A second battery

kwf904 wrote:I don't do much dry camping, maybe once or twice a year. I really don't want to add a second battery box and wire two together in parallel. My thought is to pick up another 12volt and just replace it when the first one runs down. my question is, is there any benefit to having the two wired together other than convenience of not having to swap them out?
Thanks
Jim

jetskier wrote:Dan,

Here you go...I bought a 4 GC battery box and contorted it in the left over room.

[b]Very nice job with the battery installation a 6 volt battery system beats the 12 volt system all day long in my opinion.....[/b]

bsmall2800 wrote:

[b]Very nice job with the battery installation a 6 volt battery system beats the 12 volt system all day long in my opinion.....[/b]

MountainMan wrote:

bsmall2800 wrote:

[b]Very nice job with the battery installation a 6 volt battery system beats the 12 volt system all day long in my opinion.....[/b]

Bill,

Not trying to be argumentative in any way but why do you feel the 6 volt system is better?
Just curious because I see so many RVer's saying the same thing. I just haven't figured out why they all say this.

Someone enlighten me here.

MountainMan wrote:Thanks Bill and jacandjan. I've read through the 12 volt side of life and think it may be a little dated pertaining to group 27 12 volt batteries.

As I said in my post above I have no doubt of the 6 volt golf cart batteries out-performing the "marine" type 12 volt batteries. These marine batteries are hybrids and are not true deep cycle batteries.
(sponge plates vs. solid lead plates)

However there are true deep cycle 12 volt batteries available in group 27 size rated at 115 amp/hours with solid lead plates. Two of these batteries wired in parallel give the same or perhaps a little more amp/hours (230A/H) as 2 of the average 6 volt golf cart batteries wired in series.

Since they are both true deep cycle batteries, they have about the same depth of discharge and number of discharge/recharge cycles.
The weight is also nearly the same.

I know the 6 volt batteries are a good choice but I'm convinced the 12 volt batteries are a fine choice as well if you get the right 12 volt batteries.

I'm just glad batteries keep getting better with advancing technology. Perhaps one day there will be an electric car..... oh wait

dragynj wrote:I just wrestled with this decision a month back. Almost went with 6v batteries, but just could not cost justify it. Ended up going with one Optima AGM 12v. I am convinced the charger on the Cat is garbage so I added a battery cutoff switch and a battery tender (way cheaper than changing out the power unit, plus I can take it all with me when the camper goes!!).

In the end I think the 6v battery combo is superior to 12v batteries, but unless you do a LOT of dry camping you won't see any of the benefits.

Sean wrote:Do not forget that wiring batteries of the same type, BUT not the same age could be detrimental to battery life as the old battery might discharge the new battery, and not give you the battery life you hoped to achieve.
Sean.

desertcat wrote:We dry camp a lot & run on battery for a week or two at a time. We have a battery bank of four 6V & 110 watt solar charge set up. Down here at night we run fans all night & wife 2-3hrs of TV sometimes in summer & winter the furnaces all night. the 6V have never let us down. Haven't used the group 27 battery & can't say por or con, but the old 12v just did not last or Hang-in there.

I do think one of the biggest mistake are not getting a match bank 12V or 6V & when change out batteries trying mix old & new.

robertz675 wrote:

I also had previously changed out all of my lighting to LED. That was one of the best improvements that I did.