The Silver Streak E-mail ListArchive Files[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index] [SilverStreak] FW: Silver Streak Digest V1 #556
Bev, Since a trailer battery does not normally have any sudden large electrical loads placed on it, unlike the battery in a car that has to support the electrical system and start the engine, the main things to look for in a battery for a trailer is the AH, or amp hours.The AH rating is the ability to support an amount of electrical load for an amount of time. Load in electrical systems is commonly referred to Amps or Amperes, which is kind of like Horse power to an engine. For instance, if you have several lights on inside the trailer, and the trailer is not plugged into a 120VAC wall outlet, the light will be using power from the battery. To make it simple, let's say the lights are using exactly 1 amp. If you have a battery that is listed as 100 AH, that means that the battery has the potential to support 1 amp for 100 hours. Thus you could run the lights that are using 1 amp of power for 100 hours before the battery drops to a point that is cannot support the electrical load. If you are using more or different lights that use 10 amps, with the same battery, you could run the lights 10 hours before the battery goes dead. It is simple multiplication of Amps X hours of use. The larger the AH of the battery the longer it will support the electrical system depending on it before it goes dead or needs recharging. Word of caution, never, never if at all possible let the battery be fully discharged; this lessens the overall life and performance of the battery. This is the common application of the deep cycle marine batteries, they don't always have the better Ah ratings, but are designed to recover better from being "deeply" discharged and then recharged hence the name "deep cycle". I personally prefer the spiral gel cell batteries like the Optima "style" that was referred to previously by another forum member. Just keep in mind that there are several different models of Optima batteries that are categorized by intended use, which they designate Yellow Top, Red top, and I think Blue top. Each different color has a different intended use. These types of batteries are expensive, but require no maintenance, do not have acid that will spill out if knocked over but have a life expectancy and warranty several times better than conventional lead acid batteries. I have one in my truck that I bought from NTB (National Tire and Battery) that is an Excide brand, which actually had better ratings than its Optima equivalent and was cheaper. The one I bought for my truck has the best Ca and CCA numbers I have seen in a regular car size battery, and it also has impressive AH ratings as well. I have been very impressed with it; to me it was well worth the added expense, with batteries and tires, you get what you pay for. A final note, the battery can only do its job if the electrical terminations are corrosion free and tight; that is probably one of the most important things in dealing with electrical systems, and the root cause of the most problems. Hope this helps you in your battery purchasing experience. -Jonathan-
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