If you are not getting 5 years out of any golfcart battery, you are doing something wrong. My US Battery U2200s are 5 years old and still going strong. The key is a quality 3 stage charger like the PD 9200. I have the older PD 9160 with a charge wizard. Most of the inverter/chargers are also good.
Gary Franks wrote: I replaced my four Trojan T-105s with six Lifeline GPL-6CT AGM batteries. These are taller than normal, but I had the space to go taller and to go two batteries wider. I went from 450 amp hours to 900. Not cheap. Bought them from AM Solar over the phone and the batteries were shipped directly from the manufacturer to the RV park where I was parked. I am so proud of my batteries, I considered replacing my compartment door with glass to show them off.
Better think twice about the glass door. If scum bag thieves will steal the copper off a nursing home airconditioning system in August, they would make short work of your door to get at 6-AGM's. Come to think of it...I'm not typically seen as a scum bag, but I might even be tempted.
BTW...how much taller. I don't have much clearance.
Jerry and Katie
More than 20 great years motorhoming and still loving it...
2004 DSDP 3810 (more than I needed...less than I wanted)
2004 Trailblazer (too heavy but well worth dragging)
burgess001 wrote: Unless money is no object, Trojans are inexpensive and hard to beat. I have about 4 years on a set of Interstates that still seem to be strong. I'm just waiting for them to go south, since I seldom see coach batteries go more than 3 years.
Our Interstate U-2200's are now over 6 years old and still doing great. But I did add 4 oz of mineral oil to each cell. Cuts way down on corrosion in the tray and amount of distilled water I have to add.
Is the mineral oil trick commonly used? Is there a downside. I'm going shopping for mineral oil if somemone doesn't trip me :- )
Is the mineral oil trick commonly used? Is there a downside. I'm going shopping for mineral oil if somemone doesn't trip me :- )
Not commonly, but several of us do it. It goes back at least to Thomas Edison and was common on railroad batteries.
My Trojans are in Year Nine, but the fact that I use mineral oil has nothing to do with battery life. All the mineral oil does is make the normal boiling and gassing during charging less violent (because it is thicker), so less acid gets up and out. This makes things cleaner and cuts down on water loss. When acid boils out and is replaced by water, the battery gets a little weaker each time. Over the long term, this can shorten battery life.
There are always naysayers, of course, but I have not read any negative posts based on experiments or tests.
The only down side I have experienced with 30 years of mineral oil use is that it makes hydrometer checking messy and difficult. If you can live without hydrometer checking, mineral oil is a good thing. If you have clearance, look at hydrocaps or similar. All you want to do is keep the battery from losing acid.
Bill and Susan
84 Barth 30 tag powered by ht502/Thorley, Gear Vendors OD
Siamese Calvin and Airedale Hobbes
4WD Toyota toad
chuckster11 wrote: Sam's--73 bucks a piece and the hook up was easier than I thought it would be.
My biggest fear was lack of space but the 6 volt batteries fit where the 12 volt batteries were stored with room to spare.
I have no idea of the longevity but since my old converter ruined two Trogan 12 volt 24's, I wasn't inclined to go back with the same batteries--especially at the price that Trojans go for.
Surely you didn't have two 12's connected in series to produce 24volts, did you? And if they were connected in parallel like they should have been, then I hope you didn't hook up the two 6's the same way. Two 12's in parallel = 12V.....two 6's in series = 12V. If you would have put two 12volt golf cart batteries in parallel, you would have had even more power.
No, the wiring of the Trojans was correct and I am being a bit unfair to the batteries in that my old converter was, I think, malfunctioning.
It ran all the time I was plugged in and boiled out the battery water regularly--I think I simply allowed the Trojans to take too much abuse.
I have the golf cart twosome in series and the new converter seems to be working properly--at least the charge wizard pendant indicates that is the case and the steps finally deploy with some authority.
We really don't need the batteries that much, boondocking is rare in my unit--normally I am plugged in. That said, the last time we stayed in a casino parking lot we had almost no 12 volt left and that was a gruesome night indeed.
We replaced our original 2 x 6 volt batteries in the second year of onership, can't remember the orig company, but when contacted for warranty, they claimed that the batteries were over warranty, that Holiday Rambler buys big lots.
Anyway, replaced with Interstate units in year 1999, still going strong, check water level about every 3-4 months, add distilled, and about every 2 years I run the batteries through equalization, brings them right back up.
About 3 years ago replaced the original charge/inverter with a Progressive dynamics 9140 and charge wizard, best investment ever, keeps them well changed and minimal water/acid loss.
Just checked them last week with Hydrometer, all 2 x 3 cells are in great shape, added some water to all and ready to go again.
Eugene & Stella Theriault,
1999 Endeavour 34CG/V-10 (No Slides)
2005 Honda Element. Blue Ox Aladin.
FMCA 318247
Check your local golf cart stores. We have our fair share of them here in AZ. They have "Re-man" units for 30-45 each. Basically when 1 battery fails in a new golf cart, the replace all of them at the same time. They test the remaining batteries, and sell them. My local shop sells them for $35 with a 2 year warranty. 1 year free replacement, and 50% on the second year. Never have had one fail within the warranty period.
As for Wal-Mart Sams Club Energizer-Johnson Control, they are good units, and half the price of the other "Name brands". With that, you can buy them twice, and still break even. If they last 65-75% of the life of the other, you would be really ahead.
Your Deere-Oshkosh Specialist
It's A Marine not reporters
Who has given you freedom of the press
It's Marines not profesors
Who gave you freedom of speech
It's Marines who salutes the flag
serves beneath the flag
& whose coffins draped by the flag.
I have eight Trojan T-105's 6V batteries that i bought 7 years ago when i had a fifth wheel. I have since moved them from coach to coach. I do almost always dry camping during camping season so i use these batteries a lot. Have used them all over USA and Canada in variety of weather conditions, but primarily cold weather. The batteries hold charge very well. I paid $60 when i bought them.
Here is how i maintain them..
I water the batteries in the begining and end of the season.
I don't drive them down below 50%...ever.
I use a 3 stage battery charger (Xantrex RV 3012) so as not to boil them.
I equalize batteries twice a season and desulfate them once a season.
I keep them charged at all times, including the super cold new england winters.
I have never added any oils or chemicals to it.
When i have to buy again, it's going to be Trojan's.
It has been hastle free and heavy duty service so i can enjoy RVing
and not fuss around the camper bcuz i have no battery power.
Previously the Sams's club batteries didnot stand up to my heavy
duty usage of charge/discharge even though i maintained the same way.
Monaco Executive 43' 500HP Cummins, Ralph Lauren Stetson Interior
Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo Auto 4WD
Gary Franks wrote: I replaced my four Trojan T-105s with six Lifeline GPL-6CT AGM batteries. These are taller than normal, but I had the space to go taller and to go two batteries wider. I went from 450 amp hours to 900. Not cheap. Bought them from AM Solar over the phone and the batteries were shipped directly from the manufacturer to the RV park where I was parked. I am so proud of my batteries, I considered replacing my compartment door with glass to show them off.
WOW! You must really be proud of your batteries if you want to put a glass compartment door? LMAO!
Diamond jewelry is cheaper (and less heavy). The batteries are great, though.
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