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Old 10-02-2021, 04:03 PM   #1
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Time for New Batteries

Time to replace the house batteries AGAIN in my 17 Windsport 29M. Last time I used Walmart batteries. good for about 16 months. Any other better batteries that I won't have to sell body parts to purchase??
I also need a starting battery as well!!
Thanks

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Old 10-02-2021, 04:32 PM   #2
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Purchased my two wet cell deep cycle coach batteries from Auto Zoom. Around $120 each with core.
The best thing I did was install a Flow Rite Battery watering system on the new coach batteries. Ran me around $75 on Amazoon. Keeping wet cell batteries properly watered is the secret to longer battery life. The Flow Rite system makes that a snap. No more dragging batteries out to check or fill water.
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Old 10-02-2021, 05:30 PM   #3
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My 30 year tech will only use interstate deep cell batteries and 1 year warranty and installed free
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Old 10-02-2021, 06:06 PM   #4
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I have been looking at the Interstate brand as well. I need 2 deep cell and 1 starting. $$$
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Old 10-02-2021, 06:44 PM   #5
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Call interstate in your area..sometimes there are specials
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Old 10-02-2021, 07:19 PM   #6
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When I bought my 2021 Axis 24.1 early this year I immediately took out the two G27 flooded cell lead acid batteries and replaced them with two G31 100 amp hour AGM batteries. AGMs are absorbed glass mat batteries and don't have any liquid electrolyte. That also means you can mount them upside down if necessary and are sealed.

I did this for several reasons:

1. More capacity- 2x100 Ahs vs 2x70 Ahs for the G27s.

2. I was confident that AGMs would stand up to deep cycle use as long as I didn't let them discharge below 50% more than once or twice a year. This year I let them go down to about 45% once.

3. They were maintenance free- no water checking or adding.

4. They just fit into the under step space. I had to tilt the second battery down quite a bit. FLA batteries would have leaked electrolyte when I did this.

They have worked well for me since. I paid about $385 for the pair from Amazon for Windynation AGMs.

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Old 10-02-2021, 07:55 PM   #7
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Costco has Interstate Deep Cycle Flooded Lead Acid.
I paid $80 each 36 months ago and just recently changed them out.
A couple of the cells were starting to fail at 34 months (used a basic Hydrometer to diagnose each cell).
I was extremely happy with their performance for the reasonable price.

Then Sam's Club had a $20 discount per battery on my replacements.
So for $56 each...I purchased two Duracell Deep Cycle Flooded Lead Acid.
They are much more efficient than the 34 month old Interstate's.
I'm happy so far.

By the way...we mainly Boon-Dock, so I have 300 watts of roof mount solar that keeps the batteries charged while we are "livin' the dream".
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Old 10-02-2021, 07:56 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TonnyS View Post
Time to replace the house batteries AGAIN in my 17 Windsport 29M. Last time I used Walmart batteries. good for about 16 months. Any other better batteries that I won't have to sell body parts to purchase??
I also need a starting battery as well!!
Thanks
When I purchased my chassis battery this year I got it from Home Depot - same 3 year free replacement as Wally World's best battery but cheaper to start with and my 10% military discount really made it a deal.

My FLA house batteries are 4+ years old and still going strong but the price of 100 AH lithium batteries are quickly dropping into consideration territory at $330. 100 AH AGM batteries are in the $170 to $300 range.

It's not normal for batteries to only last 16 months unless they've been abused by over discharging, low acid level, filled with non-distilled water, or over charging. Of course there's always the random poorly assembled/defective battery that dies way too early, but two (or four) of them?
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Old 10-02-2021, 08:45 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by taylorbob1 View Post
Costco has Interstate Deep Cycle Flooded Lead Acid.
I paid $80 each 36 months ago and just recently changed them out.
A couple of the cells were starting to fail at 34 months (used a basic Hydrometer to diagnose each cell).
I was extremely happy with their performance for the reasonable price.

Then Sam's Club had a $20 discount per battery on my replacements.
So for $56 each...I purchased two Duracell Deep Cycle Flooded Lead Acid.
They are much more efficient than the 34 month old Interstate's.
I'm happy so far.

By the way...we mainly Boon-Dock, so I have 300 watts of roof mount solar that keeps the batteries charged while we are "livin' the dream".
Wow we get by mostly with 180 watt with 2 fla group 31..if any issues boondocking we may get more solar
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Old 10-02-2021, 08:45 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by 16ACE27 View Post
It's not normal for batteries to only last 16 months unless they've been abused by over discharging, low acid level, filled with non-distilled water, or over charging. Of course there's always the random poorly assembled/defective battery that dies way too early, but two (or four) of them?
X2 on this. Before wasting more money on batteries that will die again after just 16 months you need to address whatever is causing the extremely short lifespan. I boondock a lot and so brief full discharge happens, and even so, they generally last me 4 years. (I buy AGM, but that's not especially relevant.)
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Old 10-02-2021, 09:30 PM   #11
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Lot's of threads nearby on battery maintenance, charging do's and dont's (some of which I even pay attention to...). That said, yeah - 16 month lifespan indicates some sort of problem.

And THAT said - I replaced my two house batteries with Duracell AGM's a little over two years ago. Higher price, a bit more forgiving on charge/discharge cycles, and zero maintenance. I couldn't be happier with that decision.
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Old 10-02-2021, 10:03 PM   #12
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I just replaced the 6 year old batteries in Vegas. The past couple winters showed a minor loss and I bought a boat and needed a couple anyway. The old batteries are fine in boat.

Using a pair every 16 months does not seem right. My application os different but even pushing use envelope that seems very short. I would have charging system checked.

I can count number of times on 1 hand how many times I have added water in 5+ years on old batteries. Never had plates dry.
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Old 10-02-2021, 11:27 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TonnyS View Post
Time to replace the house batteries AGAIN in my 17 Windsport 29M. Last time I used Walmart batteries. good for about 16 months. Any other better batteries that I won't have to sell body parts to purchase??
I also need a starting battery as well!!
Thanks
Well I have two those nasty, old, cheep Walmart EverStart Lead Acid Marine/RV Deep Cycle Battery, Group Size 29DC for 4 years. These are maintenance free (calcium-lead alloy like AGM) and are still going strong after three years. At $90 each, I feel that I have gotten my moneys worth out of them already.
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Old 10-03-2021, 01:23 AM   #14
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I keep my Motorhome plugged in at all times. Not sure if that is what put the batteries to an early grave. We use our RV for staycation a lot. The refrigerator runs at all times. I don't think i have ever flipped the switch to STOW.
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Old 10-03-2021, 02:44 AM   #15
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Be sure the coach batteries are true deep cycle! If there's CCA, CA or MCA followed by a number on the tops they are not deep cycles but hybrid batteries used to crank motors, not the best option for constant charge/discharge cycles of RVs.
For the chassis want the biggest CCA number you can get.
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Old 10-03-2021, 03:14 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TonnyS View Post
I keep my Motorhome plugged in at all times. Not sure if that is what put the batteries to an early grave. We use our RV for staycation a lot. The refrigerator runs at all times. I don't think i have ever flipped the switch to STOW.
Keeping it plugged in is not an issue provided your converter is working properly, meaning it goes into float made once the batteries reach full charge.
Overcharging batteries will kill them as the batteries "boil" the water out of the cells. Keeping the water levels topped off in the batteries will go a long way to extending their life.
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Old 10-03-2021, 04:06 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TonnyS View Post
I keep my Motorhome plugged in at all times. Not sure if that is what put the batteries to an early grave. We use our RV for staycation a lot. The refrigerator runs at all times. I don't think i have ever flipped the switch to STOW.
Exactly what I do as well on both counts. How often do you have to fill with water? Have you ever put a voltmeter on the batteries to make sure the converter is going into float mode? Mine floats at 13.1 VDC.
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Old 10-03-2021, 11:50 AM   #18
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Wow! This is going to sound really stupid, but what is an AGM battery? What letters should be on the house battery? Lithium requires specialized charging equipment, right?
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Old 10-03-2021, 12:36 PM   #19
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AGM stands for absorbed glass mat, a newer type of battery where the electrolyte in captured by a mat of glass fibers in between the plates. As a result there is no free liquid electrolyte and no way to add water like flooded cell lead acid batteries.

Advantages of this design are less chance for sulfate sloughing off of the plates and landing in the bottom of the case, no maintenance, and can be mounted in any position. I replaced the standard flooded cell batteries in my new Axis with a pair if Group 31 AGMs and they have been working great.

As to your other question yes, to fully charge a lithium battery you need a specific charger that will hold its voltage at about 14.5 until they are fully charged. A non lithium charger will work, but it will switch to float too early and you will only charge it to about 85%.

It is fairly easy to replace the existing charger that is typically part of the ubiquitous WFCO 8955 converter with a lithium specific one such as the Progressive Dynamics 9180L which will charge faster if your lithium batteries can take 80 amps.

David
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Old 10-03-2021, 12:57 PM   #20
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To ALL of the replies, THANKS!! Some really good info.
DavidEM I have the original standard charger that came OEM. So I should avoid the lithium batteries and replace with AGM??
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