Charging Rate of Honda 2000
Boon-docking. Charging 2 six volt batteries in series....how long should the generator run to bring up batteries one volt? I typically run it in "ECO" mode out of consideration for others. Thanks for...
Forum Discussion
Hoppypoppy wrote:
Thanks for all the help. Let me just throw out a typical trip for us. Maybe that will clarify things, at least for me. When we leave the house, both 6 volt batteries are showing in the 6.25 - 6.30 range having charged with shore power. Each a/noon I will plug shore power into my 2000, and run it for about 3 hours. We use a Fantastic Fan and a small florescent night lite all night. After bfast, no coffee maker, minimal light usage etc, I check my batts. Typically they are in the 5.15 - 5.60 range. A 3 hour "charge" will bring them back to roughly 6.15. This is where the "1 volt" comes from in my OP. I was just curious how much longer it would take to get back to 6.25+ range, hence one volt. Sorry if I am trying your patience on this, but it is something that crossed my mind after a week (typical) trip.
OK this info helps a little. You need to learn a few things and that's ok, that's why you are here, right?
1. It is ok to measure your batteries individually but why do the math? Measure from the post where the positive cable is to the post where the negative cable is. This your starting out voltage and yours is 12.5 to 12.6. Full is 12.7. You are not even full when you start the trip. At 5.15-5.6 = 10.30-11.2 Volts DC. You only want to take your batteries down to 50% state (see chart) of charge which is 12.1-2. Taking them below that is causing serious damage to their longevity. Your batteries are likely shot.
See chart:
2. To help you, we need to know what kind of converter/charger you have. Some RV's come with good ones, most do not. Open the door on your power center and look for a brand name and model#. It will be something like WFCO, Progressive Industries, or something else. The less expensive WFCO that even some of the better RV manufacturers like to use is not known to be very good at quick charging batteries. Get back to us if you want real help.
3. You seem to know your way around a volt meter. Read 12 Volt Side of Life It will help you understand things.
