Foretravel Owners' Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches September 13, 2025 ...

Rolls/Surrette batteries

April 21, 2017, 02:24:10 pm

Does anyone out there have experience with Rolls - Surrette AGM D8 batteries.

They are made in Canada which makes their price very good for me and they are 260 amp hour rating and the warranty looks strong.    But.......

Lifelines landed at my door in Canada, taxes and freight in  @ 1096.20 each (purchased out of Oregon)
MK's    @ 1093.39 each (purchased local)
Rolls  @  876.92 each (purchased from 100 miles from me.

Steve

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Re: Rolls/Surrette batteries

Reply #1 – April 21, 2017, 03:01:37 pm

I used Surrette batteries on my sailboat many many years ago and they were good batteries.  No idea what they are like now.  You generally get what you pay for.  Can you compare the weight of each?  Guessing heavier is better.

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Re: Rolls/Surrette batteries

Reply #2 – April 21, 2017, 03:04:42 pm

Rolls/surrette is one of the best battery mfgs anywhere. They are used in railroad applications a lot.

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Reply #3 – April 21, 2017, 04:12:18 pm

Jerry

These batteries are 172 lbs a piece.

2 year replacement, 5 more years pro rated.

260 amp/hour at 20amp hour draw.

Specs and price look good, so I guess I'm going to go this route.

Steve

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Re: Rolls/Surrette batteries

Reply #4 – April 21, 2017, 04:23:32 pm

If the coach is a "keeper" and the difference between 225 amp  hours and the 260 is not critical I would look at gels like your coach came with new.

Double the cycle life.  As the AGM's slowly lose capacity at some point in similar ages in cycles the gel will have retained more CCA's than the AGM's.

Five hundred cycles?  The AGM's will probably test lower then than the gels at the same time.

Residential refer and power pedestal to power pedestal use would make the AGM's not as much of an future issue.

Wyatt mentioned 1100 cycles on AGM's and 2300 on gels recently.

Just saying

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Re: Rolls/Surrette batteries

Reply #5 – April 21, 2017, 05:06:25 pm

Bob

I would agree if I used my coach the way most on this site do.

My coach sits in my shop and gets used 5 or 6 weekends a year to go racing.

1 retire in less than two years but DW wants to work for at least 10 more years, so no long term traveling in my near future.

I will go with AGM's this time around and maybe Gel's next time.

Also gel's will cost me around an extra $1000.00 for the three batteries.  With the exchange rate, federal and provincial taxes, we Canadians have to add about 50% to what you pay in USD and then add freight.

Thanks to all.

Steve

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Re: Rolls/Surrette batteries

Reply #6 – April 21, 2017, 05:26:07 pm

Steve, look at Fullriver DC400-6 batteries.  I am ordering these now, $499 each delivered.  Plus about $60 or more for my 8D cores.
They are six volt, AGM, 415 ah at 20 hour rate.  2 gets you 415 amp hrs, 4 gets you 830 amp,hrs and six will get you 1245 amp hrs.
And six will fit in the space your three 8Ds do now.

Fullriver Battery DC400-6 Product Information

Here is a good source for batteries.  Get a shipping quote.  My Lifelines we cheaper here delivered than anywhere else I found.
Rolls Surrette Batteries

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Reply #7 – April 21, 2017, 05:38:52 pm

Roger

To get six in there do you have to build a new base for them to sit on?

Steve

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Re: Rolls/Surrette batteries

Reply #8 – April 21, 2017, 06:51:26 pm

Yup, but it is a simple frame made of angle iron and bar stock with six feet that sit on frame members in the floor structure.  It is a snug fit front to rear especially.  Fullriver suggests 1/2" space between batteries but for the level of charging we do they said it was fine if they sit right next to each other.  Without the third battery on the shelf the batteries are easier to work on. 

A bit more on this....

On our 2001 single slide getting six in on the driver's side battery bay will work but the slide outboard truss makes it quite tight mainly because the hot and cold water drain lines have to fit under the battery rack.

The bottom line is measure many times and draw and many as pictures as you need to determine if it will work in your coach. 

We have removed the big LP tank and are putting in four L16 six volts batteries on that side and an eleven pound LP tank.

Another battery to consider is the Fullriver DC335-6 battery, same footprint, 2-1/4" shorter, 335 amp hrs at 20 hr rate. 103 lbs each. (780 lbs)

Six of these would be 1005 amp hrs vs 750 or so for 3 8Ds (501 lbs)

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