I think AGM (Absorbed Glass Matt) batteries are the answer to the problems we encounter in MVs. According to the FAQ on windsun.com (which deals with solar electricity collection and storage):
"AGM batteries have several advantages over both gelled and flooded, at about the same cost as gelled:
Since all the electrolyte (acid) is contained in the glass mats, they cannot spill, even if broken. This also means that since they are non-hazardous, the shipping costs are lower. In addition, since there is no liquid to freeze and expand, they are practically immune from freezing damage.
Nearly all AGM batteries are "
recombinant" - what that means is that the Oxygen and Hydrogen recombine INSIDE the battery. These use gas phase transfer of oxygen to the negative plates to recombine them back into water while charging and prevent the loss of water through electrolysis. The recombining is typically 99+% efficient, so almost no water is lost.
The charging voltages are the same as for any standard battery - no need for any special adjustments or problems with incompatible chargers or charge controls. And, since the internal resistance is extremely low, there is almost no heating of the battery even under heavy charge and discharge currents. The Concorde (and most AGM) batteries have no charge or discharge current limits.
AGM's have a very low self-discharge - from 1% to 3% per month is usual. This means that they can sit in storage for much longer periods without charging than standard batteries. The Concorde batteries can be almost fully recharged (95% or better) even after 30 days of being totally discharged.
AGM's do not have any liquid to spill, and even under severe overcharge conditions hydrogen emission is far below the 4% max specified for aircraft and enclosed spaces. The plates in AGM's are tightly packed and rigidly mounted, and will withstand shock and vibration better than any standard battery.
Even with all the advantages listed above, there is still a place for the standard flooded deep cycle battery. AGM's will cost 2 to 3 times as much as flooded batteries of the same capacity. In many installations, where the batteries are set in an area where you don't have to worry about fumes or leakage, a standard or industrial deep cycle is a better economic choice. AGM batteries main advantages are no maintenance, completely sealed against fumes, Hydrogen, or leakage, non-spilling even if they are broken, and can survive most freezes. Not everyone needs these features."
The common 6TL we get from GL in our Deuces are the "flooded" type, Optimas are the "gell" type and Hawker Armasafes are "AGM" type. As pointed out above I think the AGm is the best choice to resist the vibration generated by the Deuce drive train and off road driving, they discharge naturaly at a slower rate during extended down times, and generaly are safer and more reliable. The down side is cost, Hawkers are +/- $300 new, however O'Reilli Auto parts sells an AGM for $140. The "Super Start Extreme AGM". part number 34/78EXTAGM, 970 CA and 785 CCA, 84 month warranty. I bought two of these for my M109 and ran them for several month till I had a 6TL go down in my M35 (big suprise there) so I played musical batteries and they ended up in my M1009 where they have been for the last 4 months. The M1009 is my daily driver and they have (as expected) preformed flawlessly. I know this is not much of a test, but it's what I have
There are several automotive AGM sources, including Dekka but the Super Start is the easiest and cheapest to lay hands on that I know of.
