What brand batteries

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Loyaljon

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Nov 27, 2012
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Help!! i just found our that my rarely used Optima blue tops are not holding a charge very well at all.  I have two group 31 Optimas  hooked up together.  i isolate them with a full charge when not using them.  last week i went out camping and the day after I got there--they were down to around 12.0 volts.  Yikes--I spent $400.00 for these and they are just pathetic.  I need a sealed battery as I am getting too old to have to pull the batteries out of my camper while standing on a ladder to service them.
I am not opposed to spending a good chunk of $$ to eliminate this problem.  but what brand do you guys recomend?  Was looking at Sears platinum?  odyssey? Lifeline?  I am open to suggestions
 
welcome to this forum.
you can add info about your rv in the signature block in your profile.
I have been using my 2 lifeline gpl-6ct batteries for over 5 years now with great success. i installed them on their sides under my staircase. i went from less than 200 amp-hour capacity to 300 amp-hour capacity.:)
i got my lifelines online from bd batteries, great service and lower prices.:)
at their best, optima batteries have only about 3/4 of the amp-hour capacity of rectangular batteries due to their round shape. :(

http://www.bdbatteries.com/rvflyer.php?id=15
 
Lifeline is the only way to go imho. Here is a link  http://lifelinebatteries.com/ they gave me a great deal when I was in California and went to the in Azusa. I can't say the price but I will tell you I bought 6 batteries and saved about $750.00 Good luck
 
We have had good luck with Interstate 6v golf cart bateries and Interstate starting bateries.  It was at one time suggested that we get Trojan T105s I think but at the time I couldn't justify the added expense.  I have been very happy with the Interstate bateries, and I dont mind the maintenance.

Jeff
 
With the Optima blue tops you need to be careful. Some are deep cycle, some are not. If put in the wrong application they will not last long. I have used Optima batteries for a lot of years and have had really good luck with them. Not sure they are the best but they are generally really good.
 
The blue tops are there recommended battery for marine/RV use. How old are they? Are they still under warranty? Installed Diehard Platinums in my truck about a year ago and really like them. Pricey, but worth it in my opinion. 5'er currently has one Interstate battery in it, and when it gives up the ghost (or sooner) I'll probably go with a pair of 6 volts. Gonna want to do some more dry camping in the near future.
 
Getting the right type and size battery for the job is probably more important than the brand, especially when you consider most familiar brand names are simply private labels on batteries actually made by one of the three major battery factories in the USA (Johnson Controls, East Penn or Exide). For RV house use (not engine cranking), you want a deep cycle type with enough amp-hour capacity so that you rarely discharge it to less than 50% of capacity. That will assure you a long battery life and plenty of power for your needs.  And for those who aren't willing (or can't remember) to check the battery water level, an AGM or Gel type sealed battery is the best choice, despite the substantially higher price.

The Optima Blue Top mentioned in the first post is an example of an expensive battery that is optimized for engine starting rather than deep cycling, so not the first choice for RV use.  The Yellowtop claims better deep cycle performance. The Blue Top is, however, an AGM design and those generally hold up pretty well.

The Lifeline and Trojan brand batteries are made by specialty battery manufacturers who design for deep cycle use in rugged environments. Their AGM sealed batteries are probably the premier choice for RV use, but they are very expensive.  You probably get more value for the dollar with a generic flooded cell deep cycle designed for golf cart usage (6V, GC2 size), but you have to be religious about monitoring the water in the cells. These are available at prices in the $95-$125 range (depending on store and region) but it takes a minimum of two to produce 12v and the amp-hour capacity (225/pair) is probably more than some people will ever need. My second choice for those with minimal capacity needs is a single 12v, flooded cell,  "trolling motor" battery, available at Walmarts and similar discount stores for around $70 for the Group 27 size.  They should be good for 3-4 years of use provided you mind the water level in the cells.
 
kenz said:
The blue tops are there recommended battery for marine/RV use. .
They are but, some "blue tops" are for starting only and some "blue tops" are for starting and deep cycle. If you get the one that is for starting only it will not last long in a deep cycle application.
 
With the Optima blue tops you need to be careful. Some are deep cycle, some are not.

With the Optimas, dark grey case = starting battery.  Light grey case = deep cycle battery.
 
Trojan is a good battery for deep cycle purpose. I've got a 810 Amp/hour battery bank power my stick house. But like any acid loaded battery you have to take care of it. You got to make sure the battery is charged, cells are kept watered, and terminals kept clean.
 
Best quality:
Flooded wet cell: Trojan
AGM: Lifeline

Best value: Flooded wet cell: Sam's club

AGM: no such beast

Worst value: Optima, OPtima is an AGM battery like the lifeline but for any given footprint (Size group) it will have only about 60% of the capacity of the Lifeline of teh same size.. It also costs more

or as I used to say 2/3 the battery for 3/2 the price.
 
Optima Yellow Tops would of been the better choice at the time of purchase if Optimas were the only choice.  But as others have stated, Lifeline or Trojan would have been a much better choice for your money in the long run.  I also have had very good luck with Interstate.
Lesson learned.
 
Just so you know, Interstate is NOT a battery manufacturer. They are just a brand name and distribution network that gets their batteries made by various factories under contract. Johnson Controls makes most of Interstate's deep cycle battery types.
 
For some reason I can't wrap my head around buying a sealed AGM battery that tends to have a higher price tag and possibly a shorter lifespan because of its sealed design. I've got no problem grabbing a jug of distilled water and hitting all the batteries once a month and keeping them charged up. Like the batteries on the RV are 3 years old and going. The batteries in the truck are going into the second year but the factory OE batteries lasted over 10 years. My batteries here at the house (inverter) lasted 13 years. But now got my second set for 2 years.
 
Loyaljon said:
Help!! i just found our that my rarely used Optima blue tops are not holding a charge very well at all.  I have two group 31 Optimas  hooked up together.  i isolate them with a full charge when not using them.  last week i went out camping and the day after I got there--they were down to around 12.0 volts.  Yikes--I spent $400.00 for these and they are just pathetic.  I need a sealed battery as I am getting too old to have to pull the batteries out of my camper while standing on a ladder to service them.
I am not opposed to spending a good chunk of $$ to eliminate this problem.  but what brand do you guys recomend?  Was looking at Sears platinum?  odyssey? Lifeline?  I am open to suggestions

If you're going to run AGM batteries (of which Optimas are one example) then you owe it to yourself to be sure you have a high quality converter that is temperature compensated and that is designed to handle AGMs.  A cheap converter will cook AGMs especially in hot weather.

If you want AGMs I would recommend Lifeline as others have upthread as they have more capacity than Optimas and are cheaper.

It would probably be cheaper to get flooded cell batteries from a big box store and pay someone else to water them for you, though with a good quality temperature compensated converter you won't have to do it nearly as often.

Batteries don't last forever.  It isn't realistic to expect more than 4-5 years out of them.  Sure, some people do a little better than that some of the time, but don't count on it.

 
Gary RV Roamer said:
most familiar brand names are simply private labels on batteries actually made by one of the three major battery factories in the USA (Johnson Controls, East Penn or Exide)

+1

For RV house use (not engine cranking), you want a deep cycle type with enough amp-hour capacity so that you rarely discharge it to less than 50% of capacity. That will assure you a long battery life and plenty of power for your needs.  And for those who aren't willing (or can't remember) to check the battery water level, an AGM or Gel type sealed battery is the best choice, despite the substantially higher price.

Like AGMs, gel type batteries require careful control of the charging voltage since water can't be added.  However, at the current prevailing prices, AGMs are a better deal than gel batteries as they last longer and have greater capacity.  The only real advantage of gel batteries is that they can't spill, making them a superior product for applications where they are tilted or where the hazard of an electrolyte spill is unacceptable.
Edit: Fixed quote tag.
 
The only real advantage of gel batteries is that they can't spill, making them a superior product for applications where they are tilted or where the hazard of an electrolyte spill is unacceptable.

The same is true of AGM batteries, so gel batteries have no advantages over AGM.  Our current set of 4 Lifeline AGM batteries is going to be 7 years old next month and show no signs of age.
 
Mopar1973Man said:
For some reason I can't wrap my head around buying a sealed AGM battery that tends to have a higher price tag and possibly a shorter lifespan because of its sealed design. I've got no problem grabbing a jug of distilled water and hitting all the batteries once a month and keeping them charged up. Like the batteries on the RV are 3 years old and going. The batteries in the truck are going into the second year but the factory OE batteries lasted over 10 years. My batteries here at the house (inverter) lasted 13 years. But now got my second set for 2 years.

I would disagree with saying that AGM batteries have a short life span. I gave had 4 last 8 plus years. You just have to have the correct charging system for them. My Magnum system has specific charge rate for two types of AMG batteries.

 
Ned,

AGMs have a number of advantages over flooded batteries that gels do not share.  Among them are:
- lower series resistance, allowing faster bulk charging rates as well as faster discharge rates before overheating becomes a problem
- physically stronger construction allowing them to withstand more shock and vibration
- lower self-discharge rates making them more suitable for certain standby applications where a charge must be held for several months

In general they last longer than gel batteries, which are prone to progressive bubbling of the gel with use.

None of these properties are much of a win for RVers, though.  I continue to believe that RVers are best served by true deep-cycle flooded cell batteries.
 
Yes, I know all that.  That's why we're on our second set of Lifeline AGM batteries.  I believe the advantages of AGM over flooded cells makes up for the higher price, or it did when we bought ours.  I have never recommended gel cells for RV use.  Do you think I did, and if so, when?
 
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