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Old 04-21-2013, 12:59 PM   #1
rmayhew
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Gel Cell battery

Anyone use a gel cell battery and is it worth the extra cost?
 
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Old 04-21-2013, 03:19 PM   #2
Art-n-Marge
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If the gel cell is also maintenance free, I look forward to my next batteries (probably 6v) being gel cell too. If I never have to open the battery caps and refill the water, it will be none to soon. RV batteries requires lots of maintenance and I'm looking forward to only having to worry about keeping them charged. THAT will definitely be worth the money.

One more battery to die, then for me, it's 6v maintenance free batteries!
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Old 04-21-2013, 04:24 PM   #3
Trailer Trash 2
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I have had 2 Optima D31M blue top batteries sence 2004, at the time I never knew that batteries could cost so much. I did get them at a very good price of 159.00 each. they have been working good for all these years. I have noticed a slight less live span from them but 9 years is a good life. I dont have to maintain them in any way just use them. I still run them in a vented compartment but it isn't necessary being a gel. I have been very happy with the service I have received from them and feel I got my monies worth from them and will get another set soon.
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Old 04-22-2013, 08:54 AM   #4
gitrdun
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I have the Optima yellow tops been in use since 06 love them no maintainence. Whenever I have to replace them as long as I can afford it they will be the ones I use.
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Old 04-22-2013, 11:00 AM   #5
Tom S.
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Optima is NOT the battery it once was. At one time, they had a good product and an excellent reputation/warranty. Then something changed and they started having quality issues and changed their warranty to reflect those problems. I had a red top go bad in 18 months and when I took it back to the place I bought it from, they got me a free replacement - but had stopped selling them. The truck site I hang out on has several members complain about them within the last few years.
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Old 04-22-2013, 11:49 AM   #6
kdeiss
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Johnson Controls Mfg of most of the name brands and private labels purchased Optima Nov 2000
could be the quility issue.

This Am my Duralast Gold in the truck was dead!
28 months old Auto Zone replace No charge they do not make them like they use to!
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Old 04-22-2013, 01:24 PM   #7
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Sounds like the new owner of Optima figured out that to increase profits one must increase sales and making a crappier battery is one way to increase sales. I wouldn't complain about a battery that lasts 9 years. I've had them, but most my batteries last about 5-6. In my Ford F250 I have TWO batteries in my 6.0 PSD and they are lasting about 3.5 years. Now THAT sucks. While I save some money applying warranties, I hate the hassle of going through the warranty effort.
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Old 04-22-2013, 02:21 PM   #8
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If you want really good batteries, check out the AGMs, here's some info I found:

AGM batteries have several advantages over both gelled and flooded, at about the same cost as gelled:

Since all the electrolyte (acid) is contained in the glass mats, they cannot spill, even if broken. This also means that since they are non-hazardous, the shipping costs are lower. In addition, since there is no liquid to freeze and expand, they are practically immune from freezing damage.

Nearly all AGM batteries are "recombinant" - what that means is that the Oxygen and Hydrogen recombine INSIDE the battery. These use gas phase transfer of oxygen to the negative plates to recombine them back into water while charging and prevent the loss of water through electrolysis. The recombining is typically 99+% efficient, so almost no water is lost.

The charging voltages are the same as for any standard battery - no need for any special adjustments or problems with incompatible chargers or charge controls. And, since the internal resistance is extremely low, there is almost no heating of the battery even under heavy charge and discharge currents. The Concorde (and most AGM) batteries have no charge or discharge current limits.

AGM's have a very low self-discharge - from 1% to 3% per month is usual. This means that they can sit in storage for much longer periods without charging than standard batteries. The Concorde batteries can be almost fully recharged (95% or better) even after 30 days of being totally discharged.

AGM's do not have any liquid to spill, and even under severe overcharge conditions hydrogen emission is far below the 4% max specified for aircraft and enclosed spaces. The plates in AGM's are tightly packed and rigidly mounted, and will withstand shock and vibration better than any standard battery.

Even with all the advantages listed above, there is still a place for the standard flooded deep cycle battery. AGM's will cost about 1.5 to 2 times as much as flooded batteries of the same capacity. In many installations, where the batteries are set in an area where you don't have to worry about fumes or leakage, a standard or industrial deep cycle is a better economic choice. AGM batteries main advantages are no maintenance, completely sealed against fumes, Hydrogen, or leakage, non-spilling even if they are broken, and can survive most freezes.
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Old 04-22-2013, 03:41 PM   #9
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The AGM will also charge faster and take more abuse than the Gell.
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Old 04-24-2013, 03:26 PM   #10
2Wanderers
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I just bought two new Die Hards for my trailer. I had seriously considered the AGM for around $550 before tax, but ended up with two deep cycle lead acid maintenance free for $270. The lead acid batteries I bought have the same ratings as the the AGM; however, and if money was not an object, I would probably have gone for the AGMs. Many of the reviews I read on gels/AGMs led me to believe that they might not last any appreciable amount of time longer than a lead acid battery(at least not twice as long (twice the cost)). Another thing I considered is that the on board converter/battery charger for the trailer was probably designed to charge lead acid batteries, as that is the usual battery supplied with travel trailers. When I installed a solar panel and its controller, the controller had three different battery charge configurations, one for lead acid (default), one for Gel, and one for AGM. Accordingly, as I was unsure as to how well AGM batteries would be compatible with the trailer converter/charger, I decided to remain with lead acid batteries. Maybe someone else has some information on this aspect. IMHO.
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Old 04-24-2013, 03:56 PM   #11
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2wanderers... are you saying the converter that comes with the rig might need to be changed out to charge a rig with AGM batteries? How about Gel cell batteries? This is the most convenient way to recharge batteries. Then there are so many other ways too (generator, solar, plug in module, etc.)

Regardless, thanks for the reminder that we should check to ensure everything works together correctly.
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Old 04-24-2013, 04:03 PM   #12
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Get a couple of six volt golf cart batteries from Costco and you'll always smile.
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Old 04-25-2013, 07:17 PM   #13
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If you're still hot on Optima batteries, I have a $40 off coupon from Pep Boys.

http://bit.ly/10EwN1b
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