Should I replace my batteries?
My two 6V Interstate batteries have been doing very well. They were installed by the dealer before we took delivery of our new X19H in June of 2011. Never had any issues with them, but wondering now ...
Forum Discussion
Thanks everybody for your responses and feedback!
I have decided to switch out the batteries with a set from Costco, since I just don't want to be stuck in the mountains in Canada this summer with a dead battery or two.
That said, I am continuing my dry camping experiment next to the house, just for my own entertainment at this point. I have to say that I am very impressed with these 8 year old interstate batteries.
Here is what I have done so far:
- last Sunday, the batteries were fully charged. I disconnected the trailer and removed the batteries because I needed to sand, prep and paint the battery mounting bracket. Set the batteries aside under the trailer.
- re-installed the bracket and put the batteries back on Wednesday pm - looks nice again now :-). Never connected the trailer again.
- Started my dry camping experiment Wed late afternoon: lights on for a few hours, radio, and de-winterized the trailer. Used the batteries to pump the RV antifreeze out, and circle some sanitizing bleach through. Quite some water pump usage on battery power.
- last night, did some inside cleaning and season preps. Lights for 2-3 hours, fridge still on, of course.
- turned on heater over night, set thermostat at 17C with outside temps at 11C. It was cozy inside this morning, the heater turned on 17 times over night (I was able to tell based on the sawtooth waveform I saw on my home's weather station - I had placed a temp sensor in the trailer.) That's quite some load on the batteries right there.
- this morning, the built in control panel showed full batteries (all 4 LEDs lit)
- measuring the voltage shows 12.36V, which is equivalent with ~ 70% capacity left.
So after 2 nights of simulated dry camping the batteries are still going very strong.
I don't want to take the risk, but it will feel like replacing good batteries. :-(
Anyway, I'll continue the test. My plan today is to drain the fresh water tank using the pump on battery from full to empty (finish the sanitizing). let's see what happens after another night.
I have decided to switch out the batteries with a set from Costco, since I just don't want to be stuck in the mountains in Canada this summer with a dead battery or two.
That said, I am continuing my dry camping experiment next to the house, just for my own entertainment at this point. I have to say that I am very impressed with these 8 year old interstate batteries.
Here is what I have done so far:
- last Sunday, the batteries were fully charged. I disconnected the trailer and removed the batteries because I needed to sand, prep and paint the battery mounting bracket. Set the batteries aside under the trailer.
- re-installed the bracket and put the batteries back on Wednesday pm - looks nice again now :-). Never connected the trailer again.
- Started my dry camping experiment Wed late afternoon: lights on for a few hours, radio, and de-winterized the trailer. Used the batteries to pump the RV antifreeze out, and circle some sanitizing bleach through. Quite some water pump usage on battery power.
- last night, did some inside cleaning and season preps. Lights for 2-3 hours, fridge still on, of course.
- turned on heater over night, set thermostat at 17C with outside temps at 11C. It was cozy inside this morning, the heater turned on 17 times over night (I was able to tell based on the sawtooth waveform I saw on my home's weather station - I had placed a temp sensor in the trailer.) That's quite some load on the batteries right there.
- this morning, the built in control panel showed full batteries (all 4 LEDs lit)
- measuring the voltage shows 12.36V, which is equivalent with ~ 70% capacity left.
So after 2 nights of simulated dry camping the batteries are still going very strong.
I don't want to take the risk, but it will feel like replacing good batteries. :-(
Anyway, I'll continue the test. My plan today is to drain the fresh water tank using the pump on battery from full to empty (finish the sanitizing). let's see what happens after another night.
