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2016 Fleet Replacement Batteries -- AGM 24 DP

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#11 New Man

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Posted 14 February 2023 - 01:58 AM

Reply to Beach:

 

To switch to a single 27 group battery I'd have to reconfigure the existing battery compartment. To compare apples to apples, the Exide Nautilus 24 (10.25" wide) I'm looking at should fit into my two existing (FWC installed) plastic battery slots in my battery compartment. If I went with the Exide Natutilus 27 I'd have to dig out the two existing battery slots and replace them with some kind of bracket that would hold the 27 (12" wide) group. Also, the Exide Nautilus 27 says it has a Reserve Capacity of 160 minutes, so I assume a single one of those would give me quite a bit less minutes of power than two Exide Nautilus 24 (Reserve Capacity 120 minutes each).

 

As I said in my original post, I got more than six years of good service from the two Exide Edge 24 DP batteries FWC installed when I bought the camper (I kept them on a trickle charger when I wasn't using them), and I'd be happy with the same amount of power now. Over the first few years I had the camper I did many 4-5 nighters in the boonies without recharging, and the twin batteries were more than adequate for me (refer 24/7; lights; water pump as needed -- didn't need the furnace much on those trips).


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#12 TacomaAustin

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Posted 14 February 2023 - 02:51 AM

Just a recommendation - I had a VMAX Group 24 AGM in my former camper for 7 years, with no issues.

 

https://www.amazon.c...,aps,133&sr=8-2

 

The VMAX is pricey - but works well as a solar storage battery.


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Andrew in Austin, TX


#13 Vic Harder

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Posted 14 February 2023 - 08:59 PM

FYI, you don't really need those plastic battery boxes.  Left over thinking from Flooded Lead Acid (FLA) days.


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#14 New Man

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Posted 15 February 2023 - 12:49 AM

Thanks to TacomaAustin and Vic for their info.

 

1) The VMAX 24 AGM (deep cycle) looks promising: At $259 ea. it is $110 more than the Exide Nautilus, but the superior nominal performance (85 Ah vs. 70 Ah) might be worth it. Also, looks like the "bargainstore" dealer (on Amazon) has good reviews and offers free shipping. For what it is worth, it seems to be a complete hassle to track down the US Battery AGM 24 (deep cycle) that FWC is using now: I've tried to locate them at dealers in a couple of cities I will be passing through in the next few weeks, and none of them seem to have them in stock.

 

2) Vic's note that the plastic battery boxes in my 2016 Fleet are not needed makes sense to me, but if I tear them out I would have to replace them with two battery hold-down brackets. I realize this isn't open-heart surgery, but... (I began this thread with the hope that I could just change my batteries the way I change the batteries in my headlamp, but that bird has flown the coop...)


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#15 New Man

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Posted 15 February 2023 - 02:08 AM

TMI (?). But anyway, with the thought that there may be other tormented souls out there with my issue: I'm now leaning toward the VMAX SLR85 12V AGM 85Ah Group 24 Deep Cycle that TacomaAustin kindly brought to my attention. But wait! There's more! VMAX makes three visually identical Group 24 12V AGM 85Ah Deep Cycle batteries, so ya gotta be careful! (I almost got fooled by Walmart's look-alike version):

 

https://www.batterye...-batteries.html

 

Looks to me like the SLR85 version ($260 on Amazon) suits my purposes best:

 

https://www.amazon.c...,aps,133&sr=8-2

 

 

Tho I am an ignoramus about this stuff, looks like its RC (Reserve Capacity) is significantly greater than the other two versions [and 70 minutes {!!!} more than the Exide Nautilus I was looking at], which will translate into more minutes of running my lights, water pump, etc. Also, appears this will work [better? -- the other's won't?] as a solar battery. (Note, however, that this website says you should never use this kind of battery [unlike the other two] as a starter battery -- I defer to the WTW electrical wizards to enlighten me on this...) The beat goes on...


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#16 Vic Harder

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Posted 15 February 2023 - 05:18 AM

Likely any one of the three models would work for you, and the SLR85 version is the best suited for long & low Amp draw downs.  

 

If you really want the batteries to live long, get one of these - Victron Energy SHU050150050 SmartShunt 500A/50mV (pkys.com)

 

Vic


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#17 Beach

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Posted 15 February 2023 - 04:05 PM

To clairify: When I said "using a deepcycle battery to jump the truck wouldn't hurt the battery, just don't make a regular practice of it". I was talking about doing it once or twice over the life of the battery , not once or twice a week/month.. Best to carry a jump pack to avoid situations like the above, many here do..


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#18 New Man

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Posted 28 February 2023 - 02:15 AM

To tie a ribbon on this thread: I bought the VMAX SLR85 12V AGM 85Ah Group 24 Deep Cycle that TacomaAustin kindly brought to my attention (see above in the thread). I rarely give recommendations, but the people at BargainShore were super efficient (their web site actually works!):

 

bargainshore.com

 

When I bought mine they were $244.99 each ($15 less than the Amazon price) because of a discount they offered for buying two, and I got an additional $25 discount for "an initial purchase of $300 or more." Total for two batteries: $464.98, including shipping to Bisbee, Arizona, where I am at the moment. [Needless to say, prices and discounts change over time!] BargainShore processed my order the night I placed it, and the packing and shipping was flawless (apart from a one day UPS delay due to the big storm last week).

 

This thread was engendered by my quandry about getting AGM batteries to replace the batteries FWC installed in my 2016 Fleet when I bought it, that would fit in the plastic slots in the Fleet without any further messing around. The VMAX Group 24s I got barely squeezed into the existing slots. Really, maybe a couple of millimeters to spare in the width, and the same in the height: they are just enough bigger than my old Group 24 batts that it was a bit of a chore to slide them into place. Also, looking deeper into the existing battery compartment setup, I would have had to do a bit of carpentry to accomodate anything bigger or with different dimensions.

 

The VMAX batts arrived more than 3/4 charged, and I plugged in shore power tonight to top them off. Check with me in five or six years for how they perform...


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#19 TacomaAustin

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Posted 28 February 2023 - 02:41 AM

By keeping the battery on a maintainer when in storage to provide a float charge, I got 7 years of use from my 85Ah VMAX.  My only regret was how heavy an AGM batteries is and I'm getting too old for heavy lifting.  Happy camping.  :rolleyes:


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Andrew in Austin, TX


#20 New Man

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Posted 04 March 2023 - 07:47 PM

Thanks again to everyone for their helpful advice. TacomaAustin's last note on the weight of AGM batteries is worth emphasizing. The VMAX AGMs I just put in were real 55 lb beasts to wrestle with, and in years past I have regularly pulled my batteries to put them on a float charge when I wasn't going to be camping/driving my truck very much (think Wisconsin winters). Pretty sure my old back won't be up for that much longer...

 

A final note to younger folks that may be reading this: If I was ten years younger -- i.e., had more than ten years of boondock truck camping in front of me -- I definitely would have done my research, bit the $$$ bullet, and upgraded to lithium, regardless of cost and hassle. I have the (uneducated) impression that lithium batteries are better and cheaper (?) than they were when I got my camper seven years ago. They are a no-brainer on weight, and may be a no-brainer on price, too, if you are planning on using your rig for more than ten years. And for more on that I defer to the vast literature on this subject, starting with the thread "FWC Electrical basics and upgrading to lithium!" in this forum. Enjoy!


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