Deep cycle battery

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Hi Mark,

here are a few facts for you:

flooded (wet) type batteries in the 12V 'mono bloc' configuration aren't really deep cycle capable.

If your old flooded battery was subject to frequent cycling (discharging below 20~30% depth of discharge), then 3.5 years isn't too bad really.

But for significantly better life expectancy under the same conditions, you want gel, or better yet AGM technology.
The only time one of these may be outlived by a flooded design is under high operating temperature conditions like under the bonnet which is a moot point in your case.

I also recommend to look at the charging side of things, when it comes to replacing the battery.

Expect to pay about $2 per Ah, for a good quality AGM battery.

More information can be found in our profile.

cheers, Peter

You shouldn't be using a wet cell deep cycle inside a canopy. You are running the risk if an explosion if a bit of hydrogen from the battery sees a spark from your fridge.

AGM are safer. Most of the cheap AGMs (eg fullriver, remco etc) should be current limited to around 25 amps and can die when charged directly from an alternator via decent wiring. My Remco went that way. The Optima AGMs can take any current you throw at them, but will cost more and their capacity is less.

Thre is no perfect battery solution - you just need to know the charging characteristics of he battery you own and look after it accordingly. If you want a battery you can install and forget, then get an Optima.