Hi. This is my first post
I just investigated my battery in my 2014 Expanda and noticed that I have a 100ah Lead Acid battery in there.
Obviously it would be better to have an AGM.
The current battery has been working fine. Do I need to change it?
Any advice appreciated.
Hi
@BunchOfHunts and welcome to the forum. Batteries come in 3 or 4 main types - all of which are lead acid (disregarding the later lithium type). All can be considered as a type of "deep cycle" but not all meet that requirement. In motor vehicles and trucks etc, you are most likely to see "wet" lead acid type, those with removable caps to add water . The next type is the "sealed" lead acid, basically the same as the "wet" lead acid, but sealed- no removable caps. These may have large capacity to store power, but are NOT really deep cycle. They are capable of producing large amounts of current for a short time only - like a sprinter in a race!
The real deep cycle types are the Gel type and the AGM type. Both these battery types are capable of producing current over a longer period - like a marathon runner. These are sealed (valve regulated really) and are the type usually used in vans and RV type vehicles. They all have different charging algorithms regarding charging voltages because the chemical make up of each is slightly different. Gel batteries have the electrolyte as a paste between the lead plates and AGM have the electrolyte in an absorbent glass mat between the lead plates. The "wet" and "sealed" type have liquid electrolyte sloshing around between the plates.
If your 2014 Expanda has the original battery, it will probably be a GEL. These are more expensive than the AGM and not as freely available as AGM type. If looked after, both can have a life of up to 10 years if not discharged below 50% capacity too often and charged up immediately. Better life is attained if only discharged to approx 70 to 80% capacity and promptly FULLY recharged. More info on your type can be provided by members when further info provided by you.