Batteries overcharging

[BobDarlaCook]

I do not plug in my MH when it's parked. I plug it in the night before we leave to chill the fridge. Most trips are just weekenders. I keep checking the batteries and they are overcharging/boiling over each trip just from the couple days of camping plus the genie running on the road. Besides trashing the battery cabinet, they won't hold a charge between trips. I have to start the engine to get power to start the genie. I had to replace the batteries several months ago when they exploded... before I realized I had this problem I wasn't checking the water level as often as this prolem would require and I suspect they went dry and had a total failure. I know I need to get it fixed .... is there a specific problem or am I looking at having the whole electrical system diagnosed to pinpoint it ?

[stuplich]

FIRE UP wrote:
Well Bob,
if your rig is a diesel, about 99.9% of them have inverters, NOT CONVERTERS, and, many of them are Inverter/Chargers so, you could be having an issue with that system. Now, if your coach is a gas unit, about 99.9% of them, come with Converters, not Inverters!

Fire Up

I beg to differ!
I think that MANY,(MOST?), diesel coaches have a CONVERTER in their INVERTER/3 stage battery CHARGER.

My Freedom 20 INVERTER/CHARGER is also a CONVERTER.

Here's a link to my Freedom 20 manual:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CDEQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.xantrex.com%2Fdocuments%2FDiscontinued-Products%2FFreedom%2520series%25201.pdf&ei=8vOcUbfsMKTgyQGc_IGoAQ&usg=AFQjCNEpd-ghhONSAiIWxw8_5R9taIWcXw&sig2=xpe7W9EKXVRXcr1u7EUnvQ&bvm=bv.46751780,d.aWM

See page 4, "Introduction".

Mel
'96 Safari

[stuplich]

Read your inverter/charger manual and verify the charger/battery settings.

Also never overfill your battery cells.
Add distilled water to a point between just above the plates and the bottom of the split rings in each cell, but ONLY when they are FULLY CHARGED.
If batteries are filled when low on charge, and then charged, there's a good chance that some electrolyte, (aka: battery acid), will "boil out".

Mel
'96 Safari

[FIRE_UP]

Well Bob,
Let's start out with, what kind of motor home do you have? What kind of and, how many house batteries and, engine do you have? You see, if your rig is a diesel, about 99.9% of them have inverters, NOT CONVERTERS, and, many of them are Inverter/Chargers so, you could be having an issue with that system. Now, if your coach is a gas unit, about 99.9% of them, come with Converters, not Inverters!

So, we need more info on your system before we can give an accurate assessment of a possible solution to your issues.
Scott
P.S. On edit, I didn't know the question has already been asked, sorry.
Scott

[BobDarlaCook]

2008 Thor/Four Winds Hurricane. I don't have the inverter info with me, I can get that tonight. It is the factory equipment though if that helps.

[bluwtr49]

It might help to identify the coach spefics as well as info on the inverter that's installed.

[ScottG]

It sounds like you have an older converter that is over charging them.