Foretravel Owners' Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches September 07, 2025 ...

Battery for a 1988 GV

February 29, 2024, 04:55:09 pm

I just acquired a 1988 Foretravel 3600 ORED It has 3 batteries that I have found. 2 under the steps and 1 in a rear/side compartment' They all look similar in size 8D but are they all Deep cycle?  I would assume the 2 under the steps would be house batteries and deep cycle but what about the rear/side one?    Thank you I look forward to a whole new learning experience

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Re: Battery for a 1988 GV

Reply #1 – February 29, 2024, 06:22:35 pm

The engine batt can be any batt with 900 plus cranking amps . One good batt will start the Cat 3208 in most climates.                           
      The 2 under the steps are usually deep cycle.
Some buses had one of the under step batts connected to the rear battery for 2 start batts. 
Autozone has a couple of deep cycles that can work or you can find the correct 8?d

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Re: Battery for a 1988 GV

Reply #2 – February 29, 2024, 07:23:40 pm

Another option for the house batteries is PAIRS of 6VDC golf cart batteries wired in SERIES= 12 VDC battery.

They ARE deep cycle and usually less $$ per amp-hour than deep cycle 8D's. 

And, yes, most 8D's are start, not deep cycle batteries.

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Re: Battery for a 1988 GV

Reply #3 – March 01, 2024, 09:01:45 am

x 2 what Mike and Brett said. Keep in mind that lead acid batteries need to be watered whereas AGM's and lithium do not.
I used the 6v golf cart batteries for years as house batteries and you do get more amp hours for your money. They also make a watering system that makes watering them easier.
How you plan to use your coach should be a consideration. Will you be doing a lot of off grid camping? Does it have solar panels? Are you planning to add them? You may want to consider lithium.

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Re: Battery for a 1988 GV

Reply #4 – March 02, 2024, 11:44:16 am

This one works for small loads. 

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