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Battery life

For the folks the boondock a lot with solar what is the real useable life ( years)of your AGM batteries, especially interested if you have a res fridge?
Bruce, Linda, and Macy
Zoey RIP 1/20/19
1999 U295 40' build #5400
2017 silver Jeep Wrangler, 1260 watts of solar on top
Moving around the country

Re: Battery life

Reply #1 –
8 years and going strong for our AGMs. RV fridge.

P
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Battery life

Reply #2 –
12 years and going strong.
John
John and Stacey Smith
Motorcade NO: 11973
1997 U295 CSGI 40'..Build No. 5036     
920 Watts on the roof..CAT Power w/fuel Inj. Programmer
2021 GMC Sierra AT4 1500
EX..2015 Jeep Wrangler Sahara
Ex 1990 U280 RSAI 36'..Build No. 3638

Re: Battery life

Reply #3 –
My oem gel batteries lasted 11 years. Too soon to tell on my 3 year old agm batteries.
Tom Lang K6PG (originally  KC6UEC)
and Diane Lang
2003 38 U295 build 6209
2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Ecodiesel
still have tow-ready 2006 Acura MDX 
Temple City, California
Motorcade 16681 California Chapter President
SKP 16663 member of SKP Park of the Sierra, Coarsegold California
FMCA F071251
Retired electrical and electronic engineer

Re: Battery life

Reply #4 –
The next question is if you have solar,  do you let the solar do the battery charging all the time. Or do you leave the on board charger on and solar on all the time?
Bruce, Linda, and Macy
Zoey RIP 1/20/19
1999 U295 40' build #5400
2017 silver Jeep Wrangler, 1260 watts of solar on top
Moving around the country

Re: Battery life

Reply #5 –
When we stayed in Yuma last winter plugged in, I turned the charger off the whole time we were there, 6 weeks. We have 350 watts solar and three 8 D wet batts. PO used start batts, but they are Deka batts. They do just fine.They are  four years old.
With our last coach I also turned the charger off. for a month in Yuma plugged in. We had four six volt interstate golf cart batts and 280 watts solar. It did fine also. Both coaches had LED bulbs.
Chris and Tammy White  CDA Idaho
Previous owners 1997 U295 36' 3126 Cat 300 HP Build # 4998
Former Foretravel tech & RVIA certified tech
Former owner Custom Satellite home/RV satellites 
Former owner Vans LTD  van conversions
Unemployed, panhandler, drag racer NHRA #6348

Re: Battery life

Reply #6 –
I might be a special case since my marine refrigerator runs on 12VDC only.  I use both so long as the refrigerator is running.  Storage would be another matter.
Tom Lang K6PG (originally  KC6UEC)
and Diane Lang
2003 38 U295 build 6209
2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Ecodiesel
still have tow-ready 2006 Acura MDX 
Temple City, California
Motorcade 16681 California Chapter President
SKP 16663 member of SKP Park of the Sierra, Coarsegold California
FMCA F071251
Retired electrical and electronic engineer

Re: Battery life

Reply #7 –
If on shore power, we shut the solar off. The coach is covered at home so solar is not an option.

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Battery life

Reply #8 –
Quote from: bbeane –
The next question is if you have solar,  do you let the solar do the battery charging all the time. Or do you leave the on board charger on and solar on all the time?
B - solar and inverter/charger on all the time.  Don't see any reason to turn anything off.  If all the batteries are fully charged, then neither of the chargers are doing anything but "maintaining".  I let them work out who does what.  Batteries seem to be happy all the time.  I'm not damaging anything by leaving the solar turned on, even if it is not doing anything.

I asked on the Forum about when our coach is parked long-term in our driveway...if I should let the solar take care of the batteries.  From the answers, I determined the problem with that is our residential fridge.  It pulls the batteries down each night, then the solar recharges them each day.  That's fine, except it is "wearing out" the batteries for no reason.  Your batteries only have a limited number of discharge/recharge cycles before they die.  I want to save our battery "life" for when we are traveling, so when at home I keep them fully charged with the inverter/charger.
1993 U280 SE 40' WTBI, Build: 4359
C8.3 300hp, 6-Speed, Exhaust Brake
960 watts on the roof (6 x 160)
Sorento (or BOLT) on a Kar Kaddy SS
"Nature abhors a vacuum"

Re: Battery life

Reply #9 –
Chuck I tend to agree with you on the cycling issue by using solar only. I'm just curious who does what.
Bruce, Linda, and Macy
Zoey RIP 1/20/19
1999 U295 40' build #5400
2017 silver Jeep Wrangler, 1260 watts of solar on top
Moving around the country

Re: Battery life

Reply #10 –
I use solar even when plugged in, UNLESS, cloudy or rainy, limits available solar. I seldom use the converter for charging.
I have 1600 watts of panels and an 80 amp Outback Controller.

I cycle about 200 times per year and my Gel batteries lasted 11 years, AGM batteries only lasted 5 years - I was disappointed because I was told by Lifeline that their super duper AGM batteries would perform like a Gel.

I have the OEM fridge.
Wyatt
96 U320 40 WTFE, build 4943
84 Toyota Supra towd
2015 Jeep Wrangler towd
Victoria, BC, Canada

Re: Battery life

Reply #11 –
Bruce,  AGM battery's life cycle count varies with the depth of discharge.  You will get many more shallow discharges than deep ones.  It is also easier to bring them back up to a full charge after a shallow discharge which as I understand it is what you want to do.

I am at 6+ years on my 3-8D lifelines, they are showing their age but still OK. Definately not as strong as when they were new.
Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN