best deep cycle battery

[ratraget]

so whats the best battery to go dry camping for 3 days
deep cycle...amp hours?

[wavery]

so whats the best battery to go dry camping for 3 days
deep cycle...amp hours?

I would recommend the largest 12v deep cycle battery that will fit in your battery box. Be careful to make sure that you get a true "Deep Cycle" battery and not a multi-purpose. True deep cycles are getting harder to find.

I would also recommend carrying another battery, as a back-up, in the event that your camper battery dies on you. It's easy to purchase another plastic battery carrying box (with a secure lid) and stick it in your TV. For another $100 you don't have to worry about a ruined camp-out due to a dead battery. I have seen this happen to people on nearly every camp-out.

Just be sure to check the water (use distilled only) and charge both batteries before leaving. It makes for a much more pleasant camping experience when you don't have to be concerned about power consumption.

[austinado16]

If money's no object, how about the Optima Gel Yellow Top RV/Marine battery.  No acid, no venting, no box needed, can be mounted laying on it's side, or whatever.  

I scored one on Craiglist locally for $65....cha-ching.  Close to $200 new.

[jawilson]

Aren't the Optimas AGM? If so I haven't heard positive things about them for deep cycle usage. From what I've been able to gather the AGM style of battery doesn't lend itself to deep cycle usage.

As far as the best manufacturer... well, that's all a bit of conjecture. Most people have had positive experiences with Trojan and Interstate though. But as mentioned previous, make sure it's a true deep cycle battery or all bets are off.

[mike4947]

The best buy pennies per amp would be a pair a 6 volt deep cycle wet cells.
As for a single battery manufacturer means a lot less than maintenance. I've ruined an expensive Trojan in the same time as a Kmart special...LOL
 
The larger the better. More weight means more lead which equals more amps.
Your basic sizes from smallest to largest for deep cycle batteries are group 24, group 27, group 29, and the largest group 31.
Your standard battery tray and box will hold a group 27.
I simply go to Wally World, Costco, etc and just make sure the battery is no more than 3 months old and is a true deep cycle.
 
As for an Optima, for their size they have a lot less available amps. The special curved plates which are made to withstand severe shock and vibration take up more room so there's less lead for a given size. Not to mention the plates cost more to make so the price is higher per amp. If you like the benifits of an AGM, no checking fluid level, faster recharge rates, then the standard ones like those from Lifeline/Concord; while still more expensive that open wet celled batteries; are a lot cheaper and have more amps than an Optima.

[curryp]

Do a search on here for "configurator" and you will see a posting for  a link to a website where you can select typical electrical products to see how many amps will be used based on how long you will use the electrical item.

Also, I have had good experience getting a quality deep cycle battery at Advanced Auto for less than Wally World. I was looking for a battery with good cranking amps for my I/O boat. I got one at Advanced Auto with 1000 cranking amps for less than Wal-Mart was asking for a battery with fewer cranking amps.

[austinado16]

Great info guys!  I guess I'm glad I got the yellow top for such a good price and I'll see how it holds up when we go to the Grand Canyon next Thurday.

[dcampbell1969]

I kept my original 24 and got a spare 27 from Wal-mart.  Went 4 nights and didn't come close to running out.  Still had over 50% of the 24 and over 75% of the 27.  And let the power flow freely over the last day and a half.

[tlhdoc]

The higher the reserve capacity the more power you will get out of the battery.  I have seen group 31 batteries that have a lower reserve capacity than a group 27.  I buy my batteries at Sam's Club.  Had one that was replaced in a few months and I have one that is on its 7th camping season.  

[ldgregory]

Do a search on here for "configurator" and you will see a posting for  a link to a website where you can select typical electrical products to see how many amps will be used based on how long you will use the electrical item.

http://trucks.pcwize.com/dc_configurator.php

[chrismarques]

I was using a 5 year old combo deep cycle/starting battery out of my boat in the camper until it decided it wanted no more in Utah. Heading to the Grand Canyon ( no hookups) I picked up a WalMart Everstart deep cycle and worked fine running my fan and lights for 3/4 nights.
Nothing like having a dead battery while camping.

[wavery]

I was using a 5 year old combo deep cycle/starting battery out of my boat in the camper until it decided it wanted no more in Utah. Heading to the Grand Canyon ( no hookups) I picked up a WalMart Everstart deep cycle and worked fine running my fan and lights for 3/4 nights.
Nothing like having a dead battery while camping.

That's quite a common tale.....that's why I always suggest taking a spare battery (in a case) along.

[stewartlittle]

I have a couple a questions,

If the battery does die out there,why could'nt you hook it in the truck and charge it that way?

And,are most batteries put out by the same people.I was at WalMart the other day to have my battery checked & he say it had a bad cell.While looking at a new one this other worker came around and I told him I'm not gonna get another one there,he said almost all batteries are from the same company.WalMart,AdvanceAuto,AutoZone,DieHard and many other store brands. He did say Interstate was a company by itself though.

Is this true?

[wavery]

I have a couple a questions,

If the battery does die out there,why could'nt you hook it in the truck and charge it that way?

And,are most batteries put out by the same people.I was at WalMart the other day to have my battery checked & he say it had a bad cell.While looking at a new one this other worker came around and I told him I'm not gonna get another one there,he said almost all batteries are from the same company.WalMart,AdvanceAuto,AutoZone,DieHard and many other store brands. He did say Interstate was a company by itself though.

Is this true?

I think that there are about 3 or 4 major battery manufacturers in the US. Most manufacturers sell products to mass merchandisers to put their own label on.

Interstate does build good batteries (IMO). However, I think that they all do. It's more about maintenance than it is about manufacturing quality.

Keep your battery topped up with distilled water. Don't let your battery fall below 12.1v without recharging. Keep your battery top and terminals clean. If you do these things, you will increase your chances of having a long lasting battery.

Hooking a battery to your TV for charging is VERY inefficient. Leaving your engine running at idle will put out very little amperage and introduce you to the the hazard of over-heating and engine failure. Cars are designed to be moving while the engine is running. It is risky business leaving your engine running while the car is parked.

The other issue is the amount of carbon monoxide that you are introducing to your campsite.

[zamboni]

Our Costco deep-cycle marine battery lasted less than 2 years, and that was not using it much.

I recently upgraded to a Lifeline AGM (sealed, Absorbed Glass Matt) battery and it seemed to do very well.  I bought a generator and during a 5-day campout, ran it about an hour/day to keep the battery topped up.

The beauty of AGM batteries is:
1) Have low self-discharge (loses under 3%/month).
2) Can be mounted in any position - even upside down, and submerged with no damage
3) They can be charged hard & fast - none of this 1/4x amount (most "normal" liquid batteries only accept about 35% of their amp-hour rating!)... unlimited recharge current with regulated voltage!  Thus, they can be charged at like 400% (4x capacity) if you have a generator that can do it.
4)  Can be deep-discharge re-conditioned by equalizing (15.5 V charge for 8 hours)

AGM should not be confused with Gel Batteries (which are more fragile, and can only accept 50% recharge current)

They are expensive.  About $200, but (for me) the benefits were worth it - bulk recharge it fast with my generator, sealed, etc.