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.

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.

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.

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.

Blowing smoke - I like that.  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.

It has now been three months since these 12v batteries received a 24 hour 2 amp trickle charge.  The Interstate reads 12.60 v and the Trojan T-1275 is still at 12.69 v.  They remain sitting directly on the concrete floor in an unheated garage.  Temperature in the garage is 36 degrees.

I hope you have included the Trojan battery in your will because it appears it will out live you!