Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:28:31 -0400
Reply-To: A PETER MARSH <apetermarsh@MAC.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: A PETER MARSH <apetermarsh@MAC.COM>
Subject: Re: Auxilliary batteries
In-Reply-To: <4d7e60bc.4d8ee50a.11d7.0f48@mx.google.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII
FWIW
Not that am an expert in aux battery's - but - I have another 33 year old toy (how about fiscal drain) besides my current Vanagon. It is a 78 GMC Motor Coach and I installed three DEKA gel battery's two years ago. One for the engine, one the coach and one for the 6kw Onan twin cylinder generator.
The coach is not used more that three/four times a year for local trips so the rest of the time it is "plugged in" to shore power. I use an INTELLI-POWER battery conditioner/charger along with a Charge Wizard made by Progressive Dynamics. Their products can be seen here:- http://www.progressivedyn.com/power_converters.html
The unit is permanently mounted under a bunk and just idles along doing its thing without any challenges. They are not inexpensive but seem to be well worth their money. Sometimes there are refurbed "specials".
I will be installing two new DEKA gel battery's in the Vanagon and will investigate adding the smaller 20 amp marine PD2020 charger so that when I am not using the Wee Beastie it too will have battery's in peak condition.
Keep smiling.
Peter Marsh
On Mar 14, 2011, at 2:38 PM, David Beierl wrote:
> At 02:02 PM 3/14/2011, Rocket J Squirrel wrote:
>> > > life expectancy of the battery with the same autonomy as acid type.
>> > > Is that a good assumption?
>> >
>> > Gilles, try a different word for 'autonomy' or give us the word in
>> > French...
>>
>> "Off grid"?
>
> Ah - the same freedom to be self-sufficient in the van as I would
> obtain using flooded-cell batteries.
>
> Better cycle life, better lifetime cost, better usable energy per
> pound, better discharge rate per pound, better charging rate per
> pound. All these are true *but* only with the initial investment of
> some hundreds of dollars in equipment to regulate charge and keep
> track of discharge; and potentially some more hundreds for an
> alternator capable of maintaining high charge rates for extended
> periods without destroying itself (or alternatively additional
> cooling air supplied to the rear of the existing alternator).
>
> Without these things the cycle life will be short, charging times
> long, lifetime expense high. This is true whether flooded-cell or
> AGM/gel batteries are used, but it is much more true with AGM or gel;
> so if you don't intend to do it properly it is much better to stick
> with flooded cell batteries. A number of people on the list
> discovered this some years ago when there was a vogue for Optima AGM batteries.
>
> Yours,
> David
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