Just found out the warranty has changed.... one year free replacement... A week more throw it away????? From $119.00 with prorating is no longer... Plus the batteries are now 196.00... I explained I always kept one or two new ones for emergency prior to use one or three months????????????? SORRY
I mentioned this similar topic with Interstate 8D batteries.. The consumer is only looking for price.. To meet that price, they give us a battery that will last 1 year..
Actually all auto/truck type batteries warranty has change due to a law suit in Californi a couple of years back.
JimH
Trojan batteries only have a year warranty except the golf cart batteries are 18 months and the group 31 AGM batteries are 2 years.
Very few 8D batteries seem to have a warranty longer than 2 years.
How about lifeline warranty? Fixing to replace my batteries. Had (6) 8D's in it until I had a inverter problem. Lost um all and they were new. Replaced inverter and have had 2 type 31's just to see if everything was working. Just use it to power fridge down the road. Has worked good. Thinking about 6 volt. We never boondock. Plug up or use gen set.
As I remember it Sam's 8Ds always had just a one year warranty, one more reason I switched to 31s and 29s.
I had to replace my 2 8d start batteries last week. I went with 2 1000cca group 31 with 2 year free replacement for 109 ea as opposed to the 2 8d for almost 200 ea and one year warranty. Oh yeah, and not needing 2 men and a small boy to change them was a big plus. I decided to do my pretrip a few days before the actual trip....good thing too cause the batteries were toast. 4 1/2 years on a set of 8d starting batteries I can't complain too much though.
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Lifeline has a 5yr warranty. Not sure they'll cover an inverter malfunction. My last 2-8D's from Lifeline lasted 7yr. Good Luck, TomC
Cat 8D batteries are 2 year free replacement 72 months pro rated their glass mat batteries are 5 years warranty same as Lifeline you can't beat the price when they have their annual sell on batteries and there is no hassle when you return one like other places
I have been nursing my two 8d's along for a while and they may not be savable anymore. When is that Cat battery sale? I am considering dropping down to 31's, but would feel more comfortable with 4d's. Whatever I get, I want to be maintenance free. I like AGM, but would even consider Gel.
Hi All, replaced my 8Ds bought at napa that only lasted 18 months, with Magna group 31s at napa for $99 each no issue with starting, my 5A starts on first crank, as always, that was last month, this month started right up, went to truck stop to fuel up, wouldn't restart, bad battery, good sam roadside guy said one was bad 1/2 hr jump later, bus started drove down to san berdo, parked & dead. Went to try & get ahold of the napa in Lancaster, wasn't open either day, went to different napa, magna not a napa battery, had to buy 2 napa batteries, group 31s. For $125 each, very kind giving me a break at san berdo napa, started easily, went back last week to lancaster napa and they returned my costs for my month old bad batteries. What I learned, down here in LA, 31s are not only easier to handle but good enough to start the italian greyhound, but a bad battery is a bad battery, buy only what you can exchange easily, lvmci...
Some of you guys are using normal truck batteries to feed your inverters?
When I bought our coach, it had two Cat sealed 8D deep cycle batteries. One wouldn't take a charge any more, so I was going to replace both with the same model. However, when they aren't on sale, they were pretty expensive, so I purchased two Interstate 8D deep cycle. Previous owner was talked not to reinstall coach alternator; saying it would gain about 30 hp not having to run it. They told him he could run the generator to recharge when needed. They installed a plate and gasket over drive hole. This was done at same time as rebuilt engine was installed. I"m afraid that, actually, the wrong cam is in the engine, and will require expensive correction. :-[ If so, they probably noticed the problem after engine was installed. I'll let everyone know what I find out down the road.
Buy the Cats only when on sale.
Granted the Lifeline AGM batteries are about twice as expensive as a regular wet battery. But-once you experience practically no maintenance on the AGM batteries, you'll never go back to a wet battery. In the 7 years I had the 2-8D's in the bus, I think I may have cleaned the terminals once. Good Luck, TomC
Ok i had to go out and look at my batteries just now. :) I switched to 2 group 31s for my starting batteries. Tag on them says they are Pacific Power Batteries, Maintenance Free Series, and have a 15 month free replacement warranty. Since i put them in i have never done anything to them, never even touched the cables, my 8v71 has always started right up as soon as i touch the switch. They are mounted up front where the 8Ds were. Oh yeah, the punch date on them shows that i bought them in Aug. of 05. ;D
Tom, you're right that they are the best for a constant coach user, but most likely most of us don't use a coach enough(yet) to invest in such great batteries.Once I, We experience what a nuisance wet cells can be, we'll probably consider them.
BTW, what about large or huge Li-Ion down the road or Ni-Mh when they might be affordable, if ever?
I've learned that not all battery suppliers are equal. Some stores have a consistent supplier, some suppliers even manufacture their own batteries. Some buy them from China and get the cheapest they can find, then put their own stickers on them. We bought 3 Group 31's for a trolley coach in our museum fleet. After shopping around for the best price, we bought from a local supplier. The 3 batteries looked identical, but one was noticeably lighter in weight. Too early to tell if that one was inferior, but I have my suspicions.
Bryan
Chessie-- While it is true that we don't really need a 50DN alternator, it is good to have something. Our coach does not have the 50DN, but has a small 24v, 45 amp, one wire alternator run off the pulleys behind the engine. It is not particularly expensive and any good auto electric shop can make one up or repair it.
Our business moves. Over 300 batteries a year, the single large issue, that is the date info,
A battery over 60 days old should be avoided.
Dave M
I'm not planning to use the coach without an alternator, unfortunately the previous owner was talked into leaving it off, probably from wrong camshaft and engine repair facility didn't want to eat the labor to correct it on a reman engine. (speculation now till I actually check it in a couple of weeks.) If it needs different cam, I'll spend the money to correct as it was a dumb decision.
By the way-the AGM battery is exactly what a sometime user should use. AGM batteries have a very low discharge rate and can be charged very fast as long as you don't over volt them. Good Luck, TomC
Quote from: TomC on July 12, 2013, 10:15:17 PM
By the way-the AGM battery is exactly what a sometime user should use. AGM batteries have a very low discharge rate and can be charged very fast as long as you don't over volt them. Good Luck, TomC
I don't use my bus all that often and I finally put in group 31 AGM starting batteries in 2010 after losing two sets of starting batteries over three or four years. I still have to keep a Battery Tender on them or they will go dead due to parasitic draws from the DDEC and other things. They do seem to stay up longer when I am not on battery charger.
If I was doing it over again I would probably just have one bank of batteries for starting and house batteries. I considered moving my house batteries down where the start batteries are last year, but the compartment was an inch or two too small for my house batteries.
I have 4 8d NAPA batteries that I use for starting and house that have lasted for six years.They are getting weak and finally need replacing.I checked with NAPA and their batteries are $200 each.
Don