Best batteries out there

[Ribs1]

Hello,
I just figured out that the battery on my new to me popup is dead.  I need to buy a new battery.  I was considering going the 2 6v route, but I don't really have the skills to modify my tongue and I'm worried about the extra tongue weight.  So I will probably go out and buy a group 31 battery.  My question is what battery has the best reputation for longest running time and longest life with the least amount of maintenance?
Thanks

[wavery]

Hello,
I just figured out that the battery on my new to me popup is dead.  I need to buy a new battery.  I was considering going the 2 6v route, but I don't really have the skills to modify my tongue and I'm worried about the extra tongue weight.  So I will probably go out and buy a group 31 battery.  My question is what battery has the best reputation for longest running time and longest life with the least amount of maintenance?
Thanks

AHHHHHH!! The million dollar question. :book:

There are as many answers as there are manufacturers. :p

You may want to consider just simply getting another battery box and carrying a spare 12v battery.

I would recommend a 12V Deep Cycle battery. The success of a long life on most any battery is maintenance, kepping it clean/dry, storing the battery with a full charge and keeping it topped up with distilled water. Storing a battery with a low/no charge is the most common way to kill a good battery.

[mike4947]

You've got the right idea going with a group 31 as it's the largest practical single battery that will usually fit in the battery frames supplied with the trailers.

As to what type? Make sure you're getting a deep cycle. Not a marine starting/deep cycle, marine hybrid, or any battery with a CCA rating which means it has internals designed partially or wholey for starting; and as such will have shorter life span as it's number of cycles will be less used as we do in trailers.
 
As to what brand? In our extended camping family with 30+ multigenerational families with multiple RV's and myself being a reformed crowned king of battery killers (my record was 3 between Memorial day and August 1st) I can safely say brand means little in comparison to maintenance and charging. I killed what everyone reguards as the Cadillac of batteries the Trojan in as little as 2 weeks, while my last battery a low priced deep cycle from BJ's ran 5 years in my trailer and 2 more in a neighbors and a year on the shelf in the garage in between.
The difference?  The Trojans got mistreated and the cheapo BJ battery was faithfully maintained and charged.

[TheViking]

The best way to go as I understand it is to tandem two 6 Volt batteries.  Trojan Batteries are the batteries of choice it seems.  It will give you more amps than a single deep cycle I think.  You can do a search for this mod on some other sites as well or PM Dee4j on this site.  She has had it done to her Hybrid by the DIY network.

[azpopup17]

What about cases for for the larger batteries, are they available?  I have only seen ones for the group 24 standard size batteries.  I have seen them at auto parts stores and Camping World.

[mike4947]

There are two bacis sized cases. The really small group 24 cases and the larger ones designed to hold a group 31.

As an exercise for the student use the Trojan battery site to find the actual dimensions of a group 30/31 battery and do a google search on battery boxes and match up sizes.
Some Wally Worlds carry the larger size and some carry the smaller size. Marine stores such as West Marine carry both.