Deka vs Crown flooded batteries?

NEV & LSV Forum
1

I’m closing in on getting new batteries for my GEM, have decided to go with flooded rather than gels (that bang-for-the-buck thing), and am down to either DEKA GC12V or Crown CR155. They’re both 155 AH, but the Dekas would be about twenty bucks apiece cheaper.

I have considered, and rejected, the idea of going with 8-volters, even though I could get 13680 watt-hours out of nine of the Trojan T-890s (190 AH@8volts), as opposed to the 11160 watt-hours from the six 155 AH @12 volt models. By comparison, the stock 130 AH@12volts batteries hold 9360 watt-hours, so the 155s are about a 20% gain (gotta do that conversion to watts to compare batteries of different voltage)

I’m well aware that my stock Zivan charger won’t be up to the job, and have been looking at these, which are rated for 150 to 350 AH at 72 volts. .but are around $500:

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My car is equipped with the FastCharger receptacle and associated parts, and I’m sure I could make it work with about any external charger with enough fiddling.

What I’d REALLY like to know is if anybody has experience with the quality of the Crowns versus the Dekas

2

Finaly settled on my new batteries. .nine of the Interstate flooded 183 AH 8-volt variety (U8VGCHC XC). .so I guess I’ll be pulling the bed off my GEM and making a place for the extras. …and looking for a few more cables

These batteries were $125 each . . MUCH less than Trojan T-890s . . .right here at CarQuest in Moab, Utah. .about 3 bucks more apiece than I can get them for from the Interstate distributor in Grand Junction, Colorado. .but it saves me about 240 miles of driving.

The “stock” 130 AH batteries from Deka store a total of 9360 watt-hours of juice, and the ones I ordered hold 13176 watt-hours . . 1.4 times as much power for about half the price

(gotta convert to watt-hours (W=VxA). .to compare between batteries of different voltages)

Also contacted ZIVAN in Sacramento, and they said to just send them the charger and they’d upgrade it for the new batteries for $75 to $100.

Now I won’t have to worry about getting that all-uphill 8 miles home from town.