Re: [SilverStreak] FW: Silver Streak Digest V1 #556

["Bev Harris" <zia@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jonathon,

Thanks for the info.  I've looked at the Optima batteries, and at this point 
since I'm a new owner I'm so out of pocket on one thing or another that I'd 
prefer to go cheaper now to get started and then a couple years down the 
road buy a better replacement battery.  Optima is definitely a choice next 
time around.

Bev

On 12 Apr 2008 at 10:32, JONATHAN TOUPS wrote:

From:           	"JONATHAN TOUPS" <JONATHANT@CSPHOUSTON.COM>
To:             	<sslist-digest@tompatterson.com>
Subject:        	[SilverStreak] FW: Silver Streak Digest V1 #556
Date sent:      	Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:32:26 -0500
Organization:   	CS&P CRYOGENICS
Send reply to:  	sslist@tompatterson.com

> -----Original Message-----
> From: JONATHAN TOUPS [mailto:JONATHANT@CSPHOUSTON.COM] 
> Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2008 10:25 AM
> To: sslist-admin@tompatterson.com
> Subject: RE: 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-
>