Battery charge controllers

My OEM unit is a progressive 9100 with a built in charge wizard. It is left plugged in to shore power all the time .

here is some info.

http://www.rvnetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=118561

First post the converter model number or the number off the breaker panel.

Next tell us the voltage on the batteries measured with your voltmeter.

Have you checked the battery water level?

Otherwise what indicates the overcharge?

The 12 Volt Side of Life

smkettner wrote:

Next tell us the voltage on the batteries measured with your voltmeter.

Otherwise what indicates the overcharge?

What he said.

It is actually pretty hard to "ruin" a heavy duty battery like that.

You might post a picture of the battery hookup so we can verify the batteries are at least connected correctly.

When I had to replace mine I went with a Progressive Dynamics 9260C. It fit just barely in the space where the old one was. one of the 4600 series may be a direct replacement for you. I love this thing and I keep mine plugged in 24/7 when ever we are not using the TT. It has never over boiled my batteries ever and I check them now about ever 60-90 days.

The PD has a float charger built into it once it is fully charged it just maintains what is needed to keep up with the parasitic draw on them.

A "smart charger" is the best type to have. There are many to choose from. Progressive Dynamics, Xantrex and Magnum Energy are the most popular.
They have a three stage charging control, which steps down the charge rate as the battery bank reaches full float charge.
Any battery can be destroyed by overcharging and can be caused by failure of the circuitry in the charger.

Vulcan Rider wrote:

smkettner wrote:

Next tell us the voltage on the batteries measured with your voltmeter.

Otherwise what indicates the overcharge?

What he said.

It is actually pretty hard to "ruin" a heavy duty battery like that.

The OP stated they were over charging, and over charging will destroy any battery.:S

harold1946 wrote:

The OP stated they were over charging, and over charging will destroy any battery.:S

That depends......on how much and how long the "overcharge" is.

And on whether or not the person saying that is actually qualified to recognize an overcharge in the first place.

Then sometimes people make "mis-statements". Even you.

Asking for clarification of the question is never a bad thing.

"Charge controllers" are usually in the realm of solar hardware. RV "converters" supply 12V power to a trailer and charge the batteries. Post up the names and numbers on the 12V distribution panel and a new converter can be sized accordingly. It takes a lot of current for a fairly long time to injure a 6V battery. Is this something the previous owner mentioned? If so, I would confirm what voltage is being outputted from the converter.

A handheld meter is almost a "must have" for RV owners. The 12V system can be problematic and diagnosing will save a lot of effort/money.

In this case the OP clearly stated they were over charged and ruined. His question was "What type of a charge controller should I get?".
Just how much and how long does it take to destroy a battery by over charging ?.
I and many other would like very much to have you share those perimeters.
Yes, we all make miss-statements, even I.
Reading comprehension also is a plus.

As we all should know, heat is the enemy of all batteries. All batteries heat up during charging. If the charge cycle is not stopped after completion of a full charge, the battery will continue to heat up, even to the point of thermal runaway.