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Old 09-16-2009, 10:04 AM   #1
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Escape Battery pack

I see the dual battery option on the escape is two 6Vs (in series I assume).
What advantage does this hold over two 12Vs (in parallel)

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Old 09-16-2009, 10:49 AM   #2
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Re: Escape Battery pack

I think 2 6V put out more amps (amp hours) than 1 12V.. I don't think they can match the output of 2 12V..

But that's the extent of my guessing..
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Old 09-16-2009, 12:00 PM   #3
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Re: Escape Battery pack

You get the about the same stored energy (amp-hours) from two similarly priced 12-V or 6-V batteries. Ron, you are correct that you put the 6-V batteries in series or the 12-V batteries in parallel, so in either case you get 12 volts. You would be able to get a higher peak current from the parallel 12s, but that makes no difference at all in our application.

I decided too late to go with twin batteries, so I am stuck with one 12-V on the bumper, and one mounted under my rear dinette in a sealed compartment that is vented outside.

An advantage of twin 12s would be that you could run on one, and when it gets low, switch to the other. But we do not really have this advantage, since the law requires that the carbon monoxide and propane detectors be constantly energised. Instead, we have one battery that can be swtiched off, and one that cannot.

I do not like the twin 12-V arrangement in my trailer. The switch to turn on and off the inside battery does not seem to be designed for large currents. When you connect two batteries of this type (batteries with low internal resistance) in parallel, if they do not have equal charge, there will be a short-lived high current while the batteries match voltage. This means that you should balance the load at all times. It also means that you ought to replace both batteries at the same time when they wear out, even if only one is defective.

So I say now, get twin 6-V batteries. If you go with twin 12-V, use them both - don't switch one off. But get twin batteries. The fan in the furnace draws the battery down fast on cold nights.
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Old 09-16-2009, 04:36 PM   #4
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Re: Escape Battery pack

That's good info. A couple of questions... Is the dual battery option location like this for the 17' and the 19? If you get the dual 6V option, what kind of batteries do you get?

Randy
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Old 09-16-2009, 08:29 PM   #5
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Re: Escape Battery pack

I have one question too.....My plan is to have two batterys....one of each side of the rear bumper of a 17' plan A. I plan to wire two 12v in parallel. If anybody have this setup ? I appreciate some comment.

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Old 09-17-2009, 10:01 AM   #6
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Re: Escape Battery pack

Quote:
Originally Posted by patjul
My plan is to have two batterys.... I plan to wire two 12v in parallel.
Why 12-V batteries in parallel instead of 6-V batteries in series? What advantage do you see?

I definitely prefer two bumper-mounted batteries to the solution in my trailer.
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Old 09-17-2009, 10:06 AM   #7
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Re: Escape Battery pack

Quote:
Originally Posted by dalama
If you get the dual 6V option, what kind of batteries do you get?
The 12-V batteries that I got with may trailer are from Interstate, which is a well-established brand.

For your trailer, you need deep-discharge batteries. These look like ordinary automotive batteries but you can discharge them much further without damaging them. The trade-off is that you don't get as much maximum current (cranking power) with a deep-discharge battery, so that is why they are not used in cars.
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Old 09-17-2009, 11:16 AM   #8
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Re: Escape Battery pack

The dual 6v batteries that came in our 19' are Interstate also. Good brand.

The location under the dinette seat is no problem at all. Easy to get at with the sliding table, the hinge on the seat top and the easy opening plastic container they're in. As long as we have the trailer plugged into AC power, I plan to check the water levels monthly.
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Old 09-17-2009, 12:59 PM   #9
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Re: Escape Battery pack

Good reminder, I have not checked the levels in mine at all. It has been sitting plugged in for a couple weeks now as an out of town friend who is here painting for me, is using it as a bedroom.
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Old 09-18-2009, 12:42 PM   #10
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Re: Escape Battery pack

Quote:
Originally Posted by ronstew
Quote:
Originally Posted by patjul
My plan is to have two batterys.... I plan to wire two 12v in parallel.
Why 12-V batteries in parallel instead of 6-V batteries in series? What advantage do you see?

I definitely prefer two bumper-mounted batteries to the solution in my trailer.
I think the 12 volt group 27 is cheaper than a 6 volts batterry, and is easy to find ( not sure)......I like the symplicity to have two battery mount outdoor on the bumper, is easy to remove, no need to ventillate properly and i wire a solar pannel directly on the battery to charge it on long vacation....and remove it at the end. And plan to do this setup to help the hitch weight too....( I dont want to use a equalizer hitch )
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Old 09-18-2009, 03:04 PM   #11
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Re: Escape Battery pack

With the 19, I am quite glad for the batteries being in the front. With the large storage space under the rear bed, keeping enough weight on the hitch is more of an issue then having too much.
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Old 10-11-2009, 05:47 PM   #12
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Re: Escape Battery pack

Where is the standard 12V battery mounted on a 17'B Escape? Is that different for the dual 6v? Can someone with the dual 6v setup comment on if they think that it is worthwhile? One problem I could foresee would be that replacing 6v batteries would be more expensive and more difficult to find them?

Thanks!!
Eric
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Old 10-11-2009, 06:51 PM   #13
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Re: Escape Battery pack

The 12V battery would be also on the hitch, like the dual 6V. The manufacturer needs to know early on whether you want the dual 6V, because that means mods need to be done to the frame. I have obviously no experience yet how the dual 6V will work out for me yet...
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Old 10-14-2009, 12:03 AM   #14
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Re: Escape Battery pack

On the 17 footer, the battery is bumper mounted. If you pre-order, you can get two bumper-mounted batteries.
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Old 10-14-2009, 08:37 PM   #15
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Re: Escape Battery pack

I'm really happy with the 2 6V setup on our 19. We just got back from a 5 day 4 night trip to the Mendocino coast, and were on battery power the whole time. Our primary current users were the heater fan (it was cold and damp!) and water pump. Our lights are LED, very little current draw there. I checked the monitor just before we left, and my charge level was still Good. I'm betting I could have gotten one or two more nights out of the batteries.

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Old 10-14-2009, 09:23 PM   #16
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Re: Escape Battery pack

The battery on the 17 can be mounted on the bumper OR the tongue. Ours came on the front so I moved it to the rear.
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Old 10-20-2009, 12:43 PM   #17
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Re: Escape Battery pack

Ron,

We opted for the dual 12's, versus the dual 6's. On the 19, they are both boxed under each dinette seat and vented out. With the wife and 4 year old, we can go about 3-4 days on one 12, before we need to switch to the second. So we can easily be out for almost two weeks, before we start to notice the battery drain.

Our friends (who have some other brand of crappy trailer), have inline 6's and i think they lasted longer than I did on one 12, but they didn't go as long as us with both 12's.

My 2 cents.

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Old 10-27-2009, 12:50 PM   #18
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Re: Escape Battery pack

Quote:
Originally Posted by faedon
Our friends (who have some other brand of crappy trailer), have inline 6's and i think they lasted longer than I did on one 12, but they didn't go as long as us with both 12's.
Be careful with these comparisons b/c there are a lot of variables you have to take into account for a true comparison. For example: Were you both using power for the same length of time (they ran lights for 2 hrs each night but you used yours only 1 hour), were you using the same # of appliances (they had 6 lights on but you only had 2 lights on), were you using similar appliances (they have incandescent lights whereas you have LED lights). I'm no electrician, so it very well could be that two 12's in parallel lasts longer than two 6v in series.

In any event, I would say that if you like to dry camp for extended periods & weight & cost isn't an issue, then two batteries (whether 6v or 12v) would be better than one.

We have the two 6v and had a 95 watt solar panel installed to hopefully increase our ability to dry camp for longer periods. Haven't had a chance yet to see how long we can push it but look forward to finding out. Of course, adding solar in addition to an extra battery adds cost too.
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Old 10-28-2009, 10:11 AM   #19
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Re: Escape Battery pack

Has anyone tried the gel (Optima among other brands) type deep cycle batteries? They are supposed to hold a charge much longer, have more capacity and be generally less finicky than conventional deep cycle batteries. We are hoping for a new 17B Escape next spring and I am considering getting one of those rather than the twin 6 volts and would appreciate any wisdom.

Eric
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Old 10-28-2009, 10:50 AM   #20
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Re: Escape Battery pack

reading over the years at rv.net AGM has been reported to be the top Dog over the Optima. The AGM lifeline series if I recall specifically.
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