The Silver Streak E-mail ListArchive Files[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index] Re: [SilverStreak] Newbie battery question
Eddie, Thanks!! I was certainly headed in the cheapest, biggest direction -- but that's the kind of consumer I am. I did not think Walmart; I plan on going there today so I'll check what our little Walmart (no auto service section, no tire install, etc) has. Bev On 12 Apr 2008 at 7:51, Eddie wrote: From: "Eddie" <Eddie@Huffstetter.com> To: <sslist@tompatterson.com> Subject: Re: [SilverStreak] Newbie battery question Date sent: Sat, 12 Apr 2008 07:51:56 -0500 Send reply to: sslist@tompatterson.com > Bev, > You are thinking correct. Lead acid. You want best replacement non-prorated > warranty, biggest that will fit, least cost, and a exchange core to avoid > the high $10+ core cost. Any core will usually do. Wal-Mart has a big yellow > battery, usually a two or three year exchange warranty. Why? > > Batteries are short-lived. Will last three to five years in your car, but > that is used every day or with some regularity. That is good for the battery > and is what makes it last. Batteries have cycles. Cycles are limited. You > would naturally think that less cycles may mean longer life, but not so. No > battery will last sitting in one state. The state of non-use either > discharged or charged will most rapidly cause failure versus use. So > batteries cannot just sit in any one state. Either use it like if in your > car or you must have a deliberate usage you schedule. RV's mostly sit. So to > make the battery last it needs to be run down some, and then charged some. > No, you don't need to run it dead. No, you must not keep it topped off and > constantly charged. So in your rv or collector car use the car one day each > month and simulate rv use about once each month and then re-charge it, but > don't overcharge it and thus "cook it away" by charging too long. > > Manufacturers rotate battery stock every three to six months. A new battery > six months old on the shelf is considered junk. It is an old wives tale that > a battery sitting on the ground or concrete gets the life "sucked" out of > it. It is in a plastic case! It simply sits and sulfates. Even if you were > to shrink wrap it and put it in your fridge, it would be just as dead. Use > is the key to keeping a battery healthy! > > When you buy a battery, look at the little sticker on it. All are date > marked. When using letters, the letters are A thru Z for each month, January > equals A, Feb B, and so on. Most batteries have a dual sticker so it is easy > to figure out. The sticker will have a color for each month. Sticker will be > round. The size of a dime. One half will be D8 and the other half will be > 4/8. Retailers are smart. They push the old stock. Don't buy an old battery! > Make them give you, or you look to the back and pick the month current. > Don't buy a Feb 08 battery! This is April 08! Forget about the CCA (cold > cranking amps). Bigger is heavier and is better. Heavier equals more lead. > More lead equals more battery. > > Most charger converters in rv's are the old style and will cook a battery to > death so don't just leave it on. Charge for about 4 hours maximum only! Best > to buy a cheapy automatic charger from some place like wal-mart, charge till > done and disconnect. The old chargers and a lot of new ones will "finish > rate" at 15.1 volts or higher. When charging above 14.6 volts indicated, the > battery is being destroyed! > > Keep that receipt and exchange the battery before the warranty period > expires. Make sure you run it stone dead if not already dead before you > exchange it or the clerk will decide you still have something left and deny > the exchange. The warranty period will run off the date you bought it, not > off the date sticker on the battery. > > No need to "over think" batteries. Just buy cheap as you can with the > longest warranty non-prorated exchange. Use it at least once a month for at > least one to four hours. Then re-charge it the next day for no more than > three to four hours. It will last thru the warranty period. > > I know batteries. I work on electric forklifts, carts, and man-lifts. Most > forklift batteries cost $3000. At that cost you must learn batteries and > what makes them last or fail. > > -Eddie- > Houston, TX > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Bev Harris" <zia@ix.netcom.com> > To: <sslist@tompatterson.com> > Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 10:32 PM > Subject: [SilverStreak] Newbie battery question > > > > So I'm ready to buy a deep cycle battery for my 64 SS 20 foot Sabre. I've > > done my research via the web and the result is ... I'm totally confused! > > > > I thought the best thing was to buy a lead acid battery that was JUST deep > > cycle without cranking power ... but the more I look, the more I find I > > can't > > find that in a lead acid. Even when they claim to be deep cycle > > batteries, > > they still seem to have 500 CCA or more. > > > like it. Offer any advice you think might be helpful. > > > > Bev >
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