8D Batteries suck!

[Slide]

I have been using 8D batteries from Sam,s Club ($ 175.00 ea. ) I,m lucky to get two years out them.Is there anything better out there? Maybe another brand 8D?

[Lin]

I don't think that it is the 8D batteries that are necessarily at fault.  Battery maintenance is a huge factor in battery life.  There are those on this board that get the same couple of years that you do from batteries, but there are others that get several times that.  I think you will find that the big difference is in how they take care of them.  Follow that advise of those guys that use them for 5 or 6 years and yours should do the same.

[Slide]

Besides topping up with distilled water. What else?

[luvrbus]

Yea, buy the calcium construction 8D they are maintenance free last 8 to 10 years for starting Cat dealers have good ones for around what you are paying at Sam's fwiw here the Sam's Club sell the 8D Interstate for 129.00 why so much there ? or buy 4 group 31 but not from Sam's they are junk also.
I get around a year from the group 31 from Sam's it was ok till they cut the warranty to 6 months draw back to replacing with group 31 more cables

[Eagle Andy]

I have two NAPA 8ds and they are going on 5 years old and came close to freezing one year lol I just do normal maintence once a month. My bus is plugged in all the time when not movin down the road,

[rv_safetyman]

It sounds to me like you are not being careful to keep your batteries from going below 50% state of charge.  If you run your batteries below that value consistently, they will die an early death.

There are lots of threads on the subject.  Also tons of sites.

Most folks who are careful about their batteries use a SOC gauge.  I use a Bogart Trimetric as do many folks:

http://www.bogartengineering.com/

A voltmeter is not a good measure of SOC.  The battery has to have no flow in or out for many hours before a voltmeter is of any value.  That does not happen with our units.  If your batteries have been stable for many hours, 50% SOC is about 12.2 volts.

My guess is that you let your batteries get way below that value.

Jim

[Len Silva]

I have had multiple problems with batteries from Sams.  In one case, I bought three GRP 31's that turned out to be two years old on the shelf.  Generally good luck with NAPA or Interstate.  Make friends with your local Interstate dealer, sometimes some good deals on blems, especially if you can wait for them.

The vast majority of battery purchases are "gotta have it right now", so if you let them know what you are looking for and can wait, there are deals out there.

[HighTechRedneck]

Besides topping up with distilled water. What else?

• Keep their charge maintained.  Letting batteries sit for extended period of time without a maintainer is a major culprit.  A small battery maintainer for each battery can help.
• Avoid discharging them lower than their specifications indicate.
• Charge at the right voltage for the batteries.  Excessive charging on a simple basic battery charger can overcharge them and boil them.  A good quality three stage charger is recommended by some of the folks that get the most life out of their batteries.
• Check them regularly for water level and test with a hydrometer as described by Jim.
• Use your disconnect switches when parked for more than a few hours.
• Keep them clean and terminals free of corrosion

[robertglines1]

I think the guys pretty well covered it. I now run 4 group 31 batt with a constant maintainer when not in use.6yrs old now and still starting .  Bought from my local batt supply house $42 each now $56 in 2010. Had one go bad. Believe it or not mouse got fried between positive post and frame of bus.First for me and must have made enough of a short and amperage flow to kick fuse on that leg of charger /maintainer and kill battery. replaced it and had all others load tested and battery guy said just to do the one that they were strong and didn't need replaced.   Fwiw   Bob

[TomC]

I tried Caterpillar batteries and was not impressed.  Personally like Lifeline AGM batteries.  Install them with a smart charger and basically forget about them.  No water to fill since they are sealed, and because they are sealed, do not gas-hence the terminals do not get dirty.  I have 6 year old 8D Lifeline AGM's that are still going strong.  Worth the extra money.  Good Luck, TomC

[luvrbus]

TomC by now we all know you are impressed with LifeLine do you know who makes the Cat AGM batteries I do CAT has good batteries I used those for over 20 years without problems warranty was never a issue have a bad take it back no questions asked or testing.
Five hundred a pop for the LifeLine 8D's this guy can get a battery for less than 1/2 of that and will work just as good and last as long


good luck

[Lonnie time to go]

8d lifeline agms

OMG  lifeline 8d google was  $800.00

I payed $194.00 for mine 4 years ago

Lonnie

[gus]

8Ds are just too heavy for an old wimp like me so I go with Gp 31s. My 4107 has 8Ds so I'm stuck with them until they die but will replace with 31s.

I bought four 31s for my 4104 from Sam's five years ago, they are still going strong with no signs of problems. Sam's and WM will replace a bad battery, no questions asked and they are all over the country, the major advantage to me as we travel all over the US.

I've never seen a WM or Sam's battery more than two months old, I always check closely before buying. No, I don't own WM stock and don't even like the way they operate!!

I remove them every year of so and completely clean the terminals and connectors. Post terminals will develop a black, very thin coat of corrosion in spite of anything you can do. It doesn't even appear to be corrosion except in very strong light, but it is. The posts must be silver shiny clean as well as the insides of the clamps.

[bobofthenorth]

I just finally replaced the two 8-Ds that were in the bus when we bought it 7-1/2 years ago.  They were old when we bought the bus so I have no idea how old they were when I finally pulled them out.  They were flooded batteries and that's what I replaced them with.  I more or less ignored them the whole time we had them.  Occasionally I cleaned the terminals.  I think I might have checked the water twice.  About the only "special" treatment I ever gave them was to throw the disconnect switch when we used to park it for the winter.  If the ones I just bought do even half as well I'll consider myself well treated.  The new ones came from NAPA but I have no idea where the originals came from.

[HB of CJ]

Like already said, they are so heavy.  Had to hire some big young guy to install my last pair.  He just scooped them up the plunked them in.  Wow, to be young again!

I had to buy new ones because the old ones where overcharged bone dry from overcharging.  Seems someone left the charger on when he was sure it was off.  Don't ask who.

Anyhow...if done again, it would be nice to be able to $afford$ the new fancy absorbed gas mat type, but then like already said before again, they are sooss $expensive$.  Yikes!  HB of CJ (old coot)