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Battery bank size


JayBees

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Hello, new to this site. I have a 1991 Winnebago Warrior. I was curious as to what size (amp hour) battery banks members on this site are using. I wouldn't mind being able to do a bit of boondocking but have no unrealistic expectations as to what can be powered on a battery bank. Since these rigs are notoriously under-powered my guess is folks are trying to keep weight down as much as possible. Are you limiting bank size to 1 battery, or 2 6volts, etc? If using 2 or more batteries or 1 large 12 volt, what are some methods for increasing the battery compartment size? Mine has an outside hatch and has space for only 1 battery (maybe big enough for 1 group 27).

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My 92 Warrior has an additional 2 batteries installed in the void under the bench seat (over the existing battery).  I won't look at amperage until the sun returns and the rain goes away.

 

Okay, I have three Trojan 27TMS 12V 87Ah Flooded Deep Cycle Marine batteries.  I got them bone dry from the PO, so my guess is that they're still pretty sulfated.  Getting the Battery Jesus to resurrect them is on my To-Do list.  I don't run anything more than LED lights, the water pump from time to time and the stock ventilation fan, but it won't run the fan all night, so my guess is that they're on life support with the 2- 100W solar panels.

Edited by stayingretired
Rain stopped
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Thanks for the responses. Stayingretired- sounds like my electrical usage would be similar to yours- lights, fan, water pump. But would prefer to be able to do some phone/laptop recharging or tv viewing. Lifeline has a 12 volt 255ah agm that I'm looking at but it's very expensive- shame to put it in the hands of a rookie. Not opposed to wet cell (nicer price) but would have to find a way to make underneath battery bay larger, or bring them inside and vent them.

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There's no requirement to vent AGM batteries.  The wet batteries need to be vented, but the AGM system is completely sealed, so there's nothing to vent and, likewise, no danger of it venting toxic gasses to the interior.  You should put some thought into preventing your system from overcharging the batteries, which might cause a release of energy in the form of a small explosion (hence the need to vent the more volatile lead-acid 'wet' battery type.)

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Stayingretired- yeah I had heard that about agm's, if going that route was gonna place it under bench seat where there's room for larger battery or bank of batteries (hate to lose the storage space but there's only so many options). Derek up north- sounds like no matter what I use I need to make sure there's airflow, thanks for the info. No matter what I use I know I need a good battery monitor to be aware of battery condition at all times. Charging is a part of the puzzle too. Was all set to replace lousy stock converter/charger with more powerful one like so many people do, then I just read about inverter chargers and how much faster they charge. Very expensive but they take the place of 3 devices- charger, inverter, and automatic transfer switch.

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10 hours ago, stayingretired said:

There's no requirement to vent AGM batteries.  The wet batteries need to be vented, but the AGM system is completely sealed, so there's nothing to vent and, likewise, no danger of it venting toxic gasses to the interior.  You should put some thought into preventing your system from overcharging the batteries, which might cause a release of energy in the form of a small explosion (hence the need to vent the more volatile lead-acid 'wet' battery type.)

 All though they do not out gas like a standard battery they still can they are pressure regulated and if it's exceeded they out gas. A hydrogen gas explosion can be very exciting and generally pretty well trashes the battery.

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4 hours ago, Maineah said:

 All though they do not out gas like a standard battery they still can they are pressure regulated and if it's exceeded they out gas. A hydrogen gas explosion can be very exciting and generally pretty well trashes the battery.

The OP indicated that they were aware of ventilation issues.  Article on RVgeeks referenced need to vent battery area.  AGM batteries vent hydrogen, not hydrogen sulfide (toxic to mammals).

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6 hours ago, stayingretired said:

 

The OP indicated that they were aware of ventilation issues.  Article on RVgeeks referenced need to vent battery area.  AGM batteries vent hydrogen, not hydrogen sulfide (toxic to mammals).

Hydrogen gas goes boom when ignited and makes water rather quickly.

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I use a walmart DC27.  deep cycle battery.  I use a honda 2000 generator. It fits in the compartment where the kohler used to be, after I made a floor for that area post removing kohler. The honda 1000 would work for charging the battery while boondocking, but the 2000 will run the microwave or  pull a small electric heater.

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/EverStart-Marine-Battery-Group-Size-27DC/16795212

The next size up will fit - but it is quite tight.  Note that mine is mounted with + terminal out - I disconnect whenever storing camper.  I can take 2 jumper cables end to end and reach the start battery + for jumping / sharing purposes.  Have not done it since getting honda though.

 

I read numerous people who talk about adding more batteries - I just don't see it as practical. Weight/ fumes etc/ still has to be charged.

 

BTW, if you keep your any battery charged, it will last longer (prevents sulfation).  Also the depth of discharge is directly related of the number of cycles the battery will last.

 

Weight is the primary issue - some people want to remove propane & go all electric - propane gives more power per weight ....

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Thanks DanattheCape- this was the type of info I was looking for. I wanted to see what most of you where using in these toyotas amp-hour vs. conserving weight and space wise.

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My battery box was under the dinette, accessible from outside.  For servicing the battery it was pathetically small and I had a larger free battery.  So I cut up the original and make a wood box with a tight lid that I can service the battery from inside.  It would be easy to add a second battery, which I do not need.

IMG_0002.JPG

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jjrbus- this looks like what I want to do. Current battery box is very small and accessible only from outside (it's under the dinette like yours). I gather from your photo the box you made is below floor level? I'll have to see if I have room for that. Btw, what's your preferred method for keeping this charged.

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We have 2 group 27 batteries and 200 watts of solar on the roof.  This is enough to run all the normal stuff and our DC fridge for a few cloudy days and still stay above 50% battery level (which is the lowest one should go as I understand).  The nice thing about solar is that we can run our Maxxair fan on max on hot sunny days and the battery stays at 100%.  We also keep laptops, tablets, phones charged - use the H2O pump - use the heater on occasion - DC table fan - and LED lights on a regular basis.  If we were in the forever sunny desert we could probably make it on a single battery, the clouds mean we need 2.  

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You have to be crafty to install this. But it sure makes checking your batteries easy. It MAY fit behind your battery door or you might have to enlarge the door.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/FLEMING-SALES-EZ-GLIDE-DUAL-BATTERY-TRAY-SLIDE-SLIDING-BOX-14-125-X-13-25-X-2/332480608820?hash=item4d69637a34:g:NVwAAOSw7NNULF7F

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MaineErik- a 2 battery with solar setup like you have is what I'd like to go to. It'd be nice to save weight and use 1 small battery but I need more capacity for cloudy days as you mentioned. From what I can find on the internet, to have 200-300ah capacity is going to mean 120 to130lbs of battery at least. WME- I like the idea of the slide out tray. I'll need to do some measuring. Thanks for the info.

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