Deep cycle battery info

Electrical issues, both 12 volt and 120 volt
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skater
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Deep cycle battery info

Post by skater »

The dimensions of my battery, here for reference in case you want to replace yours and buy it online or something.

11" long (though I think it can be a tad longer than that - the tray is a bit longer)
7" wide
8.5" high

This appears to be a Group 24 battery.

Other relevant battery information (for example, specific recommended brands/models) should be posted in this thread.
Last edited by skater on Sat Feb 02, 2008 5:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
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ChasingRain
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Post by ChasingRain »

Mine is significantly narrower- 5.5 inches. I think it's supposed to be a group 50 battery.

I just replaced mine with a group 22NF AGM battery- which is a good bit shorter as well- 9 just under inches. I think with some minor modifications, I can get two of these batteries in the space of the original one.

I got it from a solar power supply place: http://www.nationalsolarsupply.com/inde ... ProdID=169
cost was about $120 with shipping.

I'll see how it works
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JoeD
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Re: Deep cycle battery info

Post by JoeD »

Any more information on these house batteries? I have a 93 and the previous owner had replaced the deep cycle with a car battery. We don't draw a ton of power but are planning a ski trip this winter with high furnace use so I want to replace the house battery. Thanks!?
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Re: Deep cycle battery info

Post by Choptop »

Not sure were I got it but this helped me a little, still need to get a house battery, mine is weak : Are the batteries in our RVs the same as our cars? Do you know what type and size battery you should be shopping for? Chances are the guy at the auto parts store won’t give you reliable advice, and RV dealers tend to sell what they have, not necessarily what is best for you. This will help you understand your RV batteries and how to choose a replacement.
All RVs have one or more “house” batteries that provide power for the lighting, fresh water pump, furnace and other 12 volt needs. In some RVs, multiple batteries are wired together to make a single 12 volt power source. These house batteries have different characteristics than the batteries used to start an engine.
Chassis (Starting) Batteries Motorhomes have an engine and therefore require an engine starting (chassis) battery, but this will be separate from the house battery system. The chassis) battery is the same type as is used in a car, though often with a larger CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) rating because the engine is larger. Choosing the right one is simply a matter of getting enough CCA to do the job and generally that means replacing the battery with another of the same or larger CCA rating. With the CCA and case size (BCI Group number), most battery dealers should be able to get what you need.
A typical diesel engine RV will have two 12v batteries wired in parallel and having a rating of 900-1000 CCA each. That large a CCA usually means the battery case size is a Group 31. Gas-powered coaches usually have one starting battery with a rating in the 550-700 CCA range. Battery case sizes run from BCI size 24 in smaller motorhomes to size 27 in larger models. The best way to get the right one is to take the old one with you to the store and have them match it.
House batteries The best house batteries are a different breed from starting batteries. Starting batteries are designed to provide a huge amount of power (amps) in a short burst (a few seconds) to get an engine going, but house batteries are designed to provide a much fewer amps but over a sustained period of time, hours instead of seconds. Furthermore, house batteries often get heavily discharged before being fully recharged again. This is called deep cycling and is fundamentally different than automotive use. A battery designed for lower amp rates and deep cycling will last longer and perform better in an RV than an engine starting battery doing the same job. Good deep cycle batteries will last 3-4 times longer than a starting battery. They have heavier lead plates inside but fewer of them, and they are arranged to accommodate the chemical effects of heavy discharges.
Deep cycle battery capacity is measured in AH (Amp-Hours), meaning the total number of amps of power it can deliver over a 20 hour period. An alternative measurement is called RC (Reserve Capacity), which is the number of minutes the battery can sustain a 25 amp load. You don’t have to understand the measurement technique to know that Gary “RVRoamer” Brinck www.RVForum.net 3/19/2014
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Choosing a Battery for Your RV
“more is better”, so a battery with a larger AH or RC rating is better (has more capacity) than a smaller one. The common size 24, 12v deep cycle battery stores about 80-85 AH of power and has an RC of around 140 minutes. A size 27 is about 105 AH and RC in the 175-200 range, and a size 29 may be 115 AH and RC of 225. Unfortunately, there is no meaningful way to compare AH and RC values, so make sure you compare apples to apples when you shop for a battery.
To help laymen along, deep cycle batteries usually say “Deep Cycle” somewhere on the label. If a battery doesn’t say that, or makes prominent claims about its high CCA rating, it probably isn’t a deep cycle battery.
Marine Batteries “Marine” batteries are a compromise design that attempts to combine the characteristics of starting and deep cycling. As with most compromises, they aren’t great for either need, but they may be suitable for some uses. A marine battery trades a lower CCA rating for somewhat better deep cycle performance. Because it is a variation of a starting battery, it can be produced by the same manufacturing process, making it a less expensive battery than a true deep cycle. It lacks the stamina to endure regular and deep discharging, so marine batteries rarely last anywhere near as long as a true deep cycle.
A variant of the marine battery is the trolling motor battery, which is used to power the electric motors often used in fishing boats. Trolling motor usage is more like RV house usage and the trolling motor battery is usually a bit better for RV usage than the standard marine battery, which is also expected to crank an engine now and then.
Battery Technologies for RV Use Currently, all RV batteries use lead-acid technology but it comes in different forms. The basic type is called a “flooded cell” battery, where the lead plates are immersed in a solution of water & acid in liquid form. They lose (boil away) a little of the solution each time it is charged, so they require addition of some distilled water once in a while. “Maintenance free” batteries limit the loss of electrolyte by sealing the cells except for a tiny vent hole, but this doesn’t work well under frequent, heavy charging, so it is not a good choice for an RV house battery. A better choice is the AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) battery, which retains the electrolyte solution in a sponge made of glass fibers. They are totally sealed except for a safety valve, which leads to their technical name of “Valve Regulated Lead Acid” battery, or VRLA. This type is very effective in reducing the loss of electrolyte during charging and is an excellent technology choice. Gel type batteries use a thick paste electrolyte and are also fully sealed, VRLA batteries, so they are a good choice as well. However, AGM has largely replaced Gel technology for RV use.
Gary “RVRoamer” Brinck www.RVForum.net 3/
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Re: Deep cycle battery info

Post by micabarry »

I was able to get a group 27 AGM into the tray on my 91 with just a slight modification of the tray with my Dremel. Tray on end closest to firewall was a 90 deg. near fender but cut in sharper on engine side, preventing the battery from fitting flush. I just cut the lip off that corner and it fits perfect.
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Re: Deep cycle battery info

Post by skidrow »

My 96 B190 has a very skinny tray for the house battery. I believe it will fit a group 51 and nothing bigger. The trouble is nobody makes a group 51 deep cycle. I have to go with a starting battery and there's only a few amp hours available. If I modify the compartment for a bigger size battery I'm pretty sure the converter has to be beefed up also. So I guess my best option is to burn up a house battery every couple of years if boonedocking it without using the genny.. Does anyone have any experience with this issue?
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Re: Deep cycle battery info

Post by skater »

skidrow wrote:
Tue Oct 09, 2018 4:02 pm
My 96 B190 has a very skinny tray for the house battery. I believe it will fit a group 51 and nothing bigger. The trouble is nobody makes a group 51 deep cycle. I have to go with a starting battery and there's only a few amp hours available. If I modify the compartment for a bigger size battery I'm pretty sure the converter has to be beefed up also. So I guess my best option is to burn up a house battery every couple of years if boonedocking it without using the genny.. Does anyone have any experience with this issue?
If you're still using the stock converter, you probably should upgrade it anyway - it'll treat any battery (even a cheap wet cell) much better than the stock converter will. But I don't think a larger battery means you'd need a larger converter. Unless you have a massive battery bank or a LOT of 12 volt things going (i.e., probably more than you can feasibly use in a B190), a smaller converter will handle it just fine.

It looks like Optima makes a yellow top group 51 battery - their yellow tops are meant to be combination starting/deep cycle. But you're right, it looks like pretty slim pickings. Another option would be to install a battery box in the van somewhere (under the couch) and use a more normal size deep cycle battery, and just abandon the underhood location. (If you do this, you should use a sealed AGM battery or similar, NOT a wet cell that can outgas while charging.)
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usachris
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Re: Deep cycle battery info

Post by usachris »

skater wrote:
Wed Oct 10, 2018 7:00 am
But you're right, it looks like pretty slim pickings. Another option would be to install a battery box in the van somewhere (under the couch) and use a more normal size deep cycle battery, and just abandon the underhood location. (If you do this, you should use a sealed AGM battery or similar, NOT a wet cell that can outgas while charging.)
+1 on this comment. I went two 6v Lifeline AGMs under the couch.
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Re: Deep cycle battery info

Post by Nathanfish »

I know this is an old post but how easy was it to relocate the battery under the couch? I'm thinking it would just wire directly into the converter and if you left all the rest of the wiring the same it would still charge with the alternator?
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Re: Deep cycle battery info

Post by skater »

Nathanfish wrote:
Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:37 am
I know this is an old post but how easy was it to relocate the battery under the couch? I'm thinking it would just wire directly into the converter and if you left all the rest of the wiring the same it would still charge with the alternator?
In mine it would, based on the routing of the wires underhood. Easy way to tell would be to disconnect your coach battery and shore power, and turn off the generator, then start the van and see if the coach system has power.
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Re: Deep cycle battery info

Post by Nathanfish »

dang.. might have one more thing to add to the list. So i could put an AGM battery under the couch, run the positive wire from the new battery into the converter, find a solid ground, and it would be good to go? Is it that easy? or am i missing something?

Trying to get this done in the next two weeks...

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new battery
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skater
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Re: Deep cycle battery info

Post by skater »

Nathanfish wrote:
Wed Jul 01, 2020 8:55 pm
dang.. might have one more thing to add to the list. So i could put an AGM battery under the couch, run the positive wire from the new battery into the converter, find a solid ground, and it would be good to go? Is it that easy? or am i missing something?
No, that should be the gist of it.
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Re: Deep cycle battery info

Post by Nautilus »

This was a while ago, I'm curious how it went.

I'm about to do something similar but much more intensive. I'll make a restoration post finally and post about it.
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Re: Deep cycle battery info

Post by achilies1552 »

I just replaced my coach battery in my '99. It is a group size 24 battery. The one before it was a 9a34, AGM group size 34 battery. It will also fit as its the same footprint of the 24 but about an inch smaller.

I opted for a lead acid this time as the AGM burned out in less than 36 months. This is with a replaced updated converter/ charger.

Does anyone else have the constant draw issue? I pretty much have to keep my battery plugged in all the time to keep it charged. I pretty sure its what is killing them. I found if I pull the 30 amp fuses, the draw stops but without having the wiring diagram to examine I can't figure it out.
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Re: Deep cycle battery info

Post by skater »

achilies1552 wrote:
Thu May 13, 2021 7:04 pm
I just replaced my coach battery in my '99. It is a group size 24 battery. The one before it was a 9a34, AGM group size 34 battery. It will also fit as its the same footprint of the 24 but about an inch smaller.

I opted for a lead acid this time as the AGM burned out in less than 36 months. This is with a replaced updated converter/ charger.

Does anyone else have the constant draw issue? I pretty much have to keep my battery plugged in all the time to keep it charged. I pretty sure its what is killing them. I found if I pull the 30 amp fuses, the draw stops but without having the wiring diagram to examine I can't figure it out.
I usually get 5-6 years out of my AGM batteries. How quickly is yours draining? My first thought is that you might have a CO2 detector - if so, that'll pull power constantly. If you have a multimeter, you can check the amperage draw at the fuse panel and at least figure out which circuit it is.

You might consider installing a cutoff on the coach battery - they're cheap and easy to install. Our trailer has one, and I almost never use it, as we store the trailer at home and keep it plugged in, but if I were storing it without power, I'd shut it off each time.
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
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