What is normal parasitic DC amp draw?

(Speaking of screwups)

The thing about not religiously using a full cutoff is one single stupid mistake and the battery becomes a trade-in hunk of lead. Is the gamble worth it? And yeah I had a real steep learning curve about this subject back in the 1970's. I've held a grudge for 40 years. Humbling experience.

kyle86 wrote:
Wow thanks for the tips!! I have a dc cut off switch on the rear fuese box next to the main breaker. When cut off, the amps go to 0.01 draw. I just found it interesting/concerning that it was drawing so much with everything off.

When boondocking, how low do you let the batterys get before recharging? Or is a daily charging routine what people do? Sorry for the newb questions, first camper :)

Smart People ask questions!

Normally 50% capacity is the maximum recommended discharge. But this has permutations by the dozen. If you are on a three week boondocking trip and it takes maybe 10 days to discharge to 50% then time has to be factored in.

This is similar to radiation dosages. Take 10-years of total gamma exposure (sunlight) and compress it into 1-minute and you will become a walking cadaver. So time as well as intensity has to be realized.

A discharge to 50% then recharge every 3rd day would be fine.

For months-long boondocking, proper care is totally different. BFL13 has extensive records and tips regarding this.

The object is to waste minimum time on battery care when camping
Minimize generator run time in remote or sensitive camping spots.
And ask as many questions as you like. There is no hard & fast routine to charge batteries. Some folks who camp where there is sun prefer solar panels.

afinepoint wrote:
What is considered excessive parasitic draw? My current draw is 2,7amps. I opened breakers and pulled fuses one at a time with no change. The batteries are two size 24DC with 92amp hour capacity each. I do have an inverter.

The trailer is an Adventure Manufacturing FBS 26.

Maybe you have other fuses in the trailer... Many of us have fuses in our distribution panel and another fuse block some place else for other things.

Most of us run .5 or less with everything off or disconnected and safety monitors running.

2.7 amps is BIG!

Inverter parasitic draw varies between units. I have measured .5 to .75 parasitic.

What is considered excessive parasitic draw? My current draw is 2.7amps. I opened breakers and pulled fuses one at a time with no change. The batteries are two size 24DC with 92amp hour capacity each. I do have an inverter.

I'm thinking the draw is up. I used the trailer for a month hooked up in a park. Put it in storage for two months and forgot to disconnect the batteries. When I picked it up both batteries were dead and had cell damage and had to be replaced.

The trailer is an Adventure Manufacturing FBS 26.

Actual draw is 1.5 amps as explained in later post.

If you have a 12vdc radio.....It is one of the most forgotten source of drain. I installed a switch to remove all power from it.

As stated the TV antenna booster also...

If you have an inverter it is a standby amp gobbler! Turn it off.

With just the safety detectors and everything else off you should see .2 -.3 amps...

Jim

1.5 amps does seem a bit high. Mine idles at 500 milliamps running the fridge on propane.

How did you measure the current?

I would be pulling 12 volt fuses one at a time during the test to find the issues.

1.5 amps seems like a lot to me.
You could isolate it to determine where it is. Just pull each fuse, one at a time, to see which circuit it is mainly associated with. Once you have that, disconnect each item in that circuit, one at a time, to see what is causing it.
- Radio clock light
- Detectors
- TV antenna booster
- Ref.
Are all common culprits.

If you park your rig outside, a solar system will not only eliminate any concern about parasitic draw, but also provide power without having to resort to a generator when boondocking. But first I would identify where that power is going.

1.5 amps is way too much. After I put a cut-off switch on the radio my only draw is the propane detector at 70ma (.07 amp)
I installed a Blue Sea marine cut-off switch for long periods of non-use.
I'm running dual G29 batteries and run the genny an hour a day to top them off. I also installed a deck-mounted IOTA 55A converter to supplement the factory WFCO.

Check to make sure you didnt forget to turn off the booster on the tv antenna