Time For A New Battery!

[static]

I received well over five years of faithful service from my fancy-ass Optima battery, but it is starting to show its age. It looks like it is time for a new battery.

As wonderful as the Optima batteries are, they also cost >$125.00.

Yes, mere pennies a day. Yes, I should just buy another Optima. Sadly, I am not, um, "in the position" to be forking over $125 + for my next battery.

So then, it will probably be a Kirkland brand, but before I visit the mythical land of the Costco, I wanted to get umpteen million opinions beforehand.

This battery, by the way, will live in my 1971 VW Camper.

[DjEep]

I know a tire shop in south San Francisco where you can get Optimas for $100. I don't know how real/legally-obtained/new they are, as I only learned of this from an employee telling me out the side of his mouth while I was poking some dead Optimas they had in the shop.

[Amskeptic]

I received well over five years of faithful service from my fancy-ass

I have had good luck with the local AutoZone Duralast for $59.95. It is now 5 going on 6 years old.
The Duralast in my Lincoln is 11 (!) years old and sits around way too much, but manages to hold its charge.
Colin
(keeping your batteries well-charged is a key to longevity)

[static]

Any thoughts on amperage, CCVs, etc?

[Amskeptic]

Any thoughts on amperage, CCVs, etc?

Most you can afford.
Colin

[RussellK]

So Static, What did you decide to go with? I need to make a decision too in the next week or so. Love that Optima but thats a lot of money.
-Russ

[spiffy]

I have never had a problem with $60 batteries. Most of them carry at least a two year warranty so if it lasts 5 years....SWEET!!

[Hippie]

Mostly what you pay for is the longer warranty, me thinks.
I have it on good authority that most batteries are made on the same assembly line with a guy putting different brand stickers on them depending on where they are going.
Having said that. My Duralast is older than 2004 when I bought the bus and going strong.

And Colin, sell me that there Lincoln.


Rob

[Sylvester]

Mostly what you pay for is the longer warranty, me thinks.
I have it on good authority that most batteries are made on the same assembly line with a guy putting different brand stickers on them depending on where they are going.
Having said that. My Duralast is older than 2004 when I bought the bus and going strong.

I agree, I think I have only had one battery in 20 years that didn't make it past it's warranty, and that one was a Wally Mart buy.

And Colin, sell me that there Lincoln. Rob

I HAVE to say it, "Your going to drive me to drinking if you don't stop driving that hot, rod, Lincoln."

[OB Bus]

The AutoZone Duralast batteries have done well in the recent Consumer Reports tests. If I catch a sale, they are cheaper than Costco. The one problem with AutoZone is that they want you to "prove" the battery is bad when you take it in for a replacement. Costco just gives you your money back without question.

[NWbuspilot]

I bought an Everstart from Wally World for my bus in 2005. One year warranty on it. It sat unused in the bus from July of 2005 until March of 2007. It's now on it's last leg. It just isn't holding up. Maybe 30 seconds of cranking then I have to charge it up again. My charger reads it at about 15% charged when I hook it up. The Interstate I had in my Pontiac lasted for about 4 years. I think I may go with one of those. I get them at a local store called Bi-Mart. Pretty sure they are only in Oregon, but they are Employee-owned and have reasonable prices.

[ruckman101]

I bought an Everstart from Wally World for my bus in 2005. One year warranty on it. It sat unused in the bus from July of 2005 until March of 2007. It's now on it's last leg. It just isn't holding up. Maybe 30 seconds of cranking then I have to charge it up again. My charger reads it at about 15% charged when I hook it up. The Interstate I had in my Pontiac lasted for about 4 years. I think I may go with one of those. I get them at a local store called Bi-Mart. Pretty sure they are only in Oregon, but they are Employee-owned and have reasonable prices.

I was thinking Interstate, but from one of their shops, not Bi-Mart. Is Interstate local and employee owned also?

neal

[Velokid1]

Sorry for bumping an old thread, and sorrier for such an elementary question. I'm replacing all fuel and vacuum lines in my bus (German Supply Kits are my X-mas gift from my wife). I haven't driven the bus in 2 years.

The battery is shot and will need to be replaced. I am going the $60 AutoZone route, but what do I need to buy? I mean, exactly? What flavors do batteries come in? Which do I need?

'76 Westy FI for those who have forgotten.

[blushing]

[Amskeptic]

The battery is shot, but what do I need to buy?

A battery.
hth,
Colin
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I think the physical size you want is going to have a 42 in it. You decide how many cold cranking amps you want and blah blah blah. I had a 750 cca battery in the Road Warrior. Heck. It should still be good out there in cold Colorado, email Troy and see if it is available.
You do have to do a match-up in most cases. You must have your posts on one side of the top of the case, they must be closer to YOU once it is installed, and the negative must be towards the front.
The footprint must nestle inside the tracks of the battery box, and the base of the battery needs to have the lip that your hold-down will grab.
The height of the battery needs to be modest.

It was the bugs and Type 3s that would burn down when people sat on the back seat because of incorrect battery dimensions and missing positive post protectors.
Colin

[dtrumbo]

Make sure you check which way the positive and negative posts are oriented on the battery. I believe Colin is right with the 'Group 42' size, but IIRC, it needs to be a Group 42R for 'reversed'. This puts the positive post toward the engine hatch and the negative post toward the wheel well where your ground strap is.

Double check before you go to the store.