6v vs. 12v

rideblue

Active Member
Anyone swap out their 2-12volt batteries for 2-6volt batteries? My two 12v batteries I think won't do the job anymore. I got 4 years out of them. I'm considering replacing them with 2 6v ones. Anyone have experience with both? Which way is better?
 

RollingHome

Well-known member
rideblue, Before I replaced the batteries I would take them to an Auto Zone store (I "assume" CA. have AZ's) and ask them to load test them with a resistance (load) type tester, they will do this for free. This will tell you for certain if your batteries need replacing. It is common to switch to 6 VDC batteries, known as golf cart batteries. It's all a matter of storage capability (amp hour rating) which is derived from plate size dictated by the physical size of the batteries, simply put, the bigger the better. There is an associated increase in cost too. However, if I understand your question you will not gain by replacing 2 - 12 volt batteries with 2 - 6 volt batteries, unless the 6 volt batteries are prohibitedly large. You will need to install 4 - 6 volt batteries to better your current situation. In addition I would install a dedicated 6 volt charger capable of charging 4 - 6 volt batteries. As the batteries age the internal resistance will change in different non-linear amounts and attempting to use a 12 volt charger on 2 - 6 volt batteries connected in series will result in overcharging one battery and create an elevated temperature condition which in turn could cause a fire. I needed more power in my last TT so what I did was install 2 - 12 volt, size 26 glass mat batteries. Even though it is NOT recommended to use a standard charger, I did so for several years without a problem. Another alternative would be to install larger series 12 volt batteries. I helped a guy install 2 - 12 volt size 48 batteries (bull dozer battery) for a 3000 watt inverter in his boat, man those were big and heavy but he had all the power he needed for his coffee pot, microwave, even his wife's hair dryer. Tom
 

newbie

Northern Virginia
The 6 volt batteries will last longer (more cycles) because they have thicker plates.
 

newbie

Northern Virginia
Opps, hit the wrong buttton....any way, I removed my single 12 volt and added two Interstate U2200UTL 6 volt golf cart type last spring. They were the largest size I could fit in the battery compartment. I really had to shoe horn them in to get them to fit. So far so good.

John
 

dieselengineer

Charter Member
The 6 volt batteries are the way to go in the long run. You can buy a nice battery box designed to hold two (2) 6 volt batteries at a good boating supply house. The 6 volt will out last the standard 12 volt in life. I have a set of 6 volts that were placed in service in 1994 that still test at name rated capacity on a deep cycle test.
 

ChopperBill

Well-known member
Six volts are a dandy deal, I had 4 of 'em in the old 3055. However our camping style has changed some what. I have two group 27's in the new 3610. Not as rambunctious about power as I once was. I didn't want to carry the weight. I figure I lost about 170 lbs going with just two 27's. I have a single solar panel and a Honda 2000 or Kipor 3500 that will keep up with our usage. We have electric all summer and last year we had electric in AZ. I still can do the boon docking deal if needed.
 

RollingHome

Well-known member
Well rideblue, there ya go ! Ya got a good representation from a bunch of folks who been there done that. This forum is the best thing since sliced bread :) Now all ya gotta do is the hardest part, decide... man I hate that :)
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
I use two maintenance free 12V batteries in the Landmark. Works for me as we dont really use a lot of battery time.
 

grampak

Member
Two deep cycle 6 volt batteries have a lot of storage. Trojan makes a very good deep cycle battery. After talking to my local dealer he informed me that trojan also makes a 12 volt deep cycle that has almost the same storage capacity as the 2 6volt ones. They are pricey , but I bought 2. They are very nice. The only thing I dont like about them is they are very heavy. A lot more than the normal marine battery.
 

rideblue

Active Member
Thank you all so much for the help. Now I just have to decide. I love this site, I can get so much informative stuff!
 

cabells

Member
Thinking about putting in 2 six volt batteries. Does anybody have them? do you have any problems with them dying while having the heater run all night. Went camping in a cold climate and our 12 volt battery died early in the morning. Had to go jumpstart the generator to get the heat going again. Some friends of ours put 6 volt batteries in their trailer and had no problems while having the heater run all night. Just looking for more information from other people. Please let me know. thanks
 

porthole

Retired
Anyone swap out their 2-12volt batteries for 2-6volt batteries? My two 12v batteries I think won't do the job anymore. I got 4 years out of them. I'm considering replacing them with 2 6v ones. Anyone have experience with both? Which way is better?

If your batteries are 4 years old I would consider just replacing them now. Odds are they will fail in the middle of the season. Bad batteries will also tax your charger/converter. They will also tend to overcharge and boil off creating more maintenance and possible damage.

I would not worry about charging rates to a pair of 6 volts in series. Odds are any 6 volt battery you buy will be "golf cart service" (deep cycle) and far superior to what came in your trailer. Trailer batteries are installed by the dealer and typically will be cheap car starting batteries.

For an example, I have 6 6 volt batteries in our golf cart, the charger is a 36 volt charger, not 6 – 6 volt chargers. Electric fork lifts have up to 48 - 1 volt batteries wired in series and use a single 48 volt charger.

I would make sure that your charger/converter is one of the “smart” types.

A pair of golf cart 6 volts wired in series will have the same voltage (almost) but much higher capacity then your pair of 12 volts wired in parallel.

If you have the room and don’t mind the weight replace the 2-12’s with 2-6’s – and you will have to change the way they are wired.

Tom’s buddy with the 4D’s has the room for big batteries. 4D’s are big and heavy, don’t remember the weight, but he 8D’s in my boat weigh 175 pounds each and are awkward to handle.

Go with 6’s and the odds are good, if you take care of them, you will get another trailer before you buy batteries again.
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
There are a lot of opinions on batteries. Most of them are probably right for their point of view. To keep it simple we use two sealed 12V batteries. No problems with the life and not having to add water sure makes me happy. We started doing this when the sealed batteries came on the scene many years ago. The primary reason was the fumes and venting. Now it is for the convenience. We get about 4 years out of the group 27 which fit into the tray. After that they go on fence chargers until the die. We don't dry camp much so it is primary for traveling and just for an overnight in a camping spot without power.
 

sdrubrecht

Active Member
We put in 2 6volt batteries from batteries plus, Rayovac industrial. They are 14" high but the same footprint as golf cart type. 330 amps instead of 215, $200 each and weigh 100lbs. Just fit in under the slide-out pump. Get some young help to install. I also added catalyzing caps from AZ wind and sun. They return vented water and gas to the batteries. In one year of heavy use, I just added my first water last month, but I do check monthly.
We dry camp all the time, and can go all day and night without a charge, inverter for the tv and heater as needed.
The real problem is the lights, not the heater. Heater draws 7 amps when running, turn on the living room lights in our 3010 and you drew 16!!! Couple of hours in the evening will draw the batteries down way more than intermittent use of heater.
It was pricey, but we replaced our bulbs with led's from superbrightleds.com. Now the livingroom draws 1.5 amps and gives us more and better light. We also replaced the one in the range hood and man,what a difference. Went from about 15 lumens to 110. I can see what's cooking now.
 

sdrubrecht

Active Member
The lights I got were here http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/index.cgi?action=DispPage&Page2Disp=/other_bulbs.htm . Cant seem to get a more direct link. Its the PCB-WWHP9 and PCB-CWHP9. The difference being cool white (110 lumens) and warm white (92) lumens. You need the 1156 base for the standard overheads. The range hood and the deco light over the dinette on our Cyclone use T10. We ordered one cool white and one warm white first to see the diference. Warns are slightly more yellow than standard, cool are stark white but very bright. We went with the cool. Now that we have all changed, I wish we would have got a mixture. One of each in each overhead light perhaps. The cool white over the range and kitchen though makes work there very easy.
Dont be tempted to buy the cheaper ones with more leds. They actually have less lumens (30 to 50). Your standard 12 volt bulb, new and batteries fully charged has ~85 lumens. Older the get, less batteriy charge, more yellow and dimmer. LEDs, same output from 8 to 30 volts, lasts around 50,000 hours.
Hope this helps.
 

sdrubrecht

Active Member
You can just lay them on the lens. We didnt like the look so we double sided taped them to the reflector inside the light. Diffuses the light a little better. I haven't tried the tower type. You have to be careful with leds as they are very directional, not all over like incandescent. You dont want to end up with a spotlight pointing in the wrong direction.
 
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