Hi again. Easy to see we are getting ready for the big trip. We are wanting to add a second battery to our c/van and have been told that the second battery needs to be not only the same brand but also the same age. We realise it needs to be the same amp hours so will need to find a very strong young fellow to lift it in to the boot as we already have a 120ah Full River battery purchased in 06/2015. Your valued opinion will be welcomed again.
Possibly be ok .. It's not like it's 5 or 6 years old . Not worth the $$ to buy two new ? Besides the hell are going to do with one 12 months old ? Just make sure you have enough solar to charge both by say 1pm or the extra battery won't help .. Like having two cars ..
I am not a great adviser re this thread, suffice to say that everything that I have read and googled claims that if you put a new battery in your set up and run it parallel the old battery will bring the new battery down to the old battery level.
So "Don't doo itt" a waste of time and money.
We just had to replace our 100 amp battery and did so with two by 130 amp batteries.
Use the search button up in the top middle of the page and you will see what I mean.
Good travels.
Jay&Dee
Hi.
Original batery still good for a lot of yrs,
Providing you keep fully charged.
preferably with solar OR\AND GOOD Smart charger.
Alternative.
Which coverds both age. AND battery size.
X2 or 3 battery's.
Some GOOD Chargers have MULTI output Outlets.
IE Mine has 3.
I can have 3 separate battery's charging at once
Drawing. Individually, each to it's own requirement.
UP TO the Chargers MAX outlet. Preferably get one of MIN 25a.
Mine is Marine. old, like around 15 yrs, and still fine.
Plugged in garage nowadays for multi battery's as needed (boats and van)
I have a 45a 3 stage. Heavy duty (basic).
Which I can\do use for bulk charging normally.
Stick them on Multi to top up, and then float on coupla old panel\s
I have on Carport roof when we away.
4x boat battery's, 2 are over 5 yrs.
Still floating and not used for over 4 yrs. Still holding full charge.
Don't worry about same age, same brand or same size. The only important thing you must do is buy the second battery with the same chemistry as existing. That is both AGM or both Glass Mat etc. Provided that your original battery is not in its death throes you won't have any problems.
Hi all
Thanks again. We always have our van plugged in at home to trickle charge so battery has always been kept topped up and while away always in c/van park or on our solar. By the way we bought van second hand and have no idea the size of the panels eg: watts. The fellow we bought it from didn't know either (or didn't care). I have looked all over them and cannot see any hint. It is a 2011 van and by the look of the paperwork didn't have panels to begin with and no paperwork indicating the size they put on.
Kim
As Brenda & Alan said ,if the battery is an agm as most full rivers are, just get another agm and install it.
From what you have said you have a pretty good charging regime so it should go well.
I hav 2 agm in my van of different ages and differenr amp hrs. (One 100 & one 120) and have had no problems in the 4 years they have been installed. They are charged by 240 when on power, from the tug by dc to dc charger when driving and also by 180watt solar when camped.
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