Battery woes....

swamprat 01 wrote:
If it was discharged and sit when it was freezing, the battery has probably frozen and will be for-all general-purposes dead...I remove the battery in the winter (even here if Fl.) and put it in the shop so I can remember to check it often and charge if necessary.I have had no problems with batteries from Wally World.

I do the same thing for winter. I have previously frozen a car battery and it worked fine for the rest of winter; however, as soon as it warmed up it was dead.

I use the Sam's Club energizer 6V batteries and am going on my 3rd year now. I do maintain water levels, ensure the discharge doesn't go down too far, and I bring them inside for winter and keep them charged.

I see a pattern. Continually replacing batteries is indicative of another problem. My guesses would be the converter is supplying too much voltage during float, boiling the battery or the battery is left connected during storage allowing it to be discharged by the RV's parasitic draws. In the latter case, if left to happen continually, the battery will fail within a short time.

If it was discharged and sit when it was freezing, the battery has probably frozen and will be for-all general-purposes dead...I remove the battery in the winter (even here if Fl.) and put it in the shop so I can remember to check it often and charge if necessary.I have had no problems with batteries from Wally World.

There is nothing wrong with just using an RV/marine battery from Walmart (or wherever) if you always have shore power when RVing. Golf cart aka deep cycle batteries can take a better beating but are primarily utilized by RVers who camp often without shore power, and will suffer early death just as quickly if they are not properly cared for.

The root of the problem is probably more than just the brand or type of battery being used. Using a voltmeter to monitor the dc voltages within your rig can easily identify where the problem lies. Your converter should output a range of 13.2 - 13.6 volts, higher if it has multiphase charging capabilities. Wiring to the battery should be clean, tight, and hopefully of adequate size.

Not much different than the charging cycle within your automobiles, even a neglected but adequately charge car battery will last a couple of years. A new battery of whatever brand or type will get your rig going, checking that the proper converter output voltage is reaching the new battery will ensure your investment has the best chance of providing reliable service for years to come.

I'd recommend an actual disconnect... I assume you don't have one already.

Dead again? How long did it last? How often does it sit less than 50% charged? Ever low on water?

the energizer from sams club are built by johson controls seem to be good batts

I am a fan of Interstate batteries.