What are the implications of using a Deep Cell Marine battery as a single main battery?

This, of course, is with the full understanding that a proper off-road battery like Optima or one of the others would be the preferrable methood whether using a dual or single set up.  I don't yet have a need for two batteries, but I do have an old tired standard battery in there right now which looses voltage pretty quickly after shut-down; and I have a nice "new" deep cycle marine battery sitting in my garage... doing nothing.

There's no such thing as a "marine" battery... it's all marketing hype. My blue top is identical to a yellow top, except it has the accessory posts on the top instead of the side. The battery inside is the same.

There are deep cycle batteries like a blue/yellow top and there are starter batteries. Starter batteries, like a red top, have higher amps, but don't like to be drained down. Deep cycle batteries have less amps, but can be drained low and recharged (thus the term deep cycle). By wiring two deep cycle batteries together I've essentially doubled the amperage. Now have the benefit of being able to deep cycle them in camp (fridge, lights, etc) and still have lots of amps for starting, winching, etc.
 

The only reason they call a Marine battery that, is because most marine applications require them to get run down pretty low before recharging.  For example, running a fridge. 

Craig

My battery tray is essentially the same as the Aedofab one.  http://www.aedofab.com/prod_rover/dualbatterytray.htm

I just replaced the two red top Optimas in the pinz with two yellow top batteries. I run the fridge while camping. I bought the two red tops several years ago from a friend that has a car dealership that happened to get a pallet of them from some unknown source for cheap. I was the last of the group that had working batteries and I thought it best to replace them before an expected dieout.

Costco had two types of yellow tops, side poles and top poles, top poles work better for me but the specs are different. As I run everything on 24V I did not think it would matter, we'll see. I still have the red tops and they work so may just keep them on hand for some experiments I want to do. Traded in some old water cells for the cores.

Morris

Another option that I went with is dual Sears Diehard Platinum batteries. There are a few threads on EXPO stating that they are the same batteries as Oddysey.

Salue

Les schwab has their version of Optima batteries...not sure how much or if they are cheaper than Optimas. Also check batteries+, they sell optimas, oddesseys and their own brand of similar batteries.

ROFL!