Need new battery

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Need new battery

Postby Spotman » Mon Sep 12, 2022 3:58 pm

I currently have two Interstate deep cycle batteries, I need to replace.

Would I be better off replacing now, with a better solar type battery/batteries and what would you recommend?

Normal use in the Teardrop would be 12v outlets, fan, lights and Alpicool fridge. I already have the Renogy Rover 40A MPPT charge controller and a 100 watt solar panel.
I read up on many things pertaining to solar and batteries and it boggles the mind. I know many of you have switched from deep cycle to Lithium or others, just getting a feel for the right replacement. I have learned so much from this site and the searches I have done.

TIA
Bob
Last edited by Spotman on Tue Sep 13, 2022 10:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Need new battery

Postby tony.latham » Mon Sep 12, 2022 5:27 pm

Spotman wrote:I currently have two Interstate deep cycle batteries, I need to replace.

Would I be better off replacing now, with a better solar type battery/batteries and what would you recommend?

Normal use in the Teardrop would be 12v outlets, lights and Alpicool fridge. I already have the Renogy Rover 40A MPPT charge controller and a 100 watt solar panel.
I read up on many things pertaining to solar and batteries and it boggles the mind. I know many of you have switched from deep cycle to Lithium or others, just getting a feel for the right replacement. I have learned so much from this site and the searches I have done.

TIA
Bob



Three years ago, I told myself lithium didn't work economically for my teardrop and bought an AGM. Yesterday I ordered a lithium battery for my trolling motor.

:thinking:

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Re: Need new battery

Postby TimC » Mon Sep 12, 2022 6:02 pm

LiFePo4 are more economical than just a couple years ago, however, if you are in the market for a commercially made battery to just drop in and hook up it is still very pricey.

If you are handy you can easily build your own 12v, 75aHr battery for just over $275. If DIY interests you you can save a bunch of cash. batteryhookup.com currently has four 75aHr prismatic cells (for a 12V build) for $200 plus shipping. Their 4S battery management system (BMS) can be had for $14. With $20 worth of type L copper tubing you can make your own buss bars.

If you decide to go that direction let me know. Two years ago I said "no way" to building a LFP battery. After three 12v builds and recently a 48v home backup bank I won't consider buying ready made. Prismatic cells make the build process very easy. I don't know what your two deep cycle battery capacity was but I have a 100aHr LFP battery in my similarly equipped teardrop (lights, fans, USBs, Alpicool 35L fridge) and I have never used more than half of its capacity.
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Re: Need new battery

Postby tony.latham » Mon Sep 12, 2022 7:18 pm

...if you are in the market for a commercially made battery to just drop in and hook up it is still very pricey.


After a ton of research looking at a battery for my trolling motor, I ordered a 50ah Weize lithium iron phosphate for $229. That's damn near the identical price I paid for a Vmaxx Group 24 AGM with 35 usable amps three years ago.

Here's a review of their 100ah battery:



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Re: Need new battery

Postby Tom&Shelly » Mon Sep 12, 2022 7:49 pm

Not sure how relevant this is, but I built the battery case in our tear just behind the axle. Figured an AGM battery would be enough for our needs, and it is, but our first one suffered a premature death this summer after about a year of use: one of the cells died, possibly by being smashed around in there whenever we bounced the tires. I don't have any reason to believe Lithium batteries would be any better, though perhaps if they were home-made, the DIY'er could make them bullet proof.

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Re: Need new battery

Postby tony.latham » Mon Sep 12, 2022 8:22 pm

one of the cells died, possibly by being smashed around in there whenever we bounced the tires.


Ouch. The battery I just bought weighs 15 pounds. My AGM is over 50. (I didn't want to lift 50 pounds in and out of my boat and that's why I started looking at lithium.)

I wonder if the fact that they have so much less mass would help with that kind of failure.

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Re: Need new battery

Postby Minics04 » Tue Sep 13, 2022 6:37 am

I have an SOK 100ah Lithium battery and love it. Save some weight, space, and get more capacity!
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Re: Need new battery

Postby Spotman » Tue Sep 13, 2022 9:56 am

current set up. (Disclaimer) I did not build this set up, but has been working fine until I noticed a smell coming from the interior of the teardrop, batteries installed under bed, under trailer, in metal vented boxes. Above the one battery that went bad (Dry Cells), are rubberized carpet samples that omitted a bad smell. After removing the carpet I noticed the metal cover was "Real Hot"! Removed the battery and the cells are dried out. The second battery was tested and it showed the normal volts. Second battery was piggy backed to the first one but had no problem.
170225170226170222170221

I am still looking at replacement for both batteries down to one. Thanks for all the help so far. So many batteries. :?
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Re: Need new battery

Postby Tom&Shelly » Tue Sep 13, 2022 10:03 am

tony.latham wrote:
one of the cells died, possibly by being smashed around in there whenever we bounced the tires.


Ouch. The battery I just bought weighs 15 pounds. My AGM is over 50. (I didn't want to lift 50 pounds in and out of my boat and that's why I started looking at lithium.)

I wonder if the fact that they have so much less mass would help with that kind of failure.

Tony


I think it probably would. If this AGM dies prematurely, I'll reconsider Lithium. In fact, if it's only around 15 lbs, I could move it to the front where it (hopefully) would get bounced around a bit less. I put the AGM battery behind the axle partly for weight and balance.

Of course, when it died, I ground my teeth over the money, and thanked the fortunes I'd planned to be able to replace it on the road (actually here at Mom's house) with limited tools and facilities. A direct replacement was relatively easy, and that helped make me decide that instead of coming up with a new battery type. Anything different and I'd like to be back at my real shop in New Mexico. But, of course, that's not where equipment on the teardrop will fail!

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Re: Need new battery

Postby Tom&Shelly » Tue Sep 13, 2022 10:12 am

Spotman wrote:current set up. (Disclaimer) I did not build this set up, but has been working fine until I noticed a smell coming from the interior of the teardrop, batteries installed under bed, under trailer, in metal vented boxes. Above the one battery that went bad (Dry Cells), are rubberized carpet samples that omitted a bad smell. After removing the carpet I noticed the metal cover was "Real Hot"! Removed the battery and the cells are dried out. The second battery was tested and it showed the normal volts. Second battery was piggy backed to the first one but had no problem.
170225170226170222170221

I am still looking at replacement for both batteries down to one. Thanks for all the help so far. So many batteries. :?


Obviously a fire hazard! Was the cover hot due to shorting the battery, or was the battery so hot it heated the cover? Like me, you might consider a lighter lithium battery mounted somewhere outside the tear, like the tongue, where heat (from some unanticipated failure) wouldn't cause fire or fumes.

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Re: Need new battery

Postby Spotman » Tue Sep 13, 2022 10:24 am

Tom, the battery was so hot that the metal cover was untouchable causing the rubber mat above it to get wet from the heat and causing a very bad rubber smell. But when I took the battery out and let it cool down for several hours, I removed the caps and the cells were dry!?!? Could it have been a bad battery, because the second one is reading perfectly.
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Re: Need new battery

Postby S. Heisley » Tue Sep 13, 2022 2:28 pm

My last AGM battery lasted 10 years!!! They don't make 'em like that anymore. I went with another AGM but this one is expected to last 3 to 5 years. Depending on where you have your battery stored, the battery weight could possibly change your trailer weight balance. Mine is inside but up front near the tongue and that 44 AMP, 50 lb. battery is part of the 60% weight ration that should be in the front for my trailer's balance. Feeling lazy, I didn't want to have to calculate or rethink it and I was happy with the last AGM and am happy with the new AGM. It is performing very well.

A story for chuckles...: I went to the battery store and purchased a new AGM 44 AMP, 50 lb battery and proceeded to carry it out to the car. Suddenly, I realized that both my hands were full, carrying that thing, and I would have to somehow open the door to my vehicle. So, I stopped in the parking lot, at the back of my SUV and tried to free one hand while balancing the battery on my thigh using the other hand. Suddenly, the battery sort of "flew". It went up into the air and flipped over, landing on its terminals and breaking one completely off. I picked it up and took it back into the store where they gave me a new one with no questions or judgements except, "How did you do that?" They didn't charge me for the replacement but my stupidity left me with two large mid-thigh bruises that lingered for a long time! I was lucky that this was all the damage I had to endure.
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Re: Need new battery

Postby Spotman » Tue Sep 13, 2022 4:44 pm

A story for chuckles...: I went to the battery store and purchased a new AGM 44 AMP, 50 lb battery and proceeded to carry it out to the car. Suddenly, I realized that both my hands were full, carrying that thing, and I would have to somehow open the door to my vehicle. So, I stopped in the parking lot, at the back of my SUV and tried to free one hand while balancing the battery on my thigh using the other hand. Suddenly, the battery sort of "flew". It went up into the air and flipped over, landing on its terminals and breaking one completely off. I picked it up and took it back into the store where they gave me a new one with no questions or judgements except, "How did you do that?" They didn't charge me for the replacement but my stupidity left me with two large mid-thigh bruises that lingered for a long time! I was lucky that this was all the damage I had to endure.[/quote]

Sharon, that is one heck of a story. Sometimes we think we are stronger than we are... I have had a few mishaps, but can' beat that. :thumbs up1:

I will probably go with another AGM to keep the balance.(I didn't think about) So much going on in life right now. Going into the hospital tomorrow for some stents in the old ticker. Sure glad I caught that problem yesterday, could have come home to a burnt up teardrop in the garage... or worse yet! :shock:

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Re: Need new battery

Postby bdosborn » Tue Sep 13, 2022 6:58 pm

tony.latham wrote:Three years ago, I told myself lithium didn't work economically for my teardrop and bought an AGM. Yesterday I ordered a lithium battery for my trolling motor.

Ha! I wouldn't be surprised if you installed a sink next! :lol:

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Re: Need new battery

Postby tony.latham » Tue Sep 13, 2022 7:33 pm

Ha! I wouldn't be surprised if you installed a sink next! :lol:


Uh-huh. :?

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