Maintaining batteries

Thank you all for advice, I have volt meter, it is what I’m checking with. I’ve decided to get charger/ maintainers for 12v and 6v, any recommendations on best? Also, my 2, 6v house batteries are connected together, is this considered series? Would charger connected to one maintain both? Lastly, I’ve seen 2 bank chargers. Does anyone know if these can be set to 2 different voltages, one 6 and one 12? Thank you again.

Silas Carpy,

Welcome to the forums.

It is good you noticed there is an issue with charging.

My RV requires the battery disconnect switch to be "on" for the converter, or the inverter/charger to do battery maintenance. If it is "off" no charging happens.

Many RV's do not charge the "chassis" battery. One of the popular ways to make this happen is to add a Trik-L-Start.

It is prudent to carry a volt meter (an elcheapo from Harbor Freight would be good enough)

If the battery switch is on, then check the output at the converter, or inverter charger.

Converters usual have reverse polarity fuses. They sometimes fail.

Others have given you excellent advice in the thread.

Do let us know what the solution to the problem is.

Silas Carpy wrote:
I’ve been monitoring the batteries and today the 12 volt chassis battery was at 11.55 volts and the 6 volt coach batteries were 5.85.

11.55 volts is almost completely dead.

Your battery maintainer isn't working.

A maintainer that actually works will keep the batteries at around 13.5 volts (which would be 6.75 volts on each 6 volt battery).

Note that most house battery chargers only maintain your house batteries - not your chassis batteries.

In order to also maintain your chassis batteries, you'll probably need to add a diversion charger (which "steals" a little bit of current from your house batteries to also keep the chassis batteries charged).

A couple examples of diversion chargers:

Xantrex Echo-Charge

LSL Products AMP-L-START

I didn't notice any mention of the battery's age. That being said, they may not take a charge due to age or mis-use. Beyond that it's a matter of making sure there 120v into the converter and 12v-14.4 volts out of the converter. I'm not much of a fan of maintaining batteries with a converter, but there are decent ones out there like Progressive Dynamics. I have a WFCO and have little good to say about it. I mean, it works but I'd never trust it to care for my $600.00 worth of 6v golf cart batteries.

Yes, it should be fine.

Something is wrong with your system if you are running below 12v after being connected to the charger for weeks.

First and immediate step is to get those batteries charged. Discharged batteries have a shorter life, maybe much shorter. Borrow a auto charger for each bank to start.

Being plugged in should keep them charged. Yours obviously is not. What brand and model of inverter/charger are we talking about?

Silas Carpy wrote:
New to rving as of May this year so first time winterizing. If I understood everything I read, including owners manual, I can leave batteries in rv and connect to shore cord and inverter will maintain charge. I’ve had it hooked for about 3-4 weeks now. I’ve been monitoring the batteries and today the 12 volt chassis battery was at 11.55 volts and the 6 volt coach batteries were 5.85. Does this method not maintain charge. 2009 Fleetwood pulse on dodge/Mercedes’ sprinter. Thanks.

If an inverter/charger, make sure the charger is "enabled" and there is 120v to the rig such as to the MW

If a converter, make sure it has 120v input. On that,
A. be sure there is 120v to the RV--see if the MW is lit. If so,
B. check for 120v to the converter. If so,
C. check the converter's RP fuses, check the battery fuse (or DC CB if that)
D.snap off the converter's 120v CB and see if the 12v lights work from battery (they will be dim at the reported voltage, but should still work)--if they do the battery fuse is ok, so that leaves the RP fuses if there is 120v to the converter.

The engine battery needs its own maintenance charger--it does not get any from the converter or inverter/charger. Various ways to arrange that-Trickle Charge eg.