New House Battery for a Bavaria 30

[Heckler]

You could go the gucci battery route, or you could think about whether paying twice or 3 times the price of a bog standard leisure battery will get you 2 or 3 times life out aforementioned gucci model.

If you find one that does could you let me know.

I bought three 110 amp ones from the local farmers shop, they use them for electric fences etc. £69 each, three years ago, still going strong. I agree with you, may as well buy cheap and they usually last as long as expensive ones and if they dont? who cares?
Stu

 

[Tranona]

The major differences for life and cycle resistance are plate thickness and separation methods.
Unfortunately "leisure" doesn't mean anything in particular. I've no doubt some are just relabelled ordinary batteries. Most however will use a smaller number of thicker plates (probably selected from the manufacturer's truck battery range) than would be used in that box for a starter battery, and an extra separator layer, possibly enveloped.QUOTE]

Does that explain why the original battery was a "bog standard" truck battery? And does that suggest that a truck battery is probably a good option?

You can get two different grades of battery in that style/shape. either a starter type battery or a deep cycle one. I replaced the 140 Bosch in my Bavaria with 2* 135 deep cycle at just over £150 each from Shield Batteries. One would be enough for your boat if you are happy with the capacity, but I think there is a slightly larger one that will also fit. The 135s are a bit narrower and you can get them in side by side.

 

[Richard10002]

Not everyone likes the way he says stuff, but it generally makes some sense:

http://www.sterling-power.com/support-faq-2.htm

Well worth a read - if only to avoid paying a premium for so called deep cycle batteries that are really starter batteries with a bit of sales guff.

 

[Plevier]

You can get two different grades of battery in that style/shape. either a starter type battery or a deep cycle one.

Do you mean two different grades from Bosch? I haven't studied their catalogue in that much detail. I did look up the one the OP mentioned and its cranking capacity is not that high for its Ah capacity, suggesting it has thick plates which is good in this context. I don't think they call it deep cycle though.
A friend of mine has a 2005 Bav 30, cruised extensively, and the original Bosch battery is still performing fairly well which I find quite impressive. However the price quoted by the OP is pretty stiff.

If you meant two different grades as a general point - more like 100! There is no standardisation! They range from very good (Bosch, Varta, a few others) through to rubbish but I wouldn't call any truck based battery like this deep cycle in the way that a liveaboard would need. Think Trojan etc.

 

[Plevier]

Not everyone likes the way he says stuff, but it generally makes some sense:

http://www.sterling-power.com/support-faq-2.htm

Well worth a read - if only to avoid paying a premium for so called deep cycle batteries that are really starter batteries with a bit of sales guff.

Despite a battery industry background that I expect he would despise, I agree with almost all of it!
He goes too far though. AGM and Gel batteries are emphatically not just the same batteries up to the point of filling, and AGM batteries will accept high charge rates, they are particularly good at it.
Notwithstanding that, I agree that a good flooded battery designed for the job is the best bet.
They are not all equal, there is plenty of rubbish around, some are much better at cycling than others, unfortunately there are no accepted standards.
A forumite may pop up in a minute praising Lifeline AGM batteries as having good cycle life, and they may well be the best AGM, but I'd still back a top grade flooded against them.

 

[Tranona]

Do you mean two different grades from Bosch? I haven't studied their catalogue in that much detail. I did look up the one the OP mentioned and its cranking capacity is not that high for its Ah capacity, suggesting it has thick plates which is good in this context. I don't think they call it deep cycle though.
A friend of mine has a 2005 Bav 30, cruised extensively, and the original Bosch battery is still performing fairly well which I find quite impressive. However the price quoted by the OP is pretty stiff.

If you meant two different grades as a general point - more like 100! There is no standardisation! They range from very good (Bosch, Varta, a few others) through to rubbish but I wouldn't call any truck based battery like this deep cycle in the way that a liveaboard would need. Think Trojan etc.

No. From Shield. Same size and post location as the Bosch, but one a start battery and the other a deep cycle. Difference in price about 25% from memory. Don't know whether they are any good long term as only fitted last April.

 

[Scubadoo]

Correct, the 1000 cycles is for 80% depth of discharge but it still has a load of benefits which relates to the price - in my case £113 as follows:

Elecsol 100Ah Carbon Fibre Deep Cycle Leisure Batteries
Elecsol Deep Cycle*batteries offer high power and performance.
Independent tests have shown that the Elecsol 12V battery gives 20% more power for no overall increase in the weight of the battery.


No connection with the company but after 3 months of research this was the best bang for bucks i could find

I have to agree, I have been using Elecsol for both Starter and Domestic (2 batteries) and no problems at all. My engine battery is now 7years old and now needs replacing. However, I have leant that the Elecsol are not good at starting my engine when it is cold/0c, last week really struggled. So looking to keep elecsol for domestic and go for something different (higher CCA) for the engine. Sailorman suggestion of Alphaline seems a good one for the price.

 

[CJ13]

We had 2 x Bosch 140ah batteries (same as yours) on our B39. At the end of 2009 they where shot, so in spring 2010 i replaced them with Varta 130ah batteries ex Barden in Segenworth. At the same tine we added a battery so we now have 3x Varta 130ah.
They've been great so far and fit the extg space, although you will need to modify the clamps.
Suggest you talk to Barden.

John

 

[nigelmercier]

A forumite may pop up in a minute praising Lifeline AGM batteries as having good cycle life, and they may well be the best AGM...

Pop!

I bought 3 of these. They are incredible, as well as incredibly expensive.

 

[Plevier]

Pop!

I bought 3 of these. They are incredible, as well as incredibly expensive.

Wasn't you I had in mind - so there are at least two fans!