Replacing marine battery with deep cycle

TL

tlnovack

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Messages
106
Location
Reedley, Ca
So I have recently learned there are 3 different kinds of batteries: starting batteries (for starting vehicles), hybrid marine batteries (that are used for both starting vehicles and other uses like trolling) but this battery does both not that great and deep-cycle batteries. Most RV s come with marine because they are cheap!? So here is my question: If I switch out my marine battery with a more powerful Battleborn deep-cycle battery do I have to reprogram anything like the charge controller? The battery I want is $1000 and I don't want to ruin it.
 
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All the high end lithium batteries like Battle Born have smart chargers built into the battery, supposedly you just need to supply volts and amps and the battery will self regulate. That said, I'd still ask the battery manufacturer. There could be warranty issues.
 
Personally, I would NOT spend $1000 on ANY battery! I get "marine/deep cycle" batteries at Costco. They are less than $100 and work fine for me. I try to keep them above a 50% charge level, which prolongs their life.

If the Battle Born has its own charge controller, as pjriss said, you just have to supply the charging current. But - think about how many lower cost batteries you could buy for the cost of one of these premium jobs.

- Jack
 
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My advice would be before you do anything battery wise get a good converter to replace what you have. The Elixer converters in Hi-Lo are not very good. They have ones that directly replace the converter section of the power center without tearing everything apart. Go to BestConverter - Converters, Inverters, Electrical Supplies, Electronics and see what they have. They address lithium batteries on their site.
 
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In my trailer, it's under the couch beside my refrigerator. Look for a black metal plate that has a handscrew release at the top. That will open the plate and the converter and fuse panel is inside. It should be somewhere along the floor in your trailer.

But, what Rich said is VERY important! You do not want to subject a $1000 battery to a flaky converter.

- Jack
 
Put a small fan on it? Like put a small fan on the floor next to it or attach it or what? I have heard, speaking of fans, to place a fan toward a portable generator inlet after running it. It will extend the life of the generator. So the fan keeps the converter cool?
 
RichR said:
My advice would be before you do anything battery wise get a good converter to replace what you have. The Elixer converters in Hi-Lo are not very good. They have ones that directly replace the converter section of the power center without tearing everything apart. Go to BestConverter - Converters, Inverters, Electrical Supplies, Electronics and see what they have. They address lithium batteries on their site.
Click to expand...

Excellent! I wasn't aware that there were direct replacements for the Elixers. Thanks for posting this.
 
Rich, my 2003 22L has a Fortron inverter/controller. Are they better than the Elixer.
Thanks, Tom
 
I know nothing about that brand. Is it an inverter and converter/charger combined?
 
Tom, I THINK you have a converter/charger, not an inverter/charger. I just did an internet search on the Fortron brand and if you have the 4-stage charger, then it WOULD be better than Elixer. If it's a 3-stage device, then it's probably much the same.

I did not find any inverter/chargers made by Fortron. I think an inverter charger would be something you would buy to charge your cell phone, laptop, etc., on AC power from the trailer's battery.

- Jack
 
Li batteries need to be charged by a Li charger. Don't plug it into your camper then pull it as the alternator could cause damage. The battery itself has a BMS (battery management circuit) but this has nothing to do with charging. It's more of a temp and short/open circuit interface.

Li are the best and lightest batteries out there and they can out last you if you don't let them go to 0% or let them overcharge too often. Better yet, you can run an extension cord from you camper to the energy sucking devices you have at home and $ave on your bill. My Li setup runs my (house) fridge full time and my 2xgolf cart batteries run my interwbs full time.
 
Jack, haven’t been to the forum recently and I need to replace the battery. The old one is Exide Nautilus dual purpose 24MDP 625 CA, and I too use Costco batteries in cars and boat. They have both 24 and 27 groups that fit. Which one do you use? I’m thinking extra 100 or so cranking amps can’t hurt and may last longer.
Thanks
 
New battery

Jack, I also use Costco batteries and it’s time to replace the exide nautilus dual purpose 24MDP 625 ca. My choice is group 24 and 27, both should fit the box. I’m thinking a few more cranking amps can’t hurt. Your thoughts?
Tom
 
Hi, Tr - group size 27 won't fit in my battery box, so I use two Group Size 24s. If they'd fit, I'd use the larger ones. The larger size WILL have larger capacity, so it should not discharge quite as badly when you can't put charging current on it. Deep discharge is bad for ANY battery, so the larger ones might indeed have a somewhat longer lifespan. I think the difference in cost between 24 and 27 is quite small.

- Jack
 
Just what I wanted to hear, they are both 9.5” high. I’m going to the storage barn in central PA this week to finish pre winter tasks and will take new ones.
Want to clean the rubber roof, do you have a favorite product.
 
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