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Old 01-22-2019, 03:02 PM   #1
Jdaviso
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Battery set up for 292BH

I'm considering the battery set up for my 292BH. If I were to start from scratch does anyone have any experience with a preferred battery setup that would allow for a little bit of boondocking? I'm considering two regular 12v deep cycle batteries or a set up of 6v golf cart batteries. Any information from personal experience would be greatly appreciated. TIA.
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Old 01-22-2019, 03:38 PM   #2
KeithInUpstateNY
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I have boondocked from May through the end of October the last three years here in upstate NY near the Canadian border. Here's what I've learned.

To boondock for more than a night or two you need two 12V batteries with a pretty high amp hour rating and a generator or a solar setup with some good sized panels. One night of boondocking will generally use the available reserve capacity of even a large 12V deep cycle battery.

The amp hour rating on a pair of 6V golf cart batteries has to be double the amp hour rating of a pair of 12V batteries to get the same reserve capacity because you are wiring them in series instead of parallel.

If you have two 12V deep cycle batteries wired in parallel with 105 amp hours each you have a total of 210 amp hours capacity, BUT you can only use 105 amp hours because you shouldn't drain deep cycle lead acid batteries below 50%. I have deep cycle batteries from Walmart that came with a two year warranty that I am still using after 5 years by being careful not to over discharge them and keeping them on a Battery Tender during the winter.

AGM batteries have benefits, but they are more expensive initially and require a different charging profile that the built in charge controller in most campers can't provide. They charge, but not to their full capacity. After one season with AGM batteries I am going to use them at my cabin and go back to lead acid deep cycle batteries with my camper.

People who boondock full time, and can afford it are going to lithium ion batteries. They can be discharged to 10% if their capacity without damaging the battery.

I can go on, but I'll stop there with the note that I'm happy to answer any specific questions based on my experience.
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Old 01-22-2019, 04:26 PM   #3
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I think you may be assuming the AH rating between 6v and 12v batteries is the same, but they are not.

In general, the 12v batteries will have less (sometimes far less) than half the 20-hour rate than will the 6v batteries. Putting 2 6v batteries in series usually out performs 2 12v batteries in parallel. Go check out some batteries and see what you think.

For example, I found a Duracell Ultra 12v at $209 which was rated at 55AH (20-hour rate), while a Duracell Ultra 6v at $114.99 was rated at 235AH (20-hour rate).
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Old 01-22-2019, 04:54 PM   #4
KeithInUpstateNY
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkEHansen View Post
I think you may be assuming the AH rating between 6v and 12v batteries is the same, but they are not.

In general, the 12v batteries will have less (sometimes far less) than half the 20-hour rate than will the 6v batteries. Putting 2 6v batteries in series usually out performs 2 12v batteries in parallel. Go check out some batteries and see what you think.

For example, I found a Duracell Ultra 12v at $209 which was rated at 55AH (20-hour rate), while a Duracell Ultra 6v at $114.99 was rated at 235AH (20-hour rate).
Actually, I wasn't making that assumption. I know the AH rating between 6V and 12V batteries is generally very different, with the 6V batteries often being in the 200-250 AH range instead of the 100-150 AH range of large 12V batteries. I just wanted to point out that because they are wired differently you don't end up with twice the AH capacity. With 6V batteries in series 2 X 200 = 200 AH . With 12V batteries in parallel 2 X 100 = 200 AH. They actually end up about the same. It took a while for me to wrap my head around that and understand the implications for boondocking.

And yes, 6V batteries do reportedly have some other advantages over 12V batteries, but I don't have any experience with 6V batteries so I wasn't comfortable addressing them. Maybe someone else with experience with them will share their experience.
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Old 01-22-2019, 05:01 PM   #5
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They don't come out the same. I think if you look, you'll see the 6v batteries come out ahead - and not by a little. However, I'm not trying to convince you. l provide this note so the OP can at least consider his options. I've used dual 6v batteries in previous trailers and plan to do the same with my new trailer. As always, YMMV
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Old 01-22-2019, 06:42 PM   #6
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6 volt golf cart batteries are constructed differently than 12 volt marine "deep cycle" batteries. The plates in golf cart batteries are thicker, heavier and will survive discharge/charge cycles much better than marine "deep cycle" batteries. They also are heavier, usually (brand dependant) have thicker cases and are more rugged than most marine "deep cycle" batteries.

It's true that when batteries are wired in parallel you add amperage and keep voltage the same and when wired in series you add voltage and keep amperage the same.

But, when you take a single 12 volt marine "deep cycle" battery and discharge it at 20 amps per hour, it will not survive discharge to 50% repeatedly. When you discharge golf cart batteries at 20 amps per hour, you can discharge repeatedly to 50% and because of the internal construction of the batteries, continue to rely on them for years to come.

In other words, having two 100 amp/hr 12 VDC batteries in parallel does not equal the available power of two 100 amp/hr 6 volt batteries in series. YMMV, but after 6 years of consistent dry camping on the same set of golf cart batteries that are currently sitting in my garage awaiting the start of next years camping, I get the same performance from them that I did the first year of use. For $98 each (Duracell GC2 from Sam's) that's less than $25 a year if they last through next camping season. I'm sure they will. YMMV
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Old 01-29-2019, 05:55 AM   #7
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I live off of the grid and have now for over 25 years. 6V batteries are the way to go for their performance over a long stretch of time. (In the house I use 12 6V fork lift batteries configured to 24V and then inverted to AC.) Even with the same AH storage, as John points out, the 6V wired in series will provide more storage due to the ability of the battery to discharge to a lower level on a repeated basis.
I still do not trust the LI batteries, but that might just be the old man in me talking about new fangled things. Have read several stories of fires with them.


To get some serious storage series two 6V into one 12V and then parallel with another set. You will have enough for a small inverter to make AC with. Add a couple of Solar Panels and next thing you know your "off the grid."
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Old 01-29-2019, 12:22 PM   #8
The John
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I use 2 6V (205AH) batteries wired in series in my outback and we mostly dry camp. I can get two to three nights out of a charge (during the spring/fall, longer in summer) before having to use the generator to recharge.

I get more "life" out of my batteries than my friends do out of their 2 12V systems.

If you are a costco member, you can get 2 6v GC2 (interstate) batteries for less than 300.00.
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Old 01-30-2019, 09:32 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jdaviso View Post
I'm considering the battery set up for my 292BH. If I were to start from scratch does anyone have any experience with a preferred battery setup that would allow for a little bit of boondocking? I'm considering two regular 12v deep cycle batteries or a set up of 6v golf cart batteries. Any information from personal experience would be greatly appreciated. TIA.
As you refer to a "a little bit of boondocking" I'd suggest two, 6v batteries and a minimum 100w portable solar kit to keep them charged while camping. You'll be able to go for days with that set up. Easy to configure and reasonable to purchase and install. We prefer dry camping at national parks and forest service campgrounds as well as BLM dispersed sites. Our current set up is two 12v batteries (6v are planned when the 12v batts finally crap out) with a 200w solar kit. We recently spent 2 weeks dry camping at the Reno Air Races with no power issues. The limiting factor for us with any extended stay is dumping the waste tanks
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Old 02-05-2019, 11:48 PM   #10
Jdaviso
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Thanks for all the good responses. This was the type of information I was after. Gives me a lot of food for thought.
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Old 02-19-2019, 07:19 PM   #11
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This thread has been a good read, and I completely agree with the move to the 6V batteries. I invested in a pair of Trojan T105 batteries three seasons ago, and have had very good luck with them. I run all of the normal camper items (pump, LED lights, furnace, etc) with no issues, but I also run a CPAP machine for 6-8 hours every night. These batteries can get me 3-4 nights before needing a recharge.

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but right now I'm looking at adding a pair of 150W+ solar panels, to lengthen my runtime, and just wanted to see what brands/models any of you have had success with.

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