Correct. The internal resistance of the battery in addition to the load imposed by the other devices on the system does bring the voltage down to its nominal range. As I indicated, it is rare for me to see more than 40mA flow from one panel - perhaps because now I keep my battery well topped. I observe the effective voltage level either through the scangauge II or through the multimeter and it has never reached 13V, it gets pretty close, but even with the second panel plugged in it does not reach 13V. So no, under these conditions I am not concerned about the life of the VRLA at all. If anything I now expect it to have a longer life.

Cheers;

MSantos