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Battery Update
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jato View Drop Down
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Posts: 3325 		Post Options Post Options   Quote jato Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Battery Update
    Posted: 01 Dec 2023 at 8:55am
Update #1.  Batteries were given a 24 hour 2 amp trickle charge Nov. 1, then disconnected and placed directly on a concrete floor in an unheated garage.  Batteries are a 12.5 year old 12v Interstate deep cycle and a 3+ year old Trojan T-1275.  Ambient temp. currently in the garage is 24 degrees.  Readings: Interstate is 12.62v and Trojan is 12.71v.  Next update will be January 1, 2024.
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'11 model 177
'17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost
Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake
"...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."
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john in idaho View Drop Down
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Posts: 613 		Post Options Post Options   Quote john in idaho Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Dec 2023 at 9:28am
I finally had to replace one of my 6v trojans from 2014.  Costco has the best price I have found on Interstate batteries.  Fortunately we have a couple of electric golf/ farm carts that we can recycle batteries into, where failure isn't a serious problem.   I keep the rPod in the barn over the winter and it is plugged in, incl the batteries until May.  Sometimes they need water in Feb and sometimes not.
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jato View Drop Down
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Posts: 3325 		Post Options Post Options   Quote jato Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Dec 2023 at 9:40am
Originally posted by john in idaho

I finally had to replace one of my 6v trojans from 2014.  Costco has the best price I have found on Interstate batteries.  Fortunately we have a couple of electric golf/ farm carts that we can recycle batteries into, where failure isn't a serious problem.   I keep the rPod in the barn over the winter and it is plugged in, incl the batteries until May.  Sometimes they need water in Feb and sometimes not.


Curious as to how old your 6v Trojan battery was when you had to replace.  Although most of the golf carts maintained at our 72 hole complex were gas, some were electric and all had Trojan batteries, the gold standard for batteries.  Funny thing is while we could only get 4 years out of a set of Trojans in the north (and they were only used for 7 months/year) the same set will last 6 years in Florida where they are in use for 12 months.  Go figure.
God's pod
'11 model 177
'17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost
Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake
"...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."
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john in idaho View Drop Down
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Posts: 613 		Post Options Post Options   Quote john in idaho Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Dec 2023 at 9:57am
The Trojans were bought when we got the trailer in Oct 14.  I replaced both this summer and probably should have done so last summer.  One was fine, one wasn't.  It may be that the batteries in the north were allowed to sit with a less than 40% charge.  I use the golf carts to move 2 hay bales at a time and to haul a 10 gal 12v 2-4 D sprayer on occasion plus run errands.  They get plugged in when they get sluggish.  And IMHO one of the secrets to long life batteries is the water level.  the cells  can look just fine but still take almost a cup of distilled water.  I have a squeegee bulb syringe and buy distilled water by the gallon.  In the spring I can use a gallon of water at one sitting getting the two carts ready. 6 batteries in each.
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jato View Drop Down
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Posts: 3325 		Post Options Post Options   Quote jato Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Dec 2023 at 11:04am
Sounds about right.  Those batteries do tend to use up a fair amount of distilled water.
God's pod
'11 model 177
'17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost
Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake
"...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."
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jato View Drop Down
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Posts: 3325 		Post Options Post Options   Quote jato Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jan 2024 at 4:32pm
It has now been two months since batteries received a 2 amp trickle charge.  The Interstate is reading 12.61v and the Trojan T-1275 is at 12.69v.  Garage temperature is 25 degrees.
God's pod
'11 model 177
'17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost
Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake
"...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."
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john in idaho View Drop Down
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Posts: 613 		Post Options Post Options   Quote john in idaho Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Jan 2024 at 10:20am
You must have them unhooked from any parasitic drain.  IMHO those batteries are keepers.
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jato View Drop Down
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Posts: 3325 		Post Options Post Options   Quote jato Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Jan 2024 at 10:24pm
Originally posted by john in idaho

You must have them unhooked from any parasitic drain.  IMHO those batteries are keepers.


Indeed I do.  They are both sitting on the concrete floor in an unheated garage (northern Michigan) with nothing hooked up to either.
God's pod
'11 model 177
'17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost
Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake
"...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."
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gpokluda View Drop Down
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Posts: 393 		Post Options Post Options   Quote gpokluda Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jan 2024 at 1:44pm
Originally posted by jato

Update #1.  Batteries were given a 24 hour 2 amp trickle charge Nov. 1, then disconnected and placed directly on a concrete floor in an unheated garage.  Batteries are a 12.5 year old 12v Interstate deep cycle and a 3+ year old Trojan T-1275.  Ambient temp. currently in the garage is 24 degrees.  Readings: Interstate is 12.62v and Trojan is 12.71v.  Next update will be January 1, 2024.



Jato, I have to admit I thought you've been blowing smoke about this 12 year old battery, but as it turns out there is a guy on the Escape forum that has not one but two of these unicorn batteries that are also in excess of 10 years old! He says he routinely runs them down to 20%-30% and has never had an issue. I have to admit I just shake my head when I read about these batteries.
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jato View Drop Down
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Posts: 3325 		Post Options Post Options   Quote jato Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jan 2024 at 3:44pm
Blowing smoke - I like that.LOL  Anyway, I had a twin to the 12+ year old battery that gave up the ghost 3.5 years ago.  I am sure it was because it got run down to nothing when I stupidly tried to run the fridge off it and after about 5 hours it was down to under 7 volts!  It was never the same after that, so I am somewhat surprised that the individual you mention takes his down to 20%-30% and they are still good.  Mine hasn't had that abuse, it has never been taken below 12.2v before recharge.  I will admit that it doesn't last as long as it once did when camping off grid however the 'ace in the hole' is the Trojan T-1275 that offers 160AH, a heavyweight at 85 lbs, but I really needed that on the a-frame to get the tongue weight up to 340# when the 177 is fully loaded, including the 36 gallons of water.
God's pod
'11 model 177
'17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost
Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake
"...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."
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