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AGMs

Yahoo Message Number: 66594
Let me apologize for the comment "too lazy to check the water" in my earlier post. That was uncalled for. If you feel the convenience of maintenance-free is worth the extra money, that is your opinion and your money, and I should not judge that.

Al Colby

2000 Intrigue 10979

Re: AGMs

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66595
Hi Al - Nice of you to post this, one of the neat things I'm learning about this board, is people are willing to share their knowledge, and opinions. It is a nice group, with very little flaming compared to other boards - I LIKE THIS!
It is all about opinions, nothing wrong for all of us doing it our own way... as you said...
Best to all,
Smitty

04 Allure 31017
04 Allure Sold to a nice new owner! Now enjoying a 07 Magna Rembrandt 45' ISX600 #6775
"We're ONDROAD for THEJRNY!" (Toad and Coach license plates, say Hi if you see us!)

Re: AGMs

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66610
No need for an apology: "we are too lazy to check the water!" And they charge up a lot faster, no muss, no fuss. I dry camp most of the summer.
My only wish is that I had the double rack for four 8D AGM's in my Magna. I only have single rack. Cannot find the rack or the parts to add in the top slide tray. If anyone knows where I can get one reasonably, pls let me know.

Rich 2002 Magna

Re: AGMs

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66613
i've been thinking i also would like 2 more AGMs in my magna. if the slide tray would support the weight i would build a rack on top. even 1 would give us 1/3 more time. .. food for thought.. bob'02 Magna6028

Re: AGMs

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66615
Bob,

It would be nice to know if our slide out trays could handle the weight. Maybe someone knows the supplier of the tray's CC put in the Magna's and then we could determine if the slide out could stand another 162 or 324 lbs.

Tom

Trans-Specialists/Lifeline Batteries
01 Magna 5999
www.trans-specialists.net

Re: AGM, now alternative to 8D

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66622
Tom,

Like many of us here I have enjoyed and followed this thread. My Intrigue was built with two 8D house batteries, probably adequate for most users of these fine coaches. I like to have the ability to boondock, so installed four 130 watt solar cells and controller. The setup allows me to fully charge those two batteries around noon, a waste of afternoon sunlight. More batteries are better, of course, so I temporarily put another 8D battery on a scaffold in the compartment. That made checking the water level a real challenge, as I have to remove the extra battery to do so. As a stopgap I built a makeshift hoist for the purpose, but this is obviously not a viable long term solution.
I suppose I am committed to my flooded cell 8D for a while, because they are only about a year old and I see no trade in offers for used 8D batteries. When it is time to replace them I will investigate other configurations of AGM batteries, like the L-16 (?), or others. Buying batteries to fit (and fill) the available space seems more efficient than reconfiguring the coach to fit 8D.
I look forward to discussion on this line of thinking.
Jack Nichols, 2003 Intrigue 11527

Re: AGM, now alternative to 8D

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66626
Jack,

It would take me about three hours to duplicate what took me two days to figure out in redoing my battery bay to accomidate two more 8D's. Not sure what a welder in your area would cost but the steel material only cost about $40 and with AGM batteries I did not need to install slides. Just show them my pictures of my job and it would go much faster.
I never need to pull them out to check the water. If they were flooded batteries then that would be a real pain without the use of a mirror and long squeeze ball to fill the batteries, to see over the top of them with the 8 inches of overhead space for the two banks of batteries. Some kind of auto filler device might work though.
The other issue was the inverter. I no longer feel that I had enough space to fully vent the inverter in a closed area around the batteries so going to AMG eliminated the need to isolate the inverter.
Is the extra cost of going AMG worth it. Probably not for those that don't camp off the grid and have not replaced all their RV appliances with 120 volt appliances. If money is not and issue than AGM is the cat's meow. I easily get two days out AMG's with the 19.6 cu ft LED lighted Samsung french door refrigerator while using normal lighting before I hit 55% SOC. Less than two hours later the generator has recharged the batteries and shuts off automatically. $6 dollars worth of diesel to run the refrigerator and lights and a few mintues of microwave use for two days while off the grid. Less expensive than hookups per day but along way from recovering the extra $1800 in updgrading the batteries...so what.
I am glad that I figured out how to get (5)8D batteries in to my 3 battery bay intrigue. The other consideration is the extra weight that is put behind the rear axel. I have a tag axel so that question was irrelevant.
I weighted my coach on all three axels independantly and this is my scale weight starting on the left front corner and going clockwise around the coach with just driver, 3/4 fuel, 1/2 water and no grey or black water, C12 cat engine. The three storage areas with 500 lbs of goods evenly distributed as well as pulling a trailer with 220 lbs on the hitch.

6420
6140
9860
4260
4060
8920

Dallas 2004 intrigue ovation C12 11688

Re: AGM, now alternative to 8D

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66627
Dallas,

I read with interest your excellent modification, printed it and the pictures. I spent last year with an old Army buddy that has been taking welding classes for fun - he brags he can weld tin foil, though has not demonstrated that yet. I think he is waiting for a money bet.
Anyway, he and I came up with some configurations that would help expand the 8D count in my bay, though I was going for a bolt-in rather than welding, because of concern welding around sensitive electronics. Minor worry, but a worry.
My point of the last post was maybe buying a combination of AGM batteries with a configuration that would better fill the available space in the bay, rather than be limited by the configuration of an 8D battery. I have not investigated what that would take, as I am stuck with my 8Ds wet cells until I can trade them in or they die.
You are right that anything other than two 8D batteries entail extra cost, but you get the information and make your choice. I can see an easy $3,000 in "designer" batteries, but if it eliminated maintenance, provided a more reliable source of power and enabled me to use all the daylight/solar energy available for my modest "solar farm", it would be worth it to me. But that is just me.
I have the luxury of time to get this sorted out, as I am parked with full utilities for the foreseeable future.
Thanks for the reply.

Jack Nichols, 2003 Intrigue, 11527

Battery Slide outs vs welding for more battery capacity

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66647
Jack,

The only issue with welding on the frame is that you don't inadvertantly light up the tranny box. If you have a really solid ground near your work and don't hit a wire that would go through the transmission module in the front of the coach you should be ok. Just disconnect the two tranny harnesses.
I thought about doing a bolt on but there is realy not alot of steel on the side of the bay to bolt to that is flat. I considered the slideouts but they take up almost 4 inches width wise and two inches vertically more than what a basic welded up box would. I did not have and extra 4 inches width wise in the battery bay for two more 8D batteries. With AGM's I would not need to pull the batteries except to replace them. No watering so I skipped the idea of slideouts to make more space.
Jack, it sounds like your just $3000 away from making that change....Yikes! compound that with a wayward electrical charge from a tig welder and ...well lets not think about that.
P.S. I was confident that I would not come close to using the electical wires on my coach as a ground so I did not disconnect the two harnesses to the tranny (PITA).
If you need any other pictures of the 2 to 4 house battery conversion install let me know. I'm pretty sure that your battery bay is same size as mine. You would not really have to change your batteries until the day comes to just add more. I did not isolate my new inverter from the potental corrosive gassing of the batteries hence the AGM's. My starter battery is a fairly new flooded high CCA battery so it sits below the inverter tray with plenty of space and ventilation around it. The only time it could be gassing is when the C12 is running but there is alot of air being drawn across the engine so I don't really worry about it wrecking my exposed inverter. If that becomes and issue I will weight covering up the inverter and using external fans to ventilate it or just buying one more AGM for starting.

Dallas 2004 ovation C12 11688

Re: AGMs

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66650
Tom, I think it can since the four battery looks as if it is just a second one welded to the bottom one, at least from the pictures I have seen. perhaps someone has 1 they can look at.

rich 2002

Re: Battery Slide outs vs welding for more battery capacity

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66654
Good points and clarifications, Dallas, thank you. I will add it to my files.

Jack Nichols, 2003 Intrigue 11527

Re: AGM, now alternative to 8D

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66661
It's worth looking at all of the available battery sizes to get the best configuration. I ended up using 6-6volt batteries which fit nicely into the space on my coach without having to add another level. The batteries are taller than normal and each set of 2 has a 300A capacity at 12V, so the total bank is 900AH. This particular configuration gave me the most AH return for the space available.
They are Lifeline AGM's and are fed by 4 - 135 watt solar panels. As long as the sun shines, we are independent of aux. power.
I think the Inspire has a generous battery compartment compared to some other models.

Richard Owen '05 Inspire 51442
 

Re: AGM, now alternative to 8D

Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66668

We also have 6 house batteries - there is room for 8 in the Inspire but I would like an analysis of the weight being placed where there were 4 before I did it. 6 are absolutely no problem. I used pre-made golf cart cables from Auto Zone to make the additional connections. One advantage of living in FL with lots of carts to be serviced, they stock that kind of parts, no need to order and wait.
The only issue is the smallish opening. Good workout for the arms. In case it isn't obvious (apparently it isn't to techs who tear it up) but it takes about 5 seconds to remove the gasket/seal from around the opening. This protects it from the heavy batteries being slung about. Takes maybe twice as long to reinstall it.
The first time I had to replace the chassis 8D I paid for the honor of the tech ripping the original to shreds by dragging the battery over the seal. It was replaced at no cost after a few choice words.

Bob (rthandren@...)
'05 Inspire 51178