VMAXTANKS 6 Volt 225Ah AGM Battery good batteries?

[lockmup68]

VMAXTANKS 6 Volt 225Ah AGM Battery good batteries?

 

Guy nearby me ordered 6 of them, but they won't fit his application. Still wrapped up and new in boxes. Best price I can find is $260 each shipped on Amazon, can get these for $200 each and I can pick up local. About $550 discount. Is this a good option for the Teton batt bank?

 

 

• 9.5"*7.3"*11"h Heavy Duty 6V AGM DEEP CYCLE BATTERY with Float Service Life span of 8 to 10 years.
• Electrolyte Suspension system VMAX tanks utilize an electrolyte suspension system consisting AGM (Absorbed Glass Matt) of a high porosity that totally absorb and contain the electrolyte. No silica gels or any other contaminants are used.
• Heavy Duty Grids: VMAX heavy duty lead tin alloys provide an extra margin of performance and service life in either float or cyclic applications, even after repeated over discharges.
• # Maintenance Free Operation: There is no need to check specific gravity of the electrolyte or add water to VMAX tanks during float service life. In fact, there is no provision for this type of maintenance.

V6-225

Superior Plates with an expected life span of 10 to 12 years in float service applications.

 

Nominal Voltage 20Hr Capacity RC (min) Energy

(kWH) Terminal Posts Dimensions Weight Charging Current* Charging Voltage Float Voltage 6V 225AH 500 1.550 8mm (included) 9.5"w x 7.3"d x 11"h 72lb 15A-55A 6.9-7.05V 6.69V-6.81V 25A @ 1.75/Cell 500Min

75A @ 1.75/Cell

125Min

 

Operating Temperature Range:

• Discharge: -4~140F
• Charge: 14~140F
• Storage: -4~140F

Temperature Compensation:

• Cycle use: -15mV/C
• Standby use: -10mV/C

UPC: 804879288206

BCI Group Codes*:

Matching Termination: GC2

 

https://www.amazon.com/VMAXTANKS-Volt-225Ah-AGM-Battery/dp/B009MOR58A

 

thanks for the input

[Yarome]

Check the manufacture date. Preferably within 6 months old, but then again.. at $200 a pop.. YES... GRAB THEM!! Before he changes his mind.

 

If AGM's are what you really need/want, you won't find anything within $300 of those prices.

[lockmup68]

Check the manufacture date. Preferably within 6 months old, but then again.. at $200 a pop.. YES... GRAB THEM!! Before he changes his mind.

 

If AGM's are what you really need/want, you won't find anything within $300 of those prices.

 

I really would like lithium batts, but I think that is out of the budget right now.

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

If they fit in the area you need then they're fine.

[lockmup68]

So picked up all 6 this morning. All new in box, receipt from purchase in Jan, Date code of 12/17 on each one. Fulltimer who purchased everything to do a solar system and the motor blew on the motorhome. So selling off everything purchased to pay for motor rebuild. There is also a brand new in box Magnum 2012H Inverter/charger, 2 Blue Sky 30 amp MPPT controllers with remote monitors, master cut off switch, wire, etc. that she is selling. 

So, 6-6v 225ah VMAX batts are now in my possession. Got a little better deal than advertised, so happy with purchase. If that inverter would have been a 3012, I would have run back to the bank in a heartbeat.

If someone wants her contact info for the MPPT controllers and such, just let me know.

Now the question on mounting. I have been thinking of an 2 inch angle slide in, like a tic, tack, toe grid, rack, but the angle is pretty heavy. The batts are 72 lbs each, or 432 lbs total. 2 inch angle at 3/16 = 3.06 lb per foot of angle. and if my calcs are correct, it would take 20' of angle to make the rack, so another 60-70lbs of weight just in angle iron. Add in wire and stuff, getting to be over 500 lbs. Would making the rack out of wood be a bad idea? I was thinking 2x4s with all the weight on side. It would take up more space, but weigh less. Maybe too little weight savings to make a difference? # batteries tall x 2 wide or 2 batteries tall x 3 wide to spread out the weight a bit more? 

On the Teton, I was thinking to locate the batteries where they usually put the generator, passenger side front, up against the wall. That way it is on opposite side of the propane tanks and kitchen slide. 

 

 

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

Keeping the balance on the Teton is a good idea.  Since these are AGM's, Keeping them from sliding around is the issue.  Once in place and cabled together, with all 6 batteries together, a piece of angle around the outside would work, or a box like Chad just did on his new DRV would work.  

Anything that keeps the batteries from sliding and protecting the terminals from arcing is the goal.

[Yarome]

I would stick with angle iron. I doubt the weight savings would be significant enough to warrant the space requirements (providing that works within your CCC). I wouldn't go higher than a 2 stack.. and remember.. their orientation is flexible as long as your interconnection cables are equal. Ie., Long side down facing out in a dual tier rack.. whatever is going to maximize your space and allow the most convenient cabling and maintanence.

The generator bay is a good option.. if you can make it work. It's likely already reinforced to 500lbs and will likely give you the best weight distribution. It wouldn't hurt to do a load out (fill the LP/water, etc.) and get individual wheel weights to work off of.

[Chad Heiser]

14 hours ago, Alie&Jim's Carrilite said:

Keeping the balance on the Teton is a good idea.  Since these are AGM's, Keeping them from sliding around is the issue.  Once in place and cabled together, with all 6 batteries together, a piece of angle around the outside would work, or a box like Chad just did on his new DRV would work.  

Anything that keeps the batteries from sliding and protecting the terminals from arcing is the goal.

I actually used angle iron screwed to the floor to keep my batteries in place.  The boxes just slide over the top of the batteries to keep all my other gear in that compartment (when I actually load it in there) from coming into contact with the batteries.

[Chad Heiser]

19 hours ago, lockmup68 said:

Now the question on mounting. I have been thinking of an 2 inch angle slide in, like a tic, tack, toe grid, rack, but the angle is pretty heavy. The batts are 72 lbs each, or 432 lbs total. 2 inch angle at 3/16 = 3.06 lb per foot of angle. and if my calcs are correct, it would take 20' of angle to make the rack, so another 60-70lbs of weight just in angle iron. Add in wire and stuff, getting to be over 500 lbs. Would making the rack out of wood be a bad idea? I was thinking 2x4s with all the weight on side. It would take up more space, but weigh less. Maybe too little weight savings to make a difference? # batteries tall x 2 wide or 2 batteries tall x 3 wide to spread out the weight a bit more? 

On the Teton, I was thinking to locate the batteries where they usually put the generator, passenger side front, up against the wall. That way it is on opposite side of the propane tanks and kitchen slide. 

 

I am going to be installing six 6 volt AGM batteries in a friend's trailer this weekend.  I plan to mount them in his trailer's generator compartment as well.  I plan to place all six batteries on the floor of the compartment without stacking (2 wide with the batteries end to end, and 3 deep with two more batteries end to end resting up against the first two and so on - if that makes sense).  I will then use angle iron on three sides of the bank and the back ball of the compartment as the fourth side to keep the batteries in place.  I will then build a bottomless box out of half inch OSB or Plywood to fit around the batteries.  The box will slide over top of the rectangle of batteries (I will leave a half inch gap between the back wall and the first row of batteries to allow the box to slip in place).  The box will sit over top of the angle iron and won't be used to hold the batteries, just to protect them.  The box will have a removable top to allow access to the batteries without removing the whole box.  This will allow for the compartment to be used for additional storage if necessary without affecting the batteries.

[lockmup68]

I was thinking of going vertically. I can see how doing it on the floor would make it simplier, but I was thinking for the wiring and for space, vertically would work. Maybe too much weight in smaller area? Like this:

In the teton, would be on the front, passenger side, just behind the right leveler jack. 

Anpther idea is there is a 3 inch angle iron above the front door, generator access door if we had a genset in there, and it looks like all six batts would be able to fit side by side across the space. I was thinking of using that angle as the back, bottom rest for the batteries and build another angle for the front side of the batts (and on top like a cage) and then a brace down to the floor on each end. That would keep them up out of the way. Maybe too heavy for that spot? I'll have to take pics and measurements next time I'm out at the trailer this weekend. 

So in reading a bunch last few days, I read something like, "using 6-volt batts, ah stays the same," but others spots said, "using 6-volt batts, the ah's are halved." So if I have 6-6v225ah batteries, do I have 1350 ah or 675 ah? When I started, I was in 'absorb all you can' mode, now I'm just confused.  I will admit I ain't the sharpest tack in the toolshed, but I can usually figure things out. I did get taking to the toolshed a bunch when I was a kid, so there is that.

 

 

[Yarome]

A three sided box out of 1/4" ply should be sufficient... or possibly half inch on top if he plans on storing anything heavy in there. With a solid frame to support any top weight you could even go lighter on the sides.. like 1/8". It only needs to keep them isolated from anything shifting into the batteries, but I would tend to want to go only as heavy as necessary.

I would even consider just a frame with 3 sided plexiglass and an appropriately thick removable top.

[Yarome]

Meaurements and a photo would be exceptionally helpful to offer many ideasx

It's not so much "halved" as capacity just isn't accumulative when wired in series. Voltage is. So.. 2x6v = 12v w/225ah's capacity... 3x12v "sets" in parallel for a total of 12v w/675ah's.

[Chad Heiser]

8 minutes ago, lockmup68 said:

I was thinking of going vertically. I can see how doing it on the floor would make it simplier, but I was thinking for the wiring and for space, vertically would work. Maybe too much weight in smaller area? Like this:

In the teton, would be on the front, passenger side, just behind the right leveler jack. 

Anpther idea is there is a 3 inch angle iron above the front door, generator access door if we had a genset in there, and it looks like all six batts would be able to fit side by side across the space. I was thinking of using that angle as the back, bottom rest for the batteries and build another angle for the front side of the batts (and on top like a cage) and then a brace down to the floor on each end. That would keep them up out of the way. Maybe too heavy for that spot? I'll have to take pics and measurements next time I'm out at the trailer this weekend. 

So in reading a bunch last few days, I read something like, "using 6-volt batts, ah stays the same," but others spots said, "using 6-volt batts, the ah's are halved." So if I have 6-6v225ah batteries, do I have 1350 ah or 675 ah? When I started, I was in 'absorb all you can' mode, now I'm just confused.  I will admit I ain't the sharpest tack in the toolshed, but I can usually figure things out. I did get taking to the toolshed a bunch when I was a kid, so there is that.

 

 

You can install AGM batteries in any orientation, so you can do either way you describe.  I personally like to spread the weight of the batteries out over as much floor space as possible.  If I were building a rack or stack set up, I would want to make sure whatever is connected to the floor was connected to framing and not just plywood.

As for the amp hours, when you connect 6 volt batteries in series to get 12 volts, the voltage adds and the amp hours remain the same.  So six 225 amp hour 6 volt batteries in series parallel configuration to make a 12 volt bank would give you 675 amp hours (3 x 225) of which half would be available for usage (337.5) before you hurt them.

[lockmup68]

apologies for too many dumb questions, so do I need to wire them in 12v series parallel? What voltage should I be using? can the magnum 3012 handle different voltages than 12v? Better question is how should it be done? Did I mess up by buying 6v batteries instead of 12v? 

[Chad Heiser]

The wiring diagram you attached is exactly how they should be wired.  Quality 6 volt batteries are a good way to go.  You want to build a 12 volt bank because that is how the trailer is designed to run so wiring the 6 volts in series pairs to make 12 volt and then wiring the pairs in parallel to make a large 12 volt bank is how many people use six volt batteries.  There are a few people who have gone to higher voltage battery banks to allow for smaller wire runs and some other benefits, but these higher voltage banks then have to be stepped back down to 12 volt somehow to interact with the 12 volt appliances/lights/etc already in your trailer.  It creates other headaches.

You are on the right track.  Now you just need to figure out how you want to mount them.  Again, I like to keep the batteries low and spread out over the floor.  This gives the best support without having to reinforce anything (typically).  It also keeps the center of gravity low.  When you start mounting the batteries up high or in stacks, there is nothing wrong with it but it adds additional requirements for bracing and balance/etc that often aren't worth the effort to design and incorporate.  It doesn't mean that you can't do it and I have seen installs where it was done, but those instals were properly engineered to support that specific set up.

[Yarome]

Not at all! Nothing dumb about asking questions.

Yes.. if you have a 3012 (12 denotes 12v input) then you'll need to wire for a 12v series/parallel bank. Magnums come in either 12/24/48v configurations (3012/3024/3048).

The diagram you posted earlier is correct and will give you a 12v bank w/675ah's capacity... and as Chad mentioned.. @50% SOC.. 330ish "usable".

Absolutely not!! The 6v GC type batteries will give you better performance in the long haul.. and you certainly couldn't pass up the deal you got on them. That was a definate win/win. You're right on track.

[lockmup68]

Appreciate it. Now to decide Victron vs. Magnum....mo money, mo money. 

I did get a killer deal on the batts, $166 each out the door. I have lots of dumb questions, If I add batteries to this bank of 6v batts wired in series/parallel, does each battery have to be the same 6V and amp hour, or could I add different batteries, like a 12v, 300ah battery to the bank? I would like to get to ~600 ah usable eventually. but adding 6 more of these batteries is 432 lbs just in batteries. Or if I'm learning here, a 12v 260 ah battery is actually 260 ah (vs. needing 2 6v 260ah batteries, wired in series, for 12v, is still 260ah). and adding 2-12v 260ah batteries to the 6-6v 235ah batteries, would add 260ah usable (260 x 2 @ 50% usable = 260ah) would give me 590ah usable (330 + 260). 

I try to only ask the question one time and learn from it. Apologies in advance for my slow learning curve.

Ordered a roll of 4/0 wire, hydraulic crimper, lug ends, heat shrink, etc. today. I think I need to order: fuse block, neg buss bar, wire and connectors (what size?) catastrophe fuse (300a?), main shut off, jackalopee, and ??? 

Back out at the trailer today resanding cabinets, fun, fun, fun....

[Chad Heiser]

It is not recommended to mix battery types, sizes, etc.  Different batteries take different charge rates and have different storage capacities.  If you mix batteries, some of them may get over/under charged based on the type and storage capacity.  I believe (but I may be wrong on this), mixing battery sizes (storage capacity) would limit all of the batteries to the smallest in the loop.

Depending on the type of 12v batteries you are talking about, you may or may not save weight by going to one 12v versus two 6v.  I just installed four Fullriver AGM DC260 batteries in my trailer.  They are 260 amp hour AGM 12v batteries, but they weigh 170 pounds each and they have the footprint basically of two group 24 batteries end to end.  Not really any weight or space saving with these over six volts.

[lockmup68]

Got it. I thought that would be the case. So I need to add six more of the VMAX 6v-235s then. That will help me in designing the location and secure mounting.  Appreciate the help.