2016/17 View / Navion House Batteries

Canyonlands · 07-17-2016, 09:12 PM

I'm new here and have a 2017 View 24J on the way to us. I ordered the solar package and know the house batteries are two flooded group 24s but nothing more about them.

I'm wondering how these perform, what they weigh and measure, and whether it would be far better to replace them with either two Trojan 24-AGMs or two Lifeline GPL-24Ts.

Are the factory batts good enough to not worry about for a few years, or would we likely enjoy a battery upgrade?

Thanks!

l1v3fr33ord1 · 07-18-2016, 03:54 AM

Ron and Kelly-

If you can find the batteries and read the labels off them, it would make for better advice.

If they are true deep-cycle batteries, and you:

1) Maintain correct electrolyte levels (perhaps using this product)
2) Do not regularly discharge the batteries below 50 percent
3) Do not let the batteries discharge completely
4) Charge them occasionally during the off-season

then you should get several years of life from them.

If they are not true deep-cycle batteries, consider replacing them now or in a few years.

The big advantage to AGMs is that they don't require electrolyte maintenance. You can still kill them prematurely by discharging them too far or too often. A quality battery monitor, if you don't have one already, can help you by clearly tracking the batteries' state of charge.

Here are three Web sites for useful reference material:

The 12volt Side of Life (Part 1)
TriMetric Model Descriptions, Present and Past - Bogart Engineering
The RV BATTERY CHARGING PUZZLE

Canyonlands · 07-18-2016, 08:52 AM

Thanks Mark! Great general advice. Thanks for the links.

I'm also hoping to hear from late model View/Navion owners about the specifics of the coach batteries Winnebago is using.
We don't have our RV yet and will have only a few weeks to sort it out before leaving on a 3,500 mile trip.
What I'd really like to know is if the AGM batteries I mentioned are a big improvement over the performance over those installed at the factory, and what the weight difference is. The AGMs I'm considering are 54 and 56 pounds each and are rated at 137 and 149 minutes of discharge at 25 amps.

OLYLEN · 07-18-2016, 10:03 AM

The batteries installed should do the job, but if you are going to boondock a lot then bigger is better. If you are going into hot climates the AGM' s don't like hot temps and make sure the charging system supports the AGM battery. Personally we do boondock about half time and run high end flooded as big as the space allows. A little work but I can purchase two sets for the money if they fail. I would run the original install and see how your way of RVing fits your batteries. While on the road if you decide you need an upgrade almost every reasonably sized town will have what you need and then replace with the biggest baddest that fit.

LEN

Tinbender47 · 07-21-2016, 08:26 AM

We have a Navion 24J with the solar package. The house batteries are NAPA wet. We are already experiencing problems with these 2 batteries. We have had the coach since January and been out 3-4 trips. We have had problems with our Jacks not working and they need to level the coach as the fridge is kinda picky about not being level. Also the invertor system quit because of low batteries after 2 hours of use. Not heavy usage either, CPAP machine was only appliance on.
Was told by Camping World to make sure the house batterys are fully charged. DUH
Looks like new batteries are in the future, pretty soon.

Canyonlands · 07-21-2016, 11:28 AM

Thanks. After learning the factory installed batteries are NAPA brand, I was able to determine that it's likely the NAPA 8240.

This is a 42 pound battery. 9 3/8" H, 10 3/4" L, and 6 3/4" D.

The Trojan 24-AGM is roughly the same form factor, maintenance free and would only cut into carrying capacity by 24 pounds.

Costco and Interstate are two popular sources for lower cost batteries but I'm not aware of how these compare to the Trojan 24-AGM specs.

dancogan · 07-21-2016, 12:10 PM

The Navion/View motorhomes do not come with deep discharge batteries. The standard two batteries will work just fine if you're not doing a lot of boondocking. We went 5 nights at Denali NP with just a portable 100W solar panel and 2 short runs of the generator for coffee. However a couple of good 6V batteries (golf cart) will give you more capacity and last longer.

Canyonlands · 07-21-2016, 01:05 PM

The two downsides that come with using two 6v golf cart batteries is weight cutting into your carrying capacity, and the modification needed to properly secure them. Aside from that, it's a great upgrade to the View/Navion for anyone looking to camp unplugged.

S Bradley · 08-08-2016, 11:07 AM

We rarely connect to the pwr grid when traveling and the factory installed batteries have served us well. We conserve pwr while camping usually 3 to 4 days with no problem. If you travel every couple days the batteries will charge.
I am considering changing over to T105s when they die, they are heavy but worth it for the additional power.

You need to see just how you use your RV most people don't stay put for long periods of time, that's why it's on wheels.

dancogan · 08-08-2016, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by S Bradley

We rarely connect to the pwr grid when traveling and the factory installed batteries have served us well. We conserve pwr while camping usually 3 to 4 days with no problem. If you travel every couple days the batteries will charge.
I am considering changing over to T105s when they die, they are heavy but worth it for the additional power.

You need to see just how you use your RV most people don't stay put for long periods of time, that's why it's on wheels.

Absolutely correct there, S Bradley. And not many of us are lucky enough to live in Alaska. Where and when we camp we often run the a/c, especially when our dog(s) are
camping with us.

Canyonlands · 08-08-2016, 05:16 PM

When I started this topic I was thinking about just getting a better group 24 battery from a source known for serving the marine industry.

Now that I've seen that two GC2 6Vs will easily fit inside the battery box, I'll be installing the Trojan T-105s or better, pretty soon.

NYBobbo · 08-08-2016, 05:51 PM

don't be afraid to use the gen... it will last longer and run better with use

I have the OEM on my View and when needed I crank the gen, that's why i have it, no problem running it all night, otherwise why do you have a generator.

The solar 100 w keeps it charging during the day (or when in storaage) and the gen tops it off. I really don't know why people have such a problem running their gen that they paid for.

When these batteries go bad I'll replace them with something with more capacity since it makes sense to upgrade while replacing them but not before.

Canyonlands · 08-08-2016, 09:14 PM

Thanks. We're not afraid to use the generator, just not likely to most times. I plan to optimize our batteries, solar and draws on the same. The generator is similar to a spare tire within our routine. Our last trailer didn't even have one.

Solar is a huge luxury and it's working great so far, even out here in the PNW.

Bobs911 · 08-18-2016, 09:42 PM

The factory Napa batteries are Marine batteries. About 160 total amps. Not suited for dry camping. In 30 degree weather on long January nights, the batteries were nearly flat by 4AM with the furnace set to 55.

Now I have two 6v deep cycle Costco GC-2 made by Trojan. They fit easily. I have 220 amp/hours. A safe draw of 50% let's me use about 110 amps over night. I also have 480 amps of solar on the roof. A bit of an overkill, but it's great on those short winter days with low sun angle. We rarely use the generator.

NYBobbo · 08-19-2016, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canyonlands

Thanks. We're not afraid to use the generator, just not likely to most times. I plan to optimize our batteries, solar and draws on the same. The generator is similar to a spare tire within our routine. Our last trailer didn't even have one.

Solar is a huge luxury and it's working great so far, even out here in the PNW.

Just remember to run the gen several hour per month - they need to run or you will have problems and they might not run when you need them.

Canyonlands · 08-19-2016, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobs911

The factory Napa batteries are Marine batteries. About 160 total amps. Not suited for dry camping. In 30 degree weather on long January nights, the batteries were nearly flat by 4AM with the furnace set to 55.

Now I have two 6v deep cycle Costco GC-2 made by Trojan. They fit easily. I have 220 amp/hours. A safe draw of 50% let's me use about 110 amps over night. I also have 480 amps of solar on the roof. A bit of an overkill, but it's great on those short winter days with low sun angle. We rarely use the generator.

Thanks Bob and Kathy. Did you start with the factory 100W solar system or is your 480 watts completely aftermarket?

I'd be very pleasantly surprised if the Costco batteries were made by Trojan. I'm not aware of Trojan selling theirs to other suppliers like Deka does. Either way, the Costco GC2s are one of the best deals out there on flooded 6Vs.