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Best starter battery?

Yahoo Message Number: 26120
I think I need a starter battery and am trying to determine which is best brand/type. Sams has an 8D lead acid made by Energizer ($124). I never knew Energizer made batteries that big. Anyone have expereince with these? Also, does anyone know if AGMs can/should be used for starter batteries? Thanks.

Larry 03 Allure #30856

Re: Best starter battery?

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 26121
Having spent mucho bucks for the coach, why not spend a little more on the batteries and get the Lifeline battery? Have two Lifeline house batteries and one chassis Lifeline. No mess checking waterlevel etc.
House batteries--5 years old and chasis 4 years old. With prior experience with lead acid batteries, probably would have had to have replaced all three once and maybe the house batts close to the second time. Will go with Lifeline again when these do decide to go to the pasture.
Egon

'99 Allure#30321
;02 Tahoe Z71

Quote from: Larry Feather

Re: Best starter battery?

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 26123
Thanks Egon

I wasn't sure that AGMs (deep cycle) were good for starting.

Larry #30856

Quote from: Egon Schlottmann
>

> Having spent mucho bucks for the coach, why not spend a little more

on

Quote
the batteries and get the Lifeline battery? Have two Lifeline house > batteries and one chassis Lifeline. No mess checking waterlevel

etc.

Quote
House batteries--5 years old and chasis 4 years old. With prior > experience with lead acid batteries, probably would have had to have > replaced all three once and maybe the house batts close to the

second

Quote
time. Will go with Lifeline again when these do decide to go to the > pasture.

Egon

'99 Allure#30321
;02 Tahoe Z71

[quote author=Larry Feather"

>

> I think I need a starter battery and am trying to determine which

is

Quote
best brand/type. Sams has an 8D lead acid made by Energizer

($124). I

Quote
never knew Energizer made batteries that big. Anyone have

expereince

Quote
with these? Also, does anyone know if AGMs can/should be used

for

Re: Best starter battery?

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 26129
Your starting battery is just that... starting. House batteries are an entire different subject on type. First question, what are you using the battery for ?. The key as any good battery guy should tell you is "cold cranking amps" As the outside temp gets lower you need colder cranking power. Second, you have a diesel engine and the only way this is going to fire up or start is compression. If you have the good cold cranking power when you first hit the key then your engine will start. It's that first surge of power is the most important. I often read that the price of the battery is what everyone looks at. How wrong that is.
Look for the highest cold cranking you can find. If you are in cold area this will do the job you want. If you have pairs they should also be replaced in pairs. Have the shop check the batteries even before you buy it with a simple load tester. Check the date of manufacture on the side of the battery, the closest to your purchase date the fresher the battery.
I have changed mine and have gone to Interstate batteries. Starting pair and deep cycle pair for coach service. There sold everywhere and when you travel not knowing anyone it's a good place to start. They are knowledgeable in what they sell and are price completive.
Hope this might help you,
AL

00 affinity #5851

Cold Weather Storage

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 26133
We'll be storing our new Inspire in a fully enclosed non-insulated storage facility (shared with another coach who has his own door). Average lows in ABQ in Dec are 24 and Jan 21 degrees respectively. What are your thoughts regarding the necessity of "winterizing" our coach? I plan on driving the coach at least fifty miles each month during the winter (just to keep seals and other moving parts from having to sit all winter without being used) and also would like the option to maybe go to PHX for a week or two so I'm not keen on having to winterize the coach if I don't have to. I have the A/C with heat pumps but understand that I shouldn't use them if the ambient temp goes below 40 degrees. (The storage facility has both 20 and 50 amp power available to me.) I could hook up a small electric space heater inside the coach and maybe maintain 40 degrees. Would that be sufficient to insure that I don't have any problems with my plumbing systems?

Any ideas or thoughts will be much appreciated.

Harry

'06 Inspire 51933

Re: Best starter battery?

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 26165
Larry - I am no expert, but my understanding is contrary. Starting batteries and house batteries are two different animals. House battery is designed to provide relatively low amperage over an extended period of time and handles up to 50% discharge well.
Your starting battery is designed to provide short bursts of relatively high amperage output over a very short period of time. They are not interchangable with good results. Most often I have seen the recommendation that conventional wet cells be used for the starting battery. Not sure if this is a technical or economical reason. Economically, the starting battery does not use much water and thus does not need service as often and that is one of the benefits of the AGM's It might be that extra cost of AGM over wet cell isn't justified. But there might be a technical reason as well. I don't know for sure. But my understanding is that starting batteries and house batteries are manufactured differently and are not interchangable.

Bob Amory

2002 Allure 30760

[quote author=Egon
Schlottmann"

>
>
>

> Having spent mucho bucks for the coach, why not
spend a little more
on

> the batteries and get the Lifeline battery? Have
two Lifeline house

> batteries and one chassis Lifeline. No mess
checking waterlevel
etc.

> House batteries--5 years old and chasis 4 years
old. With prior

> experience with lead acid batteries, probably
would have had to have

> replaced all three once and maybe the house batts
close to the
second

> time. Will go with Lifeline again when these do
decide to go to the
> pasture.
>

> Egon

> '99 Allure#30321
> ;02 Tahoe Z71
>

> -

Re: Cold Weather Storage

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 26170
Harry:

The problem is the average is not the extreme. I wouldn't chance it at all. Don't know how the INspires are set up but on my Allure, the A/C heat pump heat does not send heat to the plumbing bays. Only the heater does that. But CC may have changed the duct work since mine was built. Don't know. What I would do is blow out the plumbing lines with compressed air.
What I have done is purchase a connector that screws on to my hose, connect that to a small pancake compressor and they systematically open each water faucet (including washer, dryer, outside shower and toilet) and let the compressed air flow until all the water is out. Then I let it set for a day and go back and do the same thing again to be sure I don't get any additional water. That way you don't waste antifreeze if you go to PHX for a weekend. Some say this isn't foolproof, that is why I was always careful to be sure I got all the water out. Never had a problem in a couple of winters; Also don't forget to put some antifreeze in the P traps in each sink and the washer.
More recently I have taken to winterizing the coach by driving to FLA!! Space heater would help, but I would think it would be difficult to distribute the heat throughout the coach and the basement plumbing bay. So I wouldn't take a chance on it.

Bob Amory

2002 Allure 30760

--- Harry Season hseason@...> wrote:

Quote
We'll be storing our new Inspire in a fully enclosed
non-insulated storage

facility (shared with another coach who has his own
door). Average lows in

ABQ in Dec are 24 and Jan 21 degrees respectively.
What are your thoughts

regarding the necessity of "winterizing" our coach?
I plan on driving the

coach at least fifty miles each month during the
winter (just to keep seals

and other moving parts from having to sit all winter
without being used) and

also would like the option to maybe go to PHX for a
week or two so I'm not

keen on having to winterize the coach if I don't
have to. I have the A/C

with heat pumps but understand that I shouldn't use
them if the ambient temp

goes below 40 degrees. (The storage facility has
both 20 and 50 amp power

available to me.) I could hook up a small electric
space heater inside the

coach and maybe maintain 40 degrees. Would that be
sufficient to insure

that I don't have any problems with my plumbing
systems?

Any ideas or thoughts will be much appreciated.

Harry

'06 Inspire 51933

Re: Best starter battery?

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 26179
Thanks Bob.

I have my eye on a $173 Interstate 8D MHD, lead acid, with 1400 CCAs to replace the 1000 CCA Champion lead acid. Cummins calls for 1500 CCAs. But I guess we get the advantage with the house battery cross- over switch to make up the difference. I figured the more CCAs, the better, especially if I end up in cold weather someday (Alaska?). The 1400 is the highest I've seen so far.

Larry, 03 Allure #30856

Quote from: Bob Amory \[br\
]

Re: Best starter battery?

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 26183
Quote
I have my eye on a $173 Interstate 8D MHD, lead acid, with 1400 CCAs > to replace the 1000 CCA Champion lead acid. Cummins calls for 1500 > CCAs. But I guess we get the advantage with the house battery cross- > over switch to make up the difference. I figured the more CCAs, the > better, especially if I end up in cold weather someday (Alaska?). The > 1400 is the highest I've seen so far.
Check at Sam's Club. You may find that same battery is much less expensive there.

Tom Fisher
Dallas, TX

Re: Best starter battery?

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 26184
Yes Tom, Sams has an 8D Energizer lead acid with 1000 CCAs for $124.
Thanks.

Larry #30856

Quote from: Tom Fisher
> I have my eye on a $173 Interstate 8D MHD, lead acid, with 1400

CCAs

Quote
to replace the 1000 CCA Champion lead acid. Cummins calls for

1500

Quote
CCAs. But I guess we get the advantage with the house battery

cross-

Quote
over switch to make up the difference. I figured the more CCAs,

the

Quote
better, especially if I end up in cold weather someday (Alaska?).

The

Quote
1400 is the highest I've seen so far.
>

Check at Sam's Club. You may find that same battery is much

less

Re: Best starter battery?

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 26188
Larry,

Last Jan. my 4 year old Champions gave up. I could not move the coach because of a muddy road, so I just drove the van to Sams and got an Interstate which was labeled "Powerstart". Paid $109 + disposal fee + $7 core charge for a Model PF-8D, 1400 CCA, 400 RC battery. The old Champion never spun the starter as fast as this one does. Time only will tell how long it lasts.

As for AGM's, I don't see why not. I have an 'Optima' battery in the Honda and they are AGM. Lifeline's GPL-8D is rated at 1350 CCA and 475 RC. Far superior to that old Champion. From here it is just a matter of cost vs. convenience. The flooded cell is cheap, but requires some upkeep. The AGM is 3-4x cost, but you can forget about it after you pay for it.
Dave

2000 Allure 36'
#30444

Larry Feather wrote:

Re: Best starter battery?

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 26190
Some Sam's clubs will also order you deep cycle house 8d wet cell batteries. Distributor number used to be 68400, but you will have to insist that they order it for you. They are about $140 each.
Best bet still seems to be to get batteries at a rally if you are attending one soon.

Ray and Rue
05 Allure 31176

Quote from: Larry Feather
>

Thanks Bob.

I have my eye on a $173 Interstate 8D MHD, lead acid, with 1400

CCAs

Quote
to replace the 1000 CCA Champion lead acid. Cummins calls for 1500 > CCAs. But I guess we get the advantage with the house battery

cross-

Quote
over switch to make up the difference. I figured the more CCAs,

the

Quote
better, especially if I end up in cold weather someday (Alaska?).

The

Re: Best starter battery?

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 26191
I recently purchased a 8d heavy duty battery from Batteries Plus and they have stores all over the country. Their truck batteries are made by Exide. I paid $135 for the battery with no additional core or exchange charges. They have an 8DA which is their HD battery and an 8DB which is their lighter duty Battery.

I have included the website for Exide and Batteries Plus below. You can locate at Batteries Plus store through their website.

http://www.exideworld.com/products/heavy_truck/exide_heavyduty_commercial_12v_specs.html
http://www.batteriesplus.com/
Kevin

05 Intrigue

Re: Best starter battery?

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 26195
Thanks Kevin. I previously called battery plus in Orlando. They put me on hold twice for several minutes when I called for information on their batteries. The have a $150 1300 CCA 8D that will work.

Larry #30856

Quote from: Kevin Holmes\[br\
]
I recently purchased a 8d heavy duty battery from > Batteries Plus and they have stores all over the > country. Their truck batteries are made by Exide. I > paid $135 for the battery with no additional core or > exchange charges. They have an 8DA which is their HD > battery and an 8DB which is their lighter duty > Battery.

I have included the website for Exide and Batteries > Plus below. You can locate at Batteries Plus store > through their website.
http://www.exideworld.com/products/heavy_truck/exide_heavyduty_commerc ial_12v_specs.html

Re: Best starter battery?

Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 26203
Hi Larry,

This is a repeat of my answer to the same question asked about one month ago.

Original starter battery is a 1440 CCA and this is the same as 212 amp-hours. Anything less than this for a 8D battery will cause excessive current draw when starting the engine which leads to premature failure of the battery, start solenoid and starter as the battery looses its capacity. My preference is the Interstate 8D-MHD which meets AH requirement.
They sell for about $175.
Fred Kovol

Quote
I think I need a starter battery and am trying to determine which is > best brand/type. Sams has an 8D lead acid made by Energizer ($124).

I

Quote
never knew Energizer made batteries that big. Anyone have

expereince

Re: Best starter battery?

Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 26226
Right on!
Bob

[quote author=Bob
Amory

>

> Larry - I am no expert, but my understanding is > > contrary. Starting batteries and house batteries > are

> two different animals. House battery is designed > to

> provide relatively low amperage over an extended > > period of time and handles up to 50% discharge > well.

> Your starting battery is designed to provide short > > bursts of relatively high amperage output over a > very

> short period of time. They are not interchangable > with

> good results. Most often I have seen the > > recommendation that conventional wet cells be used > for

> the starting battery. Not sure if this is a > technical

> or economical reason. Economically, the starting > > battery does not use much water and thus does not > need

> service as often and that is one of the benefits > of

> the AGM's It might be that extra cost of AGM over > wet

> cell isn't justified. But there might be a > technical

> reason as well. I don't know for sure. But my > > understanding is that starting batteries and house > > batteries are manufactured differently and are not > > interchangable.
>

> Bob Amory

> 2002 Allure 30760
>

> --- Larry Feather wrote:
>

> > Thanks Egon
> >

> > I wasn't sure that AGMs (deep cycle) were good > for

> > starting.
> >

> > Larry #30856
> >
> >
> >

> > -