Got a winch, now need a battery

[ntsqd]

I think it unfair to say that all Optimas are junk.

If you have a way-back machine and can go back and buy those 2001 era Optimas I think you'd see the same service that Madizell & I have gotten from them. Since you can't, you end up with Mangler's & my experience with them.

I know of one red top that ran the Rubicon, less an alternator. From British Columbia! No funds to replace the alt on the trip. "Borrowed" a charge when over nighting in roadside rests from truckers part of the way down and all the way back. What finally killed it several years later was the duct tape drying out & falling off. Then the electrolyte could leak out of the hole that the fan put in it in Big Sluice.

I've had both experiences. The early red top just recently finally died. Nearly 7 years of service. Those two times I sucked it dead flat sure didn't help. The newer Optimas didn't make it 3 years. I put Dura-Last's in that truck.

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

I think it unfair to say that all Optimas are junk.

I never said they ALL were.

There are plenty of Horror and Hero stories of Optima.

For me, who only likes to do/buy things once, their spotty reliability and personal bad experiences with them, will prevent me from ever owning another one.

Thats all i am saying!

I will also note that we have had many customers request them, but feel their spotty repuation is enough to keep them out of our lineup!

Again, this is just my opinion!

Carry on!

 

[DenCo40]

I have a Deka Intimidator. Great battery with a stupid name. No luck on optima prior to this.....
It gets heavy use and has held up quite well. But then again it's only a year old.

 

[madizell]

People that run Optimas have either had them for years and years trouble free and love them or have them less then 6 months, they crapped out and they replaced them with something else.

Curious that having paid substantially for a new battery, someone would prefer to buy a new one rather than get a free replacement under warranty. The shortest Optima warranty is 18 months for their yellow tops and the longest is 36 for the red tops, but that is just the free replacement period. All of them have extended warranties with pro-rated replacement.

Finding dozens of gripes on an internet based web board is hardly surprising. That is the nature of the beast. Dozens of folks swear they have seen alien spacecraft. I don't find that compelling. In any of the dozens of complaints of battery failure, has anyone complained that Optima would not honor the warranty?

 

[robert j. yates]

My only issue with the Odysseys are the funky sizes and none of them fit nicely in trays!

Yah...but because of those weird sizes, they seem to adapt pretty nicely into a dual set-up. I was able to cram 2 of them into a TJ and thats no easy feat.

My only issue with the Odyssey is the cost.

As for cost....my take on Odysseys is that since I am not replacing them every couple of years (as I was doing with my Optima) and dealing with pro-rated costs and aggravation, then I am coming out ahead. Odysseys' can also be mail ordered and shipped and there are plenty of internet sites that can kick down a decent deal on them if one is prepared to look.

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

Curious that having paid substantially for a new battery, someone would prefer to buy a new one rather than get a free replacement under warranty.

Think on this and answer truthfully.


My rig is not a daily driver and is usually ONLY driven when i go on long distance camping trips usually AT LEAST 500+ miles away from home, and usually south of the border.

What good does a warranty do when your in the middle of no wheres camping with friends and your battery craps out on your 600 miles from home?? Do you think the towing costs to get your rig back to your house and/or back to the US are less expensive then buying a better battery off the bat (yes, lame pun intended)?

The shortest Optima warranty is 18 months for their yellow tops and the longest is 36 for the red tops, but that is just the free replacement period. All of them have extended warranties with pro-rated replacement.

A LIFETIME warranty still isnt going to come get your truck out of B.F.E when the bat dies.

Finding dozens of gripes on an internet based web board is hardly surprising. That is the nature of the beast. Dozens of folks swear they have seen alien spacecraft. I don't find that compelling. In any of the dozens of complaints of battery failure, has anyone complained that Optima would not honor the warranty?

First off, re-read my post, two of the issues i experienced in my own rig! I have had 2 die on me (one red, one yellow), both within 3 months, eventually replaced with a Sears DieHard that if i am not mistaken is STILL in the rig to this day with no issues! Have had AT LEAST (off the top of my head, 4 friends with Optima issues too!)

Sure, Optima may honor a warranty, but answer the question:

What good is a warranty when it leaves you stranded hundreds of miles from home?

This will be my last post in this thread as i feel i have exhausted my views and experiences. If you want to banter back and forth about how great Optimas are, feel free to PM me!

Lets get this back on track and help the original poster out.

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

I have a Deka Intimidator. Great battery with a stupid name. No luck on optima prior to this.....
It gets heavy use and has held up quite well. But then again it's only a year old.

Yes, i have heard great things about those too!

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

Any equivalent lower cost alternatives in this realm?

In my opinion/experience, your battery is the LAST place you should be skimping $ on!

 

[Willman]

Odysseys are great batteries!!!

Right now is a great time to buy a few @ Sierra Expeditions....8% off on everything through 17 MAR.

Follow the link for more details:

http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12538



:camping:

 

[daverami]

Simply using larger supply leads to the winch than are generally supplied by the manufacturer can increase performance and decrease demand on the system.

How much of a change in gauge would you do? Would changed the lead from the battery to the alternator also be a plus? Where can you usually find such wire? Do auto parts places carry it? One more, say you want to make a custom cable, how is the best way to attach the new terminating ends to the wire, crimp, solder, clamp? Sorry for all the questions and to sort of get off thread.

 

[madizell]

Relevant questions, not off thread but sort of parallel to the original.

Power supply from battery to winch is usually #2 wire as supplied. Changing to 1ga or 1 AWG, or even 0 ga (1/0) will decrease resistance by 20 to 25%. Using 00 (2/0) wire is even better if you winch a lot.

Found a source on the internet for power and ground cabling which suggests that for amp loads of nearly 400 A you need 1/0 cable minimum. http://www.the12volt.com/info/recwirsz.asp This sounds about right to me.

From alternator to battery 10ga wire is about as small as I would use, 8ga if you want to.

Some of my winch leads are old welder cable nearly 3/4 inch diameter at the jacket, fine woven wire inside, and frankly I don't know what they are called. Probably 4/0 cable. They are just big compared to the #2 supplied by Warn.

I found that Carquest will build what you want. Use arctic wire or cold weather rated wire which has finer strand copper in it, swagged (crimped) ends are fine, then seal the joint from rubber to swage end with RTV to keep water out of the joint. Carquest has always built what I wanted while I waited.

No doubt there is a point of diminishing returns when increasing wire size, but generally use something larger than you think is really needed and you will avoid line losses. The difference in cost is not that great, but the boost in performance is worth the cost.

The idea is to avoid heat loss due to line resistance, and the only way to do that is with larger cable.

 

[asteffes]

How much of a change in gauge would you do? Would changed the lead from the battery to the alternator also be a plus? Where can you usually find such wire? Do auto parts places carry it? One more, say you want to make a custom cable, how is the best way to attach the new terminating ends to the wire, crimp, solder, clamp? Sorry for all the questions and to sort of get off thread.

I used welding cable to relocate the solenoid pack for my Superwinch EP9.0. They can sell you the crimp-on rings and the diabolical crimping device you need to attach them (it's basically a vice with an anvil that you whack with a hammer to crimp the lugs on. Works great!) Welding cable is much cheaper than alternatives and works just fine in my experience. I used 2AWG, same as what Superwinch included as anything larger was just too difficult to route through the bumper into the engine bay, despite the great flexibility of welding cable.

As far as batteries go, I'm switching to an Odyssey 2150 (huge!) once my factory battery gives up the ghost. I am not at all impressed with the longevity of Optimas.

 

[HenryJ]

I used welding cable to relocate the solenoid pack ... Welding cable is much cheaper than alternatives and works just fine in my experience.

Be careful using welding cable. The outer shield is not as resistant to the road grime and oils in an automotive application. It does not handle the abuse as well also. The outer shield is just too soft.
I used welding cable on a couple rigs in the past. It does fine for a few years and then it starts to deteriorate rapidly. I had it short out on my HenryJ.
I find good quality automotive grade cable lasts better. The shielding is oil resistant. It is not as flexible, or cheap, but a better choice IMO.

I buy it in bulk from a local hardware distributor, NAPA, or the big truck dealer in town.

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

Its not cheap but i use the ANCOR marine cable from West Marine and have had zero issues with it over the long term, its very flexible too!

 

[ntsqd]

It's been mentioned already but it does bear repeating, pay particular attention to sealing out moisture when using finely stranded cables. My experience with this is that just a little strand surface oxidation results in a large drop in performance.

Del City and Waytek Wire are other possible sources for battery cable in these sizes.