Battery assistance

GGeorge wrote:
Multimeter did not read anything.

RV has been in storage... unplugged sitting in driveway, battery switch on (DAH)

I found the problem..... I left a storage compartment light on.

Batteries were charging for several hours and my test meter kept reading low, then I realized after I posted, battery tester is for 12v batteries not 6v batteries.

This could go down in history as one of the dumbest things I have every done, however, my life is not over and I am sure I will do something dumb in the future, so time will only tell.

Thank you all for your assistance.

Now that you know that, you can still charge the 2 6volt batteries with a 12volt charger. You just have to put it on the two output wires on the batteries. Check fluid level, and make sure not to add water to an oil filled battery.

Next thing I would ask, are the lights in and outside of the coach LED's? If not, think about changing them. They don't get hot, or take as much amperage to use. We do a lot of dry camping and boondocking in the desert. If you're plugged in most of the time, I would still think about doing it.

I bought mine from eBay, and I found the 1156 style bulbs for $22 for 20 bulbs. You don't have to pay $6-9 a piece like some places sell them for.

GGeorge Google 12volt side of life and read AND LEARN. jmo. yOUR VOLT tester will READ 12 or 6 volt batters.

Multimeter did not read anything.

RV has been in storage... unplugged sitting in driveway, battery switch on (DAH)

I found the problem..... I left a storage compartment light on.

Batteries were charging for several hours and my test meter kept reading low, then I realized after I posted, battery tester is for 12v batteries not 6v batteries.

This could go down in history as one of the dumbest things I have every done, however, my life is not over and I am sure I will do something dumb in the future, so time will only tell.

Thank you all for your assistance.

Always goto the battery terminals to test them. There are several things between the battery terminals and the 12VDC Distribution Panel that could be malfunctioning for several reason. Your 12VDc battery measured at the battery terminals should read 12.6-7VDC if fully charged. If the 12VDC battery terminal DC VOLTAGE is below 10.5VDC then the battery is considered 0% charged.

Another test when making this measurement at the battery terminals is to conect up the shore power power and you should then see the battery DC Voltage jump up to 13.6VDC or higher depending what the converter/charger is doing. If the battery terminals jump up to 13.6VDC this tells you the converter/charger is working and the connections between the converter/12VDC Distribution Panel is working normally.

Another more simple test is turn on the trailer ceiling lights without being connected to the shore power. The ceiling lights should come on if the connections to the battery are good and the battery is charged.

Just a couple of simple things you can check out to determine if your batteries are truly dead or some disconnect is keeping you from seeing the batteries working.

Having a multimeter in your RV TOOL BOX is a very good thing to have. They are inexpensive and only cost from $7 to $20. These are available from LOWES-WALMART - AMAZON and any number of auto parts stores...

Roy Ken

If you are stating they are dead because you have no power to the living quarters then The first thing to check is if the disconnect switch is on.

GGeorge wrote:
Both batteries have been on 2 chargers for 30+ hours and neither show any signs of life.

Stand alone battery charger ?

When was the last time the MH was used ? & has it been connected to shore power, during non-use.

#1 Check battery water levels.
#2 Use hydrometer to check condition of each battery.
#3 Are you using a "smart charger" ?
#4 An "equalization charge may be in order.
#5 If they have been depleted for a length of time, they may very well be "dead" & nothing you do, will help.

The gas detector and many other things will drain them down. The charger will not charge them if they are very low. You also need to make sure the charger is working before you replace them.

Is Rv in use all the time or in storage.

How did you determine they are dead?