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Open Roads Forum  >  Class A Motorhomes

 > Two 12 Volt= 12 Volt

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grandpalarry

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Posted: 04/14/12 10:27am Link  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

I have a 1999 Pace Arrow, I am getting ready to replace the two 6 volt house batteries this season.
Can I replace the two 6 volt, wired in series = 12 volts, with two 12 volt wired in parallel ?=12 volt.
Would this give me longer power-?
We had a handicap lift installed that runs off the chassis battery, thinking we would leave the motor running during the operation of the lift.
So far this seems to work, other than being a pain having to start the motor each lift.
My thoughts were with two 12 volts wired properly, and being recharged by the shore power, we could use the lift without using the gas.
I may have mistaken the correct wording in the wiring thus the =12 volt, You know what I mean.
Larry


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Posted: 04/14/12 10:41am Link  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Yes you can replace the 6's with 12's wired in parallel. Depends on what size space you have for the batteries. Golf carts are recommended often here but you can get 12 volt batteries that are true deep cycle. That would increase your amp-hour capacity. They are expensive. "Batteries Plus" sells them in the Denver area.

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Posted: 04/14/12 07:51pm Link  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Just so you know, if one battery stars to fade in performance, the other battery will discharge to the lower battery level. In other words, the batteries will always settle to the weakest link. When the batteries are new, it won't make nay difference, but as they age, it will make a slight difference if they are hard wired together. It just shortens the useful life slightly. I run them that way, but it would be better if I had an isolator.


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Posted: 04/14/12 05:11pm Link  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

flybuddy wrote:

There simply are no 12 volt combos that will give you as much depth as 2 6 volt golf cart batteries. Even the top end Trojan 12 volts are 150 a/h and cost more than double what a 220 6 volt will cost.
I ran a heavily modified Gemcar for years that was street legal and would actually keep up with traffic. School and store runs dictated better battery depth and I tried combos of 6, 8s and 12s. The simple answer is that the lower voltages have the deepest amp ratings.
My 12 volt 8D AGM batteries are 245 a/h and yes they cost more than double what what you 220 6 volts will cost. And I run 2 of them.

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Posted: 04/14/12 11:37am Link  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Usually you get the best service (most years by far) from 6 volt golf cart batteries. With 6 volt batteries (usually about 220 amp/hr batteries) you get the 220 amp/hr from them but with 2 12 volt batteries (the same footprint as the 6 volt batteries which would be group 24) you add the amp hours together (usually around 90 amp/hr each for about 180 amp/hr of power. To get GREATER power from the two 12 volts they would need to be larger 12 volt batteries.
Good luck / Skip


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Posted: 04/14/12 12:36pm Link  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

There simply are no 12 volt combos that will give you as much depth as 2 6 volt golf cart batteries. Even the top end Trojan 12 volts are 150 a/h and cost more than double what a 220 6 volt will cost.
I ran a heavily modified Gemcar for years that was street legal and would actually keep up with traffic. School and store runs dictated better battery depth and I tried combos of 6, 8s and 12s. The simple answer is that the lower voltages have the deepest amp ratings.

mike4947

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Posted: 04/15/12 12:21am Link  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Just to add my $.02 worth I agrgee with Big rabitt and Dennis. One to get more knowledge on the subject and the other (BR) as to what you need to do. While chassis batteries use alternater power with the engine running, house batteries use the shore power converter when the RV is plugged in, and keep them charged.
Just to confuse the matter there is also switching available that allows house batteries to be used in starting circuits as well.


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Posted: 04/14/12 09:31pm Link  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

grandpalarry wrote:

I have a 1999 Pace Arrow, I am getting ready to replace the two 6 volt house batteries this season.
Can I replace the two 6 volt, wired in series = 12 volts, with two 12 volt wired in parallel ?=12 volt.
Would this give me longer power-?
We had a handicap lift installed that runs off the chassis battery, thinking we would leave the motor running during the operation of the lift.
So far this seems to work, other than being a pain having to start the motor each lift.
My thoughts were with two 12 volts wired properly, and being recharged by the shore power, we could use the lift without using the gas.
I may have mistaken the correct wording in the wiring thus the =12 volt, You know what I mean.
Larry
Upon resding this post twice, I am a little confused or you are confusing things.

You had the lift wired to run from the "chasis" battery and NOT the house batteries. The two 6 volt batteries are normally found as HOUSE batteries. The lift is connected to one battery and you are talkong about repalacing a diffeent set of batteries. If you change the house batteries and the lift is still connected to the "chassis" battery, the battery change won't change anything.

Also, shore power charges the house batteries and not the chassis battery. My suggestion would be to change the wiring for the lift so that it runs from the HOUSE batteries and not the CHASSIS battery. Once you make that change, you will not have to run the engine to operate the lift which is your goal. No battery change required.


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Posted: 04/14/12 11:38pm Link  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Spend some time here: The 12 Volt Side of Life and you will be a lot more comfortable.


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