Wheelhouse battery replacement

[RiverChuckNorris]

Need to replace my original gel battery for my IC.  Any suggestions what/where?  Assuming gel is the only way to go?

thanks

[Boar]

interstate or gel.

[RiverChuckNorris]

Any guidance where to find gel batteries in the twin cities?

[fishinfan]

What about AGM batteries?

[brian6715]

One thing people don't realize is that most "deep cycle" batteries are not true deep cycles (even interstates). There are a lot of disadvantages to this, mainly being they are not meant to go below 50% charge. I did a ton of research and I went with two 6 volt golf cart batteries, and I will never go back to Interstate deep cycles. I am on season 2 with them, and I can go a Friday-Sunday with a forced air furnace, electric jacks, TV, fan on all night, and pioneer stereo going most of the time. The reviews I read most people got anywhere between 5-7 years on average with them, not bad for a $200 total investment. They are about the same weight as group size 27 deep cycle, and I get about 220 AH, and they are designed to better handle being discharged completely. 

I get a kick out of watching people setup and the first thing they do is fire up the generator and let it run the entire time they are out there, it's just so unnecessary if you setup your house right. I went this route because I couldn't afford a honda generator after my build, and I won't waste the money buying one now. I am eventually going to get solar panels, just in case I need a week long vacation to Red or something  

[Pat K]

The nice thing about AGM or gel batteries is they won't burst in freezing temps when discharged. The Cabela's  AGM in my house has frozen a couple times and still works well after 5 years.

[YettiStyle]

This is the battery I got for my Yetti.  Just remember, you will get the longest life out of any battery if you only discharge it to half of its rated power.  For example, for the longest life of my battery I should drop the 125ah down to 62.5ah.  That being said, AGM batteries are very rugged and can handle quite a few full discharges in the event of an emergency.  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ACNO2AO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

[RiverChuckNorris]

Great info, thanks all!

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

13 hours ago, YettiStyle said:

This is the battery I got for my Yetti.  Just remember, you will get the longest life out of any battery if you only discharge it to half of its rated power.  For example, for the longest life of my battery I should drop the 125ah down to 62.5ah.  That being said, AGM batteries are very rugged and can handle quite a few full discharges in the event of an emergency.  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ACNO2AO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

Holy spendy!  Definitely looks like a good battery, though!

[YettiStyle]

9 hours ago, Lip_Ripper Guy said:

Holy spendy!  Definitely looks like a good battery, though!

Yea, definitely cringed a little when I ordered it from amazon but you pay for what you get.  My biggest deal is that I didn't want to deal with any fumes, maintenance, or have to buy a new battery every other year.  These batteries are totally sealed and don't ever release any gasses so no need to install a vent and never need to be checked to replenish their electrolyte with water.  They also won't freeze like a flooded battery and they handle the cold much much better.  They also never experience terminal corrosion so I'll never have to scrape that nasty white corrosion with this battery.  I did plenty of research on this and there are many more advantages to AGM batteries.  There are tons of advantages of AGM over flooded and even gel batteries but you also shell out a bit more for that convenience and longevity. 

 

I considered the battery as more of an investment than anything.  In the long run it will cost much less than dealing with flooded batteries and a lot less headaches.  I will say that you will want to protect your investment and get yourself a good battery charger - AGM batteries have different charging requirements due to their construction but can also be charged up to 5 times faster than flooded technology.  VMAX also produces great smart battery chargers and I think I spent like an extra $100 to protect my $250 investment.  Their smart chargers are also compatible for any other type of battery which it never hurts to have a good battery charger around the house. 

 

If I was to do anything different it might be looking into doing a series 6V setup like Brian mentioned.  I didn't really feel like dropping $500+ right away on batteries.  I also run my Honda generator all the time so I didn't figure I needed the extra 120 ah capacity.  It's all a trade off though, if you don't have a generator you might want to look into just spending the $1000 on batteries instead of a generator.  A $1000 of batteries will buy you around 500ah of capacity.  That would last you a LONG time on the ice before you would need any recharge depending on your setup and how much AC equipment (TV, AC outlets for phones, microwave, ect..) you would need an power hungry inverter to convert DC to AC.

[blue_healer_guy]

On 2/15/2016 at 1:58 PM, brian6715 said:

On 2/15/2016 at 1:58 PM, brian6715 said:

I get a kick out of watching people setup and the first thing they do is fire up the generator and let it run the entire time they are out there,

Funny you say that, i get a kick out of watching guys exchange 100 lb batteries while my honda is charging mine.

 

[Don Julio]

I use a cabelas AGM 30 in my Yetti. Cabelas went to a different post design so I was able to get this to my door for $125.. I like the idea of no fumes and mounting it however I need. I have a 10" big volt that I use in the house and the battery holds up excellent. Works for me. 

[brian6715]

blue_healer that might be true for people without an on-board charger, but I don't know many wheelhouse guys who don't have some sort of charging system on-board. Who hauls batteries back and forth these days?!

I guess I haven't had to "exchange" my batteries yet... I have an on-board smart charger, so it's just a matter of plugging the house in (same thing you do with your generator).

Being the 6v batteries are a true deep cycle, they should last quite a bit longer than most 12v "deep cycles" that aren't true deep cycles (different plate thickness?). So in theory, I will be changing my batteries less than most, maybe once every 7 years or so? Although I will have to replace 2 batteries instead of 1 (maybe twice in a decade).... that is still substantially less work than hauling a generator every time I want to fish

 

Edited February 18, 2016 by brian6715