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Rev. Scott
Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2006
Posts: 770
Location: Philo, Ca.
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 Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:07 pm Post subject: |
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| ive had this problem with interstate batteries as well and most especially in my bus and when they get run down, theyre for shit, but if kept up they last a long time and take the abuse. an inexpensive dash mount solar charger has cured this woe and the interstate is still a cost efective battery for its performance...just dont run em down. havnt tested this with the optima and it was specifically my camper that would and does run down batteries quickly. |
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KGCoupe
Samba Member
Joined: July 01, 2005
Posts: 3580
Location: Putting the "ill" and "annoy" in Illinois
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| Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:55 pm Post subject: |
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I bought an Optima when they first came out (1990 or 1991) and installed it in my Thing. I was amazed at how long that battery held a charge after I quit driving the vehicle - we're talking turn the key after five years of sitting, and there was enough juice to start it  |
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Captain Spalding
Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2005
Posts: 2519
Location: . . . in denial.
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| Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 11:27 pm Post subject: |
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The Yellow Top is the deep cycle battery. The Red Top has marginally more CCAs, but on a VW motor that is moot.
Myself, I'm a fan of Odyssey batteries. |
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Ferretkona
Samba Member
Joined: December 03, 2005
Posts: 1306
Location: Columbia, CA
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| Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 11:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Wow, the Odyssey batteries sound pretty good, next time I am in Corona I'll stop by and check them out. I wonder what their prices are. |
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TimGud
Samba Member
Joined: March 03, 2002
Posts: 6459
Location: Rio Rico Arizona
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| Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 8:12 am Post subject: |
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| I've had an optima in our thing for four years now using it on a limited basis. No problems, no leakage ruining floorpans either! |
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halfgut
Samba Member
Joined: October 23, 2004
Posts: 226
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| Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:31 am Post subject: |
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With so many different choices within both Optima and Odyssey how do you know which one to choose?
The Captain says the yellow top is the one to use for Optima. Which Odyssey battery would you use? |
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Ian Epperson
Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2005
Posts: 2262
Location: Alameda, CA
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| Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 11:25 am Post subject: |
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| halfgut wrote: |
| With so many different choices within both Optima and Odyssey how do you know which one to choose? |
Well, you could start with the "Which Odyssey battery do you need?" section of the automotive applications page on their website: http://www.odysseybatteries.com/applications/auto.htm
According to that page:
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| The Odyssey PC1500 DT is the same size as a typical Optima Red, Yellow, or Blue top with more cranking power, more reserve capacity, longer design life, and a better warranty. |
Of course they say it's better because it's their site. I've not shopped around much, and I've not heard of them before, but they certainly seem to have better properties than the Optima batteries.
The Optima batteries certainly look cooler and are more easily recognized. That particular Odyssey battery is a bit more expensive:
(from batterymart.com)
Odyssey PC1500-DT - $200
Optima Yellow Top - $180
Optima Red Top - $150
But if you take a step down the Odyssey line, you could also go with the PC1200
Odyssey PC1200MJT - $150
Which still packs quite a whollop.
If you don't have ANYTHING that stays on constantly (like a stereo with a clock) then you could probably go with the very slim (3 inches!?!) Odyssey PC 680MJT - heck you could probably even mount it under the car where that almost-never-functioning charcoal canister sits. Jump starting might suck, but I always roll-start anyway.
Odyssey PC680MJ - $95 (+ $10 terminals)
Now, trek on over to the Optima site.
Their "Battery Finder":
http://www.optimabatteries.com/publish/optima/americas0/en/config/battery_search/battery_search.html
which has an entry for the VW Thing, but no battery suggestions. Oh well.
The Yellow Top tech specs say that it's got up to 870CCA with a 55 (amp hour?) capacity. So it has better storage than the Odyssey 1200 (44 amp hour) but doesn't deliver quite as many cold crank amps (1200) - that is, the Optima Yellow Top stores more, but can't give you that stored energy as fast as the Odyssey.
The Red Top tech specs say that it's got up to 1000CCA with a 50 amp hour capacity. So it's right between the Yellow top and the Odyssey in terms of energy performance. Yet, the specs for the Yellow Top say that "The YellowTop handles many discharges as well as re-charges without losing significant capacity" - no such claim with the Red Top. I'd avoid it.
(By the way, why the heck do they call out "discharges AS WELL AS re-charges"?!? Why would I NOT want to re-charge the battery after a discharge??? Though I suppose every battery can always handle exactly one more discharge than re-charge.  "It's not dead, you've just used up all your re-charges... you could still discharge it if you like!")
For the stock moter, you don't really need extreme CCA's, but it's nice to have. |
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Rev. Scott
Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2006
Posts: 770
Location: Philo, Ca.
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| Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 7:26 pm Post subject: |
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| awful lotta talk about soethin as simple as a battery and funny im thinking of branching out and am at a loss as to what to run in my camper...yea i know its a thing forum...even the interstate deep cycle is shit when ya run em down. i get five or six years on em in all my dubs (five registered and running) and some of those batteries are floaters that have been donated from other vehicals, but in the bus its like one a year...shit. i like the optimas in all my bikes and they really take a beating, often outliving the bike. one thing that ocures to me is that ultimately the deciding factor on brand for me is what does the guy down the road carry? thats where i go for the waranty right? but im willing to entertain anything... |
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Captain Spalding
Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2005
Posts: 2519
Location: . . . in denial.
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| Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 11:38 pm Post subject: |
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| halfgut wrote: |
With so many different choices within both Optima and Odyssey how do you know which one to choose?
The Captain says the yellow top is the one to use for Optima. Which Odyssey battery would you use? |
Personally I'd go with the PC1200. It comes closest to the Thing's stock BCI Group 42 battery size, and has somewhat more CCAs than the typical non-deep cycle battery for its size. It comes in several versions: Plastic or metal jacket, posts or terminals, negative terminal on the left or right. Consider ordering it with the left-handed terminal and mounting it on it's side. That way it's almost a half inch shorter than the Group 42 standard, and orients the terminals on the side instead of on top, eliminating the problem many have suffered regarding the seat springs shorting across the battery terminals.
Deep cycle batteries can be discharged up to 80% of their capacity and suffer no damage. Regular starting batteries can fail after just one or two deep discharges. If you drive your Thing only occasionally (seasonally, only on weekends, etc.) you will benefit from a deep cycle battery. |
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Ian Epperson
Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2005
Posts: 2262
Location: Alameda, CA
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| Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 9:17 am Post subject: |
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| Captain Spalding wrote: |
| Personally I'd go with the PC1200. It comes closest to the Thing's stock BCI Group 42 battery size, and has somewhat more CCAs than the typical non-deep cycle battery for its size. |
If you walk into a Kragen and ask for a battery for a Thing, they'll give you this:
http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductList.aspx?parttype=5005&ptset=A&searchfor=Battery
$65, 600 CA, 7 year warranty
(and "70 minute reserve" which doesn't really help - what are its amp-hours? ah well)
The PC1200 is more than twice the price, with twice the cranking power and a tad more amp-hours. Only a 3 year warranty though but they predict an 8-10 year service life. However, the fact that it's a dry cell will probably make it my next battery.
Last edited by Ian Epperson on Mon Dec 11, 2006 1:51 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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halfgut
Samba Member
Joined: October 23, 2004
Posts: 226
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| Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 9:30 am Post subject: |
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Captain S.,
I looked at the 1200 and will go out and get one. However, it doesn't have standard terminals. Will I have to change my battery cables or does the battery come with a variety of connector options? |
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Thingggg
Samba Member
Joined: June 30, 2004
Posts: 353
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| Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 11:42 am Post subject: |
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Optima battery, run them in my bass boat gets used maybe 3 weeks a year no problems. Classy upgrade for Thing 
Put it in a removable black batterie boxes like my boat and just take it out when not driving—anti hotwire also. We have to do this if the rear boat lid, like mine, have flimsy locks on them, because they will dissipater--especially @ campsites. |
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Captain Spalding
Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2005
Posts: 2519
Location: . . . in denial.
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| Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 6:50 pm Post subject: |
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| halfgut wrote: |
Captain S.,
I looked at the 1200 and will go out and get one. However, it doesn't have standard terminals. Will I have to change my battery cables or does the battery come with a variety of connector options? |
The PC1200 has screw terminals with an M6 SS bolt. That's the one you're talking about. But there are indeed several other versions:
The PC1200T has standard SAE terminal posts.
The PC1200MJT is the same, but with a metal jacket (mil spec.)
If you have stock battery cable length/routing, and you want to mount the battery with the posts facing up, you can use either the PC1200T or the PC1200MJT. If you want to mount the battery on its side with the posts on the forward-facing side, then you want the PC1200LMJT, which has a left positive terminal. On its side facing forward, the terminals would then be oriented properly for the stock cable configuration.
An additional benefit of mounting the battery on its side is that if you have one of these battery disconnect gizmos you can easily get to it from the driver's seat. 
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jermyvan
Samba Member
Joined: October 03, 2006
Posts: 14
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| Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 12:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Optima is the only battery I will ever buy again after putting one in my blazer. Now have one in the baja and if the bat. in the thing ever fails that's what will be replacing it. |
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halfgut
Samba Member
Joined: October 23, 2004
Posts: 226
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| Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 9:18 am Post subject: |
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Captain,
You must know me well --- lots of pictures! Thanks! |
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