batteries

Correct me if I'm wrong but would'nt that mean they would be used together rather than separately.
Perhaps connected as above with an isolator switch between them to be used after charging completed and each battery connected to the different uses Richo requires of them.

Hi sheps,

I guess the OP wants to discharge each battery separately, so they're probably 'being used on their own' - and come charging time, they're put in parallel because this makes for shortest possible charging times.

cheers, Peter

Hi sheps and Phil G, there is no reason why you would need to separate the batteries, for either charging or discharging them.

This applies to all types of 12v lead acid batteries whether they be automotive type AGM, standby type AGMs, gel or flooded wet cell batteries, they can all be paralleled and in mixed set ups and nothing will happen to harm any of them.

This not being able to parallel different types of 12v lead acid batteries is nothing more than an old wives tale, and before all the doomsday sayers tell you the world will come to an end if you do, have them post up a link to one single documented event where a problem has occurred in a vehicle or caravan or CT because dissimilar batteries were wired up in parallel.

Gday Drivesafe,
I agree, but I guess it boils down to our appetite for risk, and how far off the beaten track we travel. I don't like it when a battery drops a cell and pulls the other good battery down with it. And isolators are cheaper than batteries.

Hi again Phil, true, dropping a cell will pull all batteries connected to the faulty one, down to 10.5v, but while this will be a pain at the time, as soon as the crook battery is removed from the set up, all other batteries can be recharged.

It is a very rare situation that any of the other batteries will be damaged because another battery in a parallel set up dies.

So unless the batteries are left in a low discharged state of 10.5v for a week or so, you will just be inconvenienced.

Cheers.