Right now I have 2 8D house batteries with approx combined capacity of 450 amp-hrs. My problem is how to increase my house battery capacity in the available space I have. Then it dawned on me - look for a taller battery!
I ran across these Trojan L16H-AC 435 amp-hr deep cycle batteries (http://www.trojanbattery.com/product/l16h-ac/). I have the room for the height, and can easily fit 4 where my 2 8Ds are now. This will just about double my house battery capacity to 870 amp-hrs, with no modification to the battery bay.
I compared the cost/amp-hr to the O'Reilly AGM8D (http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/SSBL/AGM8D/N2493.oap?ck=Search_N2493_-1_-1&pt=N2493&ppt=C2389) that I am also considering. The best price I have found so far for the Trojan (http://www.thesolarbiz.com/Trojan-L16H-AC-6V-Battery-435-AH#gsc.tab=0) is $304, need 2 for 12V, so $608.
O'Reilly AGM8D -- $450 / 245 amp-hrs = $1.84
Trojan L16H-AC -- $608 / 435 amp-hrs = $1.40
So the Trojan L16H-AC cost/amp-hr seems to be pretty competitive as well.
The watering system is kind of interesting too.
Trojan HydroLink watering system (http://www.trojanbattery.com/floatbox/HydroLinkSpeedChannelVideo.html)
I like the single watering cap. with 4 batteries and a self watering system might be a better deal. I hated my golf cart batteries in my '81 Fretravel had to remove them to top them off until I bought one of the water manifold kits. You will be going from around 320 lbs. to 480 lbs. but that's nothing, at least on a Foetravel.
I was thinking of the exact same set of batteries. US battery also makes that size.
I will be waiting to see your finished job if you follow through.
Good luck.
The $50 core charge each will raise the price a little, but still a good deal to get more amp hrs.
I just put golf cart batteries in my 280 to replace the 8d batteries. I only put in four six volts but made the hold down bracket able to hold six (two rows of three). These batteries are taller and I noticed two issues. Bottom tray once the batteries were in are fine for the extra height but looked like a battery the same height and the length of the 8d might jam up and not slide in. Also with just the hold down on the two batteries slid inboard on the top I can barely get the sewer hose out of the holder in the side so if I add the batteries I will have to move the hose.
Derek:
Can you post a picture of your new battery install?
Sure. Not sure how well this will show. I installed US2200XC batteries and made a perimeter style hold down because of the design of the caps. According to the sheet they are 10.25 by 7.125 and 11.125 tall. The 10.25 fits the stock base ok and didn't really take any shimming to keep the bottom snug and the 7.125 puts them in the neighbourhood of the 21 inch long 8d. The height however is no issue once in place but the opening from the bottom of the fibreglass opening to the bottom of the angle used to support the upper battery is only 11 inches with the door stricker removed. I had to lay the lower batteries in and then flip them vertically to fit which you can't do when it's full length. The only other thing of note is that the threaded posts are short and wouldn't fit all of the eyelets that were on the cables. I made short bus bars so that j can put a long enough bolt through them. To make the bus bars I took a discarded 600v electrical panel and cut apart the 250 amp fuses to use the blades from the fuses (drilled to fit the 5/16 stud and 3/8 bolt for the eyelets). Note the location of the corner of the bracket in relation to the sewer pipe if I don't add the other two batteries it's a lot of turning just the right way to get that pipe out I venture it's impossible with a battery there.
Trojan (and others) also make an L16 AGM battery, no watering required. Some MH manufacturers have switched to them for their 2017 models:
Reliant L16-AGM | Trojan Battery Company (http://www.trojanbattery.com/product/reliant-l16-agm/)
U.S. Battery | Leader in Deep Cycle Batteries | US AGM L16 - U.S. Battery |... (http://usbattery.com/products/us-agm-batteries/us-agm-l16/)
Lifeline AGM L16 Deep Cycle Battery (http://www.powerstridebattery.com/lifeline-agm-l16-deep-cycle-battery-gpl-l16t)
I just mention for those situations where watering would be difficult; I know some coaches have the batteries more readily accessible than others.
The reason I used these batteries was that there is a ready supply of them at my uncles shop ten miles from me and as such he gets a bulk buying discount on them. I would suggest seeing if you can find an old battery core or a display battery (just the case no guts) to try sliding in batteries 16 inches tall. That opening really is the limiting factor.
Michelle:
Yes, I also looked at the AGMs. I really didn't want to go with wet batteries, but, when I saw the HydroLink system that changed my mind. The wet battery has more amp-hrs and is quite a bit cheaper, and with the HydroLink it seems like the way to go - at least for me.
Derek:
Here is my battery bay, its a little more open than yours. The 2 8Ds on the right will be replaced with 4 Trojan L16H-ACs. Three across in the front, and one sideways behind those.
Ted H., has the L-16 batteries in his U-320. I had the opportunity to meet him while in CA this past fall and winter, and he came to visit and stay at Quartzite also. We were neighbors about 1 week and he rarely had to run his generator. He had 960 amp /hours if my memory is correct and a watering system. The interesting thing about it is that he has a lot more storage of power for a similar cost for my 2 8G8D batteries I put in 2013.
Now that I have a good solar system on the coach, I hope I won't be needed batteries for a long time. When I do, I will have to compare the costs for the L-16's to Lithium/ and the advantages/disadvantages at that time.
If Ted H. sees this post maybe he can add to it.
^.^d
I would never go with wet batteries in our coach. It isn't just watering them that is the problem, but the mess or potential mess as well as the explosive potential is just too much. We have them in a golf cart, and it is a constant mess... no way I want that in our coach! I want to get AGM's for the cart, but for that the cost difference is hard to swallow. However, nothing is "too good" for our coach!
Would be difficult for me personally to go back to flooded cell batteries. Too many old Rv memories with various issues.
tires and batteries in Rvs are something I learned long ago to spend the most on as far as quality.
As far as I know any flooded cell out gasses and the cabling needs semi annual maintenance.
But I do understand the better value idea.
The expensive lifelines would be my choice