Personally, I've grown to loath batteries and I'll list the reasons why:
-lead acid batteries are inherently very dangerous to be around;
-lead acid batteries come with a certain level of maintenance to keep them safe and healthy that can be downright taxing on time and finances;
-batteries are extremely heavy, with AGM (glass-mat) type being the heaviest.
My calculated maintenance cost for our deep-cycle Group 27, 12V lead-acid battery has been extraordinarily high --calculated both on my time expended, continual trickle-charge kilowatt-hour usage, and worry factor.
After just 2 years, I blew through our lead-acid battery's usable life after spending several hundred dollars a winter maintaining it, this including billable hours that would have been better spent on more lucrative things, like mapping contracts! At this rate, If I go through 2 Trojan 115 AH lead acids every 4 years (replacing every 2-years) my costs would be $240, plus maintenance costs (several hundred $ more). A 100 AH Group 27 AGM would give me 15 AH less, would weigh a minimal 10-LBS more, is nearly an inch higher than the replaced lead-acids we have, but would only costs $189 ($30 LESS than 2 lead-acid replacements) assuming they last four years with minimal maintenance, and I could save nine 60-mile round trips to our marina storage facilities during our brutal winters to check on charging. The only upgrade needed is a good 3-stage marine charger (bought at Cabela's for under $200; a one-time expense). OK, I am sold. AGM win by a country mile in every way. They only lose from 3 to 5 percent charge per month whilst in storage compared with lead-acids performance (about 300 percent worse!). I will simply top them up after 4 months of storage in spring. Excellent!
In concluding: I absolutely hate batteries, but they are a necessary evil for boondocking; the only mitigating circumstance is the availability of AGMs.
Oh, I almost forgot! With the AGMs, I have virtually eliminated all chances of ever experiencing an acid spill (that could destroy both substantial real estate of the truck and or camper). The cost savings for this piece of mind? Priceless.
Silversand
some cool maps we used and actually made for our journeys; learn why here
