Batteries gone ...

[themexicandoctor]

Here is the space pictured;

[themexicandoctor]

One installer suggested I just put in two new Group 27's as they are presently configured & not bother with paying $300-400 getting them perfectly balanced - just buy new batteries every 2 years.

But I agree with George RA & Booster & I want them to be trouble free.

Already placed two GPL 4CT Batteries under there & they fit perfect.

I am concerned with the heat under the bed though, I regularly see 100% plus from my Sensorpush device down there.

[GeorgeRa]

I agree that staying with AGM would be simpler for you. Two 12V batteries will give you one battery if one fails. If you currently have 6V AGMs you can retain existing wiring otherwise I see no benefits. Is there enough room for one GPL-8DL? it is heavy so.

My group 31 Fullriver batteries are 7 years old, no reason to anticipate 2 years life from Lifeline.

Another recommendation, I would suggest to PAY a know-how person to setup your system. It is not rocket science but it can get very complex if you want to follow various recommendation and oscillate between alternate set-ups.

[GallenH]

I went back and referenced this thread:

https://www.classbforum.com/forums/f...ey-9857-3.html

It would be interesting to have had the chart also cover if the respondent was using a compressor fridge and what the fridge cf capacity was. But a good number of the replies also stated type of fridge and some the capacity in the text of their response.

It was interesting for me to reread the thread with my current eyes.

cheers

[themexicandoctor]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

I agree that staying with AGM would be simpler for you. Two 12V batteries will give you one battery if one fails. If you currently have 6V AGMs you can retain existing wiring otherwise I see no benefits. Is there enough room for one GPL-8DL? it is heavy so.

My group 31 Fullriver batteries are 7 years old, no reason to anticipate 2 years life from Lifeline.

Another recommendation, I would suggest to PAY a know-how person to setup your system. It is not rocket science but it can get very complex if you want to follow various recommendation and oscillate between alternate set-ups.

I have paid top money in the past to have this done, including $500 just to have other work, by top guys, rectified by my favourite guy who just retired.

I presently have 2 Group 27 Lifeline 12 volt batteries & am leaning to getting two Lifeline GPL 4CT 6 Volt units.

I guess I could get four Lifeline GPL 4CT Batteries instead.

But it is probably overkill.

What is the advantages of getting the larger unit you recommended, the 8?

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by themexicandoctor

I have paid top money in the past to have this done, including $500 just to have other work, by top guys, rectified by my favourite guy who just retired.

I presently have 2 Group 27 Lifeline 12 volt batteries & am leaning to getting two Lifeline GPL 4CT 6 Volt units.

I guess I could get four Lifeline GPL 4CT Batteries instead.

But it is probably overkill.

What is the advantages of getting the larger unit you recommended, the 8?

One battery requires less wiring and one mount. Why 6V?

[themexicandoctor]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

One battery requires less wiring and one mount. Why 6V?

Thank you, will ask my guy when he gets here in a couple of minutes about the possibility of going with a bigger unit.

The 6 volt fits & there is a slight increase in overall capacity.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by themexicandoctor

The 6 volt fits & there is a slight increase in overall capacity.

As has already been mentioned, using 6V batteries has no real advantage over 12V, and has the large disadvantage that if one battery fails, you can't limp along with the other one as you can with 12V.

The only reason 6V batteries are found in RVs is that people used to like cheap deep-cycle lead-acid golf-cart batteries, which were 6V. It is just one of the many vestigial bad habits that permeate the RV world.

[booster]

Originally Posted by avanti

As has already been mentioned, using 6V batteries has no real advantage over 12V, and has the large disadvantage that if one battery fails, you can't limp along with the other one as you can with 12V.

The only reason 6V batteries are found in RVs is that people used to like cheap deep-cycle lead-acid golf-cart batteries, which were 6V. It is just one of the many vestigial bad habits that permeate the RV world.

I think that in this case that is totally correct as Lifeline AGMs are the batteries in question. I have talked to them about that difference, and the said the guts are exactly the same in every way in their 6 and 12 volt batteries. I can't say for certain on other brands of AGMs, but it likely they would be similarly equivalent between voltages.


The exceptions for me are when you get to wet cells, but it is not because of the difference between 6 and 12 volts that makes the difference. The difference is that in almost all 12v wet cells, the design is never a true deep cycle. At best, they are low water use combination starting/deep cycle batteries. Don't believe what the label on the says. I have used the Costco/Interstate DC 12 "deep cycle" battery and it in every way behaves like a combo starting battery. Not a bad battery, but not a true deep cycle, and would likely have less than half the life of a true deep cycle.



A Trojan 6 volt gold cart wet cell is a much better deep cycle battery for RV house battery use, IMO, but would not be good as a starting battery, so design matters.



AGMs don't seem to be as inclined to be application specific, but there are some standby power ones and such that are.



Personally, 6 or 12 in most AGMs would be fine with me, but I would not use a 12v wet cell these days for deep cycle applications.

[themexicandoctor]

Originally Posted by booster

I think that in this case that is totally correct as Lifeline AGMs are the batteries in question. I have talked to them about that difference, and the said the guts are exactly the same in every way in their 6 and 12 volt batteries. I can't say for certain on other brands of AGMs, but it likely they would be similarly equivalent between voltages.


The exceptions for me are when you get to wet cells, but it is not because of the difference between 6 and 12 volts that makes the difference. The difference is that in almost all 12v wet cells, the design is never a true deep cycle. At best, they are low water use combination starting/deep cycle batteries. Don't believe what the label on the says. I have used the Costco/Interstate DC 12 "deep cycle" battery and it in every way behaves like a combo starting battery. Not a bad battery, but not a true deep cycle, and would likely have less than half the life of a true deep cycle.



A Trojan 6 volt gold cart wet cell is a much better deep cycle battery for RV house battery use, IMO, but would not be good as a starting battery, so design matters.



AGMs don't seem to be as inclined to be application specific, but there are some standby power ones and such that are.



Personally, 6 or 12 in most AGMs would be fine with me, but I would not use a 12v wet cell these days for deep cycle applications.

Avanti & Booster,

Thank you Gentlemen for clearing up the 6volt versus 12volt question - as it is, I have yet to make a decision, I am at the Main Office/Warehouse for Lifeline as we speak, about an hour out of town & they are going to run some tests on the batteries while I am here.

Fotget the sticker on the outside of the Group 27 that says STARTING BATTERY, we know its a true deep cycle.

https://lifelinebatteries.com/produc...eries/gpl-4ct/

With the information you provided, I am still leaning towards the 6 volt (model GPL-4CT), because even though they are slightly taller, they are thinner & shorter in length;

LENGTH IN (MM)

10.28 (261.1)

WIDTH IN (MM)

7.06 (179.3)

HEIGHT IN (MM)

9.92 (251.

Versus the 12 volts Group 27

https://lifelinebatteries.com/produc...ies/gpl-2700t/

LENGTH IN (MM)

13.09 (332.5)

WIDTH IN (MM)

6.6 (167.6)

HEIGHT IN (MM)

9.25 (234.

The shorter depth of the 6 volt
fits that under bed area much more effectively.

[themexicandoctor]

Slight error;

In the photo I showed the GPL-2700T which is the STARTING VERSION.

THE CORRECT BATTERY I have been using is the GPL-27T.

[themexicandoctor]

I am the factory right now & we are charging the two batteries & are then going to do the Capacity Test.

As it stands, the batteries were at 12.4, they are accepting a 25amps & the voltage is at 13 volts.

Which means they are NOT sulfated.

[themexicandoctor]

I feel confident in choosing the Novakool & this model, when speaking with Novakool that were very positive about switching out the unit if in fact, it was faulty.

The Novakool Engineer MARIAM stated;

1. It could be that they used the pre-existing 3 Way wire gauge & therefore they are too thin, will get an answer on that next day or two.

2. That perhaps my ground fault (?) is bad.

3. That in fact the Venting is insufficient despite their earlier assurances.

4. That I need to place a sheet of Reflectix against the back wall of the Chevy Skin although I cannot see this being considerably more effective as the new fridge sits at least 6 inches away from this surface.

5. That buying the R3800 at 2.2amps was a far smarter choice than the R4500 at 4.4amps even though this is not supposed to be accurate but he says it is.

He did say that if the gauge is wrong & the ground fault, the start of the compressor uses more than the 2.2.

[GeorgeRa]

What is the issue?, fridge or batteries. Good troubleshooting needs to start with a very precise definition of THE issue. It seems as you have problems with both batteries and the fridge.

[themexicandoctor]

The batteries are being tested as we speak, at the Lifeline HQ's.

But on first observation, they seem to be receiving the charge portion of the test with flying colors.

The fact that in 2005 Roadtrek chose to put the first battery directly on top of the hot exhaust is asinine.

I am endeavoring to get to the issues in order, it could in fact be the wire gauge, the ground fault, or both.

Will not know this part of the equation until I get to an RV Guy who can check. In a day or two.

But something is not operating correctly and it's only been since I added the fridge because I barely taxed the batteries before, AND, the fact we are in a Heatwave.

I do realise the 61 amps reading on the Battey Meter was because I never got the battery to 100%. Then once I did 24 hours later I got the 32 amp reading & last night, parked outside of LA & closer to the desert & letting unit run for 12 hours I earned the 52 amp draw.

[themexicandoctor]

This was the reading of the Charger about 15 minutes after we connected everything up;

[hbn7hj]

Observing your troubles. It is 116F in Phoenix. I think an RM2354 size compressor fridge will need two 100ah lithium batteries and a generator to support it here.

I have been running an RM2663 for the last two days on propane. With no thermal inertia it peaks out at 40F freezer and 80F fridge in full sun. I think it is running as well as it can. Having it full would have certainly helped. At night the freezer gets to 25F and box to 40F.

I have a compressor conversion I have not installed yet, four 100ah lithium batteries and 225ah of FLA which hopefully will do the job.

[GallenH]

Hi H,

My Dometic tracks about the same: acceptable in the morning; gradually degrading during the day. It only works when we can load up early morning and get out of here.

Let me know when you do the install. I'd love to come over and see what you're doing and how you're setting everything up............at a social distance of course.

Stay well.

glenn

[GallenH]

H: BTW: I noticed that your post still describes a hybrid system? Are your 400AH of lithium going to have the function of charging the 225 FLA which in turn will be the batteries going to the load?

[themexicandoctor]

Originally Posted by hbn7hj

Observing your troubles. It is 116F in Phoenix. I think an RM2354 will need two 100ah lithium batteries and a generator to support it here.

I have been running an RM2663 for the last two days on propane. With no thermal inertia it peaks out at 40F freezer and 80F fridge in full sun. I think it is running as well as it can. Having it full would have certainly helped. At night the freezer gets to 25F and box to 40F.

I have a compressor conversion I have not installed yet, four 100ah lithium batteries and 225ah of FLA which hopefully will do the job.

Gentlemen,

What I have learnt in my past life (I have divided my life up into two erras; Dometic Ownership & Novakool Ownership*), when I owned a Dometic RM2354 is that loading it up, makes it perform even worse & i received the same do not fill instructions from Dometic.

*I am comfortable Novakool will resolve this via whoever checks my Electrical System.

Have been east of LA for the last 36 hours & its Hot as in HOT, average 116% & the desert where I decided not to go, 122%.

Owning a fridge that works as well as a home unit is a very satisfying feeling. I urge you once you get your systems up, to consider a DC Unit &, buy the Sensorpush Bluetooth unit - digital readings on your phone along with detailed history reports - its good to know when its 105% in the rear lounge area & 115% in the front of the cab that your fridge is pumping away at 35%.

The people at Novakool are flummoxed at my situation & until I find an available RV Guy (every independent is booked 2 weeks out), I cannot answer their questions - maybe tomorrow I can ambush someone after I add some new tires & a master cylinder.

I did purchase the 2 x Lifeline GPL-4CT 6 Volts 225ah batteries even though it appears my 2 year old Lifeline Group.27 12 Volt units performed perfectly on the charge & discharge capacity test.

The 6 volt units fit length & width wise the way the 12 volts cannot because of their size.

I cannot forseee any issues with these units failing, Lifelines are Bulletproof. Moreover I am not going to be bound by the mickey mouse dual battery set up with one in front of the rear wheel & one behind, by the time I had balanced them as Booster suggested, I have already spent the money to have them installed under the bed.

My problem is this fridge that just runs & runs & Novakool thinks if it isn't the wrong gauge wire, its an issue with the negative side of my DC System.

They said its very rare for a Danfoss to fail & they usually catch any bad ones during their pre-testing at the factory.

I will let you know as soon as I do.