Battery source?

[Sean]

... I had 6-220AH 6V bats originally (660AH total). I have drastically reduced the amount of total draw on the house system recently by removing the basement freezer. ... The Heart doesn't have a manually adjustable charger. It has a dial and lights to show the amperage it's putting out, but other than shutting off the charger side altogether, I can't manually control it. ... I figured 660AH was enough to run a city LOL. But now I'm thinking differently. ...

OK, I think we are closing in.

First, remember that flooded cells should never be drawn down below 50%.  So 660ah total really means 330ah usable.  To put that in perspective, that's just under 4 kWh (kilowatt-hours).  Our coach, for example, uses an average of 3-4 kWh per day, without any A/C or heat -- just refrigeration and "normal living."  Since we boondock a lot, we have roughly four times your amount of usable battery capacity, and, even then, we can only go 2-3 days before having to charge somehow.

The strongest recommendation I can make to you now is to buy and install a quality battery meter such as the Xantrex Link-10 or Tri-Metric, before you invest in new batteries.  These are pricey, around $200 (although sometimes they come up on eBay for $150 or so).  But the knowledge and confidence it will give you is priceless -- correctly installed and configured, you will know unequivocally how much energy you are using, how much is left in your batteries, and how much charge they need or are getting.

The meter will let you monitor the health of your battery bank, so you can avoid another costly battery wipe-out.  Which is why I advise you to put it in place before putting in another set of batteries.

With regard to the original question, bear in mind that "8D" is a physical dimension, nothing more.  If you intend to switch from a deep-cycle "traction" type battery to a "starting" or "marine" type battery to save money, I think you will be disappointed in the results.  I wrote extensively about this here:
http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?topic=4329.msg39499#msg39499
and more here:
http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?topic=3291.msg29687#msg29687

After reading through those threads, you should be able to make a more informed decision about replacement batteries (did I mention you should do that after installing a meter?) 

Hope this helps.

-Sean
http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com

[PP]

Thanks Sean,
I'm looking into the battery meter. Sounds like another invaluable tool when it comes to bus ownership .
I've also been calling around and trying to strike a deal on an 8D Deep cycle. I only have room for one
I read the links you posted (again). They are good sources of information and very enlightening. The information I garnered here will have an impact on what I finally decide to do , Will

[PP]

New batteries are in! I still haven't gotten a battery meter, but it is on my shopping list. (I'm currently in the boonies) In the meantime, I will be watching these babies like a hawk I didn't replace all 6, but went with 4-6V 220AH Deeps. After reading through all the battery threads and supplied links again, I decided that 8D's and 12V Marines were not going to cut the mustard afterall (Thanks Sean). Thanks again for all the information and great help everyone provided.
BTW Dallas, I'm leaving the Lester out of the mix and just using the Heart for now.
Will & Wife

I forgot to add, the people at Allied Battery in Medford Oregon were great to work with. They were honest and knowledgeable and more interested in making me happy than taking my money. Hope this doesn't violate any board rules.

[Old4103]

Glad to hear things are working out Will.

I wasn't  proposing that the Lester was bad, but that possibly it's charging profile was incorrect for the system you had.
According to the Lester documents I have, many of the different models they make have adjustable parameters. usually by mechanical means.

Dallas

[H3Jim]

PP, just an additional option. 

If you are going to go solar, and getting a good solar controller, there is one made by Blue Sky that has a great battery meter included.  I have 600 watts of solar panels, and I was thankful I had not purchased a separate battery meter.

[PP]

Thanks for the heads up, but we don't have any plans for solar in the near future. I like the idea of free energy in any form, but the wife put her foot down. No more things on the roof. If she could learn to live without TV even the sat dish would come down LOL