The camper battery is a
VMAX SLR125, which is actually one of their batteries marketed for solar use, but they work fine in RV deep-cycle as well. According to the specs, they should be charged at 14.4-14.9 volts, and the DC-DC charger provides 14.6 volts in bulk/boost mode, 13.3 in float. The battery is five years old.
The specifics are that the 2016 charging system couldn’t keep up with the usage from the camper battery while we were driving, despite having installing 4 AWG wires from the truck batteries to the camper plug in the truck bed. The wires in the camper umbilical cord were 8 AWG from Lance, and were upgraded to 4 gauge when I installed the DC-DC charger.
Upgrading the wires in the two previous trucks that hauled this same camper had worked fine before. I could count on having a camper battery that was showing about 90% on the Trimetric monitor when we would stop for the night. With the 2016 truck, it would always be under 70% until I installed the Redarc. It was dependent on what the fridge thermostat setting was and where in a cooling cycle it was when we stopped, and sometimes it was much lower than 70%. Know what is now? It’s always very close to 100% when we stop.
Don’t start in on me about the Trimetric either. :W I know what it’s limitations are and I don’t take it’s indication 100% literally. I can tell when the battery is low from the way the fans and water pump sounds as well. Going to bed with a furnace fan that sounds like a low battery doesn’t make for a good nights sleep. Makes me wonder if I’m going to be able to take a shower in the morning, or get the generator started if I want to nuke my sausage mcmuffin. Hmm, sounds like a good reason to cary around one of those lithium jump starter gizmos, doesn’t it? Nah, you don’t want to mess around with that. You’ll shoot your eye out. :W:W <= (inside joke for one special member)
I’m afraid I don’t keep logs, charts and graphs on anything anymore. Too much like work. Actually, I never did much of that on my own time even when I was still working. I just used the excuse then of “I’m too busy”. Now, I’m too retired.
:):)
