Time for a new battery, suggestions?

So my el cheapo lead acid group 31 deep cycle has stopped working at full capacity after about 4 years. It is allegedly 120ah but I don't believe it ever had that much juice, probably more like 85-95ah. I'd like to get something affordable but still powerful enough for my setup. My trailer has a dometic 65qt dual zone fridge/freezer, a marine stereo, 12v water pump, some led lights, and a 2500watt inverter i only turn on when needed. What batteries are y'all with similar draw using?
 

Corey

OverCamping Specialist
While not cheap, I am getting an Odyssey 34-1500 put in next Friday as the starting battery.
it is dual purpose as both a starting battery, and deep cycle.

Odyssey makes great batteries.
 

john61ct

Adventurer
A pair of "Duracell" (actually Deka/East Penn) 6V golf car batts from Sam's or Batteries+ are the best value by far.

With the fridge/freezer I reckon two pair better than one if you have room, but as with any decent capacity in lead, they are heavy!

Do you also have a batt dedicated to starting?
 

john61ct

Adventurer
Odyssey does make excellent AGM batteries, but not cheap. But I would recommend true deep cycle for House use, and they will also crank just fine.

Dual purpose is fine for a Starter+Reserve, but not good value for an actual deep cycling use case.
 

john61ct

Adventurer
If you find Trojan T-105 for the same ballpark as those Sam's, they are a decent step up.

The RE series even more so, but usually those get pricey.
 

jeegro

Adventurer
My dual odyssey Group 34's have been holding up great. Highly recommend. at only 68aH, and assuming one batt is reserved for starting only, you have a usable 34 aH of energy - following the 50% rule. Good for a fridge, not much more. So if you have the space to work in dual Group 31 its worth it.
 

rayra

Expedition Leader
Costco / Interstate marine battery,

500+ Costco locations in USA. Many more Interstate dealers. They'll still be around when Sears is gone.

/after 37yrs of driving around, I'm finding having close easy warranty service / replacement is worth more to me than anything else. So I seek brands and dealer networks that are more handy, over the fashionable or treble expense of claimed "quality". Too much marketing BS out there, some akin to farcical 'Monster Cable' HDMI cables. To wit, the recent crappy turn of Odyssey batteries.
 
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Ducky's Dad

Explorer
Since you don't need it for starting, and you are already set up for a Grp31, think about a cheap G31 lead acid deep cycle from some place like WalMart. Not an AGM but a lot cheaper, and just swap it out for a fresh one when it dies. If you really want AGM, just spend the money for a Northstar and don't look back. Odyssey 31s are a real pain in the *** to keep charged, and Optima 31s don't have the AH capacity of other AGM 31s. Best moderately priced G31 AGM is probably going to be the Deka, but it only carries a 1-yr warranty.
 

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