gel battery

[chessie4905]

Anybody familiar with this one? Opinion?

http://www.apexbattery.com/ub8d-gel-12v-250ah-group-8d-deep-cycle-battery.html?utm_source=googlepepla&utm_medium=adwords&id=78242868306&gclid=CN3iv_rVlMcCFQcJkQoda1IPqA

[TomC]

It is an AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) battery. 260 amp/hr is as high as I've ever seen from an 8D battery. I use Lifeline 8D AGM that are 255amp/hr. They are very heavy, but are the best type of battery for the money now. Especially these batteries-almost half the cost of what an Lifeline is. I highly recommend AGM batteries. My last set went 7 years and in that time, I did virtually nothing-not even cleaning the terminals-to the batteries. It was as though they weren't even there. Good Luck, TomC

[TomC]

One more thing, these batteries have only a 12 month warranty. Lifeline has a 5yr warranty.

[belfert]

If it really is a gel battery I would stay away.  The description says both AGM and gel.  They are not the same.  Gel batteries will not work with a standard battery charger.  AGM can be charged with a normal lead acid charger, but they work even better with a charger with an AGM setting.

[Jon]

Brian is absolutely correct, and to go a little further, if it is a Gel and not an AGM it will be heat sensitive. That almost dictates that you put it in a cool area of the coach, well ventilated, and the charger should not only be set for the Gel charging protocol, but should have battery heat sensor(s).

Gel batteries are good, but not very forgiving.

[HB of CJ]

Also consider the size and weight?  If one has a larger type battery bank, getting into and replacing one of these monsters might require lots of infrastructure.  Would many more smaller batteries be a better engineering/ replacement decision?