Campalong
Edmonton, AB
Full Member
Joined: 06/05/2008
View Profile
 Offline
|
Got a (noob)ie question  . I'm looking to buy a new marine battery for my 18ft. hybrid. Do the cold cranking amps really matter? I'd rather spend $67 for 500cca, then $97 for 800cca. I don't dry camp but will use battery power only if I can't get shore power.
|
donn0128
Pronounced Ore-gun
Senior Member
Joined: 04/21/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
CCA indicates to me a starting battery. What you are looking for is reserve capacity. Get the best deep cycle (not a combination) you can afford.
Donn,Lorri,Max (rescued Lab)
Saigon International Airport 1966/67
|
ktmrfs
Portland, Oregon
Senior Member
Joined: 06/22/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
donn0128 wrote:CCA indicates to me a starting battery. What you are looking for is reserve capacity. Get the best deep cycle (not a combination) you can afford.
x2 the best longest lasting RV batteries are NOT starting batteries and won't even list CCA. Even for applications when you don't dry camp. At the very least get a marine or trolling motor battery. What makes a good starting battery does not make a battery that will take very many multiple charge/discharge cycles.
2011 Keystone Outback 295RE
2004 14' bikehauler with full living quarters
2004.5 Silverado 4x4 CC/SB Duramax/Allison
|
othertonka
Stockton, CA
Senior Member
Joined: 11/15/2003
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
For a battery to use withh that hybrid, you don't need a battery with high CCA, that stands for "cold cranking amps". That is what you want for a battery that is used to start a vehicle. But for your use You need a "Deep cycle" battery. Here is a good article that can shed more light on the battery subject then I can .
12 volt side of life
Othertonka
2004 Southwind 32VS 8.1 Workhorse chassis
2002 CRV Toad
U. S. Gear Unified brake system
Retired Fire Captain, SFD
|
Campalong
Edmonton, AB
Full Member
Joined: 06/05/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
I noticed cca's on the walmart.ca website. I figured maybe the cca's are listed if the battery is to be used on a boat or something. I'm just looking for something affordable 
|
|
|
Campalong
Edmonton, AB
Full Member
Joined: 06/05/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
Oh, what I meant to say was, the "deep cycle - marine" battery, shown on the website, shows "cca" in the description, but I think I've figured out that it doesn't mean anything unless i'm using it to "start" something....Gotcha  ...Thanks everyone for the replies!
|
smkettner
Southern California
Senior Member
Joined: 03/21/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
CCA matters, the lower the better for same group size.
Starting batteries have high CCA, deep cycle has a lower CCA.
Best to have high Reserve Capacity (RC) or high Amp-Hour (Ah) ratings.
2001 F150 SuperCrew
2006 Keystone Springdale 249FWBHLS
675 watts solar
Send a PM if I missed something
|
skipnchar
Topeka or somewhere else
Senior Member
Joined: 12/17/2003
View Profile
|
You would be much better of with a deep cycle battery instead of a starting battery unless you don't plan on using the battery as a power source often. Cranking amps ARE an important factor in a starting battery (like the marine batteries) but are not even noted on most deep cycles. More important to have a high reserve capacity.
Good luck / Skip
2011 F-150 HD Ecoboost 3.5 V6. 2550 payload, 17,100 GCVWR -
2004 F-150 HD (Traded after 80,000 towing miles)
2007 Rockwood 8314SS 34' travel trailer
US Govt survey shows three out of four people make up 75% of the total population
|
Sloop Smitten
San Marcos, CA
Full Member
Joined: 12/14/2011
View Profile
Offline
|
Friend of mine just bought a new 5th wheel. I went to check the AH on his deep cycle Interstate battery and it was not listed but the CCA was. It was definitely a deep cycle battery and also had Marine Use on the label. Given Interstate batteries are suppose to be of good quality, based on what I have read on this forum, it was a real surprise to see CCA and not the AH listed.
1992 Fleetwood Jamboree Rallye 24' M/H
Ford E350 Chassis, 7.5L Engine, E40D Transmission
My other motorhome is a 1978 Catalina 25 Sailboat
Cruising Califonia, Sailing the Pacific!
|
HEASON
Raleigh,NC
Full Member
Joined: 12/31/2002
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
I would purchase a deep cycle interstate battery with the max cca. I would also keep a trickle charger on it to avoid the battery running down. It sounds like you will not use the battery very much and that is not always good. Botton line, I have always found that cheap is not always the best in the battery world and especially in camping vehicles.
|
|
|
