JERRYLY Report post Posted March 2, 2015 I need new deep cycle batteries for Motorhome. Which one is the best? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted March 2, 2015 Jerry, Lot of variables. 6 VDC in series or 12 VDC How many/ how many amp hours? How often do you dry camp? What converter/charger do you have (if not a smart charger, don't spend a lot of money on top of the line batteries). What part of the country-- Stores like Walmart and Sams sell different makes of batteries in different parts of the country. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dwillia8288 Report post Posted March 2, 2015 This is not an answer, but an additional question. I have three 12 volt house batteries, their location demands "no maintenance" My charging system is a magnum 2000 modified sign wave inverter/converter. Also, my engine batteries are a pair of interstate batteries that appear to be "no maintenance" but have a very poor life cycle. My usage is limited to 5 month a year, with the coach sitting the other seven. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dickandlois Report post Posted March 3, 2015 dwillia8288, Welcome to the FMCA forum! You did not post the Year, Make and Model of your coach and there are different configurations(wiring) used. The three 12 volt coach batteries, are they deep cycle series? You mention that the 2 Chassis (engine) batteries you are using have a short life span. How long do they last? From my experience this is unusual / what is the condition of your alternator? Regulated output is 13.5 volts in most cases. You can read this voltage by measuring the reading at each of the batteries and checking for clean and tight connections at all the battery connections. Also check the condition of all the ground connections at the Chassis. The Magnum 2000 series charger / inverter should go through a sequence of charging steps. 1-A high current charge rate of approximately 90amps. Red LED 2-A medium current charge rate of 45 amps. Yellow LED 3-A float charge rate to maintain coach battery charge and also be connected to the chassis batteries to maintain a charge level of 13.5 to 14 volts.Green LED You should check the setup of your 2000 using the remote monitoring panel. The term "no Maintenance"is really miss leading- Most batteries have caps that can be removed - exposing 3 cells at a time and there water levels should be checked. I check all of my batteries every 6 months and during the cold weather I check them every 3 months. Reason is that with colder weather the humidity is lower and the batteries are often warmer then the air temperature. This condition allows for greater water evaporation from the cells. When filling the batteries, use only distilled water and remember to work safe. Battery acid can cause sever skin burns. Rich. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gbrinck Report post Posted March 3, 2015 Two different questions in this thread makes it confusing - one concerning "deep cycle" and the other "no maintenance". Those are entirely different attributes. A given battery could be one or the other, or both, or neither. Probably the best known and most respected deep-cycle brand is Trojan, but just about any brand of 6v "golf cart" (GC2) battery will give excellent deep cycle perfromance. Also, most any AGM type battery will give good deep cycle perfromance, and a top AGM brand such as Lifeline will be excellent. "No Maintenance" basically means the battery is sealed to reduce electrolyte loss through evaporation. Engine starting batteries (cranking batteries) can be maintenance-free, but few deep cycles are because the deep discharge/recharge cycles tend to cause more outgassing than typical car use. However, the AGM type of battery pretty much eliminates gassing during charge cycles and all AGMs are sealed ("Valve-Regulated" is the proper technical term), so you an AGM can be both deep cycle and no-maintenance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted March 3, 2015 Gary, I love the statement on batteries that reads "Maintenance Free". On several occasions when I was replacing batteries, mostly in the truck or car the tech would say 'Did you check the water level?". I would respond "Maintenance Free", duh. Then the smarta678 would pop off the panel over the Batteries. At which point I would respond if that is what your are suppose to do why aren't we told this when we bay the batteries. It this point I smile and he replaces the "lifetime" battery. "Maintenance Free" Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
