House batteries

What type of batteries do you have now? How old are they? What converter do you have and how many amps does it charge? It is hard to tell if your batteries are good or bad without knowing a few things about your system. They maybe fine. To check you can have them load tested for free at any auto parts store. Or fully charge them hit the battery disconnect switch and they should still read about 12.6V a week or so later.

OP , sounds like everything is working perfectly and why would you think the batteries are shot?
That aside, if you have the room, upgrading the battery bank can be a worthwhile and not horribly expensive upgrade.
Best bang for the buck is 6v batteries imo

jdc1 wrote:
And maybe get a Mr. Buddy heater. A lot less electrical & propane use...and no electrical use.

Good way to introduce a lot of moisture to the inside of the camper. Unless maybe in a low humidity climate
I have one. I use it in our snomachine trailer, but direct propane heat makes water.

Yes , those detectors depending on the age and model can draw up to a full amp. That plus the 1/2 amp or more from the fridge on gas, the radio, the TV if its plugged in, all add up to a sleepy battery by morning.
I put a temp volt/amp meter in line so I can see exactly how much power each item draws while using it.

I do not use an LP detector as of now, but I do spray my fittings 2x a season to check for leaks. I have never had any kind of leak since 1969. My DW's nose will tell me if I have a leak somewhere. The OEM LP detector is also a Methane detector, ask my dog who sleeps next to it at 3 AM.

They did make a couple of them that were battery operated. The TC guys used them while off grid hunting/fishing. One looked like a pen. The other were Kidde style detectors.

When I recently did a search for a battery model, the initial description in bold letters said 'plug-in' but when I clicked 'more details' it said battery powered too.


" ... Kidde Nighthawk Plug-In AC/DC Carbon Monoxide Alarm Detector with Digital Display KN ... Amazon Business : For business-only pricing, quantity discounts and FREE Shipping."

hand-held models avl too
"Y201 Propane and Natural Gas Leak Detector; Portable Gas Sniffer to Locate Gas Leaks of Combustible Gases like Methane, LPG, LNG, Fuel, Sewer Gas; w/ Flexible Sensor Neck, Sound & LED Alarm,"

Using Amazon Prime allows us to simply return it , all paid shipping. That's what I have been doing. If its not what I expected, I send it back. Sometimes they tell me to 'not bother, keep it' and refund me . That usually happens with electronic cords and connectors. Have not tried that on other items yet.

Bob

bobndot wrote:
I run 100w solar on the roof thru an MPPT and a BIM , it keeps my 2 grp 27 deep cycles as well as keeps my chassis battery at a full charge 12.7v while parked. In the event that I'm parked on a shaded site, I have an additional 100w on the ground as a portable system in case of heavy tree cover.


Try to limit what you are drawing off your batts. To conserve my 12v power, I installed a toggle switch on my LP detector which draws about a 1/2 amp. I use a portable battery operated carbon monoxide detector.
I also have a toggle on the radio as well unplugging my tv.
* Some models of power roof vents might have a constant 12v draw while off. If you find that you are experiencing a slight draw with everything off, look into that vent. I forget which brand it was on the vent we found the draw on. It might have been a thermostat or rain sensor in stand-by mode, not sure.

I now have no draw on my coach unless im using something requiring 12v power.
Mr Buddy takes care of my heating **unless it drops below 32F, then I let the furnace kick on because all my water lines plastic valves and water pump are heated thru the furnace.
My 2 grp 27's never drop below 12.2-12.3v after running the furnace during the night an 28-30F outside temp, with the rv thermostat set at 64F. My interior lighting are LED's with very little draw.
An rvs insulation R value and dual pane windows or not will probably have an effect on furnace run time.

P.S. when I say 'full charge' I realize its really probably 90%. Close enough .

I've suspected my propane detector of drawing around 1/2 amp all the time, too. When you have it switched off, what do you replace it with for 24/7 propane leak detection? I think battery powered propane leak detectors are difficult to find, if they exist at all.

The stock carbon monoxide detector that came in our RV is battery powered anyway, so I just change it's 9V battery about once a year.

Matt_Colie wrote:
Yb,

First off, you are in Ontario, and that is as bad solar-wise as Michigan. The little panel on the roof will probably do a good job of making up for the loss when the coach is stored.

Matt

This is very true. Michigan ranks 47th out of the 48 continental states in available sun shine. I think New Hampshire is 48th.

Dusty

All of your lighting is a significant battery draw. Replace as much of it as feasible with LED lighting. It will be a huge improvement in quality of lighting, too.

“but it may be worth adding extra panels to the system”

Provided the solar wiring is big enough and your controller will handle the increased amps, add a panel or two. (I see some reading in your future)

I run 100w solar on the roof thru an MPPT and a BIM , it keeps my 2 grp 27 deep cycles as well as keeps my chassis battery at a full charge 12.7v while parked. In the event that I'm parked on a shaded site, I have an additional 100w on the ground as a portable system in case of heavy tree cover.


Try to limit what you are drawing off your batts. To conserve my 12v power, I installed a toggle switch on my LP detector which draws about a 1/2 amp. I use a portable battery operated carbon monoxide detector.
I also have a toggle on the radio as well unplugging my tv.
* Some models of power roof vents might have a constant 12v draw while off. If you find that you are experiencing a slight draw with everything off, look into that vent. I forget which brand it was on the vent we found the draw on. It might have been a thermostat or rain sensor in stand-by mode, not sure.

I now have no draw on my coach unless im using something requiring 12v power.
Mr Buddy takes care of my heating **unless it drops below 32F, then I let the furnace kick on because all my water lines plastic valves and water pump are heated thru the furnace.
My 2 grp 27's never drop below 12.2-12.3v after running the furnace during the night an 28-30F outside temp, with the rv thermostat set at 64F. My interior lighting are LED's with very little draw.
An rvs insulation R value and dual pane windows or not will probably have an effect on furnace run time.

P.S. when I say 'full charge' I realize its really probably 90%. Close enough .

pnichols wrote:
We recharge our two RV batteries about every other day very quietly by idling the V10 engine a bit. The idling V10 can hardly be heard or felt and the 130 alternator does a great job of bringing the batteries back up quickly. Other nearby campers will not hear it idling.

Good suggestion, but I would still add a DC-DC charger. It will bring your battery bank up to 100% state of charge quicker.