Redsled2006
Vacaville, CA
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Joined: 06/13/2006
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Just took my 2004 Fleetwood Storm w/ 11000miles in for routine service and the service manager called and said that BOTH of my coach batteries were bad (Optima Blue top purchased may of 2006). Just replaced a chassis battery due to an internal short (Redtop purchased same time). The service manager said that “This was normal for all deep cycle batteries”. At $150 a pop each this could get rather expensive pretty quick!
I told him that I’ve read several reports of RV’ers getting 7-10 years from these brand of batteries, and he said that this was the exception and not likely to happen very often.
He did do a system check a found everything OK, so did I just get 3 bad batteries or is this common?
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cm
Dillon, CO USA
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Joined: 08/01/2002
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I have 4 Optima Red Tops in various trucks and the motorhome. One was purchased in 1993 and another in 1995. They still work fine.
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pnichols
Santa Cruz Mountains
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Joined: 04/26/2005
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You should use Optima Yellow Tops for deep cycle use as coach batteries in your rig.
I believe Optima's largest Yellow Top right now is about group 31 size, but this battery is only 75 amp hours due to their cylindrical design not being as high a volume for lead content as a standard rectangular shaped Group 31 dry (AGM) battery. Note that Yellow Top Optima batteries haved been verification tested to withstand 350 complete discharge cycles.
As a backup battery, I carry an early Optima Yellow Top Group 31 battery that is several years old. It's a special Optima Group 31 Yellow Top that is rated at 90 amp hours that was test marketed for a short time before being pulled off the commercial market for exclusive sale to the military. It's been an incredible battery and seems to be as fresh as the day I bought it. What I like about it is that it's fully charged rest voltage is about 13.1 volts and it will sit for weeks not used in my RV holding at this fully charged high value. I use it as emergency boondock power backup for my regular non-Optima AGM coach battery bank and charge it with a special high end fully electronic charger that I carry in the same compartment the Optima is in.
P.S. I also use a smaller Optima Yellow Top in my offroad pickup as it's starter battery ... so Optima Yellow Top deep cycle batteries appear to be plenty strong enough for full blown V8 engine starting use, too. I've never had my pickup Optima go flat or be weak in years of use. My truck occasionally sits for months not being used. HOWEVER, I did have one of these Group 24 Optima Yellow Top batteries wind up with a dead cell after a few years use, probably through my leaving it sit flat, unknowingly, for several weeks.
Phil, 2005 E450 Itasca 324V Spirit
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Cox89XJ
Tennessee
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Joined: 07/27/2006
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My son usually gets about 2 years out of trolling motor batteries. He's got Optima's in there now and had them for one year, so time will tell if they are any better than the regular batteries.
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mike4947
N. Syracuse, NY
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Joined: 08/26/2002
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ANY battery can last for 6-7 years or fail in a month. Maintenance and proper charging are the keys.
A few tips:
Disconnect battery(s) when not actively camping or connected to shore power. Phantom draws may be small, but the 24/7 draw adds up and even the best battery can be completely drained in 2-3 weeks. Considerably shortening it's life.
Charge the battery before you go. No sense starting out with less than a full charge.
Charge the battery AS SOON as you get home. Other than complete discharge letting a battery set partially discharged is the next worst thing. It promotes sulfation of the plates.
With open wet celled battery(s) check the water level before AND after charging. The old saying 'expose a plate create a doorstop" is not an old wives tale.
With AGM batteries (such as the Optima's) make sure you have your converter/inverter/remote charger is set for charging AGM batteries. Algorithms for wet cell deep cycle batteries can damage or destroy AGM batteries by causing them to lose fluid, which can't be replaced.
As for Optima brand batteries. They have some VERY good marketing people. Since their plate technology was developed for extreme conditions of shock and vibration they take up more room than conventional straight plates. This also means they cost more to produce. So you get a battery than costs more for each size and has less capacity.
If you are considering Optima's check out other AGM batteries. The have the same advantages as the Optima's, but cost less and have capacities at or approaching those of open wet celled deep cycle batteries.
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ronfisherman
SE Michigan
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Joined: 06/05/2006
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We camped with a friend that has a 2003 Storm. His new batteries were giving him problems. Found that the PD9145 converter had gone bad. The PD9145 puts out a constant 13.6 voltage even when batteries are charged.
This will boil away the water in a flooded battery. It's my understanding that AGM do not like this type of charging either. Consider getting a Charge Wizard if you have this type/model converter.
Friend is replacing his converter with a PD9245C that has Charge Wizard built in.
Batteries in our 2004 MH are original. Have a Charge Wizard and hope they last a couple more years.
2004 Gulf Stream Endura 6340 D/A
Saf-TTE tire monitor
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cquinn5
Titusville FL US
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Joined: 05/28/2004
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Although I do not have Optima AGM batteries I do have 4 Deka group 27 AGM batteries in my coach for house batteries. They were purchased in early 2002 which puts them at 6+ years and still going strong. I leave a heart 2000w inverter on all the time while plugged in so they are continually charged. The Heart inverter does have a charging algorithm for AGM batteries which differs from Wet Cell or Gel Cell algorithms.
Cliff
Cliff & Karen Quinn
The Great Outdoors
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smkettner
Southern California
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Joined: 03/21/2005
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What are you charging them with? How low do you cycle them? How do you store them? What size are they? You should be using D31M (blue) or D31T (yellow) for the house and I think they are over $200 ea. If you have 34M it is only about 50 amp hours and the pair is less than a single group 27 wet cell battery.
Is there a particular reason you are using Optima? If you need AGM consider Lifeline.
2001 F150 SuperCrew 5.4 Lariat Offroad 4x4 Tow Package 4.10 Truetrac
2006 Keystone Springdale 249FWBHLS
12K SuperGlide, KGE3000Ti 2.3kw rated 2.6kw max
Frank's voltage booster, Prosine 1800 powered by 4 GC2 batteries
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YC 1
Yuba City Calif.
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Joined: 01/11/2005
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Cox89XJ wrote:My son usually gets about 2 years out of trolling motor batteries. He's got Optima's in there now and had them for one year, so time will tell if they are any better than the regular batteries.
I used two of them for my trolling motor and did not get any longer life than the Stowaway batterys I had been using. One died in a year and the "warranty exchange" cost me as much as a new Stowaway would have. I have since changed them both out to Stowaways. I get about two years max out of a set. The bass boat really hammers them physically and electrically.
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wa8yxm
Wherever I happen to park
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Joined: 07/04/2006
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I would expect at the minimum 5 years, and more likely 8-10 out of a quality battery, And Optimas are quality batteries.. That said I'd never put an optima in an RV
The reason for this is that Optimas are the most expensive batteries and you get less battery per cubic foot than if you went with a regular AGM such as a lifeline (Also top quality) or MK or Deka AGM I use MK's
One thing that CAN kill any AGM battery though is your converter.. AGM's charge at a slightly (Like 0.2 volt) lower voltage than a flooded wet cell. So if your re-charge system is set for flooded wet cells it's constantly overcharging the AGM's. also equalization is recommended only rarley for AGM's
If your batteries are dead in 2 years... I would suspect the charging system big time. I know the alternator on my Workhorse chassis will often trip the over-voltage alarm on my radio power bar.. I put in a voltage reducer to the AGM's (90 amp diode)
Nothin adds excitment like something that is none of your business
John is Near Kenwood TS-2000 housed in a 2005 Damon Intruder 377
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