dual 6 volts where are they located

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Depends on one's comfort level. For me after so many years of boating, sometimes off shore, my life basically depended on having a usable battery. It's deeply ingrained in me to isolate my batteries. ...
Ron

Some day I'll tell you about the 12 day trip from St. Thomas to Annapolis in a used and somewhat abused sailboat. The alternator burnt out on the first day, and the battery switch that I had carefully set to "A" was in fact bypassed with a convoluted wire that was also connected to the "B" battery. I thought I was saving the "B" battery for emergencies but to no avail.

I have since decided: That a dead battery in my trailer is not as life threatening as on my boat, that solar is much more dependable than automobile alternators on a saltwater boat, and that my understanding of electrical systems is superior to most Caribbean backyard mechanics...

--
Alan

[MyronL]

I never boat on shore myself.

[J Mac]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

That depends on the battery sizes and models - there is a wide choice in both 12 volt and 6 volt. For the same type of construction and capacity, the combination will weigh about the same regardless of voltage or number of boxes.

For the dual 6V configuation, Escape uses the common "golf cart" size, which is GC2; they use the Interstate GC2-XHD (or some slight variation of that), which weighs 64 pounds (so 128 pounds for the pair).

For the single 12V configuration, the standard Escape offering is a Group 27 size, and a Group 29 size is optional. If these are Interstate, there is no real equivalent to the construction of the GC2-XHD, but the "RV" batteries they do sell would be the SRM-27 (50 pounds) and the SRM-29 (60 pounds). Two of those Group 29 (12V) would then be about 8 pounds lighter than two GC2 (6V), but the lighter combination might not have as much capacity (Interstate doesn't provide 20-hour capacity ratings for their "RV" batteries).

In Trojan's Signature line there are close (but not quite) comparable 12 V and 6 V products:

• 27MTH - Group 27, 12 volt, 115 A-h, 61 pounds (230 A-h @ 12V, 122 pounds total)
• T-105 - GC2 size, 6 volt, 225 A-h, 62 pounds (225 A-h @12V, 124 pounds total)

So the short answer is: there is no weight difference between comparable battery sets.

Thanks again Brian B-P.
Now that the average weight of two 6Volt batteries has been established, is there a maximum distance the two can be apart? In other words, could the two batteries be installed on opposite sides of the trailer, as long as they were kept in Battery Boxes and properly vented, or replace the two existing 12Volt batteries kept under the (1st) large dinette and (2nd) rear bumper?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by J Mac

Now that the average weight of two 6Volt batteries has been established, is there a maximum distance the two can be apart? In other words, could the two batteries be installed on opposite sides of the trailer, as long as they were kept in Battery Boxes and properly vented, or replace the two existing 12Volt batteries kept under the (1st) large dinette and (2nd) rear bumper?

There's no maximum distance, and mounting them separately shouldn't be a problem. In some ways this is less problematic than having two parallel 12V batteries widely separated (because there's no issue with matching cable length to match resistance and balance current flow).

Just keep in mind that all of the current which goes though the battery set goes though the one wire between the batteries, so it needs to be just as heavy gauge as the cables used to connect the batteries to anything else, and when considering how long your cables are, that connecting wire length must be included. For instance, if you use a high-power inverter and want to keep the cables between it and the batteries short, your minimum length even if you put the inverter right beside one of the batteries will be twice the distance between them (to get across to the other side and back).

There is electrically no issue with using wire as heavy as you want (just cost, weight, and the difficulty of bending and connecting to very heavy-gauge wire), so if I were doing this I would get hefty welding cable to interconnect them. I would also consider a fuse on each end, because if this cable is damaged and accidentally touched to something "grounded" to the frame, it would be a six-volt short circuit.

[Losangeles]

(Where are the twin 6 v on the 21 footers?)

Originally Posted by BCnomad

Passenger side dinette.

I don't doubt this at all, but currently on the ETI webpage all about the 21" the dual 6v "photo" shows them on the rear bumper.

I myself dont want them on the rear bumper, as I would eventually upgrade them to sealed AGM 6v... and those are $300+ each, x 2!

so for sure are they currently in the dinette seat?

we are NOT getting the u-shaped dinette.

[gbaglo]

There is a very good chance that that picture is actually of a 17' with dual 6V.
Yup, same picture under 17' options.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Losangeles

(Where are the twin 6 v on the 21 footers?)

I don't doubt this at all, but currently on the ETI webpage all about the 21" the dual 6v "photo" shows them on the rear bumper.

Originally Posted by gbaglo

There is a very good chance that that picture is actually of a 17' with dual 6V.
Yup, same picture under 17' options.

I agree with baglo - the same banner appears across the page for all models... this one:

This banner shows two 17's and a 19', and is used on various other pages within the Escape Trailer Industries site. You can tell it is a 17' with the batteries on the bumper (or one of the discontinued shorter models, but I'm sure it's a 17') because it has only one axle.

[gbaglo]

I'm putting this in the archive.
I'm getting a t-shirt made.

[cpaharley2008]

The dual 6ers are located inside, under the curb side dinette rear seat.

[m&k]

Are the 6 volt batteries sealed, or do you add water? Thanks - still on a very big learning curve!

[Vermilye]

They are not sealed, and you do need to check them, and add distilled water as necessary. How often depends on how hard you use & charge them. Some only need to do it once or twice a year, others check monthly.

[m&k]

Thank you!!

[SFDavis50]

Originally Posted by m&k

Are the 6 volt batteries sealed, or do you add water? Thanks - still on a very big learning curve!

They are flooded lead acid batteries so you need to check and add water and they need to be vented outside which ETI does. ETI does not provide or sell AGM batteries or Lithium Ion.

[fudge_brownie]

They are flooded batteries so, yes you do add water. They should be checked several times a year, more if you charge your batteries at the recommended Interstate voltages. No matter what people say or what you think, the correct product to add is distilled water.

[Loren & Cathy]

And if they are somewhat discharged and in very cold temperatures, they can freeze. Loren

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by fudge_brownie

They are flooded batteries so, yes you do add water. They should be checked several times a year, more if you charge your batteries at the recommended Interstate voltages. No matter what people say or what you think, the correct product to add is distilled water.

I check mine first thing in the spring and then a couple times during the summer and before I go to Niagara Falls in September, and finally when we winterize. I use distilled water and I put the water in the cells with a turkey baster I have down in the shop. In the winter, I check them when I get a chance to make sure they stay charged as the trailer is plugged in to my 30 amp service in the building. They haven't needed water over the winter. One gallon of water will last a long time. (Years) in my case.
Dave

[gbaglo]

This thread prompted me to check my 12V battery. Easily done, since it's on the back bumper. I did top up distilled water in all the cells. My trailer is plugged in 24/7.