We have a 5 year old 30' Rockwood trailer that we often use dry camping at a local county park that can get cold at night. We have two 6 volt batteries and a solar charger. Before we leave home I have both batteries fully charged. While dry camping we use our solar charger and are careful about our use of electricity. We use lanterns for lights, don't use the trailer's stereo, but never-the-less in the middle of the night when I'd rather be sleeping the low batter alarm buzzer goes off just after the furnace begins to work. This can happen even on our first evening out. When I turn off the furnace the reading on our control panel indicates there is plenty of battery power left. What could possible be going on to cause this problem? Anybody out there have an idea?

“and are careful about our use of electricity...”There’s “careful” and there’s “careful.” A solar system should provide all the juice you need for a night’s camping and fully recharge the batteries the next day. Did you do an energy survey? Once completed, are your battery amp hours at least double that? Preferably 2.5 to 3. Do you have at least solar panels providing 1 watt per battery amp hour? Is your controller and your wiring adequate? Using battery lanterns and no stereo or TV stinks!Tell us in detail what batteries you have.

Your batteries may not be so fully charged when setting out as you think. They are "collapsing under load" and the voltage bounces back with no load.How do you decide they are fully charged? Hydrometer reading needed to confirm this. What is your method of keeping them charged when home? How much of a solar charger is that? what converter does your Rv have ?You have come to the right place, but be prepared to answer a bunch of questions! :)

How old and what (exactly) type of batteries are these? Amp Hours? Deep cycle? Brand? Wet cell that require you add water or something else?

If you are judging that the batteries are fully charged by the little 3 or 4 red light meter built into the trailer that's not a good reading. That little meter is useless. You would need either a battery gauge with a shunt to measure amp hours in vs. amp hours out or you would need a hydrometer to know they were full.I suspect one of your batteries has a bad cell and thus they both need replacing. Another possibility is that you have some very poor, loose, or coroded connections that are a high resistance under load.

At least use a digital volt meter measure battery voltage.

Furnace and battery | Good Sam Community

garym114
Explorer II
Jan 20, 2019
At least use a digital volt meter measure battery voltage.
KD4UPL
Explorer
Jan 20, 2019
If you are judging that the batteries are fully charged by the little 3 or 4 red light meter built into the trailer that's not a good reading. That little meter is useless. You would need either a battery gauge with a shunt to measure amp hours in vs. amp hours out or you would need a hydrometer to know they were full.
I suspect one of your batteries has a bad cell and thus they both need replacing. Another possibility is that you have some very poor, loose, or coroded connections that are a high resistance under load.
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Jan 20, 2019
How old and what (exactly) type of batteries are these? Amp Hours? Deep cycle? Brand? Wet cell that require you add water or something else?
BFL13
Explorer II
Jan 20, 2019
Your batteries may not be so fully charged when setting out as you think. They are "collapsing under load" and the voltage bounces back with no load.

How do you decide they are fully charged? Hydrometer reading needed to confirm this. What is your method of keeping them charged when home? How much of a solar charger is that? what converter does your Rv have ?

You have come to the right place, but be prepared to answer a bunch of questions! :)
Lwiddis
Explorer II
Jan 20, 2019
“and are careful about our use of electricity...”

There’s “careful” and there’s “careful.” A solar system should provide all the juice you need for a night’s camping and fully recharge the batteries the next day. Did you do an energy survey? Once completed, are your battery amp hours at least double that? Preferably 2.5 to 3. Do you have at least solar panels providing 1 watt per battery amp hour? Is your controller and your wiring adequate? Using battery lanterns and no stereo or TV stinks!

Tell us in detail what batteries you have.

Forum Discussion

Furnace and battery

About Technical Issues

Related Content

Furnace fan and battery drain

Furnace

Propane/ Furnace

Furnace clicking

Atwood furnace