Dreammaker
Seasoned Expediter
I am looking to replace my regular batteries with Optima gel cells. Anybody using them? If so, what's been your experience?
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Anybody using Optima batteries?
- Thread starter Dreammaker
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comet_4298
Seasoned Expediter
I've had 4 of the yellow-top for 5yrs.
Started off in the big truck, now 2 of them in the sprinter van,1 in the pickup and sold 1.
Well the only problem I've had was when frist got them I run them way down and had to try to charge them back and it took a lot to get them back up.
Greg334 what inverter do you have that has a setting for the optima battery.
And free, battery and charger,let us in on this one!
Started off in the big truck, now 2 of them in the sprinter van,1 in the pickup and sold 1.
Well the only problem I've had was when frist got them I run them way down and had to try to charge them back and it took a lot to get them back up.
Greg334 what inverter do you have that has a setting for the optima battery.
And free, battery and charger,let us in on this one!
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Dreammaker
Seasoned Expediter
I read on their website that they need an alternator that puts out 13.65 to 15 volts in order to charge them. Mine puts out 14.1 volts. They also say that it takes 210 minutes at 25 amps to achieve a 90% charge - shorter times for higher amps. See:http://www.optimabatteries.com/_media/documents/specs/D31A.pdf.
Dreammaker
Seasoned Expediter
I have heard similar stories of 5 years and still going strong. They have a video of one guy who had blue top (marine use) that got submerged under 8 feet of water during hurricane Katrina. He was sure it was dead. He left it on the pad where his house used to be for awhile and then decided to take it to his boat after trying to buy a new one. He hooked up the voltmeter and found it still had a 12.8 volt charge. That's pretty remarkable.
greg334
Veteran Expediter
It was a package deal, I had to haul some stuff with my pickup to get the battery and he threw in the charger. It is beat up but works.
The charger is a Guest GU16153c, the instructions list an Optima setting and that is what I use. It works well for me but I want to go to something like a Balmar regulator in the future to eliminate the inverter altogether.
Also read a really good article that was sent to me by some guy in Europe. They apparently going to 24 volts in the sleepers over there to lessen the use of the engine to charge the batteries. I guess it is a good thing, they claim with 24 volt setup, the A/C that runs off of batteries can run for 16 to 18 hours in hot conditions instead of 12 to 14 with 12 volts. I am thinking about doing this with my sleeper seeing I am going to be doing the re-wiring thing again soon, the charger can set to 24 volts (I think) and charge three banks at once.
I'm glad you asked about Optima batteries. Diane and I recently purchased four of the yellow top batteries for our truck and I have been meaning to sing their praises.
The immediate difference showed up with the generator. The battery power was enough to keep the generator from running when it normally would. Like many generators out there, ours is set to monitor battery voltage and kick in to recharge the batteries when the voltage drops below a certain point.
If we did not run the generator to heat or cool the sleeper, and were parked to spend the night, the batteries would be fine until about 5:00 a.m. when the generator would kick in to recharge them. With the new Optima batteries, the charge lasts much longer and generator does not kick in to recharge them.
We are thrilled to discover these batteries. Over time, they will save many hours of generator run time. We bought them on sale at a Petro. The warranty is good for five years and the batteries will be replaced by any TA or Petro if they fail (at least that's the claim).
The immediate difference showed up with the generator. The battery power was enough to keep the generator from running when it normally would. Like many generators out there, ours is set to monitor battery voltage and kick in to recharge the batteries when the voltage drops below a certain point.
If we did not run the generator to heat or cool the sleeper, and were parked to spend the night, the batteries would be fine until about 5:00 a.m. when the generator would kick in to recharge them. With the new Optima batteries, the charge lasts much longer and generator does not kick in to recharge them.
We are thrilled to discover these batteries. Over time, they will save many hours of generator run time. We bought them on sale at a Petro. The warranty is good for five years and the batteries will be replaced by any TA or Petro if they fail (at least that's the claim).
EASYTRADER
Expert Expediter
Well I dont have any FANCY yellow batteries but I do have RV/Marine batteries from Sears, deep cycles, we have ahd them over a year and we abuse the hell out of them. They are still going. If the last 2 years Ill be happy, theyre less than 100 bucks a piece anyway. I suspect many of the battery problems expierenced by truckers are caused by DEEP CYCLING starter bateries which arent designed for that type of use.
I did use Gell batteroes years agao in a pickup truck when I lived in AZ and was very happy with it, although it wasnt an optima I think I bought it at Kragen. The dessrt is terrible on batteries.
I did use Gell batteroes years agao in a pickup truck when I lived in AZ and was very happy with it, although it wasnt an optima I think I bought it at Kragen. The dessrt is terrible on batteries.
I hada one for 4 years in my truck this past winter it gave up ....well advance autoparts refused to do anythign about it (still in warrantee. So I tried to contact optima to no avail no responce at all. So I bought a napa battery and it starts better anyways .... esp in cold weather ( 750cca to a 1100cca battery)) love it. i will not have another optima in mine ....