Battery Replacement 3208cat

[Chuck Wheeler]

Bill,

As you can see, and some one else said,
you can get as many opinions as folks you ask. If you do little or no dry
camping it probably does not make a lot of difference. We dry camp a lot and
I have used both interstate and Trojan batteries. If I get them from the
local distributor there is about $15 a battery difference. Our Wanderlodge
is about 6 years into the set of Trojans and they are starting to gas excessively
so I will probably replace them this fall before we make our winter trips
north. I usually get about 6-7 years on Trojan and about 4 years on Interstate
batteries. Lead acid batteries are the most tolerant of charger and
discharge abuse so I stick with them. We dry camp quite a bit in the
winter, but do not run inverters. When I store the Wanderlodge it is not
on shore power unless we are expecting a severe freeze. The four six volt
batteries are golf cart batteries that can handle deep discharge and the high
starting current that the CAT needs. They have a lot of lead in them to
provide this capacity. You can also get the high starting current by
using less lead and a different mix of electrolyte and this makes the battery
less expensive but you lose the deep discharge capacity. This is common
in automobile batteries that have to hit a price point.

- Chuck
Wheeler-

1982 FC 31SB Fort Worth TX

---

From: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com [mailto:WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Markus Meyer

Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2010
11:20 AM

To:
wanderlodgeforum@yahoogroups.com

Subject: RE: [WanderlodgeForum] Battery Replacement 3208cat

If you are dry camping only, right? Otherwise, the alternator is recharging the
batteries while you are on the road, so that shouldn't be an issue. My logic
was I don't plan to do a ton of dry camping, so the additional expense versus
savings didn't work out. Usually I am driving, or hooked up to shore power.



Markus



________________________________

> To: "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com"

> From: "dangw%40att.net"

> Date: Wed, 19 May 2010 11:12:45 -0500

> Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Battery
Replacement 3208cat

>

>

>

> The cost savings in AGM's is in the recharging

> time. An AGM will accept a higher rate of charge so the generator runs

> less. For example, the generator runs three hours instead of six to

> recharge the bank. There is the savings.

>

>

>

> Dan

>

> 88WB38

>

> Jackson, MS

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