Battery for my 5th Wheel - Suggestions

[3-Fan]

I need a new battery for my 5th wheel. Anyone have any advice on picking one up? Golf Cart batteries, gel, AGM's, wet cell? The camper mayber gets used a dozen times a year for long weekends. Do some dry camping, but usually carry the generator along to charge things up when I get low.

Thanks!!
Greg

[DmaxMaverick]

Optima "Yellow Tops". There are less expensive options, but I doubt anyone will dissagree on their quality and longevity.

Autozone carries them now, and their prices are pretty reasonable.

[DBlake]

Golf Cart batteries are good but you would need two of them since they are only 6 volt. The are also taller so even on may not fit in you battery space. They are also much more expensive. Gel cells are good, but again, are expensive and standard converter will not charge them very well. I have just stayed with the wet cell but use a smart charger to keep them up. If you are not using something besides the typical converter, it will kill a wet cell pretty fast. You need to keep a maintainer on it during storage (or a unit that has one) and you need to "overcharge" them about twice a year to keep the plates clean. My TruCharger does this and so far so good. A well maintained wet cell should last about 6 years. By the way, normal converters will only give you about an 85% charge in about 5-6 hours. To get a 100% charge, you need to charge at about 13.5-14V. That is what your alternator does to maintain your car battery. A 3 or 4 stage smart charger will give you a full charge in about 3-5 hours depending on discharge. Hope this helps

[3-Fan]

Thanks guys. I am currently running a 40 Amp Progressive Dynamics Converter with their Charge Wizard, which does exactly like you said DBlake.

Will weigh my options on cost verses capabilities.

What do you need to properly charge a gel cell well?

[DBlake]

I think Gel-cells require a different charging profile and final maintenance voltage. My TruCharger has a switch for the Gel-cell option. Yours may have the same.

[Turbine Doc]

AGMs are latest/best technology better than Gel for long term storage batteries I use them in my camp solar battery bank, do a google search on solar power tons of info on batteries here is a quick info link on batts as well http://www.poweriseverything.com/product/concorde-battery.html

[motovet]

I put some Optima's on my trailer to replace the originals. If you do go with those though, go with the true deep cycle blue tops. I have the cranking deep cycle yellow tops in my truck to handle the interior "wattage"...they are great.

[ropinfool]

I was just at Costco, they have golf cart batteries for 49.99 ea. You'll need two, which will be cheaper than 1 red or blue top optima. These batteries are designed to be run down to nothing and then recharged, perfect for a camper. They are lead acid so maintenance is required. I'm thrifty (cheap) so I'll be using lead acid batteries for a while. I happen to have 8 golf cart batteries in my trailer w/solar charger. The old guy I bought it from camped in the desert every winter, said he never plugged it in. Has an inverter to run the microwave. Good luck to ye. John

[James Hewett]

I put 2 Golfcart batteries in my 5ver trl. last year and never went w/out power, not like the makebeleave deep cycle that came with the trailer. Some 12 volt battery say deep cycle, but most aren't as deep cycle as a 6 volt cart batteries. Yep, I had to make a little more room for them and it was well worth it.

[Shotgon]

AGM battery is excellent but costly,Iuse several trolling motor deep cycle by EXIDE , one battery is over 6years old and runs the fiver 30ft all nite in near zero winter.(furnace,frig,coupla small lites& some waterpumping)

[bnmccoy]

I just replaced my two 6 volt golf cart batteries in my TT. The set replaced were originally installed in 1997. Less than $50 ea. to replace from SAMS last month.

I've had this TT since 1988; most of those years have been with golf cart batteries.

They are heavier, they are taller than the standard marine/rv plastic battery box.

Don't compare the capacity rating of golf cart batteries directly with RV/Marine deep cycle batteries as they are rated at a different discharge rate. Two golf cart batteries will greatly exceed two conventional deep cycle batteries.

I have a generator too; but still elected to stick with the golf cart batteries since I only drag the generator out when attending the NASCAR race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Since I have to listen to everyone else's generators all night; I might as well run mine.

Bob