Battery dead every time

AnthonyC wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
I would:
Check Converter DC output at converter AND at battery..is it really charging
Check battery voltage with a voltmeter
Check water levels in each battery cell
Then using a hydrometer check each cell specific gravity
Then take battery to any auto parts store and have it load tested

IF everything tests good.........
Connect voltmeter between battery neg. post and neg. cable and measure amp draw
Then start pulling DC fuses to isolate circuit that is draining battery.

YES there are parasitic drains on battery...LP Detector, Radio memories etc. but they should not cause a charged battery to go dead in 2 weeks......several weeks yes.

I was thinking the same thing unfortunately. My previous 5er had the similar parasitic drains and could last up to a month maybe two at best. I was hoping someone would say check this or that.... I will definitely be take my vom to the items mentioned and have the battery tested ...thanks for the advice fellas.! I will also look into the battery disconnects seems that will make life a lot easier.

If your battery(ies) are dead, you'll need to replace them. Once they're flat, they're toast and won't take a charge again. Disconnect is cheap insurance...provided you remember to turn it OFF! :-) BTDT...

Lyle

X2 for RoyB's post! I posted on this same subject about a week ago. Number 1, once you have severly discharged the battery it is toast. Two, RV's do come with a cutoff switch, BUT, they wire a lot of things around them, and the parasitic draw will kill a battery in two weeks or less! Three, it seems manufacturers are installing the cheapest batteries they can in the newer RV's. First, install a disconect at the battery, so that nothing is powered when off. Second invest in a good DEEP CYCle battery, remember if it states CCA's or cold cranking amps, it is NOT a deep cycle battery. Deep cycles are better able to withstand discharge and chargeing. Depending on your usage, i.e. Dry camping etc. you may want to install multiple batteries to give you more amp hours, but most important install deep cycle batteries! Good luck!

Also once a battery has been discharged below the 50% charge state without being recharged right away it is in most cases toast after that.

Not holding their charge very long like they used to is the first clue.

Batteries don't grow on trees for us... we lost our first battery just months after purchasing our trailer in 2008 from being over charged by the single mode converter/charger and all the battery fluids were boiled out.

After that happened we changed out the converter/charger for the smart mode converter/charger being higher amps rated that is known to always work when you expect it to (PD9260C), added larger battery cables everywhere using three four position (OFF-BAT1-BOTH-BAT2) heavy duty rotary Blue Sea battery switches, changed out all high current automotive lamps inside the trailer with LED lights, and added more battery capacity. Now we can select any, all, or none of the batteries being used. A couple clicks of the master four position battery switch completely disconnects the batteries from the trailer 12VDc system. I will switch 'OUT' my batteries when not being used for a long period.

During the winter months I will charge my batteries maybe a couple of times using the on-board converter/charger by connecting to the garage 20AMPS service using an HD extension cord or run my 2KW generator that needs to be run under load anyway...

My remaining batteries installed in 2008 are still in use today and are just now starting to fall off on performance. One of three batteries is really doing worse than the other two batteries on holding its performance.

I still can draw some 22AMPS from the batteries when camping off the power grid from 6PM to 10-11PM at night and only drop my batteries to around 12.0VDC by 8AM the next morning. This is when we initiate charging of the batteries back up to their 90% charge state by connecting the shore power cable to our 2KW generator using a RV30A-15A adapter and allowing the on-board smart mode converter/charger to recharge the battery bank in a three hour generator run time.

Been doing this routine since 2009 camping off the power grid in our OFF-ROAD POPUP camper.

I have a central located three meter BATTERY MONITOR panel inside the camper that monitors the 12VDC level of each bank as well as how much DC Current is being drained or put back into the batteries when being charged.

The OEM BATTERY POWER MONITOR meter shown here is worthless to me..
The Radio Shack Rocker switch beside the JENSEN AM/FM Radio is what we use after setting up camp to operate the radio ON-OFF and not lose our radio sittings. This is equivalent to the car ignition switch if the Jensen radio was installed in the car. If we need the radio to be totally disconnected then we turn it off using the built-in ON-OFF switch on the radio panel. No parasitic current is being drawn from the radio with the built-in front panel switch operated to OFF.

I also do routine maintenance on the batteries usually every month checking on the battery terminals for corrosion, checking fluid levels, and looking for abnormal signs around the battery cases.

My parasitic drain is around 1 AMP with every thing obvious turned off inside the trailer...

A little bit of effort pays off big in the end being around your batteries.

Roy Ken

DirtyOil wrote:
One should disconnect the battery when not in use, things like the propane detector, "memory" in the am/fm radio, TV antenna amplifier, the invertor standby current and others like moister free features in refrigerators and propane switching solenoids will still draw power.

Yep, Installed battery disconnect switch! I can now got months and still have plenty of battery to run the slides out and in!!!

My previous toyhauler batteries would last two to three weeks. I installed knife blade disconnect switches on both batteries. It cost me a whole $35.00. My new toyhauler has a built in battery disconnect.

sch911 wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
I would:
Check Converter DC output at converter AND at battery..is it really charging
Check battery voltage with a voltmeter
Check water levels in each battery cell
Then using a hydrometer check each cell specific gravity
Then take battery to any auto parts store and have it load tested

IF everything tests good.........
Connect voltmeter between battery neg. post and neg. cable and measure amp draw
Then start pulling DC fuses to isolate circuit that is draining battery.

YES there are parasitic drains on battery...LP Detector, Radio memories etc. but they should not cause a charged battery to go dead in 2 weeks......several weeks yes.

Good advice, but I do not agree with the 2 week statement. Yes the parasitic loads will easily kill a battery in 2 weeks time. Get a disconnect installed...

If all that stuff draws 1 amp (just an example), after 2 weeks they would use 336 amp hours.

Old-Biscuit wrote:
I would:
Check Converter DC output at converter AND at battery..is it really charging
Check battery voltage with a voltmeter
Check water levels in each battery cell
Then using a hydrometer check each cell specific gravity
Then take battery to any auto parts store and have it load tested

IF everything tests good.........
Connect voltmeter between battery neg. post and neg. cable and measure amp draw
Then start pulling DC fuses to isolate circuit that is draining battery.

YES there are parasitic drains on battery...LP Detector, Radio memories etc. but they should not cause a charged battery to go dead in 2 weeks......several weeks yes.

I was thinking the same thing unfortunately. My previous 5er had the similar parasitic drains and could last up to a month maybe two at best. I was hoping someone would say check this or that.... I will definitely be take my vom to the items mentioned and have the battery tested ...thanks for the advice fellas.! I will also look into the battery disconnects seems that will make life a lot easier.

RV's sitting around rv lots can get run down terribly. They can sit for weeks with severely discharged batteries. This can ruin a battery. I had to replace two brand new ones in my last rv. They were under warranty but they did not die of natural causes.

Old-Biscuit wrote:
I would:
Check Converter DC output at converter AND at battery..is it really charging
Check battery voltage with a voltmeter
Check water levels in each battery cell
Then using a hydrometer check each cell specific gravity
Then take battery to any auto parts store and have it load tested

IF everything tests good.........
Connect voltmeter between battery neg. post and neg. cable and measure amp draw
Then start pulling DC fuses to isolate circuit that is draining battery.

YES there are parasitic drains on battery...LP Detector, Radio memories etc. but they should not cause a charged battery to go dead in 2 weeks......several weeks yes.

Good advice, but I do not agree with the 2 week statement. Yes the parasitic loads will easily kill a battery in 2 weeks time. Get a disconnect installed...

My first trailer did not have a battery disconnect and I had to take the negative cable off the battery. I once had a battery that would loose voltage even with the battery disconnect off. Took the battery home and charged it.
After getting rid of the surface charge it continued loosing voltage just sitting there. Turns out to be a bad cell.
Don