12v vs 6v batteries

[FF_PM]

My 5r came with a single 12v battery. Does fine for now but I want to change out for as many amp hours as I can get. Which provides the longest power? 2 12v or 2 6v? Logic tells me that 2 12v batteries will have more plates, therefore more amp hours.... am I wrong?

[bpounds]

laknox wrote:
I had 2 6v on my old FW and want to have them on my new one, too. We =do= dry camp, probably 1/3 to 1/2 the time, so having true deep cycle batteries is necessary, even if we give up some amp hours. Problem I'm running in to is that where the batteries are mounted is in a narrow area, with some constrictions, and need to have separate boxes. Otherwise, I'd get a dual, tandem mount (inline, not side x side), boxes.

What size hole saw did you use?

Lyle

I know you do, I was referring to the OP who said they didn't drycamp much. You and I, we definitely do need them.

I don't recall what size hole. Do you already have the vent hose hanging in there? It won't be hard to figure out the hole size needed, and I am sure I massaged it with a rasp a little to get a perfect fit. Are these in your front compartment? If so, look around at how much open space there is around the frame and I think you would conclude that there is plenty of air movement through that compartment, and it will not trap gasses. Like I said, I did not consider the ventilation to be important in mine.

If you're stuck using 2 individual boxes, I think you could do the same thing and tee off another hose. Maybe you should search for fittings that will fit the hose. Like a tee, and maybe a couple of bulkhead fittings to attach to each box. McMaster has spiral wrapped hose and fittings IIRC.

[gkainz]

laknox wrote:

gkainz wrote:

laknox wrote:
I'd =still= like to know where I can find VENTED GC2 battery boxes...

Lyle

When I bought my 5er, I knew I was going to add more batteries, so I asked the seller to get me 3 more of the "factory" boxes ... they ordered them from Keystone and I picked them up from my dealer. I patched in a PVC pipe to the original single battery vent and vented them all inline and out the forward bulkhead vent.

Sure, that works if all you want is a bunch of Gp24 batteries. Boxes are =way= too short for GC2's.

Lyle

you are correct. Since I already HAD new GP24 batteries ready to install (And believing this 5er was a short term RV... which it turned out to not be) those individual boxes were adequate for what I had planned. 20/20 hindsight being what it is, I would have gone with 6VDC batteries.

[laknox]

gkainz wrote:

laknox wrote:
I'd =still= like to know where I can find VENTED GC2 battery boxes...

Lyle

When I bought my 5er, I knew I was going to add more batteries, so I asked the seller to get me 3 more of the "factory" boxes ... they ordered them from Keystone and I picked them up from my dealer. I patched in a PVC pipe to the original single battery vent and vented them all inline and out the forward bulkhead vent.

Sure, that works if all you want is a bunch of Gp24 batteries. Boxes are =way= too short for GC2's.

Lyle

[laknox]

bpounds wrote:

laknox wrote:
I'd =still= like to know where I can find VENTED GC2 battery boxes...

Lyle

I 'think' what you mean, is boxes with a vent attachment point. I did not find such a thing either, and I do not consider it important. Neither did my dealer that installed the box. Ran it that way for a few years, and finally got around to attaching the vent hose.

The box I use is a NOCO HM-426. Drilled my own hole in the top with a holesaw. Screwed the spiral flex hose into the hole. Works fine, no corrosion in my compartment. But there wasn't before either. This is my forward compartment, and it is far from sealed to begin with.









For the OP, you probably don't really need dual batteries if you don't dry camp. If you go with dual 6v, there are these kind of issues that need to be considered.

I had 2 6v on my old FW and want to have them on my new one, too. We =do= dry camp, probably 1/3 to 1/2 the time, so having true deep cycle batteries is necessary, even if we give up some amp hours. Problem I'm running in to is that where the batteries are mounted is in a narrow area, with some constrictions, and need to have separate boxes. Otherwise, I'd get a dual, tandem mount (inline, not side x side), boxes.

What size hole saw did you use?

Lyle

[laknox]

Ski Pro 3 wrote:

laknox wrote:
I'd =still= like to know where I can find VENTED GC2 battery boxes...

Lyle

I got mine on Amazon;
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00316KU6E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They are vented. Look at the photos of the top lid and see the slots.

Thanks, but the whole idea is to vent to the =outside= so you don't have a build-up of H gas in the pass-through storage where, by the way, all the electrics are located.

Lyle

[laknox]

Shrek51 wrote:
Google is your friend. Search and you will find what you will need.

Um, no, and I've spent probably a full man-day looking. 😞

Lyle

[ChuckSteed]

The converter sees the two six volt batteries in series as one 12 volt battery. Same with two 12 volt in parallel. Nothing extra to buy to charge and maintain either setup

[Wild_Card]

How does the factory converter/charger do with dual or quad 6v set ups?

Or is this an added expense for a different charger.

[theoldwizard1]

NOCO HM426 Amazon $85

[theoldwizard1]

The real issue is 98% of the flooded lead acid (wet cell) or AGM 12V batteries out there are engine starting batteries, design to put out a lot of power for a very short period of time. This is also true for Marine Dual Purpose batteries. They also want to be re-charge immediately after large power output.

98% of the flooded lead acid or AGM batteries are for use in golf carts, design to output less power for a much longer period of time.

On paper, two 12V batteries may look better, but you will get better life out of two 6V golf cart batteries and they might be cheaper.

[gkainz]

laknox wrote:
I'd =still= like to know where I can find VENTED GC2 battery boxes...

Lyle

When I bought my 5er, I knew I was going to add more batteries, so I asked the selling dealer to get me 3 more of the "factory" boxes ... they ordered them from Keystone and I picked them up from my dealer. I patched in a PVC pipe to the original single battery vent and vented them all inline and out the forward bulkhead vent.

[bpounds]

laknox wrote:
I'd =still= like to know where I can find VENTED GC2 battery boxes...

Lyle

I 'think' what you mean, is boxes with a vent attachment point. I did not find such a thing either, and I do not consider it important. Neither did my dealer that installed the box. Ran it that way for a few years, and finally got around to attaching the vent hose.

The box I use is a NOCO HM-426. Drilled my own hole in the top with a holesaw. Screwed the spiral flex hose into the hole. Works fine, no corrosion in my compartment. But there wasn't before either. This is my forward compartment, and it is far from sealed to begin with.









For the OP, you probably don't really need dual batteries if you don't dry camp. If you go with dual 6v, there are these kind of issues that need to be considered.

[Ski_Pro_3]

laknox wrote:
I'd =still= like to know where I can find VENTED GC2 battery boxes...

Lyle

I got mine on Amazon;
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00316KU6E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They are vented. Look at the photos of the top lid and see the slots.

[Shrek51]

Google is your friend. Search and you will find what you will need.