Battery Upgrade Opinions: 31 vs 34

[tb-av]

Task .. Normal LE... no suspension upgrade. Threads I have read said the 31M required considerable retweaking of suspecsion from driver side to passenger side.. I think maybe it was Okie thread.

Fridge ARB50 , ARB Dual Comp, Battery chargers 18V, camera, phones, small network, small power inverter.

Cost------- $315 -----||---- $300 ----- $350 -- 17%
Spec AGM----24 ------||------ 34 -------- 31 ---- 0%
Weight -------57 -----||------- 49 ------- 74 --- 51%
Pulse Amps -1500 ----||------1500 ------2150 -- 43%
CCA 0deg ----840 -----||----- 880 ------ 1150 -- 31%
Reserve ----- 160 ------||----- 133 ------ 220 -- 65%

The above is from Northstar data sheets. Prices are from random battery online sales site.
The Group 34 looks to easily be a better deal over the Group 24. But the 31 is a considerably more substantial battery for not much more money. Although if you buy a $25 tray for Group 34 and a $125 cage for the group 31 then you are looking at over 45%... so you are basically simply up scaling on a dollar for dollar basis.
BUT... my question... what is the practical nature of this. In context what is the adequacy of the 34. Is it more than enough for the job? Is it ok but marginal?
I can't find the specs on the Interstate battery from COSTCO that I believe Antman uses.

 

[jawkdna]

Just to update...
I ended up going with the 34R Odyssey, which will more than serve my needs for the foreseeable future.

Thanks for all the input!

 

[tb-av]

May I ask what sort of tray you put under that?

 

[jawkdna]

May I ask what sort of tray you put under that?

Stock tray. The 34 is actually a bit smaller than the stock battery, although it does weigh more...

 

[delgadtn]

I too am between the Odyssey Group 34 vs 31. I am leaning toward the Group 34 as I have no interest in dealing with stress fractures of the sheet metal or braces. I live in Utah and given ample trail access, I am looking at doing a fair amount of overlanding and playing on the trails down in Moab and Canyonlands; not true rock crawling but trails like Poison Spider, Hell's Revenge, and such. I am currently running an ARB 50Q part time and an Spod with accessory lights. I will soon be adding a winch and on board compressor. I would like my ARB to live in my truck; maybe run it 50% of the time. Is this too much load on the Group 34? I would consider adding a bigger alternator adding a 50 or 100 watt panel up top.

 

[mscot]

Following. Thanks for all the info gents.

 

[kcfj60]

where did you get the 'TRD' top hold part?

 

[e60ral]

I too am between the Odyssey Group 34 vs 31. I am leaning toward the Group 34 as I have no interest in dealing with stress fractures of the sheet metal or braces. I live in Utah and given ample trail access, I am looking at doing a fair amount of overlanding and playing on the trails down in Moab and Canyonlands; not true rock crawling but trails like Poison Spider, Hell's Revenge, and such. I am currently running an ARB 50Q part time and an Spod with accessory lights. I will soon be adding a winch and on board compressor. I would like my ARB to live in my truck; maybe run it 50% of the time. Is this too much load on the Group 34? I would consider adding a bigger alternator adding a 50 or 100 watt panel up top.

Mine also lives in my truck, I recommend 31 unless you add at least 100W solar. During the hottest part of the year the 31m is just enough for me with just commuting to and from work and otherwise being mostly parked until the weekend. In mild temps it's more than you need for day to day.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[jawkdna]

where did you get the 'TRD' top hold part?

AJT Design makes them:
https://www.ajtdesign-llc.com/online-store/Battery-Clamp-p90489289

 

[JSparky]

The original post is a bit old but in case it’s still relevant, I wouldn’t mess with a 31 for your use, too many other factors. Run the Panasonic till it dies, then upgrade to a nice AGM replacement and carry an emergency jumper when you’re on trips. So much simpler, especially if you’re just running some lights.

 

[Maadcaap]

Cable extentions

How are you guys extending the cables to fit a group 31?

 

[duglasfur]

How are you guys extending the cables to fit a group 31?

Same question????

 

[tv4184]

AJT Design makes them:
https://www.ajtdesign-llc.com/online-store/Battery-Clamp-p90489289

Not to say I don't spend a lot on cosmetic mods but thats quite a bit for a battery clamp. After adding it to my shopping cart... :lol:

 

[jhguth]

How are you guys extending the cables to fit a group 31?

I just used a piece of cable I had (I think it was 1AWG 1/0 that i had) and used a cheap hydraulic crimper to add a copper eyelet on one side that I bolted the existing cables to (where they previously bolted to the factory battery terminal)

Related-
In another thread someone was asking about how long to expect the battery to last so I stress tested mine.

I have a Dometic CFX-40 and a 31m battery, the fridge is set to the highest shutoff (11.8V). The fridge was <50% full of water bottles, the truck was parked in direct afternoon sun. Per the weather station at my house max temp over the period was 92 degrees and min night time temp was 74 degrees. I recorded a max interior temp of 118 degrees. The fridge is set at 35 degrees, and recorded temps at that setting typically span 33-39 degrees. The fridge is in the insulated cover (although it probably doesn't make much difference).

I parked the truck Friday at 4PM and the fridge shutoff from low voltage (11.8V) on Sunday at 3AM for a run time of 35 hours. The resting battery voltage (no load) after the fridge shutoff was 12.3V and the truck started no problem. This morning at 8AM the interior fridge temp was 68 degrees (i forgot to check the fridge temp sunday morning but based on my experience i suspect it would have been in the low 40's, so plenty cold for drinks and produce but meat would probably need to be consumed that AM or discarded)

I've tested my setup in better conditions (full fridge, parked in shade, etc...) and the fridge goes well into the 3rd day, and i've tested the medium voltage shutoff and that also adds almost another day.

If you need anything more than overnight I'm not convinced that a 34m battery is big enough because when conditions aren't ideal the performance drops a lot (unless you add solar, 100W+ of solar will make a big difference). Under good conditions 35 hours of run time is within the capacity of a 34m battery, but I posted these results because often times conditions aren't ideal.

 

[SlickTRD]

Are people purchasing a 34 or 31 because those are the only sizes that Odyssey makes that fit a 4R? I'm looking to upgrade my battery to AGM, but it seems Northstar makes a stock size 24F that seems to be better than the 34R sized battery. Would a Northstar 24F be the right choice?

 

[97BlackAckCL]

Are people purchasing a 34 or 31 because those are the only sizes that Odyssey makes that fit a 4R? I'm looking to upgrade my battery to AGM, but it seems Northstar makes a stock size 24F that seems to be better than the 34R sized battery. Would a Northstar 24F be the right choice?

I had zero fitment issues with the 34 other than needing the height spacer, but I'm used to that after over a decade of using Optimas, the 34 fits great and no modification to the wires is needed

 

[jhguth]

Are people purchasing a 34 or 31 because those are the only sizes that Odyssey makes that fit a 4R? I'm looking to upgrade my battery to AGM, but it seems Northstar makes a stock size 24F that seems to be better than the 34R sized battery. Would a Northstar 24F be the right choice?

a few more ah and no height spacer should be needed, yeah the group 24 is a better option

 

[SlickTRD]

a few more ah and no height spacer needed, yeah the group 24 is a better option

Thanks, that confirms what I was researching.

 

[Louisiana Overland]

I just recently switched the original battery out for an odessy 34r. I have a dometic cfx50 that will have been running 24-7 for two weeks tomorrow. I ordered the hkb voltage booster diode but have yet to recieve it. So far the voltage has held up and its never gotten low enough to kick the fridge off(medium setting). It has been holding at34def F in the Louisiana heat. I have a big trip planned early next month but forsee no issues. After the trip I will likely add an onboard marine charger so thatthe truck can stay fully charged while parked for more than a day.

 

[SlickTRD]

I just recently switched the original battery out for an odessy 34r. I have a dometic cfx50 that will have been running 24-7 for two weeks tomorrow. I ordered the hkb voltage booster diode but have yet to recieve it. So far the voltage has held up and its never gotten low enough to kick the fridge off(medium setting). It has been holding at34def F in the Louisiana heat. I have a big trip planned early next month but forsee no issues. After the trip I will likely add an onboard marine charger so thatthe truck can stay fully charged while parked for more than a day.

What brand and model onboard charger are you thinking of? So essentially you would keep the fridge on and the onboard charger would feed the battery as well as the fridge?