Our Trojan T-105's are dying...

[B_and_D]

I thought they would last at least 5 years, but it seems that after 3 1/2 years they're on their way to the battery graveyard. They were a little weak this summer when we dry camped for a week, but this weekend they were down to 12.2 after sitting for 3 months with the fuse pulled (I charged them up fully when we got home). I charged them up for 24 hours this weekend, but tonight when I got home they were down to 12.2 volts again. I've taken care of them; never let the water get too low, never let them get discharged too much. From what I've read, perhaps our greatest battery-killing sin has been not to use them as often as they should be used.

I told DH about the AGM batteries tonight, and he said to just go buy two of them to replace the Trojans.

What are the best AGM's to buy? Are they about $125 a piece?

I have the 'Lifeline' battery by Concorde. It is a group 27 (GPL27T) and to say the least I am extremely satisfied with it. As I mentioned in another post when I sold my old trailer the new owners got a brand new Walmart marine battery and I kept the Lifeline. Now, I can see that the only drawback to this one is the price. When I bought mine two years ago it was $218 delivered to our house. Doing some casual looking that figure is now closer to $300. There are other brands out there such as the Optima, and as I understand a number of folks have been happy with that one. I would guess it is cheaper also. I am sure some of the Optima owners will chime in.

I know this, I will NEVER go back to the standard marine type batteries. Just too much pain with maintenance (replacing water, charging all the time, not to mention having to have it vented). If you can afford it AGM batteries are the way to go.

Mike Anderson

[mjlaupp]

FYI

Trojan is making a sealed gel cell replacement for the T-105s

http://www.trojan-battery.com/Produc...px?Name=6V-Gel

Mike

Interstate has AGM batteries in both six and 12 volt. Our local Interstate also has Optimas -at least they did the last time I was there.

[B_and_D]

I went to Costco yesterday and looked at their best Optima batteries. They cost $158 and only have a 3 year warranty. I'm thinking that I have some research to do before I spend that kind of money when the other batteries are so much less, with the same warranty.

We don't deeply discharge our batteries and I don't mind taking care of them (the TM sits outside with easy access) so maybe an AGM type battery isn't really what we're looking for.

I guess our priorities are (1) capacity (2) long life and (3) price, or a combination of those 3 qualities that makes economic and practical sense for how we'll be using them.

[commodor47]

Originally Posted by B_and_D

I guess our priorities are (1) capacity (2) long life and (3) price, or a combination of those 3 qualities that makes economic and practical sense for how we'll be using them.

Check this thread:

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ghlight=27dc-6

Look at post # 6 and 7.

Dick

I've been debating about how to mount my generator where the batteries are and moving the batteries to either the rear storage compartment (2720) as others have or just behind the wheel well in the back of the cabinet.

Here's the thing. I currently have two wet cell Interstate 2200U 6V golf cart batteries. They are rated at 232Ah, 63lbs each and work really well. I'd like AGM batteries for venting issues but in looking around it's tough to match them. A group 31 12V Optima will do 75Ah so I'd need three of them to match my Ah capacity. At $160 each that's $480 and an extra 60lbs! Two odessey 12V 100Ah batteries come close but they are $320ea! A single #24 Lifeline 215Ah battery is $600 and two 100Ah ones come out about the same price and weight. With the generator, I could do with a bit less battery capacity I suppose. Maybe just two Optimas.

These golf cart units really pack a punch and I already have them so it's tough to part with them. Anyone have thoughts on this idea?

Anyone know if the 300# tongue weight spec'd by TM includes batteries and propane? Batteries 125# and two 40# cylinders would make the bulk of that weight it seems.

I have one pair of Interstate Group 24 batteries. One came with the new TM and I added a second one to match before the first trip.

We have just completed our third summer of camping. I have checked the water level once a year. I added water once. For the first two years I almost never disconnected the battery because I had to pull the fuse to do so, but I did pull the fuse to the radio. This past year I have added a battery disconnect switch which I sometimes remember to use.

Even when I forget to disconnect the battery, one month of sitting in the garage is not enough time for various parasitic loads (if any) to drain the battery to where it is noticeable. From my experience I would need to park the TM for several months before there was any noticeable drain to the batteries.

The batteries are fine. I see nothing to indicate that I will need to replace them any time soon.

I do use the TM about one weekend per month between February and October. When camping I fire up the generator to charge the batteries for about an hour every other day. Daily if we use the furnace.

Have I just been lucky?

[B_and_D]

We have an older converter ('97 model TM) so I'm wondering if perhaps I've left our batteries connected to shore power longer than I should have (maybe they got overcharged?). I try to only leave them connected at home for 1 to 3 days when we get home (or for 24 hours if they're low, upon inspection when the TM has been unused for a while). But we don't go camping that often, like I said before, so the batteries don't get a regular discharge/recharge. They have sat unused for 4 months in the fall, and if we don't take a January trip, it can be about 8 months between trips.

I'm now thinking about buying some more of the T-105's. They can last for almost a week with minimal usage when we dry camp.

We bought one of the Costco group 27 deep cycle batteries about 2 years ago as a spare, and that is still going pretty strong. That battery is a champion. We use it to run our TV/DVD so we don't run the house batteries down. It used to charge up to 12.8 or 12.9 (? that's what the digital voltmeter read) and hold that charge for a couple of months, but now it's down to 12.6. It doesn't discharge much at all between chargings. What I like about the 12V battery is that we can put it into the back of the pickup, run a 12V cord with some alligator clips on the end from the 12V outlet to the battery, and charge it up while we drive around sightseeing or shopping for supplies. Lugging the 2 6-volt Trojans in and out of the truck is a lot harder (and heavier) so we don't do that. We've managed to get by without either a generator or solar with this method. I connect it and let it equalize with the truck battery for an hour or so before we start the truck up.

Ideally I'd like to get both a couple of solar panels and a Honda 2000 (still waiting for the ship to come in) but we're getting by with this setup now.

Originally Posted by B_and_D

We have an older converter ('97 model TM) so I'm wondering if perhaps I've left our batteries connected to shore power longer than I should have (maybe they got overcharged?). I try to only leave them connected at home for 1 to 3 days when we get home (or for 24 hours if they're low, upon inspection when the TM has been unused for a while). But we don't go camping that often, like I said before, so the batteries don't get a regular discharge/recharge. They have sat unused for 4 months in the fall, and if we don't take a January trip, it can be about 8 months between trips.

When I arrive home from a camping trip, the TM batteries are fully charged. The TV charged them on the way home. The TM gets parked in the garage with the batteries disconnected, assuming I remember to disconnect them. Now that I have added a disconnect switch I more often will disconnect them.

Before a trip we pull the TM out of the garage Saturday morning and prep it. This includes plugging in to shore power from Saturday morning until Sunday evening.

I then put the fridge on 12 volts, full of beverages of my choice, park the TM in the garage and disconnect the batteries. On Wednesday evening I connect the batteries and plug in to shore power. Friday after work, off we go. I arrive in camp with fully charged batteries.

This was our third camping season with the TM, and we bought it new. We have camped three times with hookups. With no hookups, I run the generator every other day for 45 minutes to recharge the batteries. Daily if I used the furnace.

So, for anyone that is finding that their batteries do not last as long as mine have, the obvious conclusion would be that you do something different than I do. Plugged in to shore power often and for long periods of time would certainly be different than what I do.

When the current pair of group 24 batteries fail, my plan is to replace them with a pair of group 27 batteries and switch to something that more closely resembles a golf cart battery. I can not put T105s on the tongue because they are too tall. I can not use group 31 batteries because they are too long. My expectation is that by using true deep cycle batteries and larger batteries that I will gain a full day of use. Then I can leave the generator home for a four day camping trip in the summer.