Coach-man wrote: The reason for 2 six volt batteries instead of one 12 volt is the amps. If you never "dry camp" or never go more than a couple of weeks between trips than a good "deep cycle 12 volt" battery would do. Other than that, IMHO I would stick to the 2 six volt batteries!
a "good "deep cycle 12 volt"" will cost more than two good deep cycle 6 volt batteries by far. There are very few true 12 volt deep cycle batteries and they are large and expensive. The ones you see in the stores are called a "marine" battery. They are good enough to start a vehicle but are not made for really deep cycling like a true deep cycle battery is.
Coach-man wrote: The reason for 2 six volt batteries instead of one 12 volt is the amps. If you never "dry camp" or never go more than a couple of weeks between trips than a good "deep cycle 12 volt" battery would do. Other than that, IMHO I would stick to the 2 six volt batteries!
a "good "deep cycle 12 volt"" will cost more than two good deep cycle 6 volt batteries by far. There are very few true 12 volt deep cycle batteries and they are large and expensive. The ones you see in the stores are called a "marine" battery. They are good enough to start a vehicle but are not made for really deep cycling like a true deep cycle battery is.
but those 12 volt marine deep cycle batteries are perfectly adequate for what the OP wants/needs.
bumpy
Thanks for all the replys. I replaced the 2 6V, with new (2) 6 V batteries.
What I found was an amazing difference in price for just about the same thing.
CW had 2 Interstate U2200s in stock. $145 each plus my old ones (core)...end up costing me about 155-158 bucks each. Can't be THAT much...when I bought the old ones in March of 2005, they were, I think, $72 each...so checking further on:
A local auto parts (Interstate dealer) quoted me $140 each...9 bucks back to me for the "core". That's 9 bucks each. Not in stock...2 day delivery.
Another local shop that rents RVs (and repairs cars and RVs too) quoted me $125 each...nothing back to me for the cores. Not in stock...2 day delivery.
An RV dealer about 40 miles away quoted me $119 each with my cores. Not in stock...2 day delivery.
Went to a local "battery store"...and that's where I got my new (2) 6 volt batteries. Not Interstate, but same capacity, "deep cycle" and same 6 month warranty...including my cores...$104 each.
$145 to $104...all in about one hour. Guess it pays to shop around!
((Edited to say: BIGDAVE...when new, all three batteries were "deep cycle"...right from the factory. I've replaced (over the last 8 years) the 12V battery with another "deep cycle" and the last one, 2 years ago, was a "starter" (non-deep cycle) battery. I notice no difference. However...about a year ago, I added a "TRIK-L-START"...that cannibalizes from the 2 6V to the 12V...so the 12V always has enough juice to start the motor. So far, that seems to work just fine. After a 4 month "snowbird" layover...the motor started right up. Before (any long-term layover)the "TRIK-L-START", I had to put a charger on the 12V battery overnight to bring it back up.
I guess the downside to the "TRIK-L-START" is that once the 6V batteries become "marginal"...they fail because of this constant drain. Guess y'gotta take the good with the bad.))
* This post was
edited 11/11/09 04:23am by jerseyjim *
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