Optima death

[rotti]

My red top finally has passed to a better place. I was going to replace it with a Sears Platinum but saw some reviews noting problems with the side post versions.
The guy at battery shop said that Optima has been having quality issues of late and he recommended Deka batteries which is also a sealed AGM battery
and all American made in PA. The only real info/reviews I could find had to do with use by several NSCAR teams. The part I liked was it was only $129 compared
to the $170 red head. Any Wanders had any real life experience with these batteries?

 

[fish more]

CHECK OUT CABELAS AGM'S. THEY ARE MADE BY DEKA. THESE BATTERIES A HIGH RESERVE RATE. THE SPECS FOR THEIR GROUP 24'S ARE BETTER THAN MOST GROUP 27'S. I HAVE TWO OF THE CABELAS AGM'S, THEY WILL LAST FOR OVER FIVE DAYS CAMPING, IF I USE PROPANE FOR THE FRIG. CHECK THEM OUT, I HAVE BEEN VERY HAPPY WITH THE BATTERIES.

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

We have several of them over the years.


The Optima Blue Tops either lasted for a long time, or fizzled out after about 1 year.

(their warranty was not easy to deal with)


Then we went to the Interstate AGM. Same experiences.

(but these batteries only had a 6 month warranty, even worse)


Now we are using a battery made by DEKA.

(we have not been using them long enought to give you any long term feedback yet)



.




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[rotti]

Thanks for the info guys. I had never heard of Deka batteries until today.

I went ahead and got one - only $70 with the Optima refund $60 pro rated (I did get get 5 years of starter use out of red).

As a side note Stan, I purchased a new Granby back in 1983 when they were being built here in Lakewood, CO. Loved that camper (except for the door opening into the furnace vent .

Had that camper for almost 20 years and hope to be talking to you soon about another one. Enjoyed visiting with KC and the owner at the show this winter in Denver.

 

[Funstini]

I actually needed two batteries a couple months back for the diesel. I was freaked out about doing some winter camping and not being able to start it at below 0. Looked at Optima's, Interstate and a dozen others didn't want anything made by Exide. I think Exide just wants to sell a battery, when it goes dead they'll pro-rate and then sell you another. Heard good about the Sears Platinum. But Consumers Reports gave the Costco "Kirkland" cold start battery great reviews at half the cost of any others. Great return policy too. I think they are made by Johnson Controls. Started the truck at around 7 degrees and they turned it over like it was summer out there. They also sell a "deep cycle" battery but don't know about that.

 

[mtn-high]

I haven't dug into this at all......thought I'd take the easy way out if possible and tap the knowledge base here first....

2008 Hawk

Scenario: 12V system loses the charge quickly. During the day...the solar panel keeps things charged and there's no sense anything is amiss.

Roll into camp.... hang out a bit. Minimal use of 12V. Get ready to crash and the lights are dim and the meter is red/sitting on "poor" for a charge reading.

Thinking the battery is kaput/won't hold a charge.... (hopin' it's that easy)

should it be that easy.... what battery should I go with for a replacement?

any help appreciated.

mtn

 

[SunMan]

Mtn,
I'm thinking your battery is kaput. My 3 year old Optima Blue Top was performing similarly whereas in the past you couldn't phase the thing on a two day trip. I replaced it with a Diehard Platinum PM-1 before my last trip and had my ARB fridge running for 2 days without phasing it.

I went with the Diehard off of other folks recommendations especially after reading the newer Optima's haven't been living up to their name. Time will tell.

 

[UglyScout]

The 'new' optimas are turning out to be junky compard to the old ones. Guys that got 10 years out of red top in a truck are now getting 1-2 years.... But since Optima came on the scene there have been a bunch of new AGM batteries put out by a bunch of companies.


I run a DEKA AGM and it rocks! As my other batteries die I will be replacing my entire fleet with them.

 

[ntsqd]

Local battery shop (Powerstride on Thompson) yesterday pointed to Odysseys as their starting battery of choice and Lifeline's as their deep cycle batteries of choice. Both are AGM's and I've no experience with either. This was during my taking the 1997 vintage red tops that were on the camp trailer in for recycling.

 

[RJones]

Local battery shop (Powerstride on Thompson) yesterday pointed to Odysseys as their starting battery of choice and Lifeline's as their deep cycle batteries of choice. Both are AGM's and I've no experience with either. This was during my taking the 1997 vintage red tops that were on the camp trailer in for recycling.



I'm two years into Odyssey batteries in my truck and camper. Starts the truck in -10 below and have cycled the camper battery numerous times and still holds a full charge.

 

[rotti]

That Deka I purchased in my original post back in July 2010 is still running strong and has had no issues.

 

[Smokecreek1]

That Deka I purchased in my original post back in July 2010 is still running strong and has had no issues.


Well, guys, after reading just about every post on what battery I should get next and reading all the battery ads, talking to some folks, after almost seven years with my old Optima D34M Blue Top, still running, but starting to give some signs of wear and tear, I bought another one, hope it's not now junk like some of these posts are saying: wish me luck, hopefully that with my solar panels kicking in, will keep my heater going and my Giants on the TV!. FWC are using Deka now, and when I talked to them and mentioned my long lived Optima, they saw the wisdom of sticking with what worked! I never took the Granby off once since I had it, and use it year round-maybe retirement life is good for batteries!


Smoke