Deka Marine Master dual-purpose battery? (2 Viewers)

[Kurosawa]

Battery gurus - fill me in on your opinions regarding this battery. I'm looking at the DP31DT in the chart below as my single group 31 upgrade in my factory location. This is a FLA type battery and that is my preference given the alternator is set up from the factory to work most efficiently with this type. I do not have a DCDC charger and I don't have a dual battery set up, this single battery would be for starting and 12v accessories, the OEM group 27 has been in this role until now.

https://www.eastpennmanufacturing.com/wp-content/uploads/Marine-Master-Spec-Sheet-0194.pdf

I think 700CCA is plenty given it's more than OEM and what I'm really after is the dual purpose aspect that will give me more of a deep cycle capacity for running the fridge overnight and in cloudy conditions when solar isn't viable. The 100ah and 205min reserve seem pretty solid.

Questions:

Have others found great dual-purpose FLA options I should also consider for my use?

I'm curious about how others who might have gone with a marine type battery have addressed the additional studs? While nice to have these seem to be in direct conflict with routing the main cables to the main terminals. Obviously extensions will be necessary but also a dogleg? I wish the config was different. See below.

Thanks! Trying to get this settled before my next trip.

 

[Sandroad]

I took a look at the specs and it seems fine to me. You can get pretty much any adapter you need for terminals; see below. The group 31 won't fit in the factory group 27 tray and the OEM cabling won't quite reach the center mounted terminal, even with the adapter below. So, you'll need to get appropriate holding and connecting parts to make this work without drama. Slee Off Road makes what you need.

The 100 Ah deep cycle capacity is actually only about 40-50 Ah because you don't want to cycle it lower than 50% and you need some starting capacity remaining. Depending on the fridge and its draw, it should run it overnight. Extended discharge in cloudy conditions may be a problem, so you might want to plan on running your engine a bit if the SOC gets too low. Invest in a good battery monitor like a Victron if you plan extended heavy duty deep cycle use.

All things considered, go for it!

Amazon product ASIN B01GGV21SU

 

[RET2]

FYI many batteries are available in a 'reverse' configuration possibly aiding in cables being sufficient.

 

[Kurosawa]

I think I may have found my battery. I spoke to Deka and they suggested I look at the 7T31P, this configuration is from their Heavy-Duty Commercial Severe Service/Dual Purpose category and since it is not marine it is supplied with regular center posts.

It is a 100ah - 730CCA - 225min@ 23A/190min@ 25A RC - 62lbs

This is an interesting option as it solves for the post/stud issue with the marine battery and it provides slightly more capacity as well as gaining additional CCA. All for less than $200.

I'm hopeful this might be the FLA winner for those of us looking for a single group 31 battery solution, it's on order.

 

[CharlieS]

Does it have reverse posts like the Group 27F normally used in the 200? If not, you may need to mess with terminal extensions, etc. The factory cables are pretty limited in how far they can move.

 

[JohnJB]

I'm hopeful this might be the FLA winner for those of us looking for a single group 31 battery solution, it's on order.

FWIW Deka 1131PMF is what several folks run.

 

[Kurosawa]

Does it have reverse posts like the Group 27F normally used in the 200? If not, you may need to mess with terminal extensions, etc. The factory cables are pretty limited in how far they can move.

I've never fully understood why people refer to our OEM group27 as having reversed posts, the positive is on the left looking at the battery from the front on most batteries right? If I look at the Panasonic OEM the positive is on the left like the Deka below does this mean the Deka is reverse posts as well? I'm not sure on this point.

 

[CharlieS]

It is more relevant when the posts are further to one side of the battery like on the stock battery model.

 

[Kurosawa]

FWIW Deka 1131PMF is what several folks run.

Yeah, I think I remember @indycole might run that one? The difference is it is a starting battery (rather than a dual purpose) and I don't think he uses it for powering his ignition off accessories because he has an aux AGM while I'm after an all in one solution for my use which is pretty much just phones and the CFX75 dual zone.

 

[RET2]

I think I may have found my battery. I spoke to Deka and they suggested I look at the 7T31P, this configuration is from their Heavy-Duty Commercial Severe Service/Dual Purpose category and since it is not marine it is supplied with regular center posts.

It is a 100ah - 730CCA - 225min@ 23A/190min@ 25A RC - 62lbs

This is an interesting option as it solves for the post/stud issue with the marine battery and it provides slightly more capacity as well as gaining additional CCA. All for less than $200.

I'm hopeful this might be the FLA winner for those of us looking for a single group 31 battery solution, it's on order.

Thanks for codifying that there lots of battery choices beyond what is on the shelf at the local auto parts shop.

 

[Kurosawa]

It is more relevant when the posts are further to one side of the battery like on the stock battery model.

View attachment 2299593

I agree that the posts on the Deka are centered rather than located towards the back of the battery and I'll need some Slee or other extensions for sure. It's also good for others that might come across this post acknowledge without those extensions and some small mods to the battery tray/holdown it's not "plug and play".

 

[TeCKis300]

The Deka Marine Master batts are interesting. They're flooded (which is the optimal chemistry for our alternator charging profile), yet is maintenance free like an AGM battery. There's no covers to water the battery (when's the last time you did that anyways... thanks to smart alternators).

It also provides many of the benefits that are sought with AGMs like:
- Spill proof
- Heavy duty full frame construction (claimed 20x stronger vibration resistance)
- Heavy duty plates for extended battery life (claimed 2x longer life)
- Deep plate envelop pockets to increase life and reduce likelihood of shorts

Very interested in this thread and a Deka battery may just be in my future.

 

[Kurosawa]

Thanks for codifying that there lots of battery choices beyond what is on the shelf at the local auto parts shop.

It's taken a fair bit of research of manufacturer specs and four calls to various customer service tech lines to get to this point. The Deka retailer told me today he hasn't sold that battery in four years working there so it will come from the factory. It's definitely not an on the shelf item but I was having a pretty hard time finding a high quality non-AGM dual purpose recommendation in any forum threads.

My requirements were:

Ability to fully charge from OEM alternator (i.e. not AGM)
Designed for dual purpose starting/deep cycle use
Min 100ah and the highest RC I could find
High quality trusted manufacturer

For others looking for something very similar but needing it in stock the DP31CS has just a little lower stats and has center studs that can be converted using adapters like @Sandroad posted above. That one is priced at $175 right now from Deka.

 

[Kurosawa]

The Deka Marine Master batts are interesting.

That's what I thought too and I thought I'd have to deal with the awkward marine connection layout of the two studs/two posts to get what I needed but Deka pointed me to this Commercial Dual Purpose with even better stats and just single posts. Win-win.

The 7T31P is the one I'm going to try and the DP31CS is the one I'd replace it with if it was an emergency and I needed one in stock.

https://www.eastpennmanufacturing.com/wp-content/uploads/Deka-Commercial-Batteries-Flyer-0010.pdf

 

[Sandroad]

It's taken a fair bit of research of manufacturer specs and four calls to various customer service tech lines to get to this point. The Deka retailer told me today he hasn't sold that battery in four years working there so it will come from the factory. It's definitely not an on the shelf item but I was having a pretty hard time finding a high quality non-AGM dual purpose recommendation in any forum threads.

My requirements were:

Ability to fully charge from OEM alternator (i.e. not AGM)
Designed for dual purpose starting/deep cycle use
Min 100ah and the highest RC I could find
High quality trusted manufacturer

For others looking for something very similar but needing it in stock the DP31CS has just a little lower stats and has center studs that can be converted using adapters like @Sandroad posted above. That one is priced at $175 right now from Deka.

Coming from the factory is a good thing. It will be fresh!

 

[raincityrider]

Battery gurus - fill me in on your opinions regarding this battery. I'm looking at the DP31DT in the chart below as my single group 31 upgrade in my factory location. This is a FLA type battery and that is my preference given the alternator is set up from the factory to work most efficiently with this type. I do not have a DCDC charger and I don't have a dual battery set up, this single battery would be for starting and 12v accessories, the OEM group 27 has been in this role until now.

https://www.eastpennmanufacturing.com/wp-content/uploads/Marine-Master-Spec-Sheet-0194.pdf

I think 700CCA is plenty given it's more than OEM and what I'm really after is the dual purpose aspect that will give me more of a deep cycle capacity for running the fridge overnight and in cloudy conditions when solar isn't viable. The 100ah and 205min reserve seem pretty solid.

Questions:

Have others found great dual-purpose FLA options I should also consider for my use?

I'm curious about how others who might have gone with a marine type battery have addressed the additional studs? While nice to have these seem to be in direct conflict with routing the main cables to the main terminals. Obviously extensions will be necessary but also a dogleg? I wish the config was different. See below.

Thanks! Trying to get this settled before my next trip.

View attachment 2298868

I just put one of these in this weekend. Paid like $160. Ill let you know how it goes.

 

[raincityrider]

Does it have reverse posts like the Group 27F normally used in the 200? If not, you may need to mess with terminal extensions, etc. The factory cables are pretty limited in how far they can move.

I had to use the extender that came with my @sleeoffroad Group 31 mounting kit. And still the pos was pretty snug.

 

[Kurosawa]

I had to use the extender that came with my @sleeoffroad Group 31 mounting kit. And still the pos was pretty snug.

I've got some slee extensions as well so should be good there, still waiting for East Penn to get the battery in though three weeks later. Did you go with the 7T31P I ordered or the Marine Master? I'm shaking the Batteries + tree to see if they can get me the same (white labeled) battery any quicker.

 

[raincityrider]

I've got some slee extensions as well so should be good there, still waiting for East Penn to get the battery in though three weeks later. Did you go with the 7T31P I ordered or the Marine Master? I'm shaking the Batteries + tree to see if they can get me the same (white labeled) battery any quicker.

Opps I forgot the link. I went with the Fleetrite FEP1131PM it was available at my local RMC Group store.

 

[Kurosawa]

Opps I forgot the link. I went with the Fleetrite FEP1131PM it was available at my local RMC Group store.

Thanks for the Fleetrite tip, they white label the 7T31 from East Penn as well and the store in Dallas has 43 in stock! Unfortunately, they don't stock the post version 7T31P but I'll just screw some post adapters on and we will be ready for our trip next week.