battery help......

[Kalvin]

i need to get a new battery for the travel trailer........i know i need to get a deep cycle one....i was wondering what a good brand name....what should i look for......do i get a maitanance free one....thanks for the help in advance......kalvin

[delqcc]

Kalvin, I'm sure you will plenty of additional input, for me, I would first determine whether 1 battery alone will handle your needs and then decide on either 2 - 6 volt deep cycles or a lifetime glass mat for starters. There are several good articles in Trailer Life ( you can check out their archives online) to help decide which way to go. We have not done any dry camping as of yet, so when I decided to beef up our unit I added an additional 12v to handle any emergencies that might arise if power goes out.

[Ridgeman]

Kalvin, if you have the room, get 2 6 volt deep cycle golf cart style batteries and wire them in series. They give you more amp hours than 2 12 volt batteries and will last longer. The plates are thicker. I have used "Trojan 105" batteries in my last 2 RV's over a 13 year period. The footprint is about the same size as a group 29 battery but they are a little taller.The last set I had lasted almost 10 years with the help of my solar panels and regulator. You should be able to google Trojan Battery co. and get more details.



I dry camp 5 to 8 weeks per year with the longest continuous period being about 6 weeks. The key to long battery life is to never let the batteries get below 50% charged. That's about 12.2 volts.



If you don't have room for 2 batts, Trojan also make 12 volt deep cycle batteries but you won't get near the amp hours from them. They make a great quality battery.

[red]

If you stick with the 12 volt batterys you may be able to use them in another vehickle you own before they go bad and just get new batterys for the camper

[Lloyd]

Kalvin:
When we got our 5er it only had one battery. An Interstate Mega-Tron, Marine-RV deep cycle.
I put another one just like it in there right away. We do a fair amount of dry camping and I didn't want to get into any trouble with running out of battery. So far I have been satisfied.

[cruzr4-2]

I just addedanother 12V when thetrailer was new because I didn't want to buy two batteries. Now, when these go bad I mayswitch to two 6V.

[rock1424]

My camper came from the dealer with 2 Interstate 12v deep cycle/marine batteries. I have been told that while Interstate makes an excellent battery, their deep cycle marine batteries are not the best choice for an RV application. Apparently the converter charges the batteries at a higher amperage than the batterie are built to accept, so they get boiled alot. I keep a very close eye on the water level and add water often. I'm thinking I will make the switch to 2 Trojan 6 volts when it comes time to replace the ones I have. I would really like to go with four 6 volts but I don't know if they will fit in the battery compartment.

[Hamops]

The type battery that you buy should depend on its usage. If you intend to do a lot of boondocking, then a pair of 6 or 12 volt deep discharge batteries would appropriate as well as a portable generator. If you intend to camp mainly at sites with electricity, then a pair12 volt RV/Marinebatteries will work fine. I have a pair of the latter type and they provide ample power for raising and loweringthe trailer, operating the slides, lights and pump when notconnected to shore. The RV/Marinebatteries a relatively inexpensive.