I did a search for batteries in the forum but didn't come up with what I need. Since I've had the Stagecoach, I've had a problem with loss of power to the coach after shutting off the engine. The monitor over the door was indicating full battery charge and that made me believe I had a bad isolator. It turns out I have bad house batteries and they need replacement. What are the suggestions for replacement? I've read about Ultima, golf cart and deep cycle batteries but I have no idea what application they were used for. Can anyone tell me which type of battery I should be looking for as far as size and type. The service center told me I need 8D's and they can put them in for $168 pre battery + install. Sam's Club couldn't help me without knowing what I need for CCA. What say you?

I'm not entirely sure, but I think "8D's" might be referring to Interstate Batteries [8D-XHD], which is clearly a starting battery, probably not for house use.

There was a fairly lenghty discussion only months-ago regarding house batteries and a lot of information and links were posted.

Look-at page 3 under "House Battery Question" ...there is a lot of information there.

Some guys claim to never "plug-in" when they're out on-the-road ...I typically plug-in whenever I get the chance ...30 amp is common, 50 amp is nice when you can get-it.

I did have a recent experience where I could only plug-into a 10-15 amp outlet at night for lights and the such, but the daytime temps were 98 degrees and I was running my generator [Honda EV-6010 / propane], which was nice, as I was running both A/C's and I was also running strictly off-of batteries for portions of the day, so it was a good 4-day learning experience, utilizing all 3 sources of power that was available.

It was definitely an eye-opener regarding the need for good house batteries and I will be investing in a new set of batteries [in the budget] for next spring ...my current batteries are in bad shape, but will make-it thru this summer.

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Originally posted by towerguy:
The monitor over the door was indicating full battery charge.

Those monitors are seldom any good.

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What are the suggestions for replacement? I've read about Ultima, golf cart and deep cycle batteries but I have no idea what application they were used for.

You need deep cycles batteries.
golf cart batts are deep cycle. Ultima is a cigar. Optima makes a deep cycle, but it is a lot of dollars for fewer amps. Size, voltage and quantity depend on your usage.

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Can anyone tell me which type of battery I should be looking for as far as size and type?

Yes, but not until you fill out a questionnaire.

1. How much time will you be discharging the batteries? One overnight at a time? One weekend at a time? Longer?

2. Do you use the heater when unplugged?

3. Are you a heavy power user? Lots of lights, TV, etc?

4. Do you anticipate camping in generator-free areas?

5. Or will you always be plugged in?

6. How tall is your battery compartment? I know some Regencies will accommodate a pair of L16s. My Barth was made for a pair of 8Ds, and required a bit of work to get golf cart batteries to slide in and out.

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The service center told me I need 8D's and they can put them in for $168 pre battery + install.

You may or may not need 8Ds. It depends on your space and your use. I have used them but found them to be not the best value and heavy to lift.

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Sam's Club couldn't help me without knowing what I need for CCA. What say you?

A coach battery should be a deep cycle battery, and, as such, is not usually rated with a CCA. That is a starting battery figure.

That said, there are battery dealers who sell the same battery for both starting and deep cycle use. Properly done, it is OK in some applications. Generally speaking, a deep cycle battery does not like the heavy current draw caused by a starter. However, my inverter draws more current than the starter on my 502. My pair of golf cart batteries is rated sotto voce at 500 amps. But, generally, a battery that is marked with a CCA is less likely to be suited for deep cycle application.

Beware of so called marine batteries that purport to be both deep cycle and starting.

Until we hear about your predicted usage, I would recommend a pair or a set of four Trojan golf cart batteries. Costco and Sams sell golf cart batts that seem a better value, but, as reported by MWrench, do not do as well on heavy loads. If you do not have heavy inverter use, they might be OK.

If you just do overnighters without too much usage, a single 12 volt deep cycle battery or trolling battery might be fine. A pair of golf cart batts would be the most capacity for the money, and would allow you to expand to greater capacity more easily and economically. If you are a high user, a set of four golf cart batts would be better. Or even a set of six. You could start out with a pair of GCs or a single 12 volter and see how it goes. If you think you need more, or will need more, you can buy more within a few months. Batteries should be matched, but a month or two of usage will not hurt the match very much.

We do fine on a pair of Trojans, but we are not heavy users.

Now, it gets worse: Having too large a battery bank is neither cost efficient nor weight efficient. There is no point in buying and carrying around more than you need. Additionally, batteries that are not cycled down to about half have a tendency to sulfate, and die an early death. My own best compromise is the have a battery bank that will get run down to 40-50 percent of capacity every night. If I am charging by generator, I discontinue charging at 80%, for fuel and noise conservation. The charge rate slows down above 80%. When you get plugged in, or every week or so, the batts should be given a full charge.

If you have a battery bank so large that it never gets discharged below 80%, it will take much longer to charge, which means using fuel and making noise if by generator. Plus, you spent too much money and are carrying around too much extra weight for capacity you don't use. In addition, batteries like to be exercised. That is, discharged down to maybe half and then given a good strong charge every month or two. A couple of the better chargers recognize this, and have that feature built in. That is not a theory. I saw dramatic proof of that myself last winter. If your batteries are floated all winter, they need a little calisthenics in the spring.

Golf cart batteries offer the most amp hours and longevity for the money, but are not necessarily any better than other batteries. I know Trojan makes good 12 volters for trolling and RVs, but you gotta get the right model. Lots of boaters have had very good service with their 8D deep cycle batteries, too. It could be a problem to get a deep cycle 8D if you are far from home with a battery failure.

So, in a nutshell, my recommendation is 1 Trojan or Minn-Kota 12 volter or two, four or six golf cart batteries from Costco, Sams or Trojan.

And get a digital volt meter to properly keep track of those batteries.

If this is too much information, just fill out the questionnaire and we will help you spend your money.

Here's a catch----you gotta spend money to save money. If you buy a TriMetric or similar, it will pay for itself by helping you get the most out of your batteries. You will avoid the expense and inconvenience of buying batteries you don't want in a place you don't like at a time and price you did not choose.

Now, I should mention AGM batteries. They are a more dollars for fewer amps, but they last a long time, require no maintenance and will charge up much more quickly if the charger is big enough. They also don't outgas, if that is an advantage.

Do you have a good 3 stage charger? A good charger makes your batteries work better and last longer, too.

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1. How much time will you be discharging the batteries? One overnight at a time? One weekend at a time? Longer?

I don't really see us boondocking but I'd like the capability to do so.

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2. Do you use the heater when unplugged?

I've had the Stagecoach for two months and used the heatstrips once but we were plugged in so I don't know. I haven't used any of the furnaces yet. There won't be much use, if any, during the winter months. Basically, during winter, the Stagecoach will come out every two weeks to stretch her legs.

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3. Are you a heavy power user? Lots of lights, TV, etc?

I probably am but will have to learn to conserve.

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4. Do you anticipate camping in generator-free areas?

Yes, but seldom.

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5. Or will you always be plugged in?

I would estimate being plugged in most of the time to 50 amp service if able.

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6. How tall is your battery compartment? I know some Regencies will accommodate a pair of L16s. My Barth was made for a pair of 8Ds, and required a bit of work to get golf cart batteries to slide in and out.

I don't know and, since it is in having this electrical problem diagnosed, I can't measure it until Wednesday morning.

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Originally posted by towerguy:

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3. Are you a heavy power user? Lots of lights, TV, etc?

I probably am but will have to learn to conserve.

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4. Do you anticipate camping in generator-free areas?

Yes, but seldom.

These are the salient points of your anticipated battery requirement. You want to camp in a generator-free area now and then and you might be a heavy user.
Now, another question, how long would you be in a generator-free area? Would you run your furnace/furnaces in a generator-free area? Would you be outside engaging in such atavism as staring at a campfire and listening to coyotes, or would you be inside watching TV?

See, so much in life depends on what you envision for the future.

Start by measuring the current draw of what you think you might use in a typical generator-free camping trip. Put an ammeter in series with the coach batteries and measure and take notes. You know, TV for 3 hours @ 10 amps=30 amp hours. (I'm making this up here, we don't have a TV, but you get the idea)

Once you have added up your usage, you need a battery bank that will provide twice that. Meaning, if you used 200 amp hours during your generator-free camping stay, you need 400 amp hours in your battery bank to avoid going below 50%. 50% is ballpark, and a few excursions below that are not the end of the world, but the lower you go, the shorter your battery bank's life expectancy. Like so much in life, it's a trade off.

One other thing: A pair of golf cart batteries will draw about 25 amps during the bulk phase, so figure an hour to replace 25 amp hours with a good charger running off the generator. If you have two pairs of them, they will draw 50 amp hours, so the generator will run for half the time and do twice the work. This is a fuel saving advantage to having more batteries. Calculate your generator fuel consumption into the algorithm you are constructing.

We will be in a generator-free area in a couple of weeks, but the sun will shine on our solar panels.

Warning: Rant follows.

I am seeing more and more generator-free areas offered at events and in campgrounds. I believe it is the ready availability of those horrible Chinese rattletrap generators being sold so cheaply that is driving this trend. It also seems the owners of them are reluctant to buy a big enough charger to do the job quickly, and end up running the infernal contraptions all day long. At night they stay inside with the TV on so loud they can't hear the generator. And they usually locate it as far from them as possible, which means closer to other campers.

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Originally posted by bill h:
Additionally, batteries that are not cycled down to about half have a tendency to sulfate, and die an early death. My own best compromise is the have a battery bank that will get run down to 40-50 percent of capacity every night.

You should know that a 50% state of charge on a 12v battery is not 6 volts!

12.15 volts is a little less then 50% State of Charge - Anything less then 11.8 volts is considered a fully discharged battery.

Re: Useless monitors & fully discharged batteries.

My Barth is in a storage area without power available. I had the refrigerator control board replaced yesterday. ($368.53) My battery monitor was showing green, but the propane flame wouldn't light. The tech checked voltage. It showed 11.5v at the fridge terminals. Per N.Y. Bill, that means my batts. were fully discharged despite the monitor showing green.

I cranked up the genny. That brought the tech's meter up to 13v, Propane lit as it was supposed to. Another lesson learned.

A digital volt meter will give you a good idea of your battery condition. However, the batteries must sit for a while with no charge or discharge before a voltage reading can mean anything. How long it must sit for a meaningful reading depends on how high the discharge rate was and how deep the discharge is. According to my notes, this can vary from a few hours to 24 hours. If you turn your batteries off at bedtime, the voltage reading in the morning should be pretty close.


Percentage of Charge Corrected to
80o F Open-Circuit Voltage

100% 12.73V
90% 12.62
80% 12.50
70% 12.37
60% 12.24
50% 12.10
40% 11.96
30% 11.81
20% 11.66
10% 11.51

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Look-at page 3 under "House Battery Question" ...there is a lot of information there.

I must have typed my request wrong since I only got one page and most of it didn't apply to my situation. Once I got the search correct, there was a wealth of information.

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You need deep cycles batteries. golf cart batts are deep cycle. Ultima is a cigar. Optima makes a deep cycle, but it is a lot of dollars for fewer amps. Size, voltage and quantity depend on your usage.

What do you mean by saying "Ultima is a cigar?" The RV dealership had Interstate (Deep cycle - $109) and Trojan 6V ($105) I haven't checked Sam's Club yet but I'll do so on the way to work in a few minutes. I'll also look on-line for a TriMetric. My wife has a digital volt meter, I'll put her to work with it. She's an electronic technician and, although she works on air traffic control radar and radios, she has performed work and diagnotics on my 1966 Buick Riviera.

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Those monitors are seldom any good.

Now I'm wondering what other incorrect information the monitor is providing.

The available information provided in this forum is unbelievable! WOW, thanks guys.

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Originally posted by towerguy:

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Ultima is a cigar. Optima makes a deep cycle, but it is a lot of dollars for fewer amps. Size, voltage and quantity depend on your usage.

What do you mean by saying "Ultima is a cigar?"

I was thinking of Ultimo. Sorry.

I went to Sam's Club on the way to work and, although they had GC batteries, none of them were marked "deep cycle." I got the impression all GC batteries are deep cycle, is this correct? They had Optima batteries also but they were the 12v variety. The RV dealership had Trojans, they were also 12v. I think I'll do as suggested and start of with one 12v or two 6v GC batteries. I did see the marine battery that was listed as being both deep cycle and starting, I kept moving down the aisle. I still haven't decided on 6v or 12v, are there any disadvantages of going with one over the other, cost aside? Are the 6v more of a deep cycle type battery? I also found that the GC batteries at Sam's Club were listed as 8v so confusion is setting in. Don't get me wrong, there was already a certain amount of confusion from the first post.

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Originally posted by towerguy:
I got the impression all GC batteries are deep cycle, is this correct?

Yes.

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I still haven't decided on 6v or 12v, are there any disadvantages of going with one over the other, cost aside?

If you are always plugged in, one 12 volter is a convenient way to have lights and a water pump now and then, such as on the road, in the driveway, whatever. If your needs are higher, a pair of six volters offers the advantage of series charging rather than the parallel charging that you would have with a pair of 12 volters. I do not like parallel charging if it can be avoided, but that is another discussion. Some of the good 12 volters are pretty heavy, so think about your back. A pair of GCs is easier to handle.

With reference to your situation, in which you might want to be in a gen-free area, a single 12 volter would not be likely to do it. A pair of golf carters would be close, and four would be a likely possibility. Do you have the vertical clearance for GCs? They are only an inch higher than 12 volters, as a rule. If you have clearance issures, I can offer a couple of helpful hints.

Since good 12 volters are hard to find, your chances of finding a golf cart battery on the road are better than finding a good 12 volter, if you have a battery failure. A slight disadvantage of 6 volters is they require a connecting lead between a pair. This is a disadvantage only if you are comparing a pair of them vs a single 12 volter. To get the same capacity as a pair of 6 volters, you will probably need a pair of 12 volters, anyway, so it is moot.

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Are the 6v more of a deep cycle type battery?

Not necessarily. But it often works out that way. Many 12 volt batteries sold as deep cycle are not very good. Some are every bit as good as 6 volters. Trojan has a couple that even use the same plates as their golf cart batteries.

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I also found that the GC batteries at Sam's Club were listed as 8v so confusion is setting in. Don't get me wrong, there was already a certain amount of confusion from the first post.

Count the filler caps. If there are three, it is a six volt battery. Could be a misprint. Not much call for 8 volters any more. I think some tractors used them, and I had a hopped-up 51 Olds that needed an 8 volter to start. Needed white pump Chevron to run, too.

You might check golf courses and industrial cart suppliers for GC batteries. They often buy them by the pallet, and get a good price, which they might pass on to you. Trojan's site might list a dealer near you. Solar dealers will often take your money and have it will call for you at a local dealer, too.

I will check a couple of golf courses in the morning and then do some cost comparison to see who has the better deal. It looks like the 6v wins; now all I have to do is decide what brand and where to buy, that'll be relatively easy.

Bill H, and others that contributed, thank you for the significant amount of time you spent educating me and others that are reading these posts. It is gratifying to go into a shop armed with information, especially when I end up knowing more than the salesperson. I can only come away with something I need instead of what they wanted to sell me. Don't get me wrong, there are those sales people that know what you need and help you make the right selection but I usually don't have that luck and that was proven today more than once. I still have an isolator that needs to go back to Camping World. It was the wrong size and wasn't needed anyway but they sure convinced me it was right at the time.

Thanks again!

If the whole "Series/Parallel" thing has got you confused... Read up on this post.



Two 6 volt batteries in series will give you a 12v circuit. In this scenario your 6v batteries are now 12v. The amps stayed the same but the voltage doubled.

Two 6v batteries in parallel will give you 6v and twice the amps.

If you hook up two 12v batteries in series the amps will stay the same but you voltage will double to 24v.

If you hook up two 12v batteries in parallel you will have 12v but twice the amps.

Two 6v batteries in series will give you 12v and two more 6v batteries in series will give you 12v. Then you would hook both sets of two 6v series batteries (now 12v) into a parallel circuit to double your amps.

Now what you have is four 6v batteries that will double the voltage and double the amps. It's not 6v X 4 batts but 6v X 2 = 12v + twice the amps or amps X 2 of one battery. Most coaches are wired this way.

Four 12v batteries in parallel is 12v and 4 times the amps...

Questions?