batteries dead - Page 2

scott · 11-25-2009, 01:01 AM

These are worth every penny you spend on them. I bought one at Wally World that is called a battery tender. It has 4 hook ups so I hook it to the batteries of my Harley, lawn tractor and camper. I do this in the winter when the batteries are not in use and forget about them until spring. When I'm ready for the batteries again I unhook them and reinstall them and they are good to go.

gtoguy1967 · 11-25-2009, 02:14 AM

I have had my trailer pluged in for three years and the water is still at the same level. It is a good idea to check them. I don't do it as often as I should.

CygnusSailor · 11-26-2009, 03:02 AM

When doing a load test on your RV battery, you are not interested in loading it like you would for testing a starting battery. On my boat, I load test my "house" batteries (I have 2 huge house batteries) by drawing about 7-10 amps and noting the battery voltage under that amount of load. My 12V refrigerator draws about 5 amps, so when it kicks on I can turn on a few lights, at about 1 amp per light, and then check the battery voltage. There IS a way to check the individual cells on your batteries. You can do this with a hydrometer. Each properly charged cell should have the same "specific gravity." If a cell is not properly charged or if it is "weak" it will have a significantly different specific gravity. I don't have the numbers handy and don't remember them, but I'm sure they could be looked up online. The hydrometer you need to do this is calibrated for specific gravity, not the ones with the floating balls.

gtoguy1967 · 11-27-2009, 09:03 AM

Gary , You are correct about being able to test the gravity of a battery with a hydrometer, This would be much harder do than a Voltage test. A fully charged battery should read any where from 1.280 TA 1.95. This will decrees as you pull voltage out of the battery and the acid is absorbed into the plates.

I just got a new Odyssey battery for my camper and it's a sealed battery, You can't check the Specific Gravity of thisbattery. Man is this thing heavy. Nothing wrong with my original battery some one I know just didn't like the brand that they put in new so they gave me this new one.

Chuck N. Wined · 11-29-2009, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hunter11

Lonnie, do you leave your trailer plugged in all the time? If so it will boil them out if you don't check them every couple of weeks.

BINGO!!!

That is what happened. I do leave it plugged in. I was able to "revive" the batts by topping them off with distilled h2o and charging them. They are not hold charge as well. I can't get them to stay at "full" on the control panel under a load but I think they will be OK for the trip to Disney and then I will probably go to 2 6volts in the spring. I will also look into a battery minder like Keith suggested....or maybe I will swing by and pick up Franks pink bunny onour way back to Ohio!

Lonnie

Hunter11 · 11-29-2009, 10:43 PM

Lonnie, I think you will really like the Battery Minder. I leave mine plugged in all the time and unplug it when I plug the trailer in before a trip. If you mount it in the battery compartment you don't have to worry about taking it in and out. I still check my batteries once a month but with the minder on them I don't have to add water. Have a safe trip to Disney!

J Ren · 12-04-2009, 12:27 AM

Hunter, you use the Battery Minder in you camper. Question, are you disconnecting the house batteries when the Minder is in use? Also does this have connections for each battery? Sounds like your idea would work good for me.

Thanks

Hunter11 · 12-04-2009, 12:43 AM

J Ren, I am not disconnecting the two 6v batteries but I do have the trailer unplugged from plug here at the house and I have the battery switch turned off. If you don't have a battery switch I don't think it matters. I have the+ connected to the + connection to the trailer and the - to the- to the trailer. So when I have the Battery Minder plugged in it is charging both batteries in series. Hope this helps.

J Ren · 12-04-2009, 06:19 AM

This does help and if I understand you correctly when you have the charger plugged in you are running 12v to the camper from the batteries but the batteries are still on the charger.

Thanks, Hunter

Edited by: J Ren

Hunter11 · 12-04-2009, 06:45 AM

When I have the BM plugged in I have the batteries shut off to the trailer at the battery switch. If I didnot have a battery switch I would disconnect the batteries so the BM could maintain the batteries charge.

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