GrouchyOldMan
Open Road
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Thanks everybody, I'm going to investigate Lifeline, and also the GC-2 batteries.
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Veebyes
Bermuda & Maryland Eastern Shore
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Joined: 11/24/2003
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I am on my second Lifeline 4D 215ah 12V battery. The first one had a lifespan of nine years. We are not bigtime dry campers but certainly do not shy away from dry camping.
Lots of years still in the current one, all going well, but I have been poking around doing research on lithium when the time comes to replace the AGM.
The advantages of lithium over AGM are like AGM over wet cells.
Boat: 32' 1996 Albin 32+2, single Cummins 315hp
40+ night per year overnighter
2007 Alpenlite 34RLR
2006 Chevy 3500 LT, CC,LB 6.6L Diesel
Ham Radio: VP9KL, IRLP node 7995
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StirCrazy
Kamloops, BC, Canada
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Joined: 07/16/2003
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Im going to say rolls surrett, been the best made deep cycle for decades, but you do pay a bit more for them.
2014 F350 6.7 Platinum
2016 Cougar 330RBK
1991 Slumberqueen WS100
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GrouchyOldMan
Open Road
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An update on my search:
- Lifeline distributors say 14 months for new orders!
- The Trojan T105 6v GC-2 battery appears to be locally available. Here's the spec sheet.
https://www.trojanbattery.com/product/t-105_plus/
Would two of these (in series) provide me with about 100 usable 12VDC amp hours in "normal" boondocking activities, say 30 AH per day?
- How many years could I expect from these if the lived in the RV during winter with an intelligent trickle charger?
- Would I get much more lifetime out of the Lead Acid version over AGM under the same conditions?
Appreciating the education here... Respect.
(Whoops, just realized the T 105 is a flooded not AGM! Questions still valid. Price on AMZ = $215 each.)
* This post was
edited 11/05/21 01:09pm by GrouchyOldMan *
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Skibane
San Antonio, TX
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^Two T-105 Plus batteries connected in series will give you 225 AH at 12 volts, which means that if you only draw 100 AH out of them between recharges, they should last for many hundreds of cycles.
Given proper care, there's no reason why those conventional flooded-cell batteries won't last just as long as a good set of AGM batteries.
Biggest disadvantages are that:
1. They can only be located someplace with good ventilation,
2. They don't accept high charging current as well as AGM batteries do (which means that you can't rapid-charge them as quickly),
3. They require occasional water replenishment and terminal-cleaning.
If you can accept those limitations, they are an excellent choice.
ETA: $215 apiece sounds way high. I assume your local dealer has better prices?
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MNRon
Tennessee
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I highly recommend Lifeline’s. I just checked batteryguys.com (where I found cheapest prices 3yrs ago, no affiliation) and it looks like they have in stock to ship.
If you instead decide on LA, I’d recommend Sam’s Club or Costco GCs at about $1/AHr
Ron & Pat
2022 F350 Lariat CCSB SRW Diesel
2019 VanLeigh Vilano 320 GK
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GrouchyOldMan
Open Road
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UPDATE:
I really appreciate you folks weighing in and after due consideration....
I found a local source for two Trojan T-105 GC-2 batteries for $199 each.
If you think that is expensive, beware the "Supply Chain" and Inflation because both are in play here. Lifeline really does advise three months plus delivery dates to their distributors . And the same Lifeline batteries I price-checked a year ago are up 20+ percent.
With the two Trojan GC-2 batts connected in series, I'll have about 125Ah of reliable juice that will last for many years if I take care of them. Which I surely will. That pesty Victron battery monitor squeals like a pampered child when I even approach 50% drawdown!
AND, I don't have to change a single thing in my electrical system! Which is a "Good Thing" in my Coachmen Freelander because the Converter/Battery Charger isn't adjustable for battery types.
So, Kudos to you LiFePo...whatevers, you are definitely Next Gen. Hats off but I'm sticking with lead acid this go round.
Paz y amor hermanos,
-Grouchy
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MEXICOWANDERER
las peñas, michoacan, mexico
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Try and beat this...heh heh heh
Lifeline in storage, DISCONNECTED for one and a half years
12.58 volts measured Saturday.
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Veebyes
Bermuda & Maryland Eastern Shore
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MEXICOWANDERER wrote:Try and beat this...heh heh heh
Lifeline in storage, DISCONNECTED for one and a half years
12.58 volts measured Saturday.
Good one, but not surprised. In 2019 my 4D Lifeline AGM went from end of October 2019 to August 2020, Disconnected, & had power to operate landing legs without a top up charge.
Typical storage runs from end of October to mid April, disconnected with no battery tender.
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