NON-JEEP battery question

[kb5zcr]

Here is how I understand it.
A 100 amp/hr deep cycle battery will run a 4 Amp load a max of 25 hours.
Remember, your cooler will not likely run 100% of the time.
Deep cycle batteries can be drained all the way buy I try and use no more than 80% of their capacity (they say they last longer that way).
I have a deep cycle battery in my fishing shack/cargo conversion camping trailer and carry a generator for the a/c at night while sleeping so I end up charging the battery each night.

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[RudeJeepin]

I have a little baby Honda EM500 generator that is even quiter than my Honda 2000watt one. Might be a thought.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

What about a agriculture supply type place like Tractor Supply, Farm and Fleet or similar?

My local Tractor Supply stocks a decent amount of deep cycle batteries to select from.

Forgot all about those two places - there's a Tractor Supply and a Mills Fleet Farm only about 25 minutes away.

'd recommend an AGM or even lithium over an old school lead acid.
Odyssey has a good reputation these days.

Agreed - and there's another vote for Odyssey.

Remember, your cooler will not likely run 100% of the time.

Mine is a cheaper Coleman - runs constant so the load is a constant 4 amps at 12 volts.

 

[smlobx]

I went down this rabbit hole a few years ago for our overlanding set up and became very dissatisfied with the performance of deep cycle lead acid batteries.

I eventually bit the bullet and switched out to LiPho batteries and never looked back. If your need is something that you’ll want to do for several years then a lithium battery set up is the way to go. Since I switched out my set up to BattleBorn batteries several companies have come out with much simpler set ups. The leader in this field (there are several other companies) is Jackery.

This set up offers easy portability and multiple uses.
https://www.jackery.com/products/solar-generator-240

There are many other sizes as well depending on your needs/wants.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I went down this rabbit hole a few years ago for our overlanding set up and became very dissatisfied with the performance of deep cycle lead acid batteries.

I eventually bit the bullet and switched out to LiPho batteries and never looked back. If your need is something that you’ll want to do for several years then a lithium battery set up is the way to go. Since I switched out my set up to BattleBorn batteries several companies have come out with much simpler set ups. The leader in this field (there are several other companies) is Jackery.

This set up offers easy portability and multiple uses.
https://www.jackery.com/products/solar-generator-240

There are many other sizes as well depending on your needs/wants.

I really only need a battery, not a device that has inverter and other outlets.
So I can cut the cost in half by buying a battery instead of a whole device with the added expense of an inverter (the inverter in the truck will do any little thing I need - and so far at this point, I've never even used it)
I figured 500+ for a Jackery of the capacity I'd need, or 2-300 for a battery that will run my trailer winch, cooler, whatever, off straight 12 volts.
HOWEVER, if one like this below would run my cooler just for example, at 4 amps/12 volts for 30 hours, for example, might be worth it - but can it power my trailer winch at 30 amps?
A battery could........

 

[chorky]

I have been pretty happy so far with Full River. They offer different battery types, but their DC AGM's are nice and have plenty of options. This is what I have in my bed and it has successfully powered all of my electric needs for 2 days without dropping below 50% SOC. The DC series are good for draining 80$ DOD without significant reduction in cycles. They are on the higher end of cost though. But I will say when one arrived with the plastic top broken off (probably dropped by UPS) I was able to see inside to the plates and the internal construction is pretty stout.

https://fullriverbattery.com/batteries/part-dc115-12/

Like others have said though it would be wise to do a power audit - find out what the duty cycle is of the Coleman. My initial guess, being it is more of a cooler? Would be 75% duty cycle - so at 4a that's 72 ah in a 24 hour period. So depending on how many days you need... and winching needs.

You could pair with one of these, which do come available with simple alligator clips. I have been very impressed with mine - having been able to produce 90% of its rated power output with cloud coverage and/or shadow coverage over more than 50% of the panel.

https://www.zampsolar.com/collectio...sidian-series-100-watt-portable-kit-regulated

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Like others have said though it would be wise to do a power audit - find out what the duty cycle is of the Coleman. My initial guess, being it is more of a cooler? Would be 75% duty cycle - so at 4a that's 72 ah in a 24 hour period. So depending on how many days you need... and winching needs.

Like I said - it's a thermoelectric cooler, always on, 4 amps at 12 volts. Never shuts off.
It's not a compressor type at all.

I may never use the winch when away from home with it, but if I'm somewhere with one of my cars (like happened in May when the fuel hose holding my electric in-tank fuel pump let loose and I had to MANUALLY load it with a come-along) mysteriously stops and I have to get it onto my trailer, I want to be able to use it to pull the car on. It's a cheap, small, ATV type winch, 2500 pounds. Might go 4 years and never use it, might need it next weekend.

So a battery is my best bet to handle both - definitely run the cooler, maybe run winch.

I do plan to run a heavy cable back to the rear of my JT from the winch solenoid so I could power the winch that way, from my running truck. If I get that done, I won't even worry about using a battery for the winch. It would then by strictly for other stuff.

Solar panel, nice - but I have no way to justify, or spend 600 on a solar panel. Not for my infrequent use. 600 for something used over a weekend maybe twice a year..... naw. Trying to keep total $$ to under 400, thus my idea of a battery.
Still looking to buy an air mattress and I just don't have that kind of money.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I have been pretty happy so far with Full River. They offer different battery types, but their DC AGM's are nice and have plenty of options. This is what I have in my bed and it has successfully powered all of my electric needs for 2 days without dropping below 50% SOC. The DC series are good for draining 80$ DOD without significant reduction in cycles. They are on the higher end of cost though. But I will say when one arrived with the plastic top broken off (probably dropped by UPS) I was able to see inside to the plates and the internal construction is pretty stout.

https://fullriverbattery.com/batteries/part-dc115-12/

This made me laugh - put in search criteria for a dealer, 50 mile radius. Came up with 5 matches, all in California and look at the distance they are listing - 6.3 miles, 11 miles, that's funny. that's more like tanks of gas to get there, not miles.
I think their web designer needs to re-think his math.

 

[chorky]

I think you'll be hard pressed to find a battery with 120ah or more and able to drain to 30% SOC without damage and remain under $400. I totally understand the budget problem though. If you can find one of the main stream battery companies (like DieHard for example) actual specifications for available amp hours and discharge rate - you could probably get one or two of those and just know your need to replace them might be every couple of years instead of every 5-8 years? Not sure if that is within your budget - they are quite a lot cheaper I think. I was never able to get actual specs from those types of companies in the past, which was pretty frustrating.

You definitely need a minimum of 120 ah capacity to run that cooler for 24 hours without damage. But after that 24 hour mark it needs to get charged up, either by alternator, or solar, or plugged into a battery charger, etc... For 2 days, just double that ah rating, so it would be 240 - which is a lot.

This made me laugh - put in search criteria for a dealer, 50 mile radius. Came up with 5 matches, all in California and look at the distance they are listing - 6.3 miles, 11 miles, that's funny. that's more like tanks of gas to get there, not miles.
I think their web designer needs to re-think his math.

lol That's pretty funny. My local doctors number was listed wrong and somehow it called the parents of an old coworker I know who just recently moved back to Mt with his wife - what a crazy small world! I have chatted with their electrical engineers a couple times and they have been pretty nice - I also like that you can order some of their batteries via Amazon and have it sent directly to you which is important for me being so remote. But cost is still the issue. The 115ah deep cycle battery I got was something like $350 on Amazon. That would work for you - but only for 24 hours.

 

[kevman65]

Don't know if you have one near you, but Rural King brand batteries are made by Exide.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Don't know if you have one near you, but Rural King brand batteries are made by Exide.

Their web site says the closest is over 300 miles away. (Illinois)

This is Iowa, the only thing near me are some of the nations most rude and dangerous drivers.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Agreed on battery types, depth of cycle, all of that.
I've about given up on getting anything before I have to leave - nothing can possibly be found and arrive here on or before the 7th so I'm not sure now how I'll handle it.
You just can't buy things in our area like you can many other states - stores don't carry much beyond what every average American would buy every month.

 

[kb5zcr]

If its only a few times a year, just get a deep cycle (I.e. boat battery) 100 Amp/hr from the nearest Walmart or NAPA and call it a day. Way cheaper than those fancy lith/ion batteries and you can also use it in your other car, truck, tractor, boat trolling motor, ect as needed. Heck, keep it in the garage to run that old AM car radio you still have on the shelf.

You know what the old timers say in the battery business.
"My bullets and batteries are both made of LEAD"

 

[cranbiz]

I have used the Walmart deep cycle 120AH batteries in 2 campers now. The one I had in my popup would run the fridge for 3 days. 3A draw, Stirling style compressor. with no issue. Back it up with a solar panel and you can run it indefinitely.

The one I have now is in my Class C. It is backed up with a normal lead acid battery. Between the 2, I can do a 3 day weekend with normal electrical draw and run a 3K pure sine wave inverter for the pellet stove and the Keurig. Full disclosure, I do have a 100W solar panel on the roof but I can assure you that it's not at the optimum angle (it's flat on the roof)

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