my 75 amp hour battery with a 900 watt inverter, and it worked fine. (I connected it directly to the trailer battery.)   But it did draw the battery down to about 70% for the 15 minutes or so it took to get the food up to pressure.  As long as you understand the amp hour hit your battery will take, and whether you have enough sun to recharge, go for it.  All these considerations are the trade-offs on solar use and batteries.

So, test and verify:  how many amps does your coffee maker and slow cooker use?

Tabaz

All the televisions and DVD players in the T@B are 12volt.  I have a 2000W inverter that I use to power a 700W microwave while boondocking.  If you're serious about boondocking and using 110V appliances, you can't go wrong with a 2000W generator.  Just plug the generator into the T@B, use your 110V device, then turn the generator off when done.  Also, I've gone long weekends using the microwave with just a 200W solar setup.  Just don't make a big dinner as the sun is going down, or you'll wake up with zero battery power.

ericnliz

@Tabaz , If you get "used" to the weight of those batteries, they DO make much heavier ones to help keep up your "fitness" routine!

GailandJohn

SAM said:

GailandJohn, with the exception of the air cond. and the 110 outlets (AC), everything is wired to run off of battery (DC).  In general, anything that generates or removes heat and requires a higher current( air cond., hair dryer, crock pot, coffee machine, ice maker, microwave, etc) needs shorepower or generator.  Tab TV and DVD run off battery.  Have you seen the chart that documents the amps drawn with each appliance?  What size battery do you have?

Thanks @SAM, yes I found that document yesterday, very helpful. I don't know what size we have now. It's the one that came with our T@B when we bought it, but we're going to go ahead and purchase the 2 of the battery that Tabaz mentioned above. 

Tabaz

Gail and John - I would suggest not spending the money on two new 6v batteries until you actually calculate your intended usage.  I used my Group 27 (100AH) battery that came with my T@B for two full years without any problems.  The only reason I went with the two 6v setup was the 27 finally died.

GailandJohn

@Tabaz , the more I read the more I tend to agree. I don't know how often we will boondock, as we're enjoying the state parks and almost all of them have hookups, so I kinda hate to spend the money for one trip. We have one 100w solar panel, so we may just add a second and leave it at that. If we decide to boondock more often, we may just go ahead and get a generator. I think we can make a few minor modifications to the way we camp and make it work, comfortably. Thanks to you and everyone else for the great advice and info. It has been a huge help!

jkjenn

As an FYI, the Trojan batteries are slightly larger and require modification of the tub to fit.

ColoradoJon

The Trojan 105 is a standard golf cart GC2 battery and two will fit inside the Outback tub without modification.  I do not think that they will fit in the non-outback tub.  The 105s are the same physical dimensions as my Duracell GC2 batteries.

jkjenn

ColoradoJon said:

The Trojan 105 is a standard golf cart GC2 battery and two will fit inside the Outback tub without modification.  I do not think that they will fit in the non-outback tub.  The 105s are the same physical dimensions as my Duracell GC2 batteries.

Nucamp could not fit mine in, perhaps because I have the 105+.

xbooooo

Regarding fitting batteries in the standard 320S tub, two Optima 12 volt batteries are physically smaller than the traditional wet cell batteries and fit in nicely. (The propane tank is out as it needs to be refilled). 

ericnliz

@xbooooo, Just curious....What is the amperage hour rating on the Optima batteries? 

xbooooo

• Model:

   

  25

  Weight:

   

  31.7 lb

  C20 Capacity:

   

  44 Ah

  Post Type:

   

  SAE Post

  CCA:

   

  720 Amp

  Width:

   

  6.75 in

  Length:

   

  9.38 in

  Height:

   

  7.69 in

  PRODUCT DETAILS
• 

  REDTOP® 34

  Model:

   

  34

  Weight:

   

  37.9 lb

  C20 Capacity:

   

  50 Ah

  Post Type:

   

  SAE Post

  CCA:

   

  800 Amp

  Width:

   

  6.88 in

  Length:

   

  10.06 in

  Height:

   

  7.88 in

  PRODUCT DETAILS
• 

  REDTOP® 34/78

  Model:

   

  34/78

  Weight:

   

  38.8 lb

  C20 Capacity:

   

  50 Ah

  Post Type:

   

  Dual SAE/GM

  CCA:

   

  800 Amp

  Width:

   

  6.94 in

  Length:

   

  10.06 in

• Model:

   

  D27F

  Weight:

   

  53.2 lb

  C20 Capacity:

   

  66 Ah

  Post Type:

   

  SAE Post

  CCA:

   

  830 Amp

  Width:

   

  6.76 in

  Length:

   

  12.16 in

  Height:

   

  8.61 in

  PRODUCT DETAILS
• 

  YELLOWTOP® D31A

  Model:

   

  D31A

  Weight:

   

  59.8 lb

  C20 Capacity:

   

  75 Ah

  Post Type:

   

  SAE Post

  CCA:

   

  900 Amp

  Width:

   

  6.56 in

  Length:

   

  12.81 in

  Height:

   

  9.38 in

  PRODUCT DETAILS
• 

  YELLOWTOP® D31T

  Model:

   

  D31T

  Weight:

   

  59.8 lb

  C20 Capacity:

   

  75 Ah

  Post Type:

   

  3/8 Stainless Steel Stud

  CCA:

   

  900 Amp

  Width:

   

  6.56 in

  Length:

   

  12.81 in

  Height:

Ratkity

One 12V group 27 (Interstate) is ~110 Ah. It would weighs about the same as the group 24. I would guess the Optimas are lighter.

ScottG

Can I safely assume amp-hours (like volts) are directly additive when using two 6V batteries?

In other words do two 75ah batteries provide 150ah total, is is there something more complicated here that I'm missing?

xbooooo

If I am using two 12 volt batteries, I use one at a time, doubling the time I can spend without hookups. The red top battery is only for starting a car, I used it only to check fit of two batteries vs one wet cell.