full timing in the winter - battery question - CrossRoads RV Family Forum

If you can, switch a few of your inside lights to LED, every little bit helps when dry camping...

2009 CT 31RL. detachable cord, LED lights, 26" tv, access door mod

2011 F350 4x4 LB 6.7 Dark Blue Pearl

alansills wrote:

My question is simply this: Since I'm told 2 - 6v batterys in series are the (apparently) best solution and the AGM is the preferred design... I simply would like to know if *anyone* here as used this arrangement with success for 1-2 nights of dry camping and if so, WHICH Brand of battery and model they used and where they bought it. Make sense? Al

IMO you have been told correctly that 2 6v in series is the best solution. I have two Trojan 125s and they are a vast improvement over the 2 Interstate deep cycle 12v that they replaced. I dry camp alot, but not in winter however. I guess the biggest test I've put them through was a 3 night hunting trip last spring (early April). The weather was cold and snow, highs around 40 during the day and overnight lows in the mid to upper twenties and I made the 3 nights just fine. I had my generators just in case I might need them, but never had to use them. Keep in mind that I had the thermostat set at 55 overnight. I would turn it up to 65 or so in the evenings and when we got up in the morning, but the rest of the time it was turned all the way down.

Also, I'm not sure that AGM is a better design than the wet cell. It does have advantages but if I remember correctly they don't have the amp hour capacity of the 6 volt wet cells. You can find detailed specs on the battery mfg web sites for comparisons between brands/types and make your decision form there. Hope this helps....

'08 Cruiser Sport RF25RL

I was able to make it through the night on two 12 V batteries, but they wouldn't make it through the second night while dry camping. I switched to two 6V golf batteries (Sam's Club special. Eveready or maybe Energizer brand I think, not the better quality Trojans). They have no problem going through the first night. And if they are fully charged at the beginning of the first night, they can make it through the second. Granted, my dry camping is not in extreme temps (lows in the upper 20's), but they will make it. I run the fridge on propane and I have switched out most of the lights I use to LED's. I have done this for a couple of seasons now, but I have the generator to recharge and act as a backup just in case. What I don't know is how quickly your battery will charge while driving. If I understand the concept of the charge process, it will absorb a larger quantity quickly when it is fully discharged, but as it it gets closer to a full charge, it absorbs that more slowly. In other words, it takes longer to get that last 5-10% of a charge than it does to take you from say 60% to 90%. That is based on using a battery charger. Maybe someone here can confirm what it would pull from the tow vehicle. Hope this helps.

Edited by Monty - 16 Dec 2011 at 12:43pm

Brian Montgomery
Hensley, AR
'05 CF29RK,
'01 Ford F250 CrewCab

Thanks! Your responses are helpful. I understand the physics of battery charging and know it will take a full day of driving to charge the battery. I think I have settled in on two - 6 volt Fullriver batteries (model dc224-6). Any one have any experience with fullriver? They're about $223 each. I didn't passout when I heard the price. I have a business anyway that I run from the RV...so, i'll just write it off! Al

Alan Sills
http://alansills.com
561 676 1205

well, don't wanna come across like 'money bags' here; but business is good ;) and if an extra $93 per battery (thats what it amounts to) - and i'm getting 2...if this helps me to sleep better at night, it will quickly be worth the extra $186.; see where i'm coming from? al

Alan Sills
http://alansills.com
561 676 1205