# New battery



## ndevans2 (Jun 12, 2010)

Hello everyone, so excited as camping season is finally getting ready to kick off again for us! I do need to get a new deep cycle battery for our camper and am looking for input on what size I need and prefered brands, I am planning on going with a Napa battery unless you guys/gals have any other suggestions. We have a 30' travel trailer and go to camp grounds with electrical hook-ups all but one time a yr and then it's just for one night and my truck has a charger in it, last yr (our first yr with a camper) we made it till about 4am before I needed to start the truck and then we were good till we left. I am keeping our old battery for a back-up for this situation. Any suggestions would be great.
Blessings,
Nate


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## artmart (Sep 21, 2010)

To last longer you might consider having two 12V batteries in parallel. This will double your boondocking time. Depending where you are, cranking up your truck to get the battery charged could anger the neighbors or violate the quiet hours where you are. DO NOT add the new battery to your old one. The batteries should be close in age and exact in capacity otherwise the old battery will wear down the new one.

A better option is two 6v batteries connected in series. Allegedly this would last longer and discharge slower than a 12v battery system. You can also add a second set of 6v batteries and connect these in parallel to the existing 6v system. This lasts even longer than two 12v batteries. Unfortunately, they cost more and weigh more than 12v. DO NOT mix 6v and 12v batteries. If you need info on how to connect these ask or search the web. There are also other things to worry about like venting and storage but I'll assume you know all this.

I've heard there are better brands of batteries than others, but you'll pay the price. If you maintain your batteries this shouldn't matter to much, that's my opinion. Trojan batteries are often recommended, but there are many other suitable brands. It's about the Amphours. The higher the number the longer they last. But the higher the number the larger and heavier the battery.

I was using Interstate 12v deep cycles I could afford. Now that they are at the end of their life I will be converting to 6v when these finally go bye-bye. I have a 38' 5th wheel so I will be able to support the heavier 6v batteries.

Let us know what you do!


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## happiestcamper (Mar 6, 2008)

I got two 6 volt (270 amp hours each) several years ago and have been very pleased with them.


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