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06-26-2017, 07:38 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Trailer: 2017 ETI 19
Posts: 22
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AGM batteries
I am working on my build sheet for a 19 to be completed late November. I asked ETI about installing AGM dual 6V batteries instead of the the batteries they normally supply. They are happy to to do that if I supply the batteries. My 19 will used primarily in "boon docking" mode with a combination of fixed 160W roof panel and portable solar. My question is whether or not the extra cost for AGM batteries is worth it.
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06-26-2017, 07:54 PM
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#2
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
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Go with the standard Interstate 6V batteries. 232ah, and they perform well. With the same setup we never run out of power when boondocking. Maintenance? Have never had to fill them yet.
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__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
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06-26-2017, 08:26 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Trailer: 2015 Escape 19 "Seventy Degrees"
Posts: 3,495
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I agree with Robert. The twin 6v Interstates have been great and never been close to 50% discharge with quite a bit of boondocking. We have the 160 factory solar and it's been all we've needed to date.
If I were getting the 21 I'd definitely get the AGM's since the batteries are inside the cabin.
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06-26-2017, 08:30 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
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Other than air conditioning, the whole trailer can operate off propane and 12v and my batteries are full around 10 am. If you need more, another owner added a second set of dual sixers plus the inverter. More power, arrrrgh, arrrrgh!!!
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
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06-26-2017, 08:31 PM
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#5
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg A
I agree with Robert. The twin 6v Interstates have been great and never been close to 50% discharge with quite a bit of boondocking. We have the 160 factory solar and it's been all we've needed to date.
If I were getting the 21 I'd definitely get the AGM's since the batteries are inside the cabin.
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Yeah, that's true Greg. Accessibility and offgassing are concerns when the batteries are indoors. Another reason I love the setup in the 19.
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__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
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06-26-2017, 10:19 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SLO County, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21C 2019 Expedition
Posts: 5,210
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Have a good nose and have never noticed a smell with our dual 6V under dinette bench. Would go AGM next time if they drop in price significantly.
Edit: very glad not to waste space or weight capacity with dual 6V in the front box!
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06-26-2017, 10:47 PM
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#7
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rossue
Have a good nose and have never noticed a smell with our dual 6V under dinette bench. Would go AGM next time if they drop in price significantly.
Edit: very glad not to waste space or weight capacity with dual 6V in the front box!
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Hydrogen is odorless.
The space is "wasted" somewhere. Either under the benches or in the storage box.
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
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06-26-2017, 10:51 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SLO County, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21C 2019 Expedition
Posts: 5,210
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06-26-2017, 10:53 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SLO County, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21C 2019 Expedition
Posts: 5,210
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rbryan4
The space is "wasted" somewhere. Either under the benches or in the storage box.
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Would rather have more ready access in the front storage box for stuff I use all the time.
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06-26-2017, 11:09 PM
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#10
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rossue
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Well, sulphur does, not hydrogen. A sulfated battery that is off gassing exudes a mixture of sulphur and hydrogen, and sometimes yes, you can smell the sulphur. The carbon monoxide detectors have gone off in the middle of the night on several 21's due to even small amounts of hydrogen coming from an improperly sealed battery box - and this gas is not detectable by smell. That's one of the reasons why AGM batteries make sense in a 21.
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
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06-26-2017, 11:12 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21 -- The Skylark. Towed by a 2014 Highlander
Posts: 1,159
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rossue
Would rather have more ready access in the front storage box for stuff I use all the time.
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Ross, in our 21 the dual 6volt batteries are under the passenger side seat.
__________________
Camping: Where you spend a small fortune to live like a homeless person.
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06-26-2017, 11:17 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SLO County, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21C 2019 Expedition
Posts: 5,210
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HI Leon- same here!
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06-26-2017, 11:36 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Seattle, Washington
Trailer: 17b - 2017 model
Posts: 334
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Whether it's worth it is hard to answer. I'm glad they're now providing this option. They didn't 3 months ago.
As has been pointed out, AGMs are low maintenance, and that's one benefit. My main reason in wanting them is that AGMs are more efficient in charging and discharging since they have less internal resistance. It's like getting bigger solar panels without taking any extra real estate on the roof. They’ll also charge faster on the WFCO converter due to the voltages supplied by that unit. I seem to remember they also tolerate deeper discharges better, but I could be wrong about that.
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06-26-2017, 11:48 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: no fixed address, California
Trailer: 2017-21' Escape (sold) Casita 17' (sold)
Posts: 1,348
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg A
I agree with Robert. The twin 6v Interstates have been great and never been close to 50% discharge with quite a bit of boondocking. We have the 160 factory solar and it's been all we've needed to date.
If I were getting the 21 I'd definitely get the AGM's since the batteries are inside the cabin.
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my 2c:
AGMs are big $$$$ especially for two.
we have the 21' and the battery box seems very very very well sealed, complete with some sort of grey putty that stays flexible.
I am very careful to get it put back correctly when re-closing the battery box.
it is vented to the outside.
the batteries also have very secure caps that "lever" down to really seal, very securely.
having said all that... when our dual 6v eventually need to be replaced... i'll look at AGM. I had one in our Casita, and it performed MUCH better than the stock battery on the Casita.... same size.
John
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06-27-2017, 12:11 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Olympia wa, Washington
Trailer: 5.0TA 2017
Posts: 2,255
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Do AGM s need to be wired differently?
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06-27-2017, 12:53 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Front Range, Colorado
Trailer: 2017 5.0 TA picked up in July 2017.
Posts: 523
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fox hunt
Do AGM s need to be wired differently?
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No, just replace the 6 or 12 volt with the same size and voltage AGM.
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06-27-2017, 06:20 AM
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#17
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fox hunt
Do AGM s need to be wired differently?
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As Steve mentioned, no. There's a positive and a negative terminal as with all batteries. But, if you have a solar system, you may need to change the profile of the charger to match the AGMs. Not a wiring change, but a setting change.
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__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
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06-27-2017, 06:53 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: London, Ontario
Trailer: 2020 Escape 19
Posts: 1,117
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AGM No Comparrison
Quote:
Originally Posted by rbryan4
Hydrogen is odorless.
The space is "wasted" somewhere. Either under the benches or in the storage box.
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
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The hydrogen off gas is not odorless, when I take our electric fork truck off the charger at work and drive it, the off gassing makes me sick.
I bought an Canadian Tire Nautius gr 27 AGM battery last year, I really love it, last longer, never put it below 70%. I left it on the garage floor over the winter, I checked a couple of times, didn't drop more than 0.1 Volt after its fall charge.
__________________
Had 2 Escapes, 17b, 19, went back to a pop up that fit in the garage. 2018 Coachman Clipper RBST HW AFrame
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06-27-2017, 06:57 AM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: London, Ontario
Trailer: 2020 Escape 19
Posts: 1,117
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Can someone post a pic of your battery box that's under your bench seat or bed, I haven't seen this done before. I'd like to remove the AGM from my bumper.
__________________
Had 2 Escapes, 17b, 19, went back to a pop up that fit in the garage. 2018 Coachman Clipper RBST HW AFrame
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06-27-2017, 07:01 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,532
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Escape installed the AGMs I supplied in January when I went to pick up. The deducted their cost of the flooded batteries, but I assume left the markup in the cost.
A few of the reasons I went with them;
- with batteries inside, even with a box it is nice they don't discharge
- a baster charge rate than flooded, something I felt was an advantage with solar
- able to handle up to 80% discharge as opposed to 50% with flooded
- no maintenance and no chance of any spillage.
- lower self discharge
They do cost a bit more, and are more sensitive to overcharging, something not a problem with the WFCO converter.
I paid $250 CAD for each of my 225 Ah 6V batteries on sale for about $30 off.
All this said, flooded batteries will do the job well too.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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